Anywhere for You (It Happened Up North #2)

Prologue

LUCAS

“Lucas!”

The sound of my name makes me speed up, pushing my way through the crowd of people in the hallway of Pinehaven High School.

“Not now,” I mutter.

While I would normally welcome the sight of Julia Harper, my best friend since birth, I can’t do this.

Not today. Not now.

I’ve had an absolutely horrible morning, including sleeping through my alarm, flunking a history quiz, and now this.

I think I know what she wants to talk about, and it’s the last thing I want to deal with today.

“Lucas!” Her voice rings louder. “Lucas John Mathers! Stop walking away from me!”

“Ooh, you got the full name,” someone snickers.

“You’re in trouble now!” another jokes.

I stop and sigh, knowing there’s no way I’m getting out of this.

“Why are you running away from me?” she asks, red-faced and slightly out of breath.

Her long brown hair falls in the same messy curls that frame her pretty face, no matter how much of that sticky gel stuff she puts in it.

She has her backpack slung over one shoulder while also clutching a binder and a stack of books, and knowing her, there’s a romance novel and a copy of some silly boy band laden magazine shoved in that pile.

“I wasn’t running,” I reply, starting to walk again. “I can’t be late for math class again, or Mr. Harvey will start to dock marks. You know how he is.”

“Are you lying to me?” She raises an eyebrow and gives me a slight frown.

The thought of making her sad or disappointing her is like a shot to the gut, but I don’t have a choice today.

So, instead, I deflect. “You’ve had him.

You tell me.” While that may not be why I was darting down the hallway, that part is true.

He’s threatened to dock my marks, and I can’t afford to lose any.

“Hmm, fine. Math and punctuality are not your strong suits.”

“Ouch.” I raise my hand to my heart. “You know how to knock me when I’m down, don’t you?”

She giggles, and I forget I was trying not to talk to her today. “You know it’s true. How many times has your mom had to splash cold water on you to wake up? Or drive you to school because you’ve missed the bus?”

“Okay, fine. You’ve got me there.” I smirk.

This morning was one of those mornings, in fact.

Not only did Mom have to dump a glass of cold water over my head, but I didn’t even get to have a shower and warm up after that.

Not to mention the lecture I got in the car on the way here about “responsibilities” and “needing to figure it out on my own for college.” I’ve got months for that.

“So, what did you want to talk to me about?”

Her face breaks out into a wide smile. “Did you hear the new True North song on the radio last night? I stayed up until midnight to make sure I heard the first time it aired! The DJ kept talking over the start of the song, so that’s also on my cassette, but—ahhhh—it’s so good!

” Julia clutches her binder to her chest. There’s a dreamy look on her face.

The same one she gets anytime she’s talking about the “it” boy band.

At least it’s not as bad as the one she gets whenever she sees a picture of their lead singer, Rich Ballas. I try hard not to throw up a little in my mouth when she looks at the “heartthrob.”

To me, he looks like he needs to take a shower and wash all the gel out of his hair. But whenever I say this, Julia says I’m jealous.

As if I could be jealous of him.

Sure, he’s got money and girls screaming for him whenever he steps on stage, but that doesn’t mean I’m jealous. Far from it.

“No, I can’t say I caught that.” I run a hand through my hair, hoping it’s not as greasy as Rich’s.

“You’re missing out. It’s so good. I’ll have to play it for you after school.” She stops and places her hand on my arm. “Wait, you have a basketball game tonight, don’t you?”

“You know it,” I say with a smile. “First game of playoffs. Will you, uh, be there?”

“Of course, silly! I never miss any of your games,” she says with a laugh.

That is true, she hasn’t missed a game, even the away ones. She’s always found a way to show up. I like to think that she’s there just for me, but she cheers for everyone equally.

“I’ll see you then. I’ve... I’ve got to get going.

” All of a sudden, I don’t want her to leave.

I want to forget Mr. Harvey and math class.

I even want to forget the basketball game.

I’d give just about anything to sit with Julia at the top of Elk Mountain—our spot—and just talk.

Even if it means she’s going to play the new True North song for me.

I’d give anything to call her mine. Not just a friend, not a best friend… mine.

“Of course, I don’t want to make you late.” She starts to walk away, but turns and walks backwards, still hugging her books to her chest. “See you later, Luc.”

“Yeah, later, Lia.”

I stand there for a moment longer, well after she’s turned back around and faded into the crowd of students, wondering if I’ll ever get my wish.