Dangerous Illusion

Chapter 1

Nine Years Ago

"We'll be best friends forever!"

I let out giggle, tossing a piece of lego at him. "Of course, we will."

Lucas and I were inseparable as kids. We basically did everything together. Our parents made sure not to separate us in order to avoid the other from crying.

But things eventually had to take an unexpected turn when junior high kicked in.

New school. New environment. New faces.

In order to avoid getting bullied like my previous school, I became set on to finish these two years without chaos. I wanted to go through school in peace. So as long as they don't know I'm friends with Lucas, everything should be fine.

Eight Years Later

The cafeteria gave off it's typical condition. Everyone's eating while talking if not playing while eating.

I grab a piece of grape, hanging it mid air while I chew the one still in my mouth.

"I can't concentrate when he's there. And if he's there, I'll get a failing grade. And if I get a failing grade, I cant graduate. And if I cant graduate, my parents will disown me-" My best friend Lara groans in dejection and then abruptly smacks her face on top of the cafeteria table.

Her hair's flooding the table and I think a couple of her strands landed on her plate.

"I'm doomed for sure. Doomed, doomed, doomed."

I pop a piece of grape in my mouth. "Then just stop staring at him."

I say like it's the most obvious thing. Though if anything, I could care less of this topic.

This had to be the fifth time she's complained about the presence of that one specific person in her classroom.

"I can't just do that. Not when he's looking like a whole buffet. I mean how can a perfect person even exist?"

With a disgusted twitch to my lips, I casually shrug my shoulders and dunk another fruit in my mouth.

Lara then gives me a hard stare. "Why am I even telling you this? You can't even tell when a person's hot or not."

"I just don't think he's all that good looking." I respond flatly.

Lara widens her eyes. "You better get a new pair of glasses then if you're planning to keep saying crap. How can you say he's not good looking? I mean look at him!"

She points at a specific table beside us and ushers me to follow the direction.

With an eye roll, I reluctantly do so.

My gaze lands on a familiar boy laughing with his own group of friends.

What I didn't expect was for him to realize that I'm staring. As he continues to speak with the circle of friends around him, his eyes meets mine and he sends me a playful wink.

My breath hitches and I poke the grape sitting between my fingers. It's juice slides down my arm, staining the edge of my uniform.

"What on earth was that?"

Lara's proclamation brings me back to reality and I turn back to my food. She sounds surprised.

"Did he just wink at you?"

"What? No." I deny immediately, waving my hand as a sign that he didn't. "You must have seen wrong."

I take my trey and stand up first, ushering Lara to follow along. She's already done with her lunch anyway so there's no need to stay here any longer.

Once we're out of the cafeteria, Lara makes a beeline to the counselor's office for god knows what reason while I decide to stop by my locker.

As I rampage the insides, a palm suddenly plants itself against my locker beside my head.

Speak of the devil.

I already know who it is.

So with a heavy sigh, I bring my book up my chest and slowly turn around.

"What do you want?"

Lucas gives me a one sided smile, leaning forward. I automatically take a step back to put a considerable distance between us. I don't like the way he's eyeing me though. Maybe I could jab him on the abdomen. That should send him reeling back and away from my personal bubble.

"You." He says in a slow, sensual tease.

I roll my eyes to the side and push him with my book. Lucas ends up releasing a string of chuckles as he catches up to my pace.

He shouldn't be doing that. I don't want anyone seeing him talking to me.

I hiss under my breath. "Stop following me."

Lucas remains silent before saying. "Why not?"

For a moment there I stop to give him a glare. "You know exactly why. We already talked about this didn't we?"

"I don't like it though." He eventually says after picking up the warning in my tone. And because of that, he sets that playfulness of his aside and replaces it with a solemn demeanor. Lucas sniffs under his nose and gradually tightens his face into a serious one.

I continue to walk ahead. "I'll see you later. Don't wait for me outside the gate."

With that statement said, I fasten my pace and make a zap to my own classroom.

Having to pretend like we don't know each other at school hurts me just as much as It hurts him. But it's something that has to be done.

I used to be bullied back at my old school for simply being friends with Lucas. I was called named whenever he wasn't around. Pushed. Kicked. Had cod oil and flour poured all over me at the back building. And he didn't know any of that was taking place. Everytime he asked where I got a certain bruise from, I'd make up a lie. I didn't want him to know that I was getting bullied because of him.

When my mother told me I'd be transferring another school with the possibility of Lucas attending a different one, I thought the heavens were giving me another chance in life.

Now, don't get me wrong. I do not regret being friends with Lucas. Although at times he can be annoying and a little too playful for my liking, he still has that sweet side to him that makes him worth keeping.

I reach my classroom and head straight to my seat. Lara isn't with me in this subject so it can get quite boring.

The teacher eventually steps in and she starts the topic off with a question.

"What is society?"