Never forget the raccoon! @Slightlyy.bookish thank you for this poster with a very classic Luke&Millie conversation :)  

Chapter 44: Single pringle

It was early December and we gathered outside the Dawsons' house. Porch lights created a warm glow around the entrance.

Annika had brought her packed bags to the front door, ready for the airport. 

She held onto her coat and stalled at the entrance, waiting to say goodbye to Luke's parents. Jake picked her brown bags up and started to load them into the back of Luke's car.

It was getting cold and I'd wrapped myself in an oversized hoodie that was definitely Luke's. He left it in my room a couple weeks ago and I've been taking very good care of it ever since.

Maybe I'll give it back when it stops smelling of him. 

Annika finally stepped out of the Dawson house and she had an emotional look on her face. "I'm going to miss this place."

That's when Luke appeared, joining us from round back.  By his clothes, I could tell he had just been working out.  

"Are you going back to New York?" I asked Annika, one eye still on my hot boyfriend approachign us.

"Miami," she answered. "Trick."

"You know what a trick is in American slang?" Jake asked, closing the hood of Luke's car.

"What is it? Have I said something naughty?" she asked, inspecting our expressions for a clue.

Jake defined it as, "A man who spends a lot of money, either directly or indirectly, to sleep with women."

Annika looked even more confused. "Indirectly? How can one spend money indirectly to sleep with someone?'

"Annika, that's what dating is," Jake answered.

Luke stood beside me. He noticed my hoodie and smirked. 

Then he joined in on the conversation, without missing a beat, "Anyone else think Jake's feeling romantically exploited?" 

"Do you know what year it is?" Jake answered, "Everyone still single is being exploited romantically." 

Well that's a hot take.

**

"Aren't you cold?" I asked Luke, rubbing his arms for him.

"I'm running low on hoodies," he responded, tugging at the hood of mine. Well, his technically.

He leant down and gave my frozen lips a kiss.

"OK lovebirds. I'm heading out," Annika came up to us, enveloping us in a bear hug, "Come visit me in Johannesburg. I'll be there for New Years and then back in New York at the beginning of Jan."

"I wish we could," I said, "Never been to South Africa but I'd love to one day. It's been really nice having you herre."

Luke looked over at his brother and chucked him his car keys. Jake caught it in one hand. 

No one commented about the catch, but I enviously watched the coordination.

Jake said stiffly, "Thanks for letting me borrow your car."

It was the first time I'd ever heard him thank his brother. I could hear in the stiffness of his voice that he felt uncomfortable doing so.

"Fill the gas tank and we'll call it even," Luke answered.

Annika pulled me aside and whispered in my ear, "Good luck with the brothers."

"Thanks," I said, thinking I probably need it. "Jake will miss you."

"I'll miss him too. I won't miss how everyone thought Jake and I were hooking up-" she paused when she saw my expression.

"You definitely weren't," I agreed and then double checked, "Right?"

She clarified, "I'm twenty-two and he's a boy."

**

That night, I got ready for bed when I heard a knock on my bedroom door. I waddled over to open it, already dressed in my warm and fluffy winter PJs. 

My ginormous slippers made it hard to walk smoothly.

"Hey," Luke greeted me, wearing a navy-blue jacket.

My fluffy slippers accidentally stepped on his sneakers. He looked down.

I caught him off guard with a hug and his cold cheek on mine felt... warm. OK, obviously it felt cold. Even his jacket brought in the cold from the outside.

He closed the door behind him. "I had to wait for my parents to go to sleep," he said, taking off his coat, "But front door unlocked means I don't have to climb in through your window."

So there is a silver lining to that recklessness...

"How's Jake by the way?" I asked, thinking of Annika leaving earlier today. She must be somewhere over the ocean right now. "I saw he came back from the airport."

"He's probably crying in his room," Luke said.

"Luke!" I threw a pillow at him. He unfortunately caught it.

"Say my name louder," he dared me, "I'm sure your mother wants to hear."

I bit my lip, realizing he was right. My mom rarely came to my room, which is why Luke sneaking in has been so easy. But if we yelled loud enough...

"Have I told you I like that?" he asked me quietly.

"When I say your name?"

"When you bite your lip."

**

~The next morning @ Coffee ~

"Minnie, you coming?" Luke called out from the driver seat of his car.

His arm rested on the open window as he called out to me in the parking lot of the Coffee Bean. I hurried over, holding my coffee like it was an Olympic medal.

"Was that kid bothering you again?" Luke asked me, leaning over to open the door on my side of the car.

I hopped in and put my seatbelt on. I looked at Luke and smiled. I couldn't help it. If I could draw, he'd be my muse. 

"Max isn't bothering me," I answered, sticking the straw into the coffee, "I was asking him if there was a job opening at the Coffee Bean."

"Don't you work at Lola Rae?"

I frowned and glanced out the window. This didn't really feel like the time to mention it. It's a real mood killer.

We passed by the street Cearra lived on and I asked, "Hey Luke, can I ask you something?"

"Mhm," he nodded, focusing on the street as he drove us to school. The window was down for some insane reason and the cold wind ruffled his hair.

I asked, "Is Austin dating anyone?"

A smirk tugged at the corner of Luke's lips. "You interested?"

"Seriously," I insisted, "Is he?"

Luke turned the car into the school parking lot. He slowed down as he drove up to his own reserved spot in the front row. I noticed students paying attention to us as we drove through.

I wish my little old car got the same treatment. It would feel special.

"No," he said, "Why?"

Austin's single. 

"Hmm... no reason," I muttered, sipping my coffee so I couldn't answer any more questions.

Luke parked and turned the ignition off. As the engine died down, he turned to me. "Why do you-"

"Luke! We need you to come," Chad barged in on our conversation, resting both his hands on the open window as he peered into the car, "Oh. Morning Millie."

"Hi Chad, perfect timing," I said, peering around Luke who was not looking so pleased by the interruption, "Do you think we can add one more person to the New Years' Eve trip? She's my-"

"She?" Chad repeated, "Yeah. Definitely."

**

I texted Cearra one word: Single

Who knew playing Cupid could be so easy?

I put my phone away, feeling pretty good about myself. Maybe I could sprinkle love like fairy dust across this little town and form an idyllic oasis-

"Shall we study in the computer labs?" Joe asked, hurrying towards me. His backpack bounced up and down, "My friend sent me a math quiz from college. I thought it could be fun for us to do together."

"Sure. Want to do it at lunch?" I replied, looking at the papers in his hands.

He could barely contain his excitement. I wish math gets me that excited. With everything that happened last year, I was still finding my math mojo. 

I look at Luke the way Joe looks at a math quiz.

And that's probably accurate.

"OK, but I can't promise I won't have started by then," he warned me, hurrying off to the computer labs already.

I turned the corner and walked towards Cearra's locker. I thought back on my morning with Luke. I still haven't told him about being fired, but when's the right time to? 

Maybe we're not as open with each other as we should be. He still hasn't told me which college he's chosen. He didn't even share his hesitation with me.  

I saw Cearra talking to Yoona and Lexi. She looked pretty animated, waving her hands and I had to say she had incredible shell nail art.

Once upon a fairytale, they were part of a group called LUCKY. Now, Cearra had abandoned it and my ex-friend Julia was trying to take her place.

From LUCKY to.... LUJKY? It doesn't have the same ring.

Cearra excused herself from the two of them and walked towards me, squealing. People passing by gave her a double look.

"Were the girls asking you to join their group again?" I asked her, staring over her shoulder at Yoona and Lexi who were staring right back.

"Yeah but what's new? I'm lucky to be free of LUCKY," she dismissed the group with a wave of her hand, "But can we talk about your text?! Single!!"

Oh Austin.

I had a grin as wide as a Cheshire cat. "He's single. A single pringle. So single I'll write a jingle-"

"Oh wow, Millie, you can't do that again in front of me," Cearra laughed, looking around if anyone was listening.

"I think you'll change your mind after you hear my next part of the plan," I rubbed my hands in glee, "Chad invited us to his 'winter place', whatever that means, for new years. Austin is going to be there. What better than a romantic week together with no interruptions and the excitement of new years to take it up a level?"

Her eyes opened wide. "Where's Chad's winter place?"

Great question. 

I checked our group chat. "Dubai."

Dubai?!

I double checked the group chat. "It's in Dubai! Do I even have a valid passport?"

How much is a ticket to Dubai? I can't go on this trip! I can't afford this trip.

"I really thought it was going to be in a nearby neighborhood," I muttered, "Like in summer he lives in Alpine and in winter he moves his clothes to another house."

"No! I want to come. I had no idea Austin would be in Dubai for New Years," she suddenly thought of something and her enthusiasm deflated, "I wish I could but there is no way my parents will ever allow me. You've met them and they're protective. I'll ask them but chances are close to zero. Will there even be parents there?"

"Hopefully," I nodded, texting that question into the group chat. "A house where the responsibility lay with Chad, Austin and Luke would be the most irresponsible thing."

Cearra was running through the scenario in her mind, "If I tell my parents I'm going on a trip to another country to stay at a guys' place... they'll kick me out of our house." 

I wouldn't know. My mom has kicked me out the house before and I slept in my car for 3 days.  

"OK don't look now," Cearra said, staring at someone behind me, "But your ex-boyfriend is walking towards you."

"Really?" I asked, staring at someone behind her, "Because my boyfriend's ex-girlfriend is walking towards us too."

Ironic timing.

We both turned around at the same time.

A/N: Should Cearra join for New Years?  You can vote on the IG poll (@NatalieInACorner)!

Big shoutout to the most incredible suggestions on New Years' destinations. So many good ideas. What do you think of Dubai? Any suggestions of what should happen and what they should do?

Runner up choice was Aspen, with a lot of people suggesting somewhere cold and cozy. 

And a special shoutout to @lui.meisje, who suggested Millie and Luke spend New Years' trapped in a mine they fell into. To be fair, that's still possible....

<3