** Later that evening, the sun was setting outside his window. The colors of the sunset shone against his desk. Luke was sitting in front of his new laptop, downloading Microsoft Word. He had an assignment to write for bio. He wasn't that focused about it. While he waited for it to load, he spun a basketball on his index finger and played with the ball. Meanwhile, I was sitting on his bed, taking a math quiz on my computer. I was practicing for the mathlete competition coming up. My first one since I rejoined the team. How times have changed. I was a completely different girl to the one who fled out of rehearsal last year after finding out Kaden had cheated on me. Now I couldn't give a hoot where he was or who he was with. Sure, he left me with scars, but I feel more beautiful now. I'm working on my trust issues and my low self-confidence. Luke saved me in a way. He popped my bubble of self-pity and I have not looked back since. I'm still wearing the smile Luke gave me at summer camp. I didn't realize I was smiling at him until he called me out on it. He threw the basketball higher into the air and reached his arm out to catch it, "What are you smiling about, Millie Ripley?" "Nothing," I answered, shifting the laptop on my lap, guilty as ever. "I smile about us too," he said. Was I that obvious? His phone rang, disrupting the moment, and he picked it up. He glanced over at me and rolled his eyes as I could hear it was his Coach on the other end. I went back to my math equation. Sometimes I get the urge to multiply both sides by 0 and solve all the world's equations. ** "Watch," Luke disrupted my concentration, "Watch." I looked up and saw him scrunch his piece of paper into a ball. He threw it at the bin, but it missed. "Well that's embarrassing," I said. "She's stone cold," he commented, going back to his bio assignment. "You should probably focus more on your homework," I joked, "Since basketball might not work out." Another piece of paper came flying through the air and smacked my shoulder. This time, his aim was right on. ** *Next morning* I woke up on time for school. I had to, since the laundry had to be done that morning and it was my job to do it. Flora leant over my shoulder as I hung the clothes up to dry and picked out a shirt. She then got dressed next to me. Meanwhile, my mom's work papers were scattered all over our dining room table. I thought companies were going paperless. Her recent promotion was really stressing her out. She gathered them all into her binder as she told us, "I didn't have enough eggs to make breakfast for you girls. But I left two protein bars out on the counter." Flora went over and picked them both up, "You go to the Coffee Bean before school, don't you?" "Yes but I'd still like-" "You should really try harder to lose weight," she chastised. "OK, but I'd still like-" "Besides, it's thanks to me that you and Luke are a couple, so you owe me." She wasn't just calling that favor in for a protein bar. She'd been lording that over my head ever since Luke and I first started dating. Which admittedly, was not long ago. I don't know how much Flora played a part in our relationship. In Luke's opinion, zero. But I do remember at Austin's $1 Dollar Party, when she told me to go after him – he and I kissed that night. After all my indecision, my insecurities, my lack of trust, I did need a little push. I sat down at the bare dining room table. The laundry was done, and my stomach growled. There was no wall between the dining room and the living room. I could see out the window and across the street, through the Dawson's large kitchen window. It was Mrs Dawson's birthday today. I saw Mr Dawson in the kitchen, making waffles or pancakes. I couldn't tell which, but I saw the golden stack on a plate. Jake was spraying a tower of whipped cream over his and I saw Luke with a strip of bacon between his lips. Charlotte must be in college. She comes back so often that I forget she's a freshman in college. Their mother walked in, dressed in pink silk pajamas. They serenaded her with birthday songs and presented her with a birthday cake. She blew out the candles and opened the cards. Her husband presented her with flowers and tickets of some kind. I was now next to the window, staring out. How I longed for pancakes or waffles... Jake handed her his present next and it was a beautiful necklace in the shape of a heart. She hugged him. Then Luke handed his and I recognized my wrapping paper. It was the present I had bought her because he'd been too lazy to do it himself. She unwrapped it and stared down. A mug. It was a giant, pink mug with the word I LOVE MOM on it. Everyone stared at Luke, who looked embarrassed. He mumbled something and his mother gave him an awkward side hug. After they moved on to the food, he revolved his chair round and stared through the window. He stared through the window and into mine. Our eyes locked. He mouthed the words: I'm going to kill you. I dove under the window. My sister accidentally kicked me as she passed by with more clothes. ** Later that day, I walked across the street to the Dawson's house. School had been a flurry of tests and stressful encounters, that I hadn't seen him. SAT subject tests were this Saturday, so people were getting nervous. I'd signed up for Math. "Millie," Mrs Dawson greeted me when I knocked on the door. She had some friends over to celebrate her birthday. They were all drinking tea in the living room. "Hi Mrs Dawson," I smiled, "Happy birthday. I hope I'm not disturbing you. I was wondering if Luke was in?" "He won't be back until late tonight, Millie," she answered, "He's at the coach's house with my husband. They're talking about his college offers. He didn't tell you?" I shook my head. No he did not.