Rochester Avenue // Luke Hemmings

Chapter 7 - 'I'm Assuming You're Norman'

"Why are you grinning like the Cheshire cat?" George said as soon as I entered my dorm that same day.

I paused. "George, why are you in here? This isn't your dorm."

"Yeah, it practically is. Now tell us, why are you smiling like you just won the lottery?" he demanded, and I attempted to wipe the smile off my face.

"I'm not."

"Yes, you are," Jess agreed. "What happened?"

I shook my head. "Literally nothing happened. You guys are so suspicious of everything."

"She's lying," George said immediately. "Look at her, she's going all red."

"I am not," I retorted even though I knew I was. When they both continued to stare at me skeptically, I gave in. "Okay, fine, but it was like the smallest thing. Um... well to start with, Luke discovered me playing the guitar and singing, and he told me I was really good."

"Shut up! Luke Hemmings told you that you were good at the guitar and at singing?" George said excitedly.

"Well, yeah..." I said with a slight shrug.

"Wait, is there more?" Jess questioned.

"Uh, I guess. He just kind of said I was 'annoyingly attractive' and that Nathan should start telling me these things or someone else was going to have to," I said, my blush deepening.

Jess and George both stared at me in incredulity, not saying anything. Finally George spoke.

"Pick him over Nathan."

I rolled my eyes. "I know you don't like Nathan but I like him and that's that. Just because Luke Hemmings said I was attractive doesn't mean he likes me or anything. I really haven't known him that long anyway."

"Who cares? I already ship you two," he said candidly.

"You haven't even met him," I said in exasperation.

"Ooh, can I, though?"

"I second that," Jess said quickly.

I shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe, if I become good enough friends with the band."

George raised an eyebrow. "Honey, Luke Hemmings called you attractive. I think you're pretty good friends with them."

"We'll see," I said mysteriously.

Jess regarded me for a second before holding out her hand and saying, "Give me your phone."

"Uh...why?" I said in confusion but since I trusted Jess – most of the time – I handed it to her. She already knew my passcode so she went straight on in and did whatever she wanted to do. "Jess, what are you doing?"

Suddenly she snorted at something. "I'm guessing 'sexy penguin' is Luke Hemmings."

"What?" George shrieked. "You have Luke Hemmings' phone number?"

"'Sexy penguin'?" I said in amusement. "Is that what he saved himself as?"

"Apparently."

"Noelle Lara Torres! Do you mean to tell me that you have Luke Hemmings' phone number saved in your phone?" George said loudly. "How are you so calm about this?"

"You weren't actually supposed to find out," I told them.

"We're your best friends, of course we were going to find out," Jess stated.

"Have you texted him yet? Can I text him?" George said excitedly.

"No and no," I said, grabbing my phone back. "I probably never will, either."