8 Chapter Eight

Luke's P.O.V

Excitement ran through me as I entered Chemistry with Kason, which was weird because I had never been excited to go to class, but this was different. There was Chloe in that class, automatically making it something worth going to.

"Hey Hailee," I smiled to her as I sat down a seat away from her, making sure there was an empty seat for Chloe to sit in between us.

At first Hailee was unresponsive, her gaze fixed to her phone. Once she looked up, she immediately grinned and pushed up her glasses. "Hey Luke, hey Kason. How were your weekends?"

"Pretty good," Kason answered as he reached in his backpack, pulled out a notebook and a mechanical pencil. "Feeling kinda sore from practice yesterday, but I imagine Luke isn't. He's built like a fucking beast," he grinned as he punched my shoulder.

I smiled slightly and folded my arms as I turned in my seat, feeling a little uncomfortable. "I wouldn't say that," I said and ran my hands through my hair, my eyes attentive to the door. Practice wasn't so bad yesterday, but most of it was because I was already so used to doing those things.

"What else am I supposed to say? That you're not because you sure damn are," Kason argued with a smile on his face.

"Luke, you still haven't answered my question," Hailee said smartly, tucking a strand of her frizzy hair behind her ear. "How was your weekend?"

"It was‒" I began but got distracted by who walked in the auditorium. Her honey colored hair was one of her many distinctive features. My heart started to beat faster just by seeing her look up, and I noticed how this time she was wearing black leggings and a long, light purple shirt, complimenting her pale skin. I cleared my throat as Chloe walked up the steps and looked directly into my eyes. I took that chance to smile, but she immediately looked away, making my heart drop.

"Luke?" Hailee asked, folding her arms. "Aren't you going to answer me?"

I averted my gaze and looked at Hailee, whose eyebrows were raised questioningly. "It was pretty good, I guess."

Hailee rolled her eyes. "Pretty good you guess? Jeez like that sounds like it was fun."

"Hey Chloe," Kason greeted her as she walked in the aisle.

I glanced over and instantly smelled her sweet, almost floral scent. I had no idea if that was her perfume, lotion, or her laundry detergent, but whatever that subtle smell was, it was intoxicating.

Chloe smiled slightly and responded, "Hey Kason," with only the corners of her mouth upturned.

Kason sat up in his seat and smiled his goofy grin he sometimes got. "How was your weekend?" he asked, looking her up and down.

"It was okay," she answered as she stared at the empty seat in front of her. I wondered what was going through her mind at this moment. It bothered me the way she looked at the seat, almost as if she didn't want to sit there. "How was yours, Kason?" she asked as she carefully sat in the seat and unpacked her things.

"Like I told Hailee earlier, I am feeling kinda sore from practice. Coach Saban has us training especially hard for our first game this weekend," Kason leaned forward in his seat to get a better look at her.

"You play football?" she asked, her eyes lighting up in surprise.

"I do," he grinned.

"What position?" she cocked her eyebrow in curiosity. It was interesting to say the least that she even asked the position he played. I didn't even know she was still interested in football. Well, how could I have really known when I haven't been able to really talk to her for the past six years.

"Wide receiver."

"Luke, aren't you a wide receiver?" Hailee joined in. "I can't remember exactly what position Chloe told me you played."

For a split second I thought I saw color flush across Chloe's cheeks as she looked at me with big eyes. Did she tell Hailee that I was a wide receiver, and if so, why did she look so embarrassed about it?

"Did Chloe Marshall tell you that?" I assumed if there was a Chloe talking about me to Hailee, it had to be her, and if Chloe Marshall did remember that, I would honestly be surprised. The only thing she knew about football was when we scored a touch touchdown.

"Nah this girl right here told me," Hailee pushed up her glasses and nodded in Chloe's direction.

I couldn't help but grin stupidly at the fact that Chloe Claire remembered what position I played in football. It seemed ridiculous that it would make my heart skip a beat, but it also made me feel like I still knew the Chloe from eight years ago, and that the girl I originally had a crush on wasn't completely different. "You still love football?"

Now Chloe was full-out blushing. "Of course I still love football," she said as if she were stating the obvious as she began to bounce her leg up and down‒ a nervous habit she still kept over the years. "I watch the Crimson Tide religiously."

"That's good to know," Kason leaned on the table with his elbows. "Will you be coming to the game then?"

Chloe smirked. "Even if I didn't want to, I have to."

"And why is that?"

"Don't you play in the Million Dollar Band?" I asked, hoping it didn't sound too obvious about the fact that I already knew she was in it.

She smiled, looking somewhat astonished that I was the one who brought it up. "Yeah, I do."

"What's the halftime show for this year?" I asked, thinking it could spark her interest.

"Our director doesn't want us telling anyone yet," she sighed, but the excitement was apparent in her eyes. "He wants it to be a surprise for everyone since it'll be something different than what everyone's used to."

"I guess it doesn't matter anyway since we won't even be able to see it," Kason shrugged. "We'll be in the locker rooms during halftime."

"I wouldn't think you would want to see it," Chloe laughed as she opened her pink notebook and flipped it until she got to her chemistry notes.

I wanted to talk to her more except that I was interrupted by the dimming of the auditorium lights and Dr. Knapp's dreadful voice that could put even the most energetic person to sleep.

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We were in the middle of learning scientific notation when Kason leaned towards me and whispered, "You know what we should do."

"What?" I raised my eyebrows as I continued to scribble down notes as the professor spoke monotonously.

"We should make a chemistry study group," he whispered excitedly, quietly hitting his fist against the table‒ immediately grabbing the attention of the people sitting around us.

"Did I just hear that we should make a study group?" Hailee piped in, pushing up her glasses in interest.

"Yeah, don't you think that's a great idea, Chloe?" Kason grinned, a little too proud of himself.

Chloe looked up from her notebook, looking surprised that she was called upon suddenly and seemed to be very immersed into what she was writing. "Yeah, I guess so. I mean, it would be nice to have someone to check the chemistry homework with me before I submit it."

"You already did the chemistry homework?!" Kason's eyebrows shot up and his mouth gaped open.

"Sshh!" I heard someone behind us whisper, "I'm trying to hear the professor."

I looked behind me, trying to look as apologetic as possible while mouthing, "I'm sorry." I understood where the guy was coming from. I had to admit Kason was a little distracting from what the professor was saying, but that didn't seem to stop Kason from speaking.

"Isn't that being an overachiever?" he continued.

Chloe blushed, a sweet smile forming on her lips. "Nah, I just don't like procrastinating," she whispered, glancing at others around us to make sure she wasn't disturbing anyone.

Honestly, that was a great quality to have, and I wished I was more like that. Unlike her, I liked to put off everything until the last minute. I would turn in assignments five minutes before it was due and read the class material right before class started. That was how I tended to handle things.

Hailee coughed, smirking as she did so. "Don't let Chloe fool you, she is definitely an overachiever. I've been her best friend since elementary, so I would know out of all people."

"I can see that," Kason grinned, pulling out his phone. "I'm going to make a group message so if you could all put your phone numbers in it that would be great."

"Okay!" Hailee said giddily, elbowing Chloe in her side.

"Jeez will this guy just shut up after this?" I heard some random girl whisper behind us.

Kason turned around in his seat, staring in the girl's direction. "I promise I will after this."

"Good," the girl replied curtly.

I put my phone number in Kason's phone, and then gingerly handed it to Chloe, who ended up dropping Kason's phone on the table.

"What is going on today?" Dr. Knapp squinted his eyes in our direction.

Everything became dead silent as Chloe's face turned scarlet, looking as if she wanted to be anywhere but here.

"Now if you'll excuse me young lady I'll resume teaching scientific notation‒which you ought to learn before the first test in a couple weeks," Dr. Knapp glared at her.

It was even funnier because if he knew who he was actually addressing, he would realize that she was already way ahead of the game.

Chloe slowly sank lower in her chair while Dr. Knapp turned around and continued the lecture.

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"Did you manage to get your phone number and Hailee's in there?" Kason asked after chemistry was over.

"Yeah," Chloe bit her lip anxiously as she handed the phone back to Kason. "Sorry about dropping your phone."

"Don't worry about it," Kason laughed. "It's not like you cracked it or anything."

"Yeah," she laughed nervously and then checked her phone. "Well, I better head over to my next class," she exhaled.

As I finished zipping up my backpack, Chloe was already down the stairs and walked out the door of the auditorium. Damn she's fast, I thought as I slung my backpack over my shoulder and made my way downstairs as quickly and calmly as possible. I had planned on walking with her, but seeing that she was far ahead of me, I had to try even harder to catch up.

"Bye Luke," Hailee called after me. "Text me if you have any questions about Chemistry."

"Sure thing," I glanced back and continued forward.

"See you at practice, Luke," Kason said as he followed behind me.

"See ya," I said and opened the door, split away from him and onward to Chloe. Being six-foot two, I had a height advantage when it came to searching for someone over the horde of people. It didn't take long for me to spot her honey waves and light purple shirt. With a little bit of navigation and the use of my long strides, I was able to get to her quickly.

"Hey Chloe," I said, hoping I didn't sound as nervous as I felt.

"Hey," she said as she looked me up and down with a twisted look of confusion.

"Mind if I walk with you?" I asked quickly before my throat began to close. Dammit Luke, keep it together for once!

"I don't mind," she squeaked in response.

"I couldn't help but laugh a little at what happened earlier," I grinned as I shoved one hand in my pocket while the other held onto the strap of my backpack.

"Oh, that," she smiled slightly, tucking a loose strand of her hair behind her ear.

"I felt horrible that I didn't hand you Kason's phone carefully enough, causing you to drop it," I said while looking around campus as we walked to theatre appreciation.

Chloe laughed a little. "It wasn't your fault. I was being clumsy that's all."

"It probably didn't help that Kason was being a little obnoxious," I smiled.

"A little?" she looked at me as if I were crazy. "We literally had students shushing him behind us while I was trying to take notes on scientific notation!"

I laughed. Our conversation seemed so natural. I wondered why I hadn't tried this in high school before. "Yeah."

But then I realized why I hadn't tried it in high school as we walked in silence with Chloe looking around like she wanted to be anywhere but near me, and I shouldn't have been surprised. Chloe was referring back to what she's always done around me‒ distance herself. It was more frustrating to me as to why she would act like things were going great until all the sudden it was like a switch went off in her head telling her to stop what she was doing and act coldly towards me. I couldn't understand it, and I wanted to ask her why she acted like she hated me, but I didn't want to ruin the small conversation we just had.