Paralyzed ▹ Luke Hemmings

05

Luke couldn't believe it when Thursday finally rolled around. It scared the life out of him, but deep down he couldn't be more excited. This was his time now. This was his chance to get to know Sam and try to befriend her. It was going to be just the two of them as Luke helped her out with chemistry after school, and nothing could get in his way today. Not even Ashton; he'll be busy with lacrosse practice while Luke will be with his girlfriend. Not that it meant anything, because no matter what Ashton will always outshine Luke, but today will be Luke's 15 minutes of fame.

He woke up an extra 20 minutes earlier than usual so he could spend more time on looking nice today. His alarm beeped at precisely 5:40 AM; Luke couldn't have it any later. His eyes blinked open and he hopped out of bed with a wide grin on his face, excited to get the day started. As he pulled his t-shirt off his shoulders and tugged his boxers off to get into the shower, even he was surprised at his happy attitude. For once he was actually excited to go to school. Nervous beyond compare, but still excited.

Luke stepped into the shower and exhaled a sigh of relief as the hot water pelted his skin. His muscles woke up and he rolled his shoulders back, running his hands through his hair until it was completely slicked back. As he washed his hair with shampoo and scrubbed his body down with soap, he thought about what this afternoon was going to be like. It's just going to be him and Samantha, the girl he's been dreaming of for 5 years straight. Luke had no idea what he was going to say to her, he would probably get all choked up like last time. Luckily Sam is the nicest girl on campus, so she must know how to make things less awkward, right?

Damn...what is Luke going to? He needed to find something to talk about other than chemistry, a school subject is boring to talk about for a whole hour. And considering how much Luke loves her and how much her boyfriend ruins his life everyday, how terrifying is this going to be?

No. Luke thought, shaking his head so hard that drops of water sprayed over his shower curtain. This was his time, it must be. Luke has been waiting 18 years for this chance. And he could not fuck it up. 

Once he was finished with his shower, Luke quickly dried off and rushed back into his bedroom with a towel around his waist. He shoved his closet door open and scanned through his choices of shirts to find one that would look nice. Luke wanted to go for an 'I can look fucking hot without even trying' look, though he didn't know to figure something like that out. Ashton always has that look to him. So does Michael and Calum. And Sam, as a matter of fact.

Luke settled on a white t-shirt and a pair of black skinny jeans. He threw the shirt over his head and sat down on the edge of his bed to pull his pants up his legs. He slipped socks and black vans onto his feet, and then skipped back to his bathroom to work on his face. He quickly brushed his teeth, rinsed his mouth out with mouthwash, and dragged a coat of hair gel through his signature quiff. He's been wearing his hair like this everyday since he was 14. 

Luke gripped the edge of his sink and stared at his reflection in the mirror, giving himself a thorough inspection. "You can do this," he said out loud. "It's just a girl."

Deep down Luke knew it wasn't just a girl. It was Sam, the same girl he's been loving from afar for what's felt like his whole life. The same girl he's been obsessed with for years. The same girl that would probably get a restraining order against Luke if she found out how much Luke knows about her. That's why he's going to take baby steps until they get on more friendly terms. For right now, Luke is her chemistry tutor. That's all.

Luke ate a quick breakfast and gave his mother more insight on what he's doing with Sam. A few days ago, when they established that Luke was going to tutor her on Thursdays, he ran straight home and told his mom everything. Liz was ecstatic, and Luke wasn't sure if it was because he was getting to be with Sam, or because her son was finally talking to another human being besides herself.