Chapter 08: Who's Millie? Burgers, crispy chicken wings... and a bucket of French fries for Austin. Soda swirled inside large cups full of ice. Luke picked them up from the counter and carried three across the mall's seating area. He set the cups down on the center of a plastic table. Chad was already sitting down and glaring at the guy opposite him, "Anyone going to explain why he's here?" "Art, introduce yourself," Luke said, unbothered by Chad's mood swings. "Sure," a boy replied, sitting in an oversized hoodie, "My name's Arturo. I'm a junior, a center and I just got off the bench." "Is that athlete speak?" Chad asked, "Was I meant to understand any of that?" Chad was leaning back in his plastic chair, with one leg crossed over the other. He had his phone in hand and his Rolex blinded everyone every time he texted. "He's the new starting center," Luke said, taking a drink, "Coach wanted me to be a team player. This is the team." "So it's charity," Chad said. "Teamwork," Art corrected, "The better we know each other, the better we play." "Hey Art," Austin came over, holding a tray overflowing with food, "Is Luke adopting you now?" He placed the tray on the table to let everyone help themselves to food. Chad unfolded a napkin and set it carefully on the table to avoid germs. "His game's good," Luke said, ignoring Chad's careful placement of another napkin on the table, "He's been on fire recently." "I can think of another junior you think is on fire," Austin smirked, sitting next to Art and offering him a fry. "O'Conner?" Art asked, thinking they were still talking basketball, "Yeah, he's killing it." "No," Chad shut him down. "Millie." "Who's Millie?" "I ask myself the same question all the time," Chad was reminiscing, "Millie. You won't know her until you know her but when you know her... you can't forget." Luke looked at Chad weirdly, surprised to hear such nice things coming out of his mouth. Austin broke the silence. "And she's Luke's girlfriend." "Sh*t no way!" Art got animated in his seat, "There's a rumor you slept with a girl in my year last weekend. It's true?" "No." "The name sounds familiar though," Art insisted, whipping out his phone and scrolling through texts, "She's in my year? How awkward if she and I hooked up..." "No chance," Luke said. "Oh!" Art stared at his screen, "I knew I recognized her." "Probably the bra photo," Chad said, not interested, "We were all involved in that one." The photo of Millie and her bra had haunted her from summer camp into her junior year of high school. "No, not that, though the $1 entry party was sick," Art said. "What is it then?" Austin asked, dipping nine fries into ketchup before eating them whole. "You sure she's dating Luke?" "I'm sure," Luke interrupted, not sure why Art was asking Austin. "Isn't she dating Jake?" Art asked again, raising his phone and showing them a video. Luke took it from Art's hand and clicked play. Husband, let's follow, to see the end of this ado First kiss me, Kate, and we will Austin stopped eating. His eyes grew wider than the burgers when he heard what Millie's voice was saying. Chatty Chad stayed silent now, worried how Luke was going to react. Luke put the phone down and slid it across the table, back at Art. His friends waited for his reaction. "They're performing a play," he shrugged, "Millie and Jake have English together. So what?" Austin continued to eat. "Apparently, the teacher called them lovebirds. And didn't Jake ask her out on a date to some play last month?" Art said, pulling out all the details. "Who is this guy again?" Chad asked, pointing at Art. Art raised his hands and backed off, "I know you guys are what the whole school talks about, but we have gossip in our year too. Especially around your brother, Luke." "Juniors," Chad shook his head, "Y'all are kids." Luke clenched his jaw, keeping his anger under control. Art kept going. "So let me get this straight, the girl your brother is rumored to be dating is actually the girl you're dating?" Art couldn't help laughing, "This girl must be magic. How hot is she?" He picked up his phone to re-watch the video when Chad grabbed it out of his hand. "Not that hot," Chad answered, turning up the brightness and watching the video himself. "I recommend you stop talking now," Austin muttered to Art, "Helpful tip, bro." Arturo looked from Austin to Luke and then nodded. It was a warning not to cross the line with Luke. Luke was looking down at his phone, texting someone. He then said, "He's here." "Who?" "Jake. He's at the mall." "And why are we at the mall by the way?" Chad randomly asked, "Because I told you my chef would cook for us, but you insisted on coming here. For chicken wings?" "Millie works at that store," Austin said, pointing at Lola Rae. "Millie's here?!" Art exclaimed, suddenly a very vocal member of the group, "and Jake said he's here too? I bet they're here together doin-" "Leave." Art stopped talking and faced Luke. Luke stared him down with an ice-cold gaze. He wasn't going to repeat himself. Art buckled, "Sorry man if I offended you-" "I'll be apologizing after I'm done with you at practice tomorrow." The threat was real, and Art was terrified. "Woah, no need to get this way, man." "You crossed the line," Luke said, "And I'm not feeling like a team player anymore." Art shakily stood up, staring at the guys. He looked at Austin for help. Austin shook his head, since he'd just given the guy a warning. Chad happily waved goodbye. ** Arturo left without his chicken wings, so Austin took those under his wing. While he dug into his big meal, Chad and Luke started talking about the Jake situation. Without Arturo there, they opened up more honestly. "Why don't you tell everyone you're together?" Chad asked, "That'll stop the rumors about her and Jake." "Maybe," Luke answered honestly, "I'm just not sure."