MIXTAPES-- l.h.

Part FOUR

Part 4 

luke's pov.

I shrugged my backpack onto my shoulder and waved goodbye to my mom. She had been blasting my band's demo EP the whole way to school and singing along with the windows down. The CD had been done for months but my mom's birthday was coming up so I burned one down for her.

"Am I picking you up later, rockstar?" she asked. She was blocking all the other cars on the curb by asking me this. I looked away avoiding her eyes and shook my head at the ground, "Nah, I'm catching a ride with Michael."

She laughed and honked her horn when I tried to walk away. "See you later then, blood!"

I fake a smile and ignored the eyes that were pointing and laughing at me. Soon, I was another face in the crowd. 

"So, the gig's like in two weeks and I have a history paper due the day after." Calum groaned, sweeping up next to me as we walked to homeroom. 

"So do it now?" I suggested, my mind wandering elsewhere and my eyes scanning for pretty girl.

Michael joined us in a line and laughed at my suggestion, "Calum is the last person to get anything done. He's on the football team and he's got the job at the servo and the band! Oh man." he continued to laugh at Calum's misery.

"Glad to know you keep up with me, babe." Calum grinned, sending a wink to Michael.

"What's up with you, Lukey? You look out of it." Michael commented.

"Um.. uh-- I" 

"It's the pretty girl you saw at breakfast Friday, isn't it?" said Calum, with that sly smirk on his face.

I blushed and looked down again, practically agreeing without saying anything.

"And you're going to ask her out by..." Michael started, "giving her a mixtape!"

I raised my eyebrows, "How did you get that from my facial experession?"

Michael chuckled, "No! I was just hoping I'd guess right and you'd tell us what was up. I guess it worked."

-----

 It was in the cafeteria that morning when I spotted her. She was already sitting down with her friends and laughing about something, who knows what, but I just felt lucky to see her laugh everyday. I was frozen in the doorway when Michael pushed me inside. "Move! People want to eat!" 

She had heard what Michael said and turned her head in my direction. My face flushed so I looked down and followed Calum who was heading towards a table. When I sat down, he looked as if he wasn't paying attention either.

I waved my hand in front of his face, "Cal?"

"Yeah?" he responded, still concentrated on something. 

"Are you okay, man?" I asked, turning my head around to see where he was looking and saw nothing but more people.

Calum snapped out of it and nodded, "Yeah, totally."

It was a short silence until Michael slammed his breakfast tray on the table, waking us all up. He chuckled out an "oops" and slid himself next to Calum. He noticed the awkward silence and raised his eyebrows in curiosity. "Am I missing something here, boys?" he laughed, easing the tension, "Did someone die?"

I cringed when I smelled what was steaming off his tray, "Only whatever is in that wrap you just bought."

"Yeah, that smells horrible." Calum agreed.

"Well, if you must know, it is actually kangaroo bacon." Michael grinned.

Calum and I scooted farther away from Michael, "What the--" Calum started, "Where the hell did you get that?"