Days || hemmings

Prologue

Pulling my hair out from the back of my jacket, I hauled open the coffee shop door. Striding towards the counter, I greeted one of usual cashiers, waiting behind two other hipster looking teenagers.

I heard the bell ring on the door and floppy feet behind me, but ignored it. "Yeah, Jenna. A coffee and a gluten-free blueberry muffin." I smiled, handing her my correct change and moving to my left, making room for the next customer.

"Gluten-free?" A deep voice said next to me, moments later. "Are you on one of those LA diets?"

I turned towards the Australian accent, having to lift my head a little to see his face, which left me looking into bright blue eyes, blonde hair stood on end and deep dimples.

I scoffed a little. "Did your parents give you too much HGH as a child? You're a little overgrown." I mentally slapped myself because that was a really weak insult. So with that I grabbed the things I had purchased and located myself in my usual place at the end of the window. Pulling out my sketchbook, I plunged into finished my current project.

Being an aspiring art student, I'm never taken seriously. And my other major hoping to be in music, does not help me much at all. I pushed the curled Rihanna red ends of my hair off my page, hearing shuffling across from me. Looking up, I was met with the same blue eyes. "Can I help you?"

He shrugged with a stupid grin on his face. "You didn't answer my question."

I dropped my pencil on the table, leaning back against my chair and folding my arms. "Why do you care, exactly?"

He leaned his elbows on the table, putting His hands under his chin. "Diets can be bad for you. And you look great."

I mimicked his position, but crossed my hands on the table. "How do you know I don't look like this because of a diet?" He raised his eyebrows and I'll admit, that paired with the smile was pretty cute. "Nah, I have Celiac. Can't eat gluten." He reached his hand across the table and I shook it. "I'm Alex."

"I'm Luke. What are your palms for tonight?"

I choked on my coffee, subtly. "Um, I don't really date but I have a gig tonight."

He raised an eyebrow, "Gig? Where?"

I raised a brow back. "The bar off campus. You have to be legal, though." I picked at the cardboard rim of my cup. "I have a fake ID."

"Shouldn't be a problem; I'm twenty," he replied, almost instantly with confidence.

I nodded my head, packing my things. "Well, I have a class, so I must be going." I felt a grip on my wrist. Shit, I was so close.

"Number?" I opened my mouth to tell him off but he held his hand up. "I don't mean like that, I mean to just be friends."

I rolled my eyes, grabbing his phone. "Fine," I sighed. I quickly tapped in my information handing him back his phone. "May I attend class now?" I looked down at his massive smile and subconsciously returned it. "Yeah, you can. Thanks." There was an awkward moment of him holding my wrist and eye contact.

"Right then." I cleared my throat, breaking the eye contact, which then cause him to release his grip. I sighed in relief as my boots hit the concrete of the sidewalk, a light breeze blowing my black and red hand behind me.

Making my way to class, I heard a ding from my phone. It was a picture from a number I didn't know. Assuming it was Luke, I slid it open.

Do you lose things easily? You left this behind.

The picture was a shaded rose I had drawn ages ago. It was in my portfolio and I had gotten it tattooed on my foot, which I usually keep cooped up and covered in combat boots. Barely anyone has seen that tattoo or picture, and now some random but cute boy has gotten a hold of it, after years of keeping it sacred.

I'm in for it.