before the pain | luke (JATP)

XXXVIII

Never in a million years did Mila think she would be happy to see the old school building of Willow Creek High School, but there she was sniffing the too familiar smell of sweat and anxiety, with a hint of hormonal teenage angst, right into her lungs as it was nicotine.

Mila opened her locker, number 272, putting back in the stack of school books, that she had gotten once again. She took a deep breath but her train of thoughts was interrupted by the chuckle of Reggie, her best friend who was leaning against the locker beside her.

"Happy to be back?" He asked as he looked at the locker that she slowly closed, Mila looked at Alex and Reggie as she nodded slowly. Of course, she was happy to be back, why wouldn't she. However she never thought she would actually be looking forward to having Miss Bone in the first period, but there she was, not being able to hide her smile.

"Well we're happy you are back" Alex whispered as he looked into Mila's eyes, the bright smile that was on his lips however faded as he looked behind Mila, seeing Bobby and Luke walking towards them.

Mila had in the car on the way to school, had a long and hard talk about why Luke and her no longer should be friends. Alex and Reggie of course not wanting to go against an angry hungry girl on her period, did not say a single word.

"You two should head to class"

Reggie looked up and saw his two friends who were laughing and smiling walking towards locker 272. "Yea Mila let's go, we can't let Miss Bone wait" Mila not at all noticing the boy she was in love with and her friend walking towards them, nodded as she closed the locker and began walking towards English class.

Luke stopped up seeing Mila begin to walk away, he took a deep breath as he shook his head. "Is she mad at me or something?"

"No she just saw Caroline kiss you," Alex said as he had walked up to his two friends, Luke's eyes widened as he looked at Alex in shock. "What kiss?"

Bobby rolled his eyes as he looked at his best friend: "Ma dude, Black kissed you on the cheek and Mila went to bed, you didn't notice?"

In fact, the night prior, where these events had happened, he indeed had not noticed. He had looked at Caroline who after the small cheek kiss had opened up about her whole love story after Luke and how someone like Mila would be lucky to have him.

This ended in Black throwing up on Luke's shoe and him and Aera tucking her in, in Aera's parents' bed.

Luke sighed as he licked his lip as he sighed. "What the fuck do I do?"

"Language" Alex rolled his eyes as he began walking to his class.

In Miss Bone's class, Mila for the first time did not get yelled at for sitting and writing in her notebook, in fact in the small break Miss Bone gave them, she even asked how the story was going, as she said Mila's writing reminded her of her own writing when she was younger.

Mila however, did not know if this was a compliment or not.

As English class went on and Miss Bone talked about love in English poetry, a note landed on Mila's desk which caused her to remember the first day of school, she looked at the table beside her where Reggie sat with a big white smile plastered on his face.

Mila giggled as she looked up to Miss Bone, who of course didn't notice a thing. Mila looked at the note, yet her small smile faded as she read it.

If you love writing about love so much, why don't you just confess to Luke already?

Mila took a deep breath as she read the note, and took her pen before writing back.

If you love writing about love so much, why don't you just confess to Luke already?