Still the One (Book 2 in the Four of Us Trilogy)

9 | Back to School

Oh, look what you've done
You've made a fool of everyone.
Oh, well, it seems like such fun
Until you lose what you had won.

-Jet, "Look What You've Done"

Luke

I woke from my fitful sleep feeling like I'd been run over by a bus. As soon as I opened my eyes, I remembered: Brooke was a heroin user. She'd left me for drugs.

I didn't say this to Rachel and Miles, but Jesus... that makes me feel so fucking worthless – so unimportant.

But I didn't have time to dwell on that – my first class would begin in one hour, and I still had to shower.

***

I walked into my first class – Introduction to Food and Beverage Management – 10 minutes early. It was a small classroom, only around 25 seats. I sat near the back of the room, pulling out my notebook and pencil. I wrote the date at the top of the page along with the name of the course, ready to take notes. That was one thing I prided myself on – my preparedness.

A few minutes later, a red-haired girl walked in and sat right next to me. I glanced over at her, wondering why she had chosen to sit by the one person in the room, and she smiled. "Hi," she started. "My name is Jessica." She stuck out her hand, and I grasped it, smiling back despite myself.

"I'm Luke. Nice to meet you."

"You as well. Are you new here? I don't recall seeing you in my business classes before," she observed.

"I am. I just moved here from Panama City," I answered, nervously twirling my pencil between my fingers.

"Oh, okay! I've been there once, on – "

"Let me guess – spring break?" I asked, smirking.

She laughed, a low, breathy sound that resonated through me. I shook off the feeling as fast as it had appeared. "Yeah, how'd you ever guess?"

"Just a hunch. So, are you a junior too?" I asked, starting to feel a little more comfortable.

"Yeah. I am just now starting all my hospitality classes."

I nodded. "Me too. I actually got my Associates in Business Management from Gulf State, but my father owns a few condos in Panama City Beach, so I want to be able to help him run the business," I said, shocking myself at the amount of information I was sharing with her. But she was very easy to talk to.

"Oh wow. That's incredible. My dad is a doctor; he wanted me to go to med school, but I just can't do it. I hate science!"

I laughed. "Science is my favorite."

"Really... well, I have actually put off my general education science class until this semester, because I just dreaded it. Biology I," she said, shuddering.

"Oh, it won't be so bad. I – " I paused. "I could help you, if you want."

Her crystal blue eyes lit up. "Really? That would be amazing."

She really was pretty.

"Of- of course," I stammered. What are you doing, Luke?