High school: A cheesy love story

5

Monday afternoon...

I'm spending my lunchtime in my favourite place. The fountain of knowledge. Behind my very large book, I can see Luke approaching. He looks like a man on a mission. His head is freshly shaved, something to make me laugh but I don't. I actually respect to he rules of the library so I bite it down.

I should be mad, given the events or I should rather say the uneventful past three days. I haven't gotten what I wanted but I'm happy because I got what I needed. I just needed to say my last goodbye to my home, alone.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" His anger is quite clear as he turns as red as a tomato.

"I'm reading." I reply calmly whilst indicating sarcastically towards the book in my hands with my eyes.

"You're reading?" He scoffs. "This is Grade 12 biology."

"Luke let me educate you." I shut the book loudly, making him jump. I smirk. It's taking me everything not to laugh at his bald head. "Knowledge is power."

"Is that why you're sticking your nose into things that don't concern you!" He grits his teeth trying not to be loud.

"If you're here, it means I'm right. Are you here to defend your lover's honour?" I give him a humorous smile. "Did she cry on your shoulder during your pillow talk?"

"Listen here..."

"No!" I grab him by his tie and pull him closer to my face. Our lips are almost touching. "You listen here, Luke Van huisteisen," he tenses up at the mention of his surname. I give a 'yes I know ' smile as if it's the greatest achievement ever. "I will get what I want and I don't care who through to get it."

He frees himself from my tight grip and he slowly relaxes.

"Please don't call me that." His voice is shaky.

"Why Van huisteisen?"

He blinks a bit before handing me a file.

"You should've just asked me," he says.

"You could've just done that initially." I take the file.

"What happens when you don't get what you want?"

"Well the last person who got in my way broke a leg and the first one died."

I can see the disbelief and belief having a tug of war in his eyes.

He finally settles on disbelief.

"Now. Since I'm the one who got you what you wanted, I want something in return." He swallows hard.

Okay he's playing the game so I decide to humour him.

"Go out on a date with me." He sounding very confident and quite sure of himself.

"Where?"

"At my house. A family dinner." He clears his throat.

"So you're a gentleman afterall."

"What did you think I was?"

I don't answer him and he walks away.

"Disssapointing," someone with a very strong Indian accent says from behind me.

I look at them expectantly.

"That was Luke. Notorious heartthrob and quite sadly, heartbreaker."

"Did he steal your girlfriend or something?"

He gives me a sad and almost sympathetic look.

"No."

"You remind me of a Bollywood movie. I used to like them when I was little." I tell him and his face lights up.

The nostalgia hits me like a wave and I allow it to consume me.

***

Luke...

"Are you okay?" My twin sister sits besides me and dips her feet in the pool. She sitting and I'm lying down, so she has to turn in order to see my face.

The moon is beautifully full in the brightly lit sky. There are a few stars and they remind me of her passionate eyes...

"A penny for your thoughts..." She hands me a ten rand note.

"That's a note." I breathe out loudly. It's quite a heavy breath.

"It got you to talk didn't it?" She smiles.

"What do you think about the new girl?"

She lays down.

"Has she been running circles in your mind?" She chuckles.

"I invited her to dinner." I confess.

She's quiet. She's too quiet.

"You think it's too soon. It is too soon." I begin to panic.

"No Luke. I doesn't matter what I think. " She looks at our house. "And I don't care what he thinks either. I just bring whoever I'm with so that he can see them and know. I don't need his validation. Unfortunately your fate has been sealed but it you think you can still change his mind I'll support you."

"Plus he's a racist." I groan out of frustration.

"No." She shakes her dad. "Dad is more like a classist. Nate had more money than Siya could ever dream of but dad thinks all artists are junkies. Siya gets bonus points for being captain of the rugby team."

"His ideal son." I breathe out heavily.

"Luke..."

"It's true. I can't play a single sport to save my life. I'm always on the bench."

"But you're on the team. That has to count for something."

"That's the problem. Dad wants me to make him proud his way. My opinions and feelings don't matter. He wants me to make up for Michael's shortcomings." The tears prick my eyes.

"Do you think it's true?"

"Luke. You have to let go of it. It's not good for you."

"It's the reason I'm like this. It messed me up okay! I can't help but wonder."

"It doesn't help you now, does it. We all went through it Luke. You're just desperate for a way out and you're grasping at straws." I can see her face clearly. I can't detect any lies in her tone.

"It's been years and I still feel like I'm running around in circles. It hurts..." My breath clogs up in my throat and I'm forced to cough it out. It becomes cold in an instant.

I can see Ficelle moving so I quickly grab her arm.

"Please don't leave me." I strain out the words.

The fear in her eyes is the same as always. She's afraid of losing me. Afraid of being there when it finally happens. She's afraid that her efforts are never enough. Anything to her is a trigger. She wants me to talk because if I'm too quiet, then there's a problem but then again she has to be careful with her own words.

"Michael! The pills! Luke!" Her screams are too harsh and painful. I imagine she's choking.

She's too quiet. She's sobbing. I don't want to cause her pain but if I die she'll be distraught so I fight. I fight for each and every breath, just up until Michael can get here.