A/N: Sorry I haven’t written in awhile. I totally lost my notebook with this chapter in it! But I found it and finished off the chapter, and now here it is! Enjoy! XD

Chapter 8: Bad Dreams and Chair Tryouts

I walked into the front doors of the school and over to the morning bandie table. Before I could sit down, I was intercepted by that obnoxious clarinet that had called me a crack head.

“Hey, Marie? Come here a second. I have to tell you something.” She seemed uncharacteristically serious.

“Okay?” I say as she pulls me aside, away from everyone.

“ I hooked up with Luke last night.” She said. I immediately burst out in anger. Luke was my boyfriend! I found it hard to believe he cheated on me with this skanky girl.

“Nice try. Try telling me something believable next time.” I say strongly.

“I’m not lying! We were at a party and we had sex. If you don’t believe me, ask him.” She replies, not sorry in the least.

“Fine, I will!” I say and storm off to go find Luke. I find him chatting with the girl that gave me the stink eye a few weeks ago, and continues to give me the stink eye anytime I see her. I tap him on the shoulder, making him turn around. His smile fades into a frown.

“Why would Angela walk up to me this morning and tell me the two of you hooked up last night?” I ask, furious.

“I don’t know” Luke says, half-heartedly.

“ Don’t like to me!” I was still angry. He took in a deep breath, answering my question.

“Alright, fine. I did, okay? But I didn’t mean to. I didn’t know what I was doing.” My anger turned to tears and I didn’t care who was watching.

“What do you mean you didn’t know what you were doing? How could you not know?! I trusted you to not do to me what Marissa did to you.” I calmed down a bit on the end. That seemed to strike a nerve with him.

“I was drinking. I thought she was you I guess. But I’m so sorry I can’t even tell you how much. I love you Marie!” He’d never said that to me before.

“You do?” I say, getting choked up again.

“Yes, more that anything.” He says, getting a bit chocked up himself. I knew it was weak of me and I should’ve written him off then and there, but I honestly loved him too much to let go.

“I love you, too.” I tell him. He raps his arms around me and kisses the top of my head.

I woke up crying in the middle of the night. I’d had the most horrible dream my subconscious could come up with. I got up from my recliner and went into the kitchen and got a drink of water. When I came back, Andy was snoring slightly on the sofa.

I crawled into my comfy chair again and fell back asleep. I didn’t want to go back to the dream I was having, but I was too tired to stay awake. I had to tell Andy about the dream the next morning.

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“So you forgave him after he cheated on you?” Andy asked as I was recounting my dream over our breakfast.

“Yeah. He told me he loved me and I caved I guess. How weird, huh?” I say.

“Well now you have a tough question to ask yourself. If you were actually dating Luke and he cheated on you, would you forgive him?” I didn’t think it through before I answered.

“No, Luke would never do that to me.”

“I’m not saying he would. I’m just telling you to look at the facts. He says he’s got commitment issues and he was cheated on before. It’s always gonna be a possibility.” I didn’t want to believe her and pushed the negative thoughts from my head.

Andy’s phone lights up with a text message and she reads it, smiling slightly to herself.

“Andrew?” I ask.

“Umhm.”

“Well what did he say?!”

“Hey.” She replies, smiling bigger.

“Hey, what?” I ask.

“Just…hey.” She says dreamily.

“You’ve got it bad, girl!” I say, rolling my eyes. She sighs happily, and my own phone receives a message. I let out an extremely loud “Eeep!” Andy smiles a knowing smile.

“Andy! It’s Luke! And I didn’t even text him first!” By then I was jumping up and down. She looks down to text Andrew back as I work on something to say to Luke.

L: Hey, what’s up?

M: Nothing much. Just eating breakfast with Andrea. U?

L: Getting ready to leave for Knoxville with Andrew

M: Oh. What are you up to today?

L: Visiting some friends there and then going to a band practice.

“Andy! He’s in a band!” I say, excitedly. She just laughs and continues texting Andrew.

“Really? What’s he play?”

“Hmm… I’ll ask!” I hear her chuckle at me but choose to ignore it.

M: That’s awesome! I didn’t know you were in a band. What do you play?

L: Bass. We have a show coming up. You should come.

“Ah!”

“What?!” Andy screams back.

“He told me to come to one of his shows coming up! He plays bass!”

“Interesting. You’d think he’d play drums.”

“I know, right? He’s just multi-talented.” She rolls her eyes at me yet again.

M: What kind of music do you play?

L: Uh it’s really loud. And there’s a lot of yelling. The shows get kinda rough. Not the safest thing in the world

“What the heck?” I hand my phone over to Andy and have her read.

“Does he want you to go or what? He’s not doing the best job of pleading his case.”

M: LOL Are you wanting me to go or not?

L: It’s entirely up to you. I’m just giving facts

The main thought in my head after I read that was “Egh.” What a turn off! I mean, who wants to hear that from a guy?

M: What’s your band’s name?

L: We don’t exactly have one yet. We’re just starting out

M: K. So besides the loud screamy kind, what music do you like?

L: Well my favorite is Saves the Day, but I’m really into classic jazz. Miles Davis, Chuck Mangione. The whole bit

M: Yeah I like Saves the Day, too. My favorite songs by them are Freakish and At Your Funeral

L: Interesting choices :D Well, I’ve gotta go now. I can’t be texting and driving ya know ;)

M: K. See ya tomorrow!

L: Definitely!

I bit my bottom lip and half-smiled. I wonder if guys know every little thing they do, no matter how small, can make a girl’s day.

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the next week went by just like the rest. The occasional “Hey.” in the hallway or during band; nothing more than a few words. Once again, right after I think we make a tremendous step forward we take two back. Id didn’t understand it.

Andy, of course, knew everything about this and after band, on our way to lunch one day, we spy Luke walking alone in front of our little group. Perfect.

“Go up there and walk with him!” She quietly but exuberantly suggests.

“I don’t know. I wouldn’t know what to say.” I honestly was clueless.

“Ask him about chair tryouts or something.” I went with that and increased my pace. I looked over my shoulder a I approached him to see Andy, Erin, Lilly, and Emily the clarinet all smiling at me like encouraging idiots.

“Hey, Luke.” I say as I fall into step with him.

“Oh, hey Marie! Hew’s life?” I smile brightly both outwardly and inwardly.

“I’m great, actually. What about you? Nervous about chair tryouts?” He laughed slightly.

“me? Nervous? Naw. I should be asking you that. Your tryouts are after school today, right?” I hadn’t stopped smiling.

“Yeah. But I’ll do fine. I know I won’t get first chair, but I don’t’ suck either.” He laughed again. I can’t explain how great it made me feel to make him happy. I loved his smile and I loved his laugh, and right now, I was making him do both.

“ I’m the same way. I know Andrew’s gonna beat me, and matt, and probably Aaron, even thought he’s a sophomore. That kid’s a beast at percussion!” By then we had made it to the cafeteria and it was time to par ways.

“Nice talking to ya, Marie.” He said with a bright smile.

“Yeah, it really was.” I knew I was blushing like crazy. My face was on fire. I ran over and told Andy everything as Luke and I stole glances at each other all through lunch.

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The flute try outs went pretty great. I finished tenth chair out of sixteen flutes with about five seniors ahead of me. Next year I was set. Andy got seventh and was ecstatic.

We decide to go to the outlet mall to celebrate with Starbucks and new outfits. As we were walking, we passed a CD store. In the window was a display. At the center a sign read, “Got Jazz? Sale on all Miles Davis albums!” I stopped in my tracks.

“Hang on, Andy. Let’s go check this out.” She just smiled a knowing smile and followed me in. Christmas was coming up and I might as well get Luke a gift. This seemed like the perfect opportunity.

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After buying the CD, the most recent album by Miles Davis, we wander down the sidewalk until we come to Starbucks and go inside. As we enter, we pass a familiar, scowling face. It was the girl that gives me the stink eye on a regular basis. I noticed she had two coffees in her hands, but didn’t think anything of it. I was too busy figuring out how she got that stick up her…

“What the heck is with that girl?” I ask Andy.

“Well, I hat to say it, but did you ever stop to think that maybe you weren’t the only girl that thinks Luke’s the perfect guy?” That thought had crossed my mind a few times. I just chose to ignore it.“Yeah…” I say, resigned, as I puck up my macchiato.

“You know what? After we warm up here, let’s head over to the dish store and pay old Lukie-Pookie a little visit.” Any fear or nervousness I would have felt to do that left me when that girl stared me down. In the words of some great unknown person, “It was on!”

“Yeah! Absolutely! If that girl want to try and take him from me, it’s not gonna be easy!” I say a bit too loudly, causing most of the coffee goers to stare angrily at me over their USA Today’s and mocha cappuccinos.

“Whoops.” I say much quieter. Andy just laughs.

We finish our coffees and share a large macadamia nut cookie before heading off for the infamous “Agee’s Dish Barn.” Dun dun dun…

We walk in and start searching for Luke. The store wasn’t too large so we spot him easily in the back portion stocking shelves.

“Hey, Luke. Having fun?” I say, looking up at him on a small step ladder. He looks down at me with a bright smile.

“Well, well. If it isn’t Marie Miller. I take it you couldn’t resist the call of a fifty-percent-off sale on Tupperware?” He says with a wink, causing me to blush so horribly I thought my face would melt off. Nevertheless, I smile back.

“Oh, psh, heck yes! Tupperware happens to be my life’s calling.” I say, mock-genuinely, making that gorgeous smile of his broaden sowing a gleaming set of perfect white teeth. I leaned against a shelf of salt and pepper shakers casually; mainly so I wouldn’t faint. Andy, catching on that I didn’t need her in the general vicinity or moral support, wandered off to peruse the meat timers and what not.

“Okay, seriously. What are two pretty fifteen-year-old girls doing in a dish store on a random Monday night?” Again, smiling. I looked around idly, trying to think of a quirky answer. When my eyes catch sight of a Starbucks cup sitting on the shelf he’d been working on, my thoughts quickened. And so did my blood pressure. I tried to keep my smile.

“Well, I heard there was a cute, funny, and interesting sixteen-year-old boy working here and I thought I’d check it out.” He looked down bashfully with a blush. My insides screamed, “Aww!”

Suddenly, I hear someone call my name, making me turn around. It was my mom standing with Andy and my little brother, Collin. I rolled my eyes. Luke catches on to this and walks over to them with me.

“Hi, Mrs. Miller. Andrea.” He says. Yay! That’s a good impression with my mom. She loves politeness.

“Oh, yeah. This is my little brother, Collin. He’s seven.” I roll my eyes again. Luke squats down and shakes Collin’s hand.

“Hey, Collin. Nice to meet you.”

“You too, dude. And I don’t’ know what my sister was thinking. I’m eight, not seven. Sheesh.” He said and sticks his tongue out at me. I do the same back to him.

“Luke, there’s a woman on the outside of isle two that looks like she needs help.” The older lady that I assume is Luke’s grandmother says from behind the cast register.

“Hold that thought.” Luke says and walks off toward the woman in need of help, since apparently buying dishes was up there with neurosurgery and rocket science.

“Let me just pay for these and we’ll be out of here, okay?” My mom says. She had a family set of bowls in the pattern she’d been working toward for a month.

“Okay.” I say and stand next to Andy.

“You look mighty familiar young lady. Why might that be?” Luke’s grandma asks. I smile sheepishly and shrug.

“It’s probably because we’re in here all the time.” My mom tells her.

“Oh. Do you go to school with Luke?”

“Yeah, we’re in band together.” I say bashfully. Her old wisdom catches on in time to embarrass me.

“Oh, well that’s good. You’re pretty and seem really sweet! I need to fix you up with my Luke here! Wouldn’t that be lovely?!” My face heated up with a blush. She was speaking well loud enough for him to hear every word she said. I could see him looking over in our direction with each new thing his grandma said.

“Oh, my! Do you like, Luke?!” Andy was almost on the floor laughing. My eyes were wide open in shock.

“Luke! Come over here a second.” My eyes were seriously on the verge of popping out of socket. I couldn’t believe my ears. Luke seemed almost as mortified as I was.

“See Luke. This lovely young lady has her eye on you! She’s a much better catch than that Emily hooch.” I looked at both Luke and his grandma quizzically.

“It’s Elizabeth, grandma. Not Emily.” He corrects, looking down. A hurt expression crossed my face and just when I thought things couldn’t get any worse, my little brother decides to join the party.

“Oh! Sot that’s Marie’s Lukie-Pookie! Oh how she loves her Luke-Pookie!” My eyes grew side in horror, Andy had both hands clamped over her mouth, containing her laughter. All the while, my eyes were locked on Luke who was half-smiling and half looking at me with that clueless face. When my lovely brother broke out in a chorus of “Lukie-Pookie, Lukie-Pookie! Marie love Lukie-Pookie!” Andy stepped in.

“Come on, Collin. Give sissy a break.” She said and steered Collin out of the store.

“Um, well I’m gonna just leave now before I become that first person to ever actually die of embarrassment. Bye, Luke.” I say and hurry backwards out of the store to find Andy.

“See ya, Marie!” Luke yells, laughing and shaking his head.

I find Andrea and Collin sitting on a bench a few feet from the entrance to the dish store. I stopped in front of Collin and started him down. He looked up at me, sadly.

“I’m sorry I embarrassed you in front of Luke, sissy. I won’t do it again, I promise.” I squatted down and gave him a hug.

“Don’t worry about it, buddy. I’m not too mad. It was pretty funny now that I think about it.:”

“Mhm.” Andy says and we all break out in fits of laughter.

“Well, my mom’s here. I’ll see you tomorrow.” Andy says and walks off. Shortly after, my mom, Luke, and his grandma come out of the store. The lights have all been turned off, everything shut down for the night. I looked at my phone to see that it was past nine. I take Collin and walk over to them. Just as my mom and I were about to head over to our car, Luke speaks up.

“Mrs. Miller? I know it’s late, but I’d really like to talk to Marie for a little while longer. Is it okay if I bring her home? We wont’ stay out past ten thirty.” He asks. My mom get the “I-don’t-know” looks moms get that every kid hates when they want something. I give her a “look.”

“Okay. Just don’t be late.” She gives in, and takes Collin to the car. Luke’s grandma was already pulling from the parking lot. Luke turns around and locks up the store, then back around to look at me. I shiver slightly in the cold December air and rub my arms.

“Oh. Here.” Luke says and starts to unbutton his shirt which I had noticed at school was a lumberjack shirt.

“Woah! Now I see why you wanted to take me home.” I teased, sticking my arm in the sleeve as he helped me put it on.

“Haha. Funny.” He said as we started to walk. He only had on a white t-shirt and I’m sure would be freeing shortly, but all I could think about was the fact that I was actually wearing one of his lumberjack shirts.

“Look…I’m sorry about what happened in there. She just… doesn’t know when something’s not her business.”

“It’s fine. Really. Just a little embarrassing is all.” I admit.

“Believe me, I know. So anyways. Your chair tryouts were today. How’d that go?” I smiled.

“I got tenth. But next marching season I’ll be fifth after the seniors graduate. Andrea got seventh which is amazing. So that’s why we were out here today. Celebratory shopping trip.”

“That’s awesome, Marie! Especially since it was your fist tryout and everything.” He says holding his palm up for a fight five. I oblige.

“Thanks.” we walk in silence for a moment.

“Um, Luke” I ask, curious. There was something I needed to know that couldn’t wait.

“Yeah?”

“Who’s Elizabeth?” I stop walking and turn to look at him. He half-smiles.

“I knew you were gonna ask that.”

“That didn’t answer my question.”

“I know…She’s a friend is all.”

“A friend.” I state.

“Yeah.”

“Okay, then what am I?” He takes a deep breath.

“Well, you’re my friend, too.” I smile slightly. Wasn’t quite the answer I was looking for. Why couldn’t he just answer me straight out?

“Good.” I say.

“So you really call me Lukie-Pookie, huh?” He teases and I lightly slap in in the arm.

“Hey!” He says in mock-pain.

“So abusive to your Lukie-Pookie!” He continues.

“Oh, it’s on!” I say as he runs off in the opposite direction. I chase him all the way to his car, and we stop, out of breath.

“See? This is why we’re in band.” He says.

“Exactly.” He walks around and opens my door, then closes it when I get in.

He starts the car and turns up the heater then plugs in his ipod. He starts to look through his play list, but pauses.

“Ladies’ choice.” and hands his ipod to me. I smile slightly, and hit play on Cheer by Saves the Day. He starts laughing.

“You weren’t kidding when you said you knew Saves the Day! That’s awesome!” He says and breaks into a drum solo on the steering wheel as he drives out of the parking lot. I join in on air guitar and we scream the lyrics to the too short song. He picks up his ipod again.

“So what next? I think something slower.” He suggests. At the same moment, we say,

“Freakish.” And smile at each other. He finds the song and presses play.

“So you like this one, too, huh?” He asks.

“Yeah, it’s on of my favorites.”

“Me too.” He says, making me look over at him again. He looks down and grabs my left hand with his right and looks into my eyes with a sweet smile that reached his eyes with that special sparkle. I close my eyes and breath in deeply, biting my bottom lip. Wanted to remember this moment forever.

“You’re pretty much amazing, Luke Ellinwood. Don’t let anyone tell you anything different.” He brought our hands up and kissed the back of mine making my heart flutter in a way I’ve never felt before.

“Well you’re a beautiful, intelligent, and sweet girl. So the world should be jealous of our insane awesomeness.” He states matter-of-factly. I laughed slightly and held back tears.

“Do you think it would be cheesy if I said you took my breath away?” I say genuinely. The thought had been going around in my head for awhile.

“Yes. But I think cheese, so it’s cool.” He replies with a wink. I immediate think back to that time at…

“Band camp.” I say, shaking my head and laughing.

“You were there and heard that?” I asked.

“I was just on the other side of the door. Plus Andrew and I were talking about it the other night. My face heated up with a blush, making him laugh a little.

“So you had the hots for Andrew, huh?” He teased, but I could sense a little bit of hurt in his eyes. Everything always seemed to happen to Andrew. I could read through the shield he tried to put up.

“Yeah, but that was so long ago. I didn’t even actually like him. Just a crush. But, gosh, never again. So not my type.” I say with a sly smile and look his way. That hurt instantly went away from his eyes.

“Good.” He said. By then, we were pulling into my subdivision and all-too-shortly, my driveway. He let go of my hand to shift gears and I instantly missed the feeling.

“Thanks…For the ride.” I say, and he looked into my eyes in a way that made me realized that he understood I wasn’t just thanking him for the simple car ride.

“I’m more than happy to give you a ride anywhere and anything.” Being teenagers, we awkwardly paused, and took the comment perversely. I know he means he understands that doing the simple things he did today will stay with my forever. That he made today the best day of my life. Most guys are too stupid to realize that. He leaned over and hugged me fro a long moment and I hugged back.

“Night.” He said when we pulled back.

“Night, Luke.” I say and get out of the car. He waits for me to get to my front porch before backing out with a wave. I wave back and smile slightly, hugging my arms around me inside his shirt.

“Night, Luke. I love you…” I mumble lightly to myself as his tail light trail off into the night.

A/N: There may be some type-o’s but it’s getting late and I really wanted this posted tonight! :D