Chapter Text
Song for the chapter: The 1975 - Chocolate
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At the age of 17, Luke Hemmings really hated high school.
Don't get him wrong, he loved education. He didn't mind spending most of his time studying, learning new things, testing his mind abilities, doing homework and all that jazz.
What he hated were people in it.
Even with his extensive grammar knowledge words that Luke would choose to describe them are a bunch of snobs and homophobes. The worst case scenario was when they were both, rich and mean.
They just couldn't see past their limited mind sets.
Luke was a human just like them, with the exception of being a huge fan of two things.
Boys and skirts.
But Luke was lucky. Walking down the school corridors people always looked at him with disgust and judgment written all over their snobby faces, still nobody dared to come even close. He was spared of all the beating and pushing around, all the slurs and words of humiliation because of one particular person.
Michael Clifford
Now Michael Clifford was a very special person in Luke's life.
The older boy was best friends with Luke's brother Jack and the two knew each other since what feels like forever.
When Jack left school to join the army he left his job of protective older brother to his best friend who was only a year above Luke.
Now people didn't fear Michael because he was a bully or school's bad boy. In reality he was a very nice person, who just preferred to be left alone. What alarmed most people was his muscular figure and punk style of appearance.
Still there seemed to be a black aura following him around. Michael, as his best friend and his father wanted to be a soldier.
He came out of a military/marine family and all he ever wanted was to become a soldier and continue the family legacy. Michael and Jack met at the base at the age of 12 and became inseparable since. They've trained together four times a week with Michael's father, went to gym together, they even visited the same school.
Becoming soldiers were both boys dreams, but while Jack passed all his tasks with honors, Michael didn't pass his medicals.
There seemed to be something wrong with his heart, with his heart beat to be more exact. Luckily it was nothing dangerous or lethal, but serious enough that they didn't let Michael join. He had to cut down a bunch of training but he still kept in shape.
Michael was devastated as well as Jack and his dad, but his health came first.
So with Jack out of the picture Michael became a loner and his guardian angel.
Luke stumbled through the hallways trying to locate his History classroom in the pool of people. Not really paying attention to his surroundings he crashed into someone with full force.
It wasn't that kind of crash that would make him lose his balance and fall on the floor, but it was strong enough that he could feel the pain spreading over his body.
"Sorry dude." Said the person Luke bumped into. He's never seen the boy before, he had a beautiful tanned skin, chocolate colored eyes and dark curly hair. New boy was a bit shorter than Luke but that was nothing unusual, blond boy was a fucking giant.
He had nothing to be sorry for besides from standing directly in front of the classroom Luke had to go in.
"S'okay." He mumbled, trying to maneuver his way around the boy.
"Just a second!" Stranger said making Luke turn around with raised eyebrows. "I'm new here, but I'm sure you can see that, I was just wondering if this is the classroom Mrs. Andrews is teaching? The History class?"
"Um.. Yeah it is." Luke waited for a second before offering his hand to the boy to shake. "I'm Luke by the way."
Maori boy grinned shaking his hand with strong hold Luke envied. "I'm Calum."
As on cue the bell rang and blue eyed boy hurried to secure his seat by the window, leaving his new acquaintance standing in front of the door alone.
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The class was boring. Luke already read the history book twice and Mrs. Andrews had zero interesting stories to share. His previous teacher always liked to spice up his hours with some spicy gossip, like the one where Alexander the Great was supposedly gay and which princess was whoring around with who.
Instead of paying attention he opened his sketchbook and started drawing some pretty skirt designs. Luke needed some inspiration for his prom dance and since none of the ones in stores were made for people with cup zero he had to make his own. Don't get him wrong, he didn't mind but it would be nice to just walk in store and walk out with something he could wear the next day without having to suffer trough stabbing himself with a needle ten times.
Luke waited for a minute after the lesson was over, not wanting to walk into the crowded hallway again. As he walked out he saw the new kid, Calum, waiting for him with a big grin on his face.
"Hey, I was just wondering if you could show me around since you're the only one I know here."
He looked a bit nervous to ask, Luke could see that, but he could also see that there were no cruel intentions behind his question. Calum has clearly seen how he dressed and there was nothing negative Luke could detect in the warm brown eyes.
Blond boy bit his lip before bursting out. "I don't wanna sound rude." Truth was he knew it will sound like that. "But if I say yes, please don't be a bitch and act all nice to me and then when I'm not around bitch about how I look and stuff. I mean.. You're a nice dude and all but I've been through this before and people don't turn out to be as nice as they seem to be."
Luke expected many things and giggling was none of them. Calum was looking at him with smile even bigger than before.
"I get it okay. My friend had to change schools because she was bullied and I can imagine people being a bunch of fuckers here as well. I'm cool with you. Like I don't mind it. You look awesome, I'm jealous to be honest, I could only wish to have legs like yours. I would love to be friends with you in a none-backstabbing-way. If you'll be nice to me I'll be nice to you. Simple as that."
In that moment Luke was more than happy that he bumped into him this morning.
"Deal." He said, before turning around and starting to walk towards his next class, Calum was following right after.
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