We sneak out to the parking lot just the same way we sneaked into the back of the school's yard. After we enter the car, Luke straps his seatbelt over his chest and hatches it into the lock. He starts the car and drives out of the parking lot. I strap my seatbelt too over my chest and wind down my window a little bit more.The air blows into the car and topples my dress a little. I adjust the dress over my exposed thighs immediately. I think I heard Luke clear his throat. When I look up at him, I catch his eyes feigning focus on the road.Or maybe he is actually focused on the road.One of his hands continue to control the wheel of the car as his other hand pushes back his messy hair getting blown all over his face. To say he looks cute will be an understatement.He looks. . . . . . beautiful even.The silence in the car starts to feel alien, and just when my mind starts to contemplate on whether I should or should not initiate any conversation of some sort, Luke saves me the trouble b

When we poke our heads up from underneath the water, I sharply suck in a deep breath. The sunlight warms my face, and true to Luke's words, the water is warm. I slide my fingers down my water-dripping hair. Luke's face is adorned with a wide grin as he rubs back his wet hair with his hands."I can't believe I allowed you to lure me into this." The disbelief in my voice is evident.Luke says nothing, but instead, starts swimming closer to me. He stops few breaths away from my face, and I can feel our legs touching together as we both try to keep our bodies in balance and afloat on the water. The twinkle in his blue eyes shift into something deeper, and I feel my breath fading away.I want to swim back a little, away from Luke's intense gaze, but the tension between us forces me to stay put where I am."Alicia, I want to show you something beneath the water surface. Can I?"I find myself nodding my head. Too paralyzed and tongue-tied to speak."Alright. Take my hand and hold your breath.

The weekend goes by way faster than I expected, and though Sarah seemed to have noticed my spaced out moments during our Sunday movie night together, I still kept my mouth shut about what happened between Luke and I at the river.Afterall, it didn't mean anything. It isn't supposed to even mean or result to anything. So there was no need telling anyone about it.I pack my notes into my bag and place my blue jean jacket on my arm. I just hope the bodycon black dress glued to my curves and the black boots on my feet doesn't give off the vibe that I am some gangster girl.My hair sways side to side as I hurry down the stairs towards the kitchen. I had promised Sarah that I will help her out in preparing breakfast today by making the strawberry smoothie we plan to have for breakfast in conjunction with scrambled eggs, mashed sardines and bread toast.I drop my bag and jean jacket on one of the sofas in the sitting room before I enter the kitchen."Good morning Sarah.""Good morning pumpki

"Two hamburgers and a pack of strawberry yogurt please."I look at my phone screen again as Reece places her lunch order. Luke hasn't texted me back since morning, and to say that I am worried will be an understatement.I am literally about to go nuts."Hey Alicia, your lunch."I snap out of the chaos in my brain and collect my lunch of just two meat pies and a bottle of water. I already lost my appetite for lunch since an hour ago. I guess I will just have my lunch wrapped up later for me before I leave the cafeteria.Reece and I reach our table and settle down."Alicia, are you alright? Ever since Mr Gabriel left the class, I noticed you have been sighing a lot and staring at your phone like you are expecting a call or something.""I. . . .I am totally fine Reece." I grab the bottle of water in my tray, screw the cover open and take a gulp.I cover the lid of the bottle back and place the bottle of water back in my tray. I still don't have the appetite to touch my lunch.Reece clear

I alight from the car when it stops me in front of Shutter Pictures, Tyler's photography studio. I pay the driver my fare and without even waiting for him to drive off, I turn and hurry towards the door entrance of the studio.I halt when I see Luke's bike parked near the entrance, the bike's plate number giving it away.So he is here?!I steady my breathing as I continue to the door. When I reach it, I push it open and enter, coming face to face with Tyler.He pauses in shock when he sees me. A smile slowly wears off the surprised expression on his face."Hi Alicia. Glad to see you once again."We hug, and after few seconds of patting each other's backs, we pull apart."I am also glad to see you Tyler.""So, what brings you here?""Well, uhm, I am here to look for Luke. This is the only place I could figure out he could be in. He wasn't in school today, and I just saw his bike parked right outside. Is he here?"It takes a moment before Tyler says anything, and I wonder why the need f