Betrothed

Chapter 2: What's Going On?

The bell always happens to ring at just the wrong time and this was one of those times. As soon as Luke had introduced himself we heard the loud bell go off, telling us that it was time to head to class. The bell seemed to make panic wash over the entire school, as no one had paid attention to the time. Students fled over the grounds racing to get to class on time so they didn't get a tardy the first day, which they wouldn't because after all it was the first day and plus our school never paid attention to the attendance anyways. Our teachers didn't care if we were late to class or not and they rarely marked a student tardy unless they despised that student.

People scattered, and that led to people running right through the group me, Olivia, and the new kids were in. I cried out, "Olivia!" and reached out to grab her hand to flow with the rest of the student body. I felt someone's hand grip mine and tingles erupted from the hand as I felt myself being pulled forward. I could only hope it was Olivia grabbing my hand and not some absolute stranger. In what felt like seconds I felt like I was out of the crowd and noticed that I was in a classroom, the art classroom that I needed to be in for first hour to be specific.

I turned in confusion to face the person that I hoped to be Olivia as they released their grip from mine to ask how they knew what my first class was, and came face to face with Luke. He had a look of concern on his face and asked, "Are you okay?"

"What was that?" I mumbled my thoughts jumbled up trying to comprehend how we had just been outside but now were inside, and why his touch had caused tingles.

"Jo, are you okay?" Luke questioned, making a shiver go down my spine as my name rolled off his tongue.

"What was that Luke?" I asked my brow furrowed in confusion as I looked up at him in confusion.

"Jo, I asked you a question first. You need to answer it before I answer yours," Luke scolded me.

"Yes, I'm fine but..." I started.

"Jo, there you are. I've been looking for you everywhere," Austin said a little too loudly as he walked into the art classroom. Austin looked ruff, his hair was sticking up in places and his tight fitting, gray t-shirt was wrinkled in different spots. I couldn't help but giggle at his appearance and he looked at me surprised. "What's so funny?" he asked, confusion crossed his expression as he studied me.

"Nothing," I squeaked out, my face heating up in embarrassment.

"Your hair is messed up and your shirt is wrinkled," Luke's voice stated out from behind me. I felt his breath fan my neck and I turned around startled, ramming my face right into what felt like a brick wall. Luke had been standing next to me but I hadn't noticed that he had snuck up behind me that close. I reeled back from the tingles, almost throwing myself on the floor but before I managed to do that I was caught into a pair of flexing arms that seemed to be holding me up effortlessly as tingles erupted again. I blinked my eyes a couple of times trying to keep the tears from falling from my eyes because of the pain. My teary blue eyes looked up into the tense and worried face of what should've been the calm and collected Luke Hall.

"Jo!" I heard a voice shout in worry. I turned my head a couple of inches to see Austin rushing to my side.

"Are you alright? I didn't think I was that close to you but I was wrong," Luke said what sounded disappointedly. I saw him breath in deeply as if to calm himself when I felt his arms tense around me. His eyes locked with mine and he said, "Jo, you're bleeding."

"What?" I asked, confused.

"You have a bloody nose," Luke explained.

"He's right," Austin confirmed from over his shoulder.