Locked (l.h)

Eleven

I'm woken up by being kicked in the ribs by a rather large foot.

"Oww." I groan.

"Sorry Jane." Luke mumbles "School starts in an hour though, better wake up."

"I'm really not in the mood for school." I complain, rolling across my sleeping bag.

"Jane, you'll kill me if I let you skip school. So just go get in the showers and then you'll realise you actually want to be here." He says, helping me up and pushing me out the classroom door.

"Bag." I say, stopping in the middle of the hallway.

He chucks me my bag before grabbing his.

"Wait out here for me." He says. "This is a fucking huge building and if you go I'm scared I'll never see you again."

"Luke it's a school, not a small country." I laugh.

"Well, like a small country, it's run by a nutcase."

"He's not that much of a nutcase."

"Jane, he gave me detention for a week just because I didn't know what ameliorate meant."

"Well that's easy. Ameliorate means to make something bad or unsatisfactory better."

"How are you so clever?" He whispers, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear.

"What do mean?" I ask, blushing and looking down at my feet.

"Like, everything you say, it's just so intelligent and beautiful. You're just so perfect, and I don't know how you do it."

"I'm far from perfect, Luke. Everyone is far from perfect, everyone has their flaws."

He grabs my hands, "Not you. Well, everyone has their flaws but even your flaws are perfect. And I don't how you make me feel this way."

Not knowing how to reply I drop his hands. "I um... I should go shower." I say as I enter the small room containing the girls showers and changing rooms.

-

As I swing the door open I find Luke sitting on a chair in the middle of the corridor, surrounded by our bags.

His mouth drops open, "You look beautiful."

"Luke, my hairs dripping wet and I have no make up on. I'm far from beautiful right now."

"You don't need make up, you're gorgeous."

"Thank you." I blush. "You look great too." I'd be lying if I said he didn't look gorgeous, his hair still damp from the shower and his smile lighting up the school.

"So, you think we've reached the best friend stage yet?" He grins.

"Definitely. The bestest of the friends."

"Good, and I think the lads are actually realising that you're great. And I'm realising you're better by the day."

Unsure of what to say I reply, "What's the plan before school then?"

"Should we go dump these in the car and then maybe go up to the roof?" He asks.

"Yeah, that sounds good." I smile. I take my bags from Luke and make my way towards the exit at the end of the long hallway.

For a few minutes we have peace until, "Hey! What are you doing in here?"

We and Luke turn around simultaneously to find the care taker standing at the end of the hall. Mr Norris was known for being a particularly fast runner, many say that he was once almost an Olympic athlete. But as well as being fast, he was also strict. And annoying. But mainly strict. And seeing that we were in the school before the gates were even supposed to be open, he didn't seem the happiest.