Something Reckless

There’s a moment in life where you realize that you need to be alone. Even just for an hour. A designated slot, if you will, to escape from the pressures and realities of life. I used to love being social, but lately I had just been socially exhausted. I love my friends, but I love my alone time more… as awful as it sounds. So I come to this same spot beside my favourite oak tree at school everyday for an hour or two, just close enough to the main building that I won’t be late for classes, but farther enough away that I won’t be bothered by people. It was also nearing the end of my last semester ever and the spring air was a nice change from the brutal winter we had had.

I was currently shuffling through my iPod when I noticed him walk up to me, his limp only visible if you really payed attention to him. I hadn’t met him before, but I had heard of him and I was wondering why he had made the journey across the field to see me. I looked up at him, trying my best to let my annoyance subside.

“Hi.” He said, smiling down at me. I smiled back.

“Hi.” I answered, not sure what to do.

“It okay if I sit?” I gestured with my hand for him to do so. “Sorry, my prosthetic makes it hard to walk across fields to chat up girls, you know.” I raised my eyebrow at him, confused.

“Um, I’m not really sure how to answer that.” He chuckled, reaching his hand out for me to shake.

“I’m Luke.” He said, shaking my hand. “I take it subtlety is the better approach with you?” I crossed my legs, probably visibly uncomfortable now. I wasn’t shy, I just wasn’t sure what was happening right now.

“Logan.” I said my name hesitantly. “Subtlety is probably better, yes.” I cracked a small smile.

“Well I would like to subteley tell you that I think you have beautiful eyes.” He raised an eyebrow at his words. “Okay, yeah, that didn’t come out as smooth as I would have hoped.” I laughed. “Sorry, it’s been a while since I’ve tried to get a girl’s number.” He seemed genuinely nervous now.

“Well tell you what… Luke. I’ll ignore the very unsubtle comments you’ve made thus far and give you my number, but only because I feel bad that you had to trek uncomfortably through a field just to get to me.” Now he raised his eyebrow at me and not to himself.

“Are you pity-numbering me?” He asked, pretending to be offended and placing his hand on his chest. I shrugged, smirking. “Well I’ll take it, but just know that I am hurt to know that.” He reached out and handed me his phone.

“I’m sure your ego can handle it.” I said, adding my number to his contacts and checking the time before handing his phone back to him. I noticed he had a picture of him with the guy the school held a memorial for last year as his lock screen photo and tried not to stare too long. “Well, Romeo, I’ve got to get to class.” I stood up, patting myself free of dirt and grass.

“Before you go, did you ugh want to go out this Saturday?” I raised my hand to my forehead to block the sun from my eyes while I looked down at him contemplating. Saturday was two days from now and I had absolutely nothing planned, but something in me stirred. I knew how he lost his leg, was that the type of influence I wanted to be around?

“A pity number does not a pity date make.” I said, teasingly. “I’ll see you around, Luke.” I walked through the field, barely ready for my next lecture hall. I had only read a quarter of the chapter I was supposed to have finished for today and I was seriously lacking some caffeine.

I admit I felt kind of bad for telling Luke no, but I reminded myself that I only felt bad because of his leg and if I said yes, then I would definitely be doing it out of pity. I didn’t know a lot about him, but I knew enough. His last name was Owens, he used to be the captain of the Lacrosse team until the accident, and he was famous for his “gorgeous blue eyes” via all the girls who ever spoke about him. I had maybe one class with him in first year, but our paths had never really crossed since.

I got to my neurophysiology class with ten minutes to spare and just enough time to find a seat before the herds arrived and the lecture hall became congested. I knew a few people in this class from my tutorials and was lucky enough to have my friend Elle, roommate and best friend who I met first year, with me. Elle was my version of home away from home and I was grateful to have her for the last three and a half years.

I pulled my pen and notebook out, which always seemed terribly big for the corner of desk space we got in this room and started doodling in the margins. The room was beginning to fill now which I could tell without looking up because there was a sudden burst of noise and a loud energy beginning to build. I felt a tap on my shoulder and looked up to see Elle smiling down at me peculiarly.

“Hi to you too.” I greeted her before she opened her mouth. She sat down beside me and grabbed her notebook from her backpack, letting her body relax against the seat since she was clearly exhausted after her morning workout. “What is your deal?” I asked anxiously after she made it a point to stare at me for a solid twenty seconds.

“Nothing.” She said, raising her arms in the air. Professor Alba (though he preferred to be called by his first name, Roy) walked in and set his briefcase on the desk beside his podium, taking a quick moment to set up his lecture slides. I wrote the date in the corner of a fresh page and waited patiently for him to begin. “Okay, I just want to know why you were talking to one-legged Luke?” I turned to her rolling my eyes.

“How did you even know I was talking to him?” I whispered as Roy began his lecture. The room was silent now except for Roy’s voice through the speakers and the occasional sound of his clicker when he needed to change slides. I tried to focus but Elle was in a very distracted mood today.

“I saw you when I was heading to my car after the gym. Why did you have his phone?” I placed my pen down and looked at her with a huff.

“Why do you think, Elle?” Roy looked over at us and for fear of being called out, we immediately pretended to be looking at our notes.

“I’m really hoping you aren’t going to be dating one-legged Luke. Logan, he’s partly responsible for killing somebody.” I felt my body tense at the sudden interrogation over a guy I had a two second conversation with.

“I’m not dating him, relax. And it’s rude to keep calling him that.” I managed to write down the second half of the slide on display but had no idea what it was referring to. The textbook was going to have to be my new best friend for this chapter.

“No. Rude is allowing your buddy to get so wasted he crashes his car and kills his friend. He doesn’t deserve my respect. I’ll call him whatever I want.” I rolled my eyes, suddenly very annoyed with her. Wasn’t his friend dying enough punishment for the guy? It’s different for people who don’t learn from their mistakes, but Luke hasn’t been a hot topic for a long time now so I’m assuming he no longer gets wasted and crashes cars.

I told her to drop it and she did even though I knew it was bound to come up again. I had enough of the lecture remaining after her interrogation that I was able to get most of the lecture notes written before the end of class. We made plans to do dinner and then separated, emerging into our usual daily lives. I had tutorial in an hour so I was going back to my tree to do some of the readings I hadn’t been able to before.

I felt my phone buzz and looked to see that an unknown number had texted me. I smiled without meaning too. “One date and if you hate it you never have to see me again.” I thought about what Elle said and my earlier hesitations and almost rejected him again, but this time I changed my mind.

“Okay.” I replied. He sent me a text back almost instantly.

“I need to work on subtlety and winning over your enthusiasm. Got it. ;) " I felt myself giggle.

“See you Saturday!