Love Locked Blues

Chapter 5

After class that day...

Duke was glowing, a wide grin across his face, while Brianna and Brittney smiled beside him.

"Brianna, how am I supposed to do anything properly without you there? I don't even know where to start with this project!" Brittney whined, hugging Brianna from behind.

"Haha, I had a good feeling ever since Luka helped me out this morning, but who would have thought we'd end up in the exact same group for our first project?" Duke exclaimed cheerfully in response.

Brianna, on the other hand, was lost in thought, reflecting on her earlier conversation with Luka. I'm not sure if it was just my imagination, but his demeanor shifted for a fraction of a second... and then warped back like nothing happened. What could have happened to keep him from opening up?

"...na! ...anna! Brianna?!" Brittney called out anxiously.

Brianna blinked, snapping back to reality. "Huh? Oh... sorry! What were you saying again?"

Duke looked at her with a concerned grin, stepping closer to hold her hand. "What's wrong? I haven't seen you this lost in thought in ages."

"Yeah, you had me worried for a second," Brittney added.

"Sorry for worrying you guys. It's nothing serious, don't worry about it," Brianna reassured them.

Duke and Brittney exchanged a quick glance, both thinking the exact same thing: It's nothing serious, she says... but she's not someone to get this distracted over nothing.

Brianna beamed again, trying to clear her head. "Anyway, have you guys seen Luka?"

"He's with the professor," Duke said. "The whole group agreed and appointed him team leader, so he's busy gathering all the details for the project." Duke shook his head with a mock glare, his left eye twitching playfully while a smile tugged at his lips. "That guy really has a huge reputation already, and it's only his second day."

"Is that a hint of jealousy I hear in your tone?" Brianna teased.

"Of course it's jealousy! How could someone ever become that popular in forty-eight hours?" Duke admitted. "I mean, it's also kind of infuriating that every girl on campus wants to date him, yet he doesn't give a single damn about it."

"I didn't think you'd admit it right away," Brianna said with a soft laugh, though her enthusiasm quickly faded. "Still... maybe he had a past relationship like mine. Something that left him in a state where dating is no longer a priority."

Duke noticed the sudden shift in her voice immediately, his smile dying out. "Brianna? Are you alright?"

Brianna remained silent as an uncomfortable air settled between them.

"Cheer up, Bri," Duke said gently, placing his hands on her shoulders to lift her spirits, a hint of playfulness returning to his voice. "You'll never have to go through anything like that ever again. We're never going to let that happen to you."

She offered a faint smile. "Alright. I'll hold you to that."

Nearby, Luka finished his discussion with the professor and stepped out of the office. Walking down the hall, he caught sight of the moment between Duke and Brianna. Interpreting it in his head, he thought, Hmm... they look good together.

He continued past them without stopping, leaving a cool breeze as a subtle reminder of his presence.

Catching a whiff of his movement, Duke called out to Luka for a confrontation, but Luka kept walking. The three of them hurried after him.

"Luka!" Duke called out.

Luka stopped and turned around. "Did I ruin the mood? I'm sorry if I did," he said softly.

I knew he would say that, Duke thought before offering a teasing smirk. "...What are you talking about? There was no 'mood' to begin with."

Luka glanced at Brianna, noticing her face was slightly puffier and redder than usual. "Well, it seemed like there was a mood, so I simply passed by," he responded, his voice flat and empty.

Uncomfortable with the awkward bit of drama, Brittney decided to change the subject. "Uhm, Luka, about the project... what exactly are we doing? I didn't quite catch the instructions."

"According to what we were told, the project requires a joint effort across all three departments," Luka explained. "It can take the form of a stage play, a documentary, or a collaborative art exhibition. The professor didn't say much beyond that since we're the first cohort working on this, but he emphasized being as creative as possible."

"So they just decided to throw us under the bus, did they?" Brianna asked dryly.

"Well, since we have a month, we should be able to get it ready right before Halloween," Duke noted with mild excitement. "And if the presentations go by group order, ours might take place right after Thanksgiving."

An idea suddenly struck Brianna. "Luka, why don't you join us for our Halloween plans?"

Duke immediately leaned over to Brittney, whispering under his breath, "We don't have plans for Halloween."

"Well, now we do," Brittney whispered back.

Ignoring their quiet exchange, Brianna looked at Luka expectantly. "So, what do you say?"

"I don't do Halloween," Luka replied flatly. "Besides, aren't you a little too old to be running around like a bunch of high schoolers?"

The blunt response struck a nerve; she hadn't fully thought the invitation through before asking him.

"Can't you just hang out with us for a little while?" she persisted, refusing to give up. "That was our only class today, and it's barely eleven-thirty."

Luka let out a quiet sigh, checking the time on his phone. "Unfortunately, I have something important to do by twelve, so I don't have time to spare. Duke, I left my number with the professor. You can retrieve it and coordinate with the rest of our group. We will hold a meeting after class tomorrow."

"Alright, Luka. I'll do that. See you later then," Duke said.

Luka turned, leaving the campus grounds as he pulled out his phone to make a call.

"I really don't know why, but no matter how much he ignores us, I can't bring myself to get angry," Brittney said, looking bewildered.

"Right?" Duke agreed. "He just gives off this oddly calming presence..."

Brianna stood quietly, watching his receding figure as she tried to make sense of everything that had just happened.

A short walk away from the campus grounds, Luka walked along the sidewalk. A sleek white BMW G61 pulled up directly beside the curb in front of him.

The driver stepped out immediately and opened the rear door. Luka climbed into the backseat, the driver closed the door, slid back into the front seat, and smoothly drove off.