16 | Boombox

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That dancing raccoon with a banjo gets me.  Thank you @babyshepheard for the funky cover!

Chapter 16: Boombox

Austin took me out of English class and straight to the parking lot. He parks his car in the first row, next to Luke's. Their initials were painted red on the concrete.

They've had those spots since I started high school and they were already sophomores. Rumors say they won a bet with some seniors and traded places. I guess I can just ask them now, instead of hearing the rumors.

I glanced at the black jeep wrangler next to us, imagining Luke inside. I missed him already.

"What event am I missing?" I asked Austin.

He popped open the trunk of his car.

"You're not missing it anymore," came the mysterious answer as he rummaged through the trunk.

I saw a small keg in there for 'emergencies.'

My rusty car was parked far back, under a tree somewhere. Maybe I could fill my trunk with an emergency keg of coffee.

"All set." Austin slammed the trunk of his car shut with one hand and, in his other, was a speaker box.

"Why would you need speakers but not a keg?" I asked.

My first question should've been 'why a speaker at all' but I figured we were going to some impulsive party. Austin's the kind of guy who could a turn a classroom into a rave... or an unflattering poster of me into a marketing ploy for a party.

Both of which he's done.

He winked at me. "Alcohol is not always the solution."

"It is in chemistry."

I can't wink without looking like something got stuck in my eye, so I just went for a smile.

He laughed. When Austin laughs... it's contagious.

**

I started to figure out where we were going when we came across the crowds blocking the hallway.

They were heading into the basketball court. Cheerleaders were dressed up and ready to perform, and the noise inside was loud.

"Have you ever seen Luke play?" Austin asked me, guiding me through the chaos.

"Yes, a couple times," I answered, "Once at Chad's garden party and then at that three-on-three game with Chris Hayes."

"Oh yeaah," Austin took a trip down memory lane. "You gave Chris' sister a drink."

Not my favorite memory.

"Anyway," he switched subject, "Luke is coming to your math game in a couple weeks and he's blocked it off in his calendar. So, I thought you may want to come to his."

No one's called my math competition a 'game' before. Makes me sound athletic.

"Thank you. Good idea." I was going to have to know more about sports now that I was with Luke, "And why the speakers?"

He looked down at the giant speakers in his hand and smiled mischievously, "Because we're not going through the front doors."

**

I don't know how many doors lead to a basketball court, but we were going in a different direction to all of them.

It's not second nature for me to think of basketball games and competitions. That was Luke's world and Austin knew it. So, I was grateful that Austin was keeping an eye out for me. He actually wanted Luke and me to work out.

"Millie! Millie!" Cearra called out, running up to us in the crowd, "You sent me some crazy text about bleach and either you want your hair dyed or you killed someone."

Are those my two options?

Cearra's box braids were tied in a high ponytail. Her scrunchie and lipstick were both green for the school colors.

"You're going to this game?" I asked her, surprised she hadn't mentioned it at lunch.

"Are you?!" she replied, equally surprised.

"Have you two met?" I realized I may owe an introduction. Austin was just standing patiently next to me, nodding at the people saying hi to him as they passed by. "Cearra, this is Aust-"

But she finished my sentence for me, "Austin Taylor. You're a pretty popular guy."

"Pretty and popular? That's everything I've ever wanted to be," Austin joked.

"And the bleach is for my bedroom carpet," I explained, "It got stained red."

"Blood red," Austin said.

**

"I'm pretty sure this isn't allowed," I whispered, hiding behind Austin while Cearra was hiding behind me.

Her green painted fingernails were digging into my arm. We walked step-by-step into the boy's locker room. The smell was less than great, and I was hoping not to see any naked-

"They're all dressed," Austin said, not understanding why we were hanging onto him. "Movies make it seem like guys are always naked in here."

"Cos we all want those shirtless shots," Cearra answered.

Noise got louder. The coach hadn't come in yet, but the guys were in uniform, ready for the game. Or at least, most were. There were some shirtless ones left.

We walked straight into the midst of it.

There were backless benches with water bottles and neck towels scattered about. The school's mascot was printed onto the ceiling over them and green lockers lined the walls. In the middle of it all, Luke looked up and smiled.

A megawatt smile. My eyes gravitated to his and I smiled back.

While the other guys said Austin's name, Luke got up from his bench and said mine.

"Minnie."

He walked towards us, leaving his teammates behind. Cearra pinched herself and then me.

"Hey Cearra," Luke greeted her as well, and his arm snaked around my waist, "Slept well last night Minnie?"

I gulped.

He looked good in his basketball uniform. The letter 21 was emblazoned on the back of his jersey. He had a black wristband that I softly touched.

"Why do you wear this?" I asked him.

"Helps cool me down," he answered, wrapping his hand over mine, "And maybe protects my wrist a bit. Are you here to wish me luck? I didn't think you were coming."

Neither did I.

"Yes, the most luck," I smiled up at him, "More luck than you need because you ran this morning and you're well prepared."

My pep talks are A+

I hadn't stopped smiling since I walked into the room. Before Luke, I can't remember the last time I smiled at school. Now, it was a permanent fixture with him. I'd completely forgotten the dozen other guys in here, just because one of them was so-

"Lovebirds," Chad interrupted, heading over to join us, "You still distracting him, Millie?"

"I had no idea you were part of the team, Chad," I answered, staring at him in his pristine uniform.

"He sits on the bench," Luke smirked.

"I know nothing about the game," Chad confirmed.

"Huh?"

"His parents paid for the uniform," Luke explained.

"Luke convinced coach to let me wear the uniform on game days and sit on the bench with the players," Chad said, "I've barely met half the team... But I've met plenty of girls."

The lengths some guys go to meet girls.

A loud sound emitted from the amp as Austin fiddled with wires to the speaker. Then came a pop and soon after, music. It blasted through the air.

The whole vibe of the locker room changed as heavy rap music blared. Austin was getting them geared up for the game. The guys reacted well to it.

"Oh!" I remembered, asking Luke over the music, "What did your teachers say about your homework, Luke?"

"Homework?" Luke repeated, confused why I was bringing it up now.

"Yeah!" I yelled over the music, "Because of your broken laptop!"

He nodded and shrugged.

"Can I please make it up to you?" I insisted, my guilt overtaking me, "Like last time. I can owe you favors in return."

I'd been feeling guilty about it all day. He raised one eyebrow suggestively, not opposed to the idea. Only this time, I had a feeling the favors would be a different kind...

"It's your mum's birthday soon," Chad told Luke, "Maybe Millie can get the present?"

I didn't realize Chad was still listening to our conversation. He had to be listening attentively to hear it over Austin's deafening music. Austin was DJ'ing like he was on a beach in Ibiza.

"Millie works at the mall so she could easily pick something up," Cearra added.

OK, I didn't realize she was listening in too.

"MILLIE!" Austin cried out. The party stumbled across a major hiccup, "SAVE THE MUSIC!"

The coach was dragging him outside. There goes the DJ...

I guess this wasn't the first time Austin had to start a party in the locker room. I'd expected Luke to be much more focused before a game, but I guess he was pretty confident about this one.

The coach dragged Austin away from the speakers and kicked him out of the locker room. The coach hadn't seen Cearra or me. Luke and Chad had blocked the coach's view.

Without Austin, I now found myself in charge of the music. I had 2minutes tops before coach came back in here. Heavy rap was playing, and I looked through the songs. One caught my eye.

I switched to:

Feel the rain on your skin
No one else can feel it for you
Only you can let it in

The boys all stopped what they were doing. Natasha Bedingfield's gentle lyrics drifted through the locker room.

No one else, no one else
Can speak the words on your lips
Drench yourself in words unspoken

If this song doesn't bring uplifting energy into the room, then I don't know what will. I bet that deep deep deep deep down, guys love this song.

This was such a bop when I was a tween.

The coach returned and took me too. I didn't resist anywhere near as much as Austin.

Live your life with arms wide open
Today is where your book begins

As I was being dragged out, the song continued to play.

The rest is still unwritten

I could hear Chad question my music choice before the entire thing was shut off.

**

"That's one way to start a basketball game," I mumbled to Austin as we squeezed into spots on the second row of the bleachers.

No one questioned Austin when he made them move over. Instead of filing in the normal way, we'd come in from the players entrance and hopped over the first bench.

"It wasn't fun this time," Austin sighed, "Coach came in way too soon."

I texted Cearra to see if she wanted to join us. I imagine she must've slipped out of the locker room without being kicked out like Austin and me.

On the court, the cheerleaders finished their routine with some dance moves and cleared the way for the basketball teams to enter.

Cearra squeezed her way next to us, apologizing to everyone who tried to stop her. Austin had to speak out for her when some guy blocked her from coming through.

The crowd was deafening as they cheered for our players, and the high school announcer was way too passionate about his role. The game kicked off soon after.

"These games are getting crowded," Austin said, not liking how little space he had to move around, "No one used to attend before we started winning."

"And until the hottest guys joined the team," Cearra added, "Remember Luke's junior year, when he took his shirt off-"

"Oh, is that why there was a line to get in after that game?" Austin asked.

"LUKE!" someone almost burst my eardrum from screaming behind me.

An opponent on defense was aggressively blocking Luke.

Luke threw the ball against Art and it smacked against his back. Then Luke dodged the opponent blocking him and caught the ball as it bounced off Art's back.

"The humiliation!" Cearra gasped.

"Why is he doing that to Art?" I asked.

Austin knowingly said, "You missed the saga at the mall. Luke's taking it out on Art, just like he said he would."

He was rinsing him.

**

Bad sportsmanship aside, Luke played well. He didn't look like he was trying that much, which surprised me. He's usually so focused.

I really wanted to stay to celebrate with them, but I had to get to the mall. My job was not lenient about lateness. I managed to hug Luke before I left him surrounded by his friends.

The volume of the crowd died down as I left the courts and headed to my car. I sent Luke another congratulatory text with a dozen emojis.

I started the engine up and that's when I saw Joe running around the parking lot. He wasn't wearing his suspenders today but was in baggy gray tracksuits and a t-shirt.

I rolled down my car window and waved. "What are you doing, Joe?"

"I'm exercising," he answered, jogging at an incredibly slow place.

He didn't need to say more. He wanted to run while everyone else was tied up inside. We had track and field, but he didn't want to run in a more public setting.

"OK, see you at mathlete practice on Wednesday," I said.

I had only ten minutes to get to the mall, so I really had to speed up.

**

White vinegar, dish soap and bleach were the three items I picked up from the mall after work.

Roger the cat's blood was still a red blotch on my carpet and I desperately wanted to remove it. How could I move on with the constant reminder of a crime scene at my bedroom door?

At home, I scrubbed the mixture of vinegar and dish soap into the stain and tried to remove it. My hands reddened from the chafing.

"Millie! Are you up there?" my mom yelled up, "Don't come down! I have a man coming around and I don't want him to see you!"

I hear about moms who want to protect their kids by hiding their boyfriends until they were sure... it's the other way round here at casa Ripley. I embarrass my own mom and she's made that very clear to me.

I sighed and tried not to let emotions get in the way of the task at hand. I scrubbed more aggressively, desperate to remove the stain. It's a reminder that someone hated me.

Music penetrated my thoughts, preventing me from descending into a dark place.

I realized that the music was coming from outside. I got up, feeling the ache in my knees, and stepped over the bucket of dish soap. I dropped the cloth and walked to the open window in my bedroom.

It overlooks the Dawson house. The sound of music got louder. I looked down and gasped.

Luke was standing like out of a movie, with his hand stretched up in the air. He held up an iphone that was playing music.

He stood in black tracksuits with his gym kit swung over his shoulders. His head was bowed down, looking at the ground, and all I saw of his handsome face was his messy, black hair.

"Luke?"

He looked up. I felt like this was a movie scene remake... without the boombox or the Phil Collins song...

Open up the dirty window
Reaching for something in the distance
So close you can almost taste it
Release your inhibitions

He was playing the Natasha Bedingfield song I had played in the locker room before the game.

Luke asked, "So are you going to come down?" he pointed at his raised arm, "This is my shooting arm."

So it was tired after the basketball game...

I was about to run downstairs when I heard him say, "And you can forget your pyjamas again."


A/N: How in the world did this chapter get so long??  Are you guys still alive??  

Please vote if you liked the chapter length! It certainly took a while to write

Did you like it?  I'm excited for the next chapter so we can start seeing Luke and Millie's relationship deepen... as well as some plots thicken... ;)

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