Luke

Chapter 13

I parted with Jay and walked up to the 4th floor to bio class. Strangely, I was into bio. I have no fucking clue why, but it was actually really interesting. The teacher hated me though, for some reason. I guess I just wasn't on Robinson's good side. 

I sat in the back of the room and took out my journal, placing it on my small desk. They really needed to make those things bigger. I looked around. Nothing seemed too interesting. It looked like it would be a normal day of note taking. 

The teacher entered, greeting us and placing his bag on his desk. He took out some folders and wrote the agenda on the board. I watched him write and move back to his desk, starting up class with attendance. He called my name last.

"Here," I rose my hand, indicating my location in the room.

He looked up, his face melting into disapproval.

"Luke?"

"Yeah?"

"Sunglasses aren't allowed in the school building,"

The class turned to me, seeing the dark lenses block my eyes. "Yeah. So?"

"Please remove the glasses."

"Nah, I think I'll keep them on," I replied, pushing the frames up the ridge of my nose. I heard some students giggle and scoff, turning to their friends. 

"Step outside. I'll be with you shortly."

Everyone turned back to me. I looked at them, remaining in my seat. 

"Now, Mr. Wright."

I sighed, placing my palms on the chilled desk and rising out of my chair, walking to the door. I stood in the hallway and Mr. Robinson came out, standing in front of me at eye level. I veered my eyes away; I hated eye contact. 

"Hand over the glasses, Luke," he instructed. 

"I'd rather not," I replied. 

"It's not a matter of wanting to or not. Take them off now."

I hesitated before pulling them off my face, placing them into his open palm. "There. Happy?"

He stared at me and I looked away, avoiding his glare. 

"What happened?"

"Nothing."

He paused, sighing. "Luke, is everything at your house all right?"

"Yeah, it's fine. I'm fine."

"Are you really?"

I was quiet. Nothing was 'all right'. Everything was shit. But I wouldn't tell a teacher that. I looked up at him. His face was sincere and full of sympathy. I hated it. 

"What really happened?"

"I just got into a fight."

"With who?"

"...Some guy. It's no big deal. Can I have the glasses back now?"

He continued looking at me then handed over the glasses. "Keep them on, okay? If anyone gives you trouble, just tell them Mr. Robinson let you keep them on."

I took them back, entering the room and sliding the frames over my eyes. The eyes of the classmates buried into me as I walked to my seat. I kept my head down, trying my best to block out their gaze.

"Focus, guys!" Robinson called, jerking the students' eyes off me and to their paper. I rested my head into my palm and sighed, writing down the question to answer it in my notebook. 

The bell rang and I packed up quickly, slinging my bag over my shoulder and rushing out of the classroom. I slumped down the stairs going to the first floor, my head down. I saw students stare at me as I walked by, muttering things to their friends about my glasses. 

I flung the doors open, trudging across the frost-bitten grass and out to the football field. It was oddly warm outside although there was a crispness to the air. I climbed the bleachers and sat down, pulling out my pack of cigarettes and placing one in between my teeth, wrapping my hand around my lighter, feeling the blaze of the fire against my hand. I took the drag, the roughness of the cigarette calming my body. Hell, I was still sore as fuck, but at least a cigarette calmed me down. 

"Luke. Hey," I felt a hand shake my shoulder. I jolted awake, seeing Jay come into view. 

"You fucking scared me," I breathed, settling back into the metal frame.

"Sorry. How long have you been out here?"

"What time is it?"

"It's almost 11."

"Almost 3 hours then."

"Jesus..." she sighed, rubbing her face. She sat down, pulling a cigarette out of her pocket and lighting one, blowing the smoke out between the rails. "How's your shiner?"

I took off the sunglasses, folding the arm in my hand. "On a scale of 1-10, how badass do I look?" I questioned jokingly. 

"A 7," Jay smirked, taking a drag of her cigarette. 

I put the glasses back on, looking towards the school. "Did you know teachers could actually be nice?" I asked, smiling to myself.

"I had no fucking clue," she responded sarcastically. 

"Shut up."

"Why do you say that, though?"

I moved my position on the bleacher, my leg tingly from being asleep. "I don't know. It's just..." I sighed, running my hand in my hair. "It's Robinson -"

"Who?"

"Robinson. My bio teacher. I totally thought I was on his bad side, but...fuck I don't know."

"What'd he do?"

"He pulled me out of class about the sunglasses thing and told me to take them off, so I did, and he let me keep them on after."

"Really?"

"Yeah. And he said if anyone gave me shit I'd just have to tell them Robinson told me I could keep them on."

"I guess it's a stroke of luck."

"I guess so."

"You get to choose senior science, right?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"Why the hell would you choose bio?"

"I don't really know. I mean, I like bio. It sounds stupid, but it's interesting to me."

"I'm not making fun of you, it's just that you don't seem like a bio guy."

"I don't really know what it is," I paused. "Maybe it's something to do with Mom or something. Understanding, you know?"

"It makes sense."

I pulled out another cigarette, lighting it and taking a drag.

"Heaven knows you'll be needing to know bio after your lungs collapse from all your cigarettes you smoke."

I kicked her and she laughed, putting out her cigarette on the bleacher. "You still coming over after school?"

"Yeah. Can I stay over?"

"Of course."

"Thanks."

"Are you skipping the rest of school out here?"

"Yeah, probably. I might go back in later today."

"Well I'm going back inside." She packed up her bag and flung it over her shoulder, trudging down the bleachers. "See you later."

"Bye."