Mend Me? ➸ hemmings a.u

4. Lucky Day, Indeed

I breathed in deeply and turned to the class, "Rose," I said and Michael coughed dramatically from the back of the class. Calum and Ashton looked at me with expressions of both sympathy and shock. A few others looked at me sadly but others couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief as it wasn't them that had to work with satan.

Rose immediately raised her hand and I froze in place. "Mr. Peters, I don't think I'll be able to work with, uhm," her arm fell. "What's your name again?" She asked with a sickly sweet smile. Her stare left me in a state of complete terror and my throat closed up. A few people started laughing quietly. "Ava Moore," Michael rescued me and Rose turned to face him, making him slump back in his seat. "Did I ask you?" She asked, followed by a sweet giggle. "Sir, I just believe Ava and I aren't compatible. I'd very much rather and would work very productively with Luke," she grabbed Luke's arm and he turned to her, before turning back to the teacher and nodding. "Miss. Anderson, the reason I asked everyone to choose the names from this sleeve is so you may work with someone you're not used to," he argued and she huffed. "Please sir?" She batted her eyelids and I could tell my face was as red as an apple. Or as red as Michael's face gets when I make fun of his rare cases of femininity. "Rose, your partner is Ava, Ava sit back down," I took no time walking quickly back to my seat to the sympathetic looks of the guys. "Sir!" She stood up with a huff. "I refuse to work with Ava. She doesn't speak and I won't be able to complete the assignment by myself," she argued. "Ava is a very intelligent young lady who I'm sure will work with you wonderfu-" "Sir, I want to work with Luke!" She practically yelled, making a few people laugh. She glared around the classroom and everyone's mouths shut. "Rose, if you feel so strongly about not working with Ava, you can work with Melissa," the teacher pointed to a girl behind her and she sunk back in her chair. I felt instantly sorry for her. "Is that okay, Melissa?" the teacher asked and she nodded in defeat. "And Rose, due to your terrible behaviour, Ava will be working with your preferred partner, Luke," he said and smiled at me. A few people gasped and Michael did the sign of the cross beside me. "All-knowing god descend immediately and liberate Ava Moore from the clutches of the demons, amen," he mumbled and I sighed nervously. It took all my self control to contain my happy dance and save it for my bedroom.

Okay, I admit it. I said I wasn't afraid of Rose. But I'd never received her sickly sweet death stare and obvious intimidation until that moment. Sure she can't use any secrets or social media against me, but that doesn't mean she can't just target and humiliate me like she did just then in front of the class.

"Okay, class," Bowling Ball said once everyone had chosen a partner, "sit in your pair," he ordered and I looked up to where Luke was sitting. Rose had already moved and was sitting next to Melissa scrolling through her phone under the desk. Poor Mel, she'd have to do it all by herself. And lucky Ashton, as Amanda would gladly do it all by herself.

I can tell you right now, that the moment I looked up may have been the most intense moment of my life. This was the first time we'd made eye contact, and I felt a jolt of electricity surge through my veins. I don't even care how pathetic I sound, god his eyes were blue. I forced myself to smile, he looked over at Rose quickly before he smiled back.

Ashton had went up to Amanda and Michael took his place next to Calum, leaving the seats beside both myself and Luke empty. He pointed over to my seat before I shrugged shyly and nodded. He bit his lip ring and walked over towards me.

Keep calm. Relax. Breathe.

Before he sat down he accidentally kicked the desk, causing me to jump. He placed a hand on my shoulder, "sorry, Ava," he mumbled as he took a seat beside me. Bowling Ball started handing out the assignment and everyone was was talking. That was, besides Rose and Mel, myself and Luke. He stared down at his lap and fiddled with his fingers. I couldn't help but look, I found it adorable. He noticed my stare and immediately held he hands still. "Sorry, I do that when I'm nervous," he said quietly and looked out the window. Nervous? Perhaps he was as awkward as Michael described. "Nervous?" Michael turned around with an amused expression. "I'd be too! Hemmings is actually speaking to a female other than demonic Rose!" He said excitedly and Luke glared at him. "Don't talk about her like that," Michael rolled his eyes and returned to Calum. Bowling Ball slapped the assignment down on our desk and we both leaned into the middle to read over it. This closed the distance between us dramatically, and I felt his knee touch mine before he retracted immediately.

The teacher explained the assignment, but all I understood was that we had to make a museum display about chromosomes and genes and how they're made of DNA. For the rest of the explanation all I did was take sneaky glimpses at Luke beside me. I'd never seen him this close before, and I noticed he had extremely long eyelashes and the tiniest bit of stubble. I also noticed he bit on his lip ring far too often. I must've fell into a daydream as I didn't even hear the bell ring.

"Ava, are you okay?" Luke asked me and I snapped out of it, realising I'd been staring at his lips for who knows how long. Calum was trying his hardest not to laugh but Michael just looked bored. I nodded and he smiled, handing me a piece of paper. "You can text me to set up a time to work on this, yeah?" He asked just as Rose strutted up to our desk. "Let's go Lukey," she said and Michael disguised his laugh as a cough. "Of course," he said with a smile, the corner of his eyes crinkling. He gathered his belongings quickly and she locked her arm with his, leading him out of the class confidently. Ashton, Calum and Michael looked at me as if I had to say something, "what?" I asked. "Good luck," Michael teased.