What Are We? ((Caitlin))

[Luke Dallan H7]

Luke’s mind had been distracted more than usual lately. Normally he could function through a typical day of classes without zoning out to what the Professor was saying more than twice. Though, that’s what some students do. If they had a boring class they couldn’t stand, some would just skip, others would just site there like a lump, pretending to listen. Well, Luke was just like any of those people, but much more lively than a lump of coal. Sometimes he paid attention, others he just stared off into space thinking whatever crossed his mind. Lately, that thing that occurred over and over again was Caitlin. Luke was the kind of guy who normally didn’t fall for girls to hard, but he wasn’t a flirt like his best friend Bryce was. Instead, Luke was just like the nice guy to the female population of Hogwarts. He would just smile and talk to anyone, and stop if someone dropped something in the hallway. Luke was just an overall nice guy, but Caitlin had done something that most girls couldn’t. She caught his attention, then his mind, and finally his heart. There was just an instant response when they first met. It was like Luke couldn’t stay away, and that’s exactly what he did. He found any excuse out of the book to be with her, but she avoided him. That didn’t go so well, but things were worked out now. Well, kind of. Luke was still confused on what exactly Caitlin and he were. Were they boyfriend and girlfriend now? Friends? Though, friends don’t kiss other friends twice. So would that be friends with benefits?

Everyone soon began to stand from their seats around Luke, pilling their things into bags. Luke shook his head as he stared at the green chalk board across the room trying to figure out what exactly the Professor was talking about. The ghost figure of Professor Binns was floating around by his desk, his ghostly stare gazing at the students. Shrugging, Luke began to put his things away before leaving the classroom. This was his last class of the day, which only meant a couple hours later dinner was going to be served. He was soon in the large mobs of students walking down the main hallway toward the Student Lounge. Luke was actually in some sort of mood to begin his homework and he wanted to get to it before it subsided. That was the problem with Luke. He always got these weird homework mood changed, but normally he always ended up procrastinating. It was just something he couldn’t grow out of. Though, there were some things Luke began on right away like major projects, or learning a new charm for Professor Flitwick. Charms were most definitely his favorite subject, though he was alright in muggle studies. Just at least if the homework got done, then Luke was perfectly fine with procrastinating.

Finally reaching the Student Lounge, Luke pushed open the large oak doors, entering the small room. There weren’t many other students inside. Most of them were older students; sixth and seventh years. Noticing a familiar wave of brown silk hair, Luke grinned as he noticed Caitlin at the far corner of the room. With a bounce in his step, he made his way over toward her pulling out the free chair across from hers. “Hey Caitlin,” he greeted with a happy tone noticing that had quite a few things scattered around the table. Setting his backpack down on the ground, Luke pulled out his own materials, spreading them across the table. “Are you just as confused as I am…about us I mean...” he finally asked looking up as he rolled out a piece of tan parchment.

[Caitlin Martinez G7]

Her tongue moved slowly, excruciatingly slowly, across her lips as her eyes scanned the book in front of her. It was as if time was moving ten times slower than it really was. Maybe it was because she was so utterly, unbelievably, and completely bored of studying. Caitlin threw her quill down on her book, exhausted with words, and sank into her chair- covering her face with her hands and stifling a groan. She had been working herself to the bone for the past week, trying to keep her mind from wandering to her rash actions with Luke. That’s what Caitlin did when something got too hard to bear. She dove into school work, into astronomy, into writing, into anything that would keep her mind off whatever it was that would normally keep her down. It wasn’t working this time, though. Luke kept seeping into her mind some way or another, and this bothered Caitlin. She was never consumed by something so much that it made her go completely insane. She hadn’t talked to Luke since that day on the Quidditch pitch and it wasn’t because she was avoiding him, no. She just didn’t seem to run into him. She would love to speak to him, he just was no where to be found. Caitlin sighed and ran her fingers through her brown hair before bending over her books again. She picked up the quill and sucked on the tip of it as her eyes roamed over the Potions book again. Normally she would be devouring each word with a hunger that only reading could fulfill, but not today. Words blended together today, and they made no sense at all.

She didn’t know how long it was that she was reading or attempting to read her Potions book, but it was Luke that brought her out of her reverie. She looked up quickly and felt her breath leave her at the sight of Luke sitting down in front of her. Gathering herself, she tucked her hair behind her ear; “Hey, Luke.” The next words to come out of his mouth could only sound so casual from Luke Dallan. She felt herself deflate slightly and set her quill down on her book again. Caitlin chewed on her bottom lip a moment before seriously contemplating his statement. “Well… I’m not confused per se… I’m… trying to figure out how to ask the question that you just asked me,” she calmly looked at Luke, the guy she had avoided for days and the guy she had kissed, “Alright… well, you already asked the question… so I guess I should answer it. I’m… well… heh… I like you, if that wasn’t obvious enough already, I like you. For me, that’s huge. It’s scary, even. And… I’m not sure what it means. I mean, I’ve never… been in a relationship, not ever really and well… the prospect of it is frightening all on it’s own.

“So… so… um… I mean, I can’t not like you. You’re constantly on my mind. I can’t study because you’re always there. I mean… do you want to be something? Or should we just… forever play this game of tag you’re it?” Caitlin looked away a moment, staring at something other than Luke. She was never flustered, not this way. Caitlin always had something to say, no matter what it is. She was never quiet and she was never flustered like this.

[Luke Dallan H7]

Luke grinned as he looked up briefly hearing Caitlin greet him. At least she wasn’t ignoring him like she had done the past couple of weeks. Well, why should she now? She did kiss him out there on the Quidditch pitch, telling him that she liked him. Though, she could have been hiding, feeling embarrassed by that, but Luke would have never kissed her. The strange thing about Luke Dallan was that he was a flirt, but he couldn’t make the first move. Maybe it was the fact that he had never been in a relationship, or ever was attracted to a girl like he was with Caitlin. He was gratefully glad that Caitlin was the kind of girl who took charge. Some guys from imitated by that, but Luke wasn’t. Actually, he found it quite attractive, maybe even sexy. Unrolling the parchment out all the way in front of him, he listened as Caitlin tried to answer his question before. It wasn’t just any kind of question someone asked that could be given a straight up yes or no answer. Luke wanted to know what Caitlin thought of them together. He knew she liked him, why else would she kiss him? But, did she want a relationship as much as Luke did? It was a scary thought to Luke as well, but he was ready for something on a much deeper level with a girl. He had never let another girl into his life after his mother died. Maybe that could be the reason he couldn’t do relationships with girls. He was ready now though with Caitlin.

When she finished Luke smoothed out the paper, his hand brushing against the rough surface. There was silence between them as Luke thought over exactly what to say. Sighing, he ran his fingers through his hair, looking up at the girl in front of him. “Alright, since you just spilled your guts, I guess I have too as well.” Grinning he rested his elbows on the table top, his blue eyes searching into her brown’s ones. “I’m not the kind of guy who can make the first move. Then that night on the Quidditch pitch you just took charge, and it would intimidate any other boy, but I found it quite…um…attractive? Maybe a tiny bit sexy,” grinned he laughed at the last words searching Caitlin’s face for any kind of surprised reaction. It was so easy to tell Caitlin anything for Luke, and so far, she didn’t seem so scared by it. “I also find a relationship scary. After my mom had died, I never let another girl into my life. Well, besides my neighbor Tessy, but she was always there.” Taking a deep breath, Luke continued to grin as he took out an ink pot from his bag. “I want a relationship with you more than anything, but I will only go into it if you will.”

Opening the top cap of the ink bottle, Luke dipped his quill into it, before writing on the parchment. Waiting for the ink to dry on the paper, he put all his things away into his bag before standing up from the table. Rolling the paper in a small square shape, he took Caitlin’s hand. Opening up her palms, he set the folded paper up inside, his fingers brushing against her palm. Grinning he nodded his head leaving the Student Lounge with that huge grin on his face.