Opposites attract || Luke Hemmings

17.

After me and Luke had calmed ourselves, we decided that it wouldn't be so good for us to stay in different classroom, or apart at all. Therefore we went from that garden to the principal's office, happy because it was in the middle of a class and no one was in the halls to look at us weird. She let us in with a pity face, and I bit my lips, trying to control myself. I still hated the look people had in their faces when they thought we had just thrown our lives away, but I felt like I could get used to it more than the ugly faces the other students were giving me and Luke .

Thankfully, she didn't mention anything about the fight earlier, mostly because Luke wasn't the one to initiate, and because she knew it was something to happen. Actually, the principal was the first one to warn me about how cruel teenagers could be, and when we sat on the chairs across her desk, she asked me if I still didn't want to be home schooled until the year was gone and I was ready to go to college.

"Let's get to the end of the classes and I'll give you an answer," I said to her, hoping the initial shock from people had passed and they would now be content by just looking at us.

The principal nodded, with a fake smile, and looked at Luke 's bruises, getting up and going to her locker, where she got a medical kit and started cleaning him up. As she spoke, she gave me instructions to go to the receptionist and ask for my new schedule. I left the room, going a bit faster than necessary just so I wouldn't bump to anyone, and got to the main room, where some couches and the receptionist were.

The tiny woman looked at me, licking her lower lip and trying to keep a straight face. I mentally thanked her for that, because no expression was better than anything at all. "Are you here for your schedule?" she asked cordially, and I nodded, a little embarrassed.

With a smile, she opened a drawer and got two papers from there, handing them to me. I looked at her, confused. "Well, the principal couldn't give you all of Luke 's classes because some of them are full. So she made another for the both of you." The receptionist said, and I nodded, biting my lips and wishing her a good day as I walked down the hall towards the principal office again.

I opened the door, finding Luke shirtless, going through the Lost and Found locker in search for a clean shirt. The principal smiled at me, gesturing I should go to her. "Listen, Katherine , I know that you are scared," she said, taking my hand, "but things are going to work out for you. You're smart and young and good. No matter what people say, you're still that person." She sighed. "I can't do anything to keep them from looking at you weird or punching Luke , because everyone looks at teen pregnancy like that." she explained, "There is only one thing that I can offer you, and that is the safety of home schooling. Even if things go well for the rest of the morning today, I think you should choose the option of staying at home and having the teachers over instead of going through hell for the next months. At least until your baby's born."

I looked at Luke , who was now putting on a black shirt with care so he wouldn't touch the bruises. "You see," I spoke, slowly, "the thing is that we don't want to act like our life is completely over. I feel like home schooling is admitting that we lost the battle. That we're going to be for the rest of our lives hiding from people's looks just because of this, and it's not what we want. We're going to colleges, get a good job, all the things we would do if we didn't have a baby. Home schooling is my emergency exit, and I'll only use it if we don't have any other option."

The principal nodded, this time convinced that she wouldn't be able to talk me into it. She got up from her chair, kissing mine and Luke 's forehead and then smiling. "Don't let them knock you down, kids, they're just teenagers and they have no idea of what they are saying."

Luke smiled at her, shaking his head. "Thanks, Alice, I don't know what I'd do without you," he mumbled, making the principal roll her eyes and gesture it was no big deal. I watched it quiet, completely confused, right before he got my hand and got us out of the office.