Mend Me? ➸ hemmings a.u

2. Antisocial Shell

A/N: in Sydney high school is grade 7-12, just so you may not be confused.

It was the dreadful Monday. Two days after I admitted my feelings about Luke to the oh, so understanding and supportive Michael. Like I expected anything different, though. This guys has been nothing but a sarcastic asshole to me ever since we met when we were twelve.

This meeting was the biggest tragedy to my mother and father, as trying to find an all girls high school near us and within our budget was a failure. They had to resort to the school a few streets away, which inhabited what my mother called, "scary hormonal boys." She begged me not to communicate to anyone of that dreaded, forbidden gender. But what else was I supposed to do when all the girls did nothing but gossip and obsess about their clothes? After a month of friendlessness for both of us, Michael and I found each other in the scary, twisted halls of this hell hole. You could say my parents were a little disappointed.

"You're a teenage girl! Why don't you have any teenage girl friends?"
"Because I don't like teenage girls."

And there was nothing they could do to stop me being best friends with Michael and becoming the school's two Shakespeare and All Time Low loving, quiet rejects sitting in the same corner at lunch everyday, as we were currently.

"Ava," he began in that signature tone of his that made me want to roll my eyes before he even said another word. "I'm proud of you admitting your feelings to me about Luke, honoured almost," he said. "Who else do I have to tell, Michael? My parents?" He laughed, "I still can't believe it took them three months to warm up to me. I'm a loveable guy with no bad intentions at all," he winked at me and I flung a chip at him. He picked it up and ate it, "thanks."

Yes, he was a smartass with seemingly no human sentimental emotions, but whenever I was a mess or needed someone to wipe my tears, he was there. It's nice seeing the other side of Michael that no one else get to see. The side that almost cries himself when he sees you crying. It's almost an honour.

It's true my parents took over three months to warm up to our friendship. It's my parent's overprotective and much too dramatic behaviour that's caused me to be single and too scared to mingle for over 17 years. But reading romance novels, complaining about life to Michael and recently daydreaming about my current crush of a few months, Luke Hemmings, has kept me going for a while.

"If Luke is such an awkward human being then why are you friends with him?"

Michael and Luke became friends earlier this year, it being July now, when the teacher forced Luke to tutor him in maths. Ask this guy to recite scenes from Macbeth and Othello and he'd do it in his sleep, but ask him to find the area of a composite shape and his brain implodes. The two spent heaps of time together out of school and you could say I was jealous of Michael, as weird as that sounds. I've wanted to join them on numerous occasions but as Michael said, I'm an antisocial, awkward 'whatever-I-am.'

Michael stared at me with his perfected 'really, Ava?' expression. I shrugged and raised my eyebrows at him. "I'm friends with you, aren't I? If I can be friends with a 'whatever-you-are' I'm sure I can be friends with Luke," he argued and you had to agree. "Is he really as weird as you make him out to be? He seems nice and normal," I said, looking over at him across the lunchroom. He was being super snuggly with Rose and a pang of jealousy hit me hard. Michael followed my gaze and sighed, "he is. You really like him, don't you?" He asked and I nodded sadly. "Do yourself a favour and give up this crush now. It's pointless," he said harshly and I couldn't stop the angry scowl I gave him. "You don't know how much I want to hang out with you two when you have him over at your place," I mumbled and he tensed. "I mean, we could even be friends! I'd like to have a friend other than you Michael," I mumbled and he looked down sadly, playing with his food. "I don't want you to be friends with Luke," he said quietly and I was nothing but confused. "Whatever, you're not my dad, Michael. I can talk to him if I want to," I said and he sighed, "whatever." The bell rang loudly signalling the end of lunch and I stood up quickly, walking over to where Luke was sitting. Michael was more than alarmed, "A-Ava, you're not-are you?"

Wanna hang out some time? He turned around and smiled, staring at me with the brightest, blue eyes. He immediately pushed Rose off of his arm. Oh I'd love to Ava, I'm in love with you!

At least that's what I'd hoped.

Wanna hang out some time? I repeated over and over in my head. I was going to do it. I was going to break out of my antisocial shell of despair and loneliness and I was going to ask out Lucas Robert Hemmings. My heart found it's way into my ears and my lungs seemed to collapse in on themselves.

C'mon, voice. You can do it. All you have to do is talk!

I walked up right behind him and was immediately intimidated by his height. This guy had the most perfectly imperfect shoulder to hip ratio I couldn't help but admire. I gulped and stood on my tiptoes, about to tap lightly on his shoulder...