Chapter Twenty-Three

"You need to cool off." Mr Gates say as he ushers me into the cooler room. As I enter, I notice a boy sitting at one of the desks at the back of the room. He has blonde hair which lops swiftly over his forehead in those cool teenager hair styles. The sort of hair style where boys have to keep flicking their heads to the left to keep it from falling over their eyes. His eyes are a deep, nature green and his skin tanned.

"Sit at the front desk." Mr Gates orders and the blonde-haired boy looks over to us. I then notice he's been working on something; I can't quite tell what is from where I am standing but it looks as if he's been scribbling on a piece of paper.

I look away from him and sit at the front desk. Mr Gates walks over to the teacher’s desk and places his keys on it. Mr Gates isn't exactly the official supervisor of the cooler room but takes over when there is no other teacher around.

"What did you do this time?" He asks and sits down at the desk. I sigh and slump back in my chair. "I didn't do anything, I just. I had a argument, that's all."

"With Natasha?"

I shake my head and frown, "It's not really so much her, it's...just some boy." I didn't really want to go into this, not with Mr Gates. He was the last person I wanted to trust. "Oh yeah? Your boyfriend?" Mr Gates wiggles his eyebrows and I scowl, "No! No way. Just a friend. I'm really close to him...well, I was. Until I done something really stupid."

He presses his eyebrows together, "What did you do?"

"Nothing. It doesn't matter."

"Fair enough." He smiles crookedly and looks over to the back of the room where the blonde-haired boy is sitting. I glance over my shoulder to see him drawing furiously on a piece of paper.

"Would you like to give me your report now, Luke?" Mr Gates spoke with firm authority across the room to him. The boy named Luke looked up and clicked his tongue. "I lost it."

"Oh, don't start that. I think you're forgetting that I was your age once. I know your tricks like the back of my hand." Mr Gates laughs and leans forward so his elbows her leaning on the desk. "Come on, hand it over." The boy, Luke, sighed and swiftly pulled it out of his blazer pocket. It was a red paper report with his name on and a few comments and signature from various teachers. I had been given a fair number of reports during my four years in this school, but it was always either a green or orange.

A green report is a small minor incident like swearing or having a fight with another student. An orange is the APB, aggressive, physical behaviour. I was given an orange for APB because I had chucked a chair across a classroom and threatened my R.E teacher. I look back now, and I have to admit...I'm not proud of it, but at the time it was self defence on my behalf.

"There you go." Luke mumbled as he walked over to Mr Gates and placed the red report on the desk. I had never had a red report as I say, so I didn't know what you had to do to get one. I then realised I was staring at this Luke boy and quickly looked down at my desk. He turned and I felt his eyes on me. I quickly peeked at his hand which hung at his side and in his grasp, he held a black leather book. I couldn't quite out my finger in it, how it was so curious but what ever it was...it made my ears perk up like a dog.

The boy noticed I was looking and clutched the book tighter in his hand. What did he think I was going to do? Steal it? I may be curious, but I wasn't that curious.

After five minutes the bell went for form time. Mr Gates quickly dismissed the both of us. I followed Luke out and he glance back at me, "I know what you're thinking." He stated simply. At first, I wasn't sure what he was on about, but he eyed his black leather book which was still clutched in his left hand. He must have noticed my curiosity. I raised an eyebrow at him and crossed my arms over my chest. "What am I thinking?"

"You want to have a look."

"At what?" Play dumb, Alice. Play dumb. He clicks his tongue and holds the black leather book out in front of his face. "What do you think, dumb ass."

"Oi, shut ya mouth." I retort and give him the middle finger. He grins and his blonde hair falls lazily over his eyes. "I would show you, but when I hardly know you...how can I trust you?"

"Do I look like a give a fuck?"

"Oh, but you do. I saw you looking. Don't worry, everyone looks." He said so proudly and for a moment I'm sure he's far to above his station. However, he seems like he's just being honest. I roll my eyes, "You think you're all that, don't you?"

"Now you mention it, I am quite amazing." He shoots me a crooked smile and I huff in response. "I was wondering what it was. I'll admit that."

He chuckles, "Knew it. I saw you looking, you looked so full of curiosity."

"R-really? I didn't think you saw me looking."

"I was watching you, babe." His husky voice makes my face burn and I have to look down at the ground. "I've seen you before. You're that girl who apparently fucked Dylan Smith, right?" My eyes widen in shock, "Oh shit...you heard about that?"

He smirks and lets out a soft laugh. "Don't worry, I don't take notice of half the stuff I hear in this shitty school."

"I don't blame you." I mutter and pull my hoodie tighter over my head. "Besides, most of it is bullshit." I lie. The part about me was definitely true, but I wasn't going to tell him that. He holds out his hand for me to shake, a genuine smile on his tanned face. "The name's Luke."

"I'll see you later, maybe."

"Yeah...see ya." I mumble and watch him stride off down the corridor towards the history block.