Character posters are all on my Instagram (@NatalieInACorner)!  

A big thank you to the creators @rosie_hodgkinson, @dokhtare.nangarhari,  @dreamauthor17, @jo.lly834, @_navya_14, @olivia.jarden and @meitorei 

Chapter 75: First Last Day

A black jeep wrangler pulled out of his driveway and into mine.

I heard it outside while I shoved my notebook into my backpack and zipped it up. The sun wasn't fully up yet, and it was still cold outside. I took my thickest jacket, turned off the lights and walked outside.

Luke blasted the car horn.

"What?!" I yelled out. I wanted to murder him for that loud sound.

My lazy boyfriend didn't even bother to roll down the car window. He just pointed behind me and I realized...

He wanted me to lock my front door. The boys had installed a giant padlock on it. 

I trudged back, locked the padlock and returned to the car.

Inside was warm. The heating was already turned on and I dropped my backpack next to his black gym bag in the back. Luke was sitting in the driver's seat with his hair wet from the shower. He leaned over to kiss me just as I started to yawn.

"Sorry," I cupped my hand over my mouth.

I finished the yawn and then went for the kiss. Luke smirked and then tilted his head, his lips hovering tantalizingly close.

"You know you talk about that raccoon so much, it was only time before you became one."

"Uh..." I said. It took me a moment to understand.

Is he calling me a raccoon?

Luke leaned over me to flip down the vanity mirror above my seat. I gave him a confused look before I stared at my reflection and gasped. 

After so many nights of non-sleep, I had turned into a horror film character. The bags under my eyes were now dark purple, like a raccoon.

Luke's voice turned serious, "Why do you insist on staying at your place? I can-"

"I do," I insisted, "And I know Cearra said I could stay with her, and Austin offered the same thing and Chad said something about a pool house... but I don't want anyone's pity. This house is my responsibility now. Everyone else in my family may run away, but I will stay."

Luke looked concerned for me. He knew the real reason why I wasn't sleeping and it bothered him.

But I wanted to stick to this. My family made a habit of running away and I wanted to end the pattern. 

My sadness had turned into anger. I was furious that my mom and sister had left like this. 

**

I was too tired to notice Luke stop at the Coffee Bean before school. He expected me to jump out and run to my salvation. I wish I could.

"I already had coffee," I told him.

"What?" he asked, not able to process a negative response.

"I was up all-night drinking coffee," I said, "I'm super caffeinated."

That wasn't a lie, but the truth is that I don't have any money, I don't have a part time job and I don't have parents. The little money I had I was saving for food.

I exhaled and stared longingly at the coffee shop. One day.

Traffic started to pile up around the block from school. It was day 1 of the spring semester. For Luke, it was the last first day.

**

Luke and I walked side by side into school. My arm bumped against his and he calmly took my hand in his. The hallway was packed with excited energy. 

I was so tired that the sound of lockers banging shut startled me.

"Keep an eye out for anyone limping," I mumbled, thinking of the blackmailer.

"Did you spear the guy?" Luke asked, "Chucking a record at him is not going to take him out. He's probably fine by now."

"We don't know they're a he," I reminded him.

**

Luke's basketball teammates found us first.  They surrounded us, talking about some upcoming game until, finally, Chad caught up to us. He was the one player on the basketball team who probably knew less about the game than me.

Chad gave me a side hug and greeted the others.

"You got a haircut," I noticed.

"Usual trim," Chad nodded, running his hand through his shampooed hair, "Where's Austin? I swear he was here a second ago."

"Speaking of coffee..." I said.

Luke glanced at me, "No one was speaking about coffee."

"So what are we speaking about right now?" 

I was too shy to kiss him in front of his friends, so I discretely squeezed his hand before heading off. I wanted to speak to my math teacher before class started.

I didn't get far when I heard Austin's voice in the crowd. "Is that toilet sign a modern symbol of urgency?"

I spun round and saw him leaning against his locker with Oma, already smiling. They waved me over.

The bell rang just as she was pulling out her phone.

Austin said, "I'm not going to miss that sound after we graduate."

**

~Afternoon~

I waited outside my math teacher's office, waiting to hear back about my tutoring application. I was hoping to become a paid tutor this semester, but there weren't many of those positions to go around.

My SAT subject tests had come back with mixed results: high on math and low on English. I hoped the English results wouldn't hurt me.

"Minnie," Luke called out to me.

It's still a rush of excitement to see Luke at school. He appeared by the corner of the hallway, wearing his basketball jersey and shorts. I'd almost forgotten that he was captain of the school's basketball team, I hadn't seen him dressed like that in so long.

"You're going to have to give me better directions next time," he said, after trying too long to find me in the math department.

I don't know how he got lost after four years here - I knew this place like the back of my hands.

"I'm going to be training tonight, but Austin said he'd drop you off at home after school," Luke told me, "I'll come see you after."

"OK, I'll wait up for you," I said, pretending like I actually sleep at night.

Luke brushed the cape of my neck before he kissed me there. His fingers circled over my skin, relaxing my body. Why does he make me feel like this? We're at school, outside my teacher's office, and all I wanted was to wrap myself around him.

Luke acts on impulse and I by structure, but he's really rubbing off on me – in more ways than one.

The door behind us opened and my teacher stepped out, catching us in an embrace, our lips so close to one another's, our arms wrapped around each other.

"I'm surprised to see you in such a compromising position, Millie Ripley," the teacher said, "A tutor is a respected position at Preston Oakes. We look at both grades and behavior."

I stepped away from Luke, feeling embarrassed at being caught like this, "Sorry, I didn't mean to."

"Why do you need to apologize?" Luke asked, "Sounds like this application process is a joke."

"Luke," I scowled at him.

I need this job.

"Luke Dawson," the teacher addressed him by full name, "I know who you are and that you think you run the school because you can hold a ball. But that doesn't hold much weight amongst us academics. Millie, maybe we'll see each other another time."

The door closed shut.  Did he say maybe?!

"Luke!" I shoved him, "Why did you have to speak for me?!"

"Did you see the way he was speaking to you?"

This little showdown cost me the only chance I had at becoming a tutor.

"Sometimes, you just..." I didn't want to finish my sentence. It wasn't my intention to get into an argument. I was way too tired for that.

"Go on."

"We're different, that's all," I sighed.

He can talk back and get away with things that I can't.

**

Luke and I walked back to the cafeteria, still arguing about the conversation in the math department. I didn't want to tell him how much I needed this job, but he could see my disappointment.

"Fine," he grudgingly admitted, "I won't interfere in your math-"

"Cearra!" I exclaimed, spotting her walking alongside Yoona in the hallway. "Where's Austin?"

The question to Luke slipped out of my mouth, without thinking twice.

"What?" Luke asked. Austin was the furthest from his mind right now. "I don't keep a tracker on him."

"Let's find him," I suggested, watching Cearra walk into the cafeteria. She hadn't heard me.

I'd promised her to push for Austerra, and completely forgot about it while focusing on my own issues.

"I'm sure he's fine," Luke said. Confused with my concern, he followed my gaze.

And then he clocked it. "No, Minnie."

"What?"

"Austin and Cearrra are not going to be a thing."

"Says who?"

"I just said it," he answered.

And my question had confirmed his suspicion – I was trying to play Cupid with our best friends.

"Millie, you don't know Austin," Luke told me, walking towards the cafeteria himself, "He's not interested in Cearra."

"What do you mean? They get along so well."

He didn't say anything more. I tried to get it out of him, but he refused. 

When I really think about it, there's not much I know about Austin's personal life. He and Luke are best friends and they like to get into trouble... Austin hosts his infamous grotto parties, has a history with Lara's sister and I guess that's all I know of his personal life.

But I also know that, even as a best friend, Luke can't know everything.  

I wasn't giving up hope.

A/N: Eeek, hope you liked it!!  I wanted to pack in a lot of dialogue vs. settings in this one and I'm not sure how it feels. Some updates:

1. You can VOTE if you're for or against #Austerra on my Instagram poll 

2. You can also see all the character posters on my Instagram

AND I don't know if I can post on Thursday, but I'll try!  Please click the star on this chapter for that extra encouragement :)

<3