TB 48
Michael stood outside just to the side of the door frame, careful to stay out of sight of the teacher facing his way, but at an angle which allowed him to watch his friends' backs through the half-opened door. He listened with a resigned air as the traditionally ridiculous repartee charged back and forth like a particularly pissed off tennis ball.
"Nice shirt, Taylor. Did Victoria Secret finally have a sale?"
"Thanks and in fact, yes, it was on sale and your mom was kind enough to give this to me."
"That would have made more sense if my mother was cheap enough to by such a raggedy sort of fashion wear."
"But your mother just so happens to be a 'raggedy' sort of person."
Michael let out a silent, irritable sigh and was startled to hear the hallway echo. He glanced over his shoulder to see Alex aimlessly wandering the hall. Perfectly pressed clothes were still swishing with the inertia caused by a quick abrupt halt, and her curly hair was tumbled over her shoulders, almost long enough to hide the gleam of her Academic badge.
Michael was a tad bit alarmed that he had not at least heard the girl's footsteps, but under the circumstances, he supposed he could forgive himself for tuning her out.
He stood his ground, unmoving, as silent as can be. He wasn't ready to meet up with her just yet. He had to wait a moment longer before he was to express his true feelings for her.
I have to play my cards right. I can't rush into such delicate things.
Just as he thought that, the dismissal bell rang, signaling those to hurry on to their respectful homes. Michael decided then to make his move. Slowly, he pushed himself off the wall and began to languidly make his way towards Alex who had seemed to turn around when she had seen him.
Figures, he thought.
"Michael!" a voice exclaimed.
Three familiar faces filled his line of vision and he scowled as he tried to look pass their enlarged heads.
"Hi," he greeted curtly and he tried to walk pass them without having to indulge into any conversation but they stood their ground right in front of him.
"Where have you been?" Taylor asked.
"Around. Excuse-?!"
"Where's that?" Eric curiously asked cocking his head to the side.
"Not here. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some business to tend-?!"
"But we have to catch up! You can't just leave."
Michael glowered down at Eric, "I think I can."
Brushing past them, Michael continued down the hall. He ran as fast as his legs could carry him. He bumped into people, tried not to stumble over stilettos and polished loafers and, so uncharacteristically of him, he didn't stop to glare at whoever dared to insult him. In that moment, he couldn't care less as his eyes darted frantically around.
He pushed harshly aside whoever blocked his vision but Alex was never there and where was Alex? Michael thought he wasn't too late. He would never forgive himself if he did. There were other chances to catch her at someplace else at some other time but Michael needed this chance to find her and tell her how he felt.
People started to look at him strangely and Michael suddenly realized he was shouting Alex's name, over and over and over until he could say her name anymore...
As he reached to the edge of the crowd, the amount of people wandering in the hall began to thin and Michael found himself running into empty space, alone, with no one to meet or even see.
He had delayed a moment.
And Alex was gone.
"Shit!" he exclaimed as he struck the nearest locker with his foot.
"I'm too late!" Michael said and he sighed, "I'm too late..."
"Michael?"
The soft voice jolted the boy abruptly from his stupor. He blinked hard, trying to gather his thoughts.
"What?" he shouted, not able to spare them a sideways glance because of how horrible he felt.
"Michael, it's me."
Suddenly the world stopped spinning and Michael whirled around to stare at the owner of the voice. His heart stopped beating and Michael gazed at Alex, who was standing some feet away from him, her messenger bag sitting between her tiny feet. Alex suddenly straightened up to her full height and Michael jolted upright out of his hunched position.
Alex kicked the bag aside and started moving towards him. Michael blinked at her and then he started moving too and once Alex was close enough to feel Michael's body against her own, she punched him in the stomach.
Alex felt a little better when Michael almost kneeled down from the pain, then she started shouting:
"Did you think that was funny? You left me for two weeks! That's fourteen days, Michael! You said you wouldn't be gone long! It takes 28 days to develop a habit and I spent half of that time trying not to make my life living without you a habit! If you were to stay two weeks longer, I would have gotten used to the idea of being withoutr13;"
And suddenly, Michael was embracing her and Alex felt Michael's heartbeat thumping above her ear. The sound soothed her and she stopped shouting altogether.
"I'm sorry!" Michael whispered into her ear. "I am so sorry..."
Alex tried to untangle herself free but Michael was stronger than her or at least, that was what Alex wanted to think.
"I'm an idiot, I'm a bastard, I'm an asshole... You're right, Alex. I am all of those things. I'm so sorry. I should have seen this sooner... I should have understood that my life would have been miserable without you..."
"Don't try to play Shakespeare with me, mister! I'm not done with-?!" Alex's words were smoothly cut off as Michael's lips pressed softly against hers.
She felt her eyes bulge out of her head, and she frantically tried to push him off of her but his arms gripped her even tighter, one hand tangling itself in her hair as he tilted his head to deepen the kiss. One drag of his tongue across her bottom lip and she was cast under his spell, almost light-headed with the sensations she was feeling. Her bones melted and she limply pressed her body against the strong chest holding her down, fingers clutching desperately at his thin t-shirt.
His slick, velvety tongue probed hers gently, drawing her into an erotic dance that neither partner could win. Vaguely, she felt her eyes flutter shut, and she couldn't restrain the moan that was trapped at the back of her throat. Shudders ran down her spine once she heard him moan in reply.
Never in her lifetime had she been kissed as good as this. She was losing it (her senses, her thoughts, her anger, everything!). She didn't even know she could lose control this much... it was like nothing she had ever experienced.
Michael broke away from the kiss and panted lightly against her cheek as he began to whisper sweet "somethings" into her ear.
"I was only thinking about myself," he said quietly, "I completely ignored all of your feelings and only considered mine. I should've known better. Me, of all people, should have known better... I'm sorry for always being the reason for making you cry. I hurt you in the past, a lot. But this is my last time though. I don't need another one. Just give me this. Will you give me another chance? I want to be with you."
"Michael-?!"
"Listen to me," Michael pleaded, "If I'm gonna continue living, I want it to be with you. I don't want anybody else."
"But Michael-?!"
"I love you," he finally said.
Those words silenced Alex almost instantly.
"God put me on this earth because He knew that I would love you best. He knew that I would be the one who would feel this strongly for you. He knew that we were meant to be."
"Michael, why-?!"
"I love you so much, Alex. Why can't you just accept that?"
"Because she's with me," a voice from behind stated sternly.
They both whipped their heads around to face Leonce with stunned expressions that showed just how surprised and horrified they were.
"Leonce-?!"
Leonce held up a hand to silence her, "I already saw, cherrie."
"What exactly did you see?" Michael slowly asked.
Leonce looked over at him and narrowed his darkening jade eyes into a scathing glare, "I saw you assault her, that's what."
"Assault her?" Michael questioned. "I was just kissing her."
"A count of harassment and assault."
"I didn't hear her complaining," Michael shot back coyly. "She even kissed me back."
"Did not!" Alex protested.
"Did to."
"Did not!"
"Did to."
"Stop harassing her!" Leonce shouted furiously. "And she wasn't kissing you back! I saw her! You were harassing her!"
Michael smirked smugly, "It's not harassment if she's enjoying it," he obnoxiously sang.
"You were sucking up her face! No one would enjoy anything as vulgar as that!"
"I bet you wish that you could have though," Michael said viciously, smirking triumphantly once he saw the look of furiousness in Leonce's eyes.
"Come, cherrie. We shouldn't be around the likes of him."
Alex watched as Leonce began to walk off and she stood there, frozen stiff. She glanced up at Michael then back at Leonce who had turned to face her to make certain that she was going to follow. Torn between making a choice, Alex whipped her head around to face Michael with a glum frown and his face fell once he saw the hopeless glint in her eyes.
"You're leaving me for him?" he croaked.
"Michael-?!"
"You're choosing him over me? For his looks? For his money? For what, Alex? It can't be his love for you because he's forcing that on you too!"
"He does love me," Alex said, her giddiness from the kiss wearing away, "And he treats me right."
"But I can treat you better. I've changed."
Alex gave him a once-over, "Doesn't seem like it."
"Come on, Alex. No one can love you like I can."
"That's true. Now that I think about it, beating someone up isn't a common way to express love."
"Be real, Alex. When was the last time I actually hit you?"
Alex took the moment to ponder on the question and found that she couldn't even remember.
"Exactly," Michael said.
Alex opened her mouth to say something but found that she couldn't and closed it suddenly and then she spoke, "Leonce loves me better than you ever could and he shows that through his nonviolent actions."
"You aren't even happy with him."
"How would you know? You haven't even been here for two weeks!" Alex practically shouted.
"Because you didn't even smile when you saw him."
"Why would I smile at him after he had just saw me kissing another boy?!" she yelled in a whisper.
"Ahhh. So you did kiss me back?" Michael asked coyly, smirking.
Alex, flustered and at loss of words, groaned in frustration and stomped towards Leonce.
"You'll never change!" Alex shouted.
"But I did," Michael said quietly.
And I did it for you.
He watched as Leonce took his girl by the arm and escort her down the hallway to depart for home.
Damn, I hate that bastard.
Author's Chapter Notes:
Sorry for the late. I've been extremely busy with stuff. That chapter is a bit short but enjoy!
Chapter End Notes:
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