CHAPTER ONE
"Hey, guys. I greeted my two best friends, Lilly Truscott and Oliver Oken. It was a total clichè but being back in school was the first time I'd seen them since the first week of Summer. Oliver went on vacation with his family to Canada and Lilly had split her time between her Mom and Dad each visiting their parents - her grandparents - in Florida and Georgia.
"Hey, Miles." Lilly hugged me tightly and started talking a thousand words a second. The great thing about Lilly is once she starts I didn't need to do much to contribute to the conversation.
"'Sup, Mi-lay." Oliver grinned, trying to be flirtatious. He'd been head over heels about Hannah Montana ever since he hit puberty, and he said he was over it since he found out it was me, but the way he was always flirting with me suggested otherwise. I just didn't feel that way about him, though, he was my friend and nothing more. Plus, no offence to Oliver, but I had a much better object of my affections; Joe Lucas had just moved back to Malibu - permanantly, supposedly - after spending a year in Europe after finishing college. If I'd thought he was cute when I was 9 than he was a billion times more than that now. And he was living right across the road from me... Well, for now. According to Dad he was looking for a new apartment so he didn't have to live with his parents. "How was your Summer."
"Pretty cool." I shrugged, trying to downplay it in public. Lilly and Oliver hadn't been the only one out of town this Summer, Hannah Montana had been touring this Summer in Asia and I'd only gotten back three weeks ago. Oliver and I kept chatting - adding the occassionaly required input to Lilly - as we looked for our new lockers.
"So, what schedule do you guys have?" Lilly asked, apparently finished talking about her Summer as we reached my locker.
"Here." I fished it out and handed it over, fresh out of the printer this morning. I had Math first up, that's all I knew, Math with Miss Ungermyer.
"Hey, didn't you hear; Miss Ungermyer had to move away for some reason, now we have some Mister Lucas dude for Math." Lilly told me and I idly wondered why the school didn't change the name on the schedules then. Or how Lilly knew about it. The name prickled my senses, but I shrugged it off.
"Either way." The warning bell rang over me as I put most of books away. "Don't know what this guy is like so I shouldn't be late." I sighed, why couldn't I be earlier to school so I could hang out with my friends more? Lilly and Oliver aparent didn't have Math first on Mondays so I was on my own. By the time I got to class the goody goody kids were sitting at their desks, waiting for class to start. The popular and trouble maker kids weren't here yet. And everyone else was milling around, not really doing anything. Mr. J. Lucas! Was scrawled across the blackboard in rough white chalk. Familiarity prickled me again, but I didn't have time to dwell on it because the final bell rang and everyone scrambled for seats next to their friends.
One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six. Seven
Seven minutes after school had officially started for the year the door opened and my heart stopped. Our teacher had arrived.
"Good morning." He greeted, running a hand through his shock of messy black hair that he clearly hadn't tried to brush or tame this morning. "Well, good for me anyway, I get to start a new job at my old school. You guys on the other have just had to start school after three months doing whatever the Hell you wanted." He mused, leaning casually against the teachers desk. "I'm Joseph Lucas, and I'm guessing you all chose these seating arrangements?" He looked away, his brown eyes glittering as he surveyed us. There was a general humm of affirmation without anyone actually outright saying it. "Well, hate to break it to you, but that's not gonna fly, so everyone up, I'm going to assign seating." Silence met him. "Just because you don't move now doesn't mean it's not going to happen." Joe - Mr. Lucas, I had remind myself - coaxed and predictably the girls were the first to move; eager to please the hot new Math teacher. "Bennett." He called, his eyes skirting the room, looking for the student. "Over here please." The front row desk by the windows. "Before you sit down you can tell everyone one interesting fact about yourself. And in return you can ask me one question to even the playing field." My eyes widened, didn't he know what he was getting himself into? This was a room of teenagers!
"Everyone thinks I'm right handed, but I'm really ambidexterous." Parker Bennett grinned wickedly, honestly that wasn't much of an interesting fact, but now she could ask Joe - Mr. Lucas - a question. "Do you have a girlfriend?"
"No." Joe answered casually, earning squeels from most of the girls in the room. "Matthews, next to Miss Bennett please."
"I once broke my arm jumping out a window into a pool." Chris Matthews said with an easy shrug, of course they'd be happy next to each other, they were dating. "How many chicks have you banged?" The guys 'oohed', the girls squeeled again, but Joe just rolled his eyes.
"None." Joe replied, glancing down at the student roll in his hands. "I don't 'bang' anyone, let alone baby birds. But, I have slept with seven women..." A couple of the jocks scoffed. "Well, technically I've slept with eight girls, but that wasn't the question. And it's a matter of quality, not quantity." I flushed, I knew why he ammended, I was the extra girl. The one he only slept with in the literal sense. When I was 9. Jeez, if any f the girls knew about that now... "Danes, front and centre." Joe instructed.
"I totalled the first car I got this Summer." Michael muttered, and he already had abrand new one to drive to school today. "When did you lose your virginity?"
"When I was sixteen... I believe it was a Saturday." Joe grinned a little before returning to the pressence. "Hmm..." He glanced back to the roll, looking surprised for a second, his eyes flittering up to survey us. "Stewart." I slicked my lips and stepped forward to the second desk from the door in the front row. What could my fact be? Joe's eyes widened frationally when he saw me.
"I got my first guitar when I was eight and I gave it away when I was nine." To him, his eyes widened again as I sat down, contemplating a question. He'd held true to his promise on the day he left to come back for my birthday, he even played me a song.
"And your question?" Joe raised an eyebrow at me.
"Why'd you become a teacher?" I knew the rest of the class thought it was a weak question, but I was honestly currious.
"Those who can't do, teach." Joe shrugged, but I knew he was plenty talented. "Truth is I just liked teaching, when I was younger I tought my little brothers how to tie their shoes and ride their bikes. I just wanted to teach, so I became a teacher." I nodded, I remeber watching him teach Frankie to ride his bike the Summer he left. "Addison." Joe gestured to the seat next to me and I tried not to groan.
Math class quite quickly after that, the facts all quite boring, but the questions weren't. We didn't actually learn anything close to Math, but certainly a lot about Joe. He like brunette girls - what was the bet the blondes would be dyed by tomorrow? - blue eyes, he plays guitar, piano and baseball...
WHAT I GO TO SCHOOL FOR
By lunch word had spread about Joe to the point where the whole school was buzzing. The hot Math was answering any and all questions about himself; not limitted by sex. He'd even answered his favourite sex position - cowgirl. By the end of the day I wouldn't be surprised if every girl in the school was hot for him.
By the end of school I was proven right; I was waiting for Lilly and Oliver by my locker - ten minutes after classes ended - when Joe walked out of his classroom with a trail of girls following him. It was amusing, angering, confusing and frustraing; amusing because I knew it ouwld happen, how could it now? Angering because no-one else in this school even knew he existed until today, but I'd been in love with him when I was 9 and they all thought they had a chance; which brings me to confusing, no-one had a chance, none of those girls, not me,so why should I be angry? And then frustrated, Why did he have to be my teacher? I mean, I know I'm 15 and he's 23 so I didn't have a chance either way, but still if he wasn't my teacher then at least I was allowed to feel this way.
"Okay, Girls, I gotta go home." Joe said uneasilly, walking away from the girls. "And so do you." Lilly and Oliver found me and Lilly sighed happilly when she saw him.
"Come on, Lil." I grabbed one arm and Oliver took the other, both of us dragging her away as Joe put his bag over one shoulder and started towards the door.
"Hey, Miles." He grinned at me as he passed, putting his helmet on. Oliver, Lilly and I followed him outside - Lilly gaping in disbelief at me - to see Joe getting on a motorbike. Hot. Hot. Hot. Why did he have to be my teacher.
"You know Mister Lucas?" Lilly hissed after we watched him ride off on his Harley. Why were guys on motorcycles so hot?
"He's my neighbour." I answered automatically. "He just moved across the street." Technically it was true, I don't now why I didn't wantthem to know about when I was 9.
"We are so going to your place." Lilly decided, walking ahead of me and Oliver.
"I don't know what you're waiting for." I told Lilly when we'd been hanging out at my house for two hours. Oliver and I were watching TV, but Lilly was camped by the window that had a view onto the street. "It's not like he's gonna run down the street naked or something." I blushed even as I said it. Plus, I knew Joe worked out in the mornings, running along the beach shirtless.
"What's so great about that guy?" Oliver scoffed, slumping down on the couch.
"He's hot." Lilly rolled her eyes.
"Psh, whatever, the Ollie Trolley is way better."
"And calling yourself the Ollie Trolley is why you haven't had a date in... Ever." I pointed out.
"Ollie Trolley, Smoken' Oken, the Double O. You have no game." Lilly listed, still staying by the window until her cell phone rang. "I gotta go; Mom." She made a face when she hung up. "See you guys."
"By, Lil." I waved as Oliver got up.
"I should go too, see you tomorrow, Miley." And I was left alone since Dad was at a Hannah meeting and Jackson was at Rico's.
1) I know I said it would take longer, but I was struck by inspiration for this. And I'm also working on CR3 chapter 8 and it's almost done, so that should be up in the next day or two (max).
2) I've been thinking of a story based around the premise of the show Touch... Has anyone seen that, would anyone like it?
3) Kinda pissed that Joe said he was going to start filming a movie las year, but he mentioned it once and then never again, and now right in the middle of the supposed comeback when they should be focussed on promoting music nick announce he's staring in a movie?
4) I asked for 5 reviews, but I got 6 :D You wanna match or better that for this chapter?
Smiler For Joe!
