Laurie

Perhaps due to the inability to sleep the last few days, spending all night staring out my window, replaying the conversation I had with Aunt Pastelle, and thinking about Luke obsessively, I appeared to annoy a few teachers and a few students at school the next day.

"Laurie, if you're not going to participate today, why did you show up to class?" My middle-aged, overweight, trigonometry teacher exclaimed as he pushed his gray-rimmed glasses back onto the bridge of his short nose. I felt everyone's eyes burning through me.

"I'm sorry, which problem was that again?" I shuffled the homework around on my desk as he scoffed and repeated the number. I quickly read off my answer, and satisfied, class continued.

After class, I shuffled to my locker, only to find my new locker partner had stacked not only her's, but her friend's books everywhere in my locker, not even leaving space for my messenger bag. Frustrated and tired, I slammed the blue door shut and pinched the bridge of my nose. Looking up, I caught Jackson glancing at me from across the hall, talking casually with a few of the boys in his crowd. Unfortunately, my next class was world geography.

Hurrying through the crowd as the warning bell rang, I thought about what I was going to say to Aunt Pastelle after school today. The phone conversation with her went better than expected. She was looking forward to having me over, and her voice squeaked curiously when I mentioned my neighbor was going to drive me.

I slipped into my seat, promising myself to focus on my studies for the remainder of the day.

"How are you today?" Jackson asked smoothly, removing his backpack as he slid into the seat behind me.

"Just fine, thanks," I replied politely, listening to our teacher begin class.

Halfway through class, our teacher instructed the class to divide into partners to complete the Greek and Roman assignment. I felt a gentle tap on my shoulder. Planning to ignore him, as Jackson most likely wanted answers, I responded without turning.

"Yes?"

"Want to partner?" He asked, and I turned.

"I want to finish as much as I can, since I won't have time later, Jackson..." I began before he interrupted.

"I can do half, and we'll finish faster. Deal?" Uncertain, I agreed, and surprisingly we finished quickly.

As I slipped my notebook into my bag and waited for the last five minutes of class to end, Jackson asked nonchalantly, "Will I see you at homecoming?"

Surprised, I glanced at him, and saw him looking intently at me, leaning forward and propping himself on his desk with one arm.

I shook my head, "I suppose," he sat back as the bell rang.

"Are you going with that new guy I've been seeing around?" Jackson asked as he walked out of the classroom and followed me to my locker. 'Why is he still following me?'

"What do you want, Jackson?" I stopped and spun around to face him. A dark expression crossed his face.

"Nothing." he turned abruptly and uncharacteristically, walking down the blue and white tiled hall as a few cheerleaders in uniform rushed after him.

I shook my head, confused.

At the end of the day, I quickly collected my books buried under the chaos of books and clothing with our school's logo, and hurried over to the athletic hallway in hope of catching Luke before practice to find out when we should leave for Aunt Pastelle's. Her house was about 45 minutes away, and I wanted to get this over with.

As I rounded the corner, my breath caught in my lungs as I saw Luke walking quickly down the hallway toward me, his backpack minus football equipment in hand.

A grin spread over my face, I could not help the glee I felt when he looked at me, smiled, and waved.

"I thought you had practice?" I asked, looking behind him.

"I told coach I couldn't make practice today, and that an emergency came up. He wasn't going to let me, but since I'm the up and coming Q.B., he relented. Let's get going." He wrapped his arm around my shoulders, and spun us around.

The anticipated ride to Aunt Pastelle's increased my nervousness tenfold. How was I going to restore my parents' relationship through my aunt? Hopefully, she would reveal something that would clear up her past intentions with Daddy, and everything would return to normal. Hopefully. Unfortunately, the complicated past with my family was only beginning to surface.