School Bus [m. clifford]

3

Michael kept thinking about the new girl, Laura. He couldn't focus in class.

At Lunch, he kept looking over at her sitting alone. She just looked so uncomfortable, and he hated seeing that. But there wasn't anything he could do about it. It's her first day. 

"Michael? Hey, Mike?" Calum calls, trying to get his attention.

"Sorry, what?" Michael replies, focusing back on his friends.

Calum sighs, "I'm going for a smoke, are you coming?"

"Sure." Michael replies. He usually goes with Calum, though he doesn't always smoke with him.

Michael and Calum walk outside in silence, and head over to the bench they always sit at when smoking.

Calum hands Michael a cigarette and his lighter, since Michael never has anything on him at school. After Michael lights his, Calum lights his own.

"I totally saw you staring at that new girl just now." Calum says, exhaling the smoke.

Michael rolls his eyes as he lies, "I was not."

"You were. I didn't call you out in front of everybody because I knew you were. I didn't want to embarrass you or anything." He states.

Michael just takes a drag, trying to ignore his friend.

"Whatever, it's fine. I'm not going to make fun of you or anything."

"She's so pretty. And this morning, I ran into her, literally. I helped her get to class." Michael says, puffing out smoke.

"Does little Mikey already have a crush?"

Michael scoffs, taking another drag of his cigarette before replying, "I do not."

"Okay, sure."

"She knew my name. I don't know how she would've known. It was so weird. None of you said my name around her." Michael says, still wanting to talk about the new- Laura.

"Man, she must've done some research." Calum chuckles, smoke flying from his mouth.

"I'm serious, how did she know?"

"Well-"

Calum gets cut off when the bell rings, meaning they need to start making their way to class.

The two head inside, and meet up with their friends as they walk towards the lockers.

"What if she's in one of my classes?" Michael asks, sounding somewhat nervous.

"Be nice to her. You obviously like her, so, you know, just be that guy who's nice to the new kid." Calum replies, checking out almost half of the girls they walk by.

"But I'm not like that!" Michael whines.

Calum just hums in response, clearly not listening.

Michael lightly elbows Calum, "Okay, you should be done checking all the girls out by now, it's two weeks into school."

"Whatever." He replies before the two split their separate ways to their lockers.

Michael gets to his locker, and Chloe is at hers.

"Jada's already in economics. I was told to let you know." Chloe says as she closes her locker.

"Okay, thanks." Michael mumbles in response.

As Chloe goes to walk away, she stops and leans against the locker, "Why so glum, chum?"

He chuckles, "I told you to stop with that, and I'm fine. Just tired of school already."

She laughs, "I understand, I'm tired of school too. But thankfully it's out last year in this literal hell."

Michael just smiles at her, laughing as he grabs his books.

"Have fun!" She calls, heading off to her class.

Michael enters the classroom, sitting in his desk next to Jada, in the back corner.

"Hey, loser." Jada smiles.

"Stop calling me that." He mutters, opening his books to do the homework he should've done last night but decided to wait until the five minutes before class starts.

Jada clears her throat, making Michael look up to see new girl sitting in front of him.

"Hey, Laura." Michael whispers, leaning forward so she can hear him better.

She flinches, startled by him, "Michael, hi."

"Wanna tell me how you know who I am?"

She just smiles, and turns back to face the front as the teacher walks in.

Michael already knew that this girl was going to be way different than any girl he's ever liked.

But he didn't like her, no way. He just met her.

_______

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