Disgraced || [COMPLETED]

CHAPTER 2 - LUKE

MARCH 2015

I felt that I was falling.

As I opened my eyes I noticed that I might as well not have - everything around me was completely dark, and it felt empty. Not empty like a room without beings, but more like a vacuum. Somehow though, I knew that this void was even emptier than a vacuum. It was empty of time as well.

I flapped my hands and flailed with my arms to see if I could turn myself around to check what was behind me, or if I could maybe manage to change my speed. Not like I had any way of knowing what speed I was going at; there was no wind howling in my ears nor was there anything in my surroundings that I could use as a point to fix my eyes on, but I felt like I at least had to try.

I raised my hands and held them before me.

Wait. I could see them? That meant my surroundings weren't dark, they were just... Black? A soft white light shimmered around my fingers, and as I watched I saw my hands begin to change. Merely seconds ago I had been looking at strong underarms and fingers that could grasp something firmly - now my hands were old and weak, with pale, thin skin and age spots forming on them.

I turned them around to look at my palms and suddenly they were changing again, but this time differently; the weak skin grew thicker, my muscles came back and I felt my shoulders broaden. It didn't stop there however. The morphing continued until I was looking at the smallest hands, with tiny nails and soft skin. I kicked my legs and noticed they were far closer to my body than they had been; I tried to make a sound but all that came out was a little moan. I had changed from an old man into a baby.

Knowing this didn't scare me at all though. I might not know where I was exactly or what was going to happen to me - if I was going to die, if I was doomed to spend eternity hanging in this void aging back and forth - but it didn't matter. I knew I had made the right choice.

"Made the right choice? Are you sure about that?"

Wait, where had that voice come from? The question had left my mind as soon as it entered however, and for a moment I didn't do or think anything at all.

After some time had passed - or maybe none had, I still had no idea - I saw tiny flashes passing by. In the following few seconds they grew bigger, and suddenly one came very close. Stars. I didn't know why I thought they were called stars, since I didn't remember seeing or hearing about them, but that didn't matter.

What I did feel was a sense of loss. Like I had missed something where I should have been, like I had done something wrong...

"Fool! Do not for one second think this will be easy. You will have to get up!'

What?

"Get up Luke, you will be late for school! Get up!"

I shot up straight and opened my eyes. "Shit! What time is it? Shit, shit, shit!" I jumped out of bed and almost tripped over my school bag that was packed and ready to go.

"Calm down, calm down. I'll take you there by car. Go get dressed first, alright?" my mum laughed and she went downstairs. I sighed and looked at the clock before groaning. I had only twenty minutes left before school started. Ugh. Great way to start your Monday morning right?

After classes I rushed to my locker so I could drop my books off before making my way to the cafeteria to buy some food. I smiled when I saw Matt already sitting at our usual table. How did he get here so fast? "Skipped class again?" I asked him while I sat down and dumped my plate on the table.

"One hundred and eighty!" he said, laughing. "Geography is just not my thing man." I shook my head at him.

"Why do you still even bother coming here? According to you, nothing is your thing."

"Ah you know... For the ladies," he said while wiggling his eyebrows. I shook my head again, this time while laughing.

"Yeah right, and when was the last time you spoke to one of those ladies of yours?" As he opened his mouth for a reply I quickly said "Without counting your mother or your sisters?" He shut his mouth again and I grinned. "Thought so." I looked down and my smile broadened. "Ah, I love pizza day."

"Hey guys! How's it going?" I heard a feminine voice behind me.

"Hey you, nothing much. Come sit on my lap babydoll," Matt said. I slapped the back of his head.

"Don't be rude. Hey babe," I said, looking at my girlfriend. "I was just telling Matt how the only reason I get out of bed in the mornings is because of this lovely dish of pizza we have here." Jessica scrunched her nose a bit.

"You mean you actually eat that stuff that Helga gives us? Do you even know when she last washed her hands?"

I shrugged. "Last week I heard someone say they saw her picking her nose before she handed them their food," Jessica said. "Helga's workdays means taking food from home for me."

"So you basically mean every day?" I heard my other friend, Gabe, say as he walked to our table.

"Gabe, my man! Where have you been? Didn't see you in class this morning," I said as I slapped him on the back while he sat down.

"That's because I have math the first period and you have chemistry," he replied dryly.

"Oh, right! Explains why it was so boring. Kept do-do-doodling all the way through class."

Jessica rolled her eyes. "Grow up Luke, leave the poor man alone. He can't help that he has a stutter."

"You mean you didn't have a nuh-nuh-nuh-nice weekend Jessica?" I said with a grin. "Bet you missed-.." I got cut off in my lame attempt to make a joke because a teacher came up to us.

"Hu-hu-hullo there, kids. Having a nuh-nuh-nice time?" Mr. Handson said. My cheeks flushed. "Gabe, can I a-a-ask you suh-suh-something?" Gabe cringed.

"Sure sir," he mumbled.

"Someone suh-suh-saw you in the male bathroom this morning and nuh-nuh-now they are clogged. Can you p-p-please explain? You were the only one people s-s-saw." Gabe became even more flustered than he already was.

"I was only there for a minute or so to wash my hands sir. The chain fell off my bike this morning so I had to repair it which made my hands all dirty and oily."

"Kuh-kuh-can you prove that?" he said. Gabe nodded and stood up, leaving his food behind.

"Gabe!" I said. He turned around.

"You mind?" He shook his head and I grinned happily, taking his lunch and putting it on my already empty plate. Jessica shook her head.

"You're disgusting," she said. I raised my eyebrows.

"Why? What did I do?" I asked with a mouth full of Gabe's sandwich.

---

[A/N:]

Hey you again!

So this time you met Luke, whose character is written by me, Mirthe. And you even met Gabe for a short second there haha. You'll see more of him in the coming chapter next week.

So what do you think of it this far? Yay or nay? Curious what Amy is looking for? Let us know!

See you next time! C:

Xx.~

P.S. So Luke looks like the guy in the pic... Kinda. He has lighter hair tho, a bit.