| Disclaimer - See part one
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"And I'd give up forever to touch you
'Cause I know that you'd feel me somehow
You're the closest to heaven that I'll ever be
And I don't want to go home right now"
- "Iris", The Goo Goo Dolls
Isabel stared at the cordless phone that sat on her bed. She'd hoped it wouldn't
come to this, but it was her last resort. Sighing, she dialed the number.
"Hello and welcome to Hotties-4-Hire, Carrington's finest teen escort agency.
How many I help you?"
"Very funny Ash." she replied. "I have a real problem."
"What is it?" Ashley asked.
"It's Michael. Today when I got home, he was up in my room waiting for me."
"You're kidding!" Ashley cried. "What did he say?"
"Well, he didn't actually get a chance to say anything." Isabel replied. "I kicked
him out."
"You didn't!" Ashley screeched. "He probably wanted to apologize to you or
something!"
"I know. And I'm not all that mad at him anyway."
"You're not?" Ashley asked deliriously. "Why the sudden change of heart?"
"Well...uh...this is kinda hard to say, but..." she stammered.
"But what?"
"I kinda like him."
"I knew it!" Ashley squealed. "You're in love! I knew you two would be perfect
for each other; you'll make such a cute couple; Omigod, this is so incredible..."
"Ashley, shut up."
"Sorry." Silence. "Are you going to talk to him? she asked softly.
"About what?" Isabel snapped.
"You know."
"Yeah." she replied. "Probably. Maybe." Ashley rolled her eyes.
"If you won't talk to him, I will." she threatened.
"Don't you dare." Isabel said menacingly. "I'll deal with it myself."
"Of course." Ashley said sarcastically.
"Look, I'll talk to him tomorrow." she sighed.
"Really?" Ashley asked, disbelievingly.
"I will." Isabel said firmly. "Trust me."
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Michael's electronic diary
I can't take it anymore. I'm breaking up with Miranda. I don't care what she says, none
of this is worth it. I don't love her; I have to clear my conscience. I can't love Isabel and
be with Miranda at the same time. Isabel deserves better than that. Miranda's going to
kill me, I know it. But dying in name of love can't be so bad.
Michael read over what he'd just written. Dying in the name of love? he thought
increduously. Could you get any more dramatic? Sighing, he saved it anyway.
Besides, he had a bigger problem on his hands now - he had to call Miranda.
Staring at the phone as though it were a poisonous snake, he lifted the receiver
and dialed Miranda's number.
Four rings. Click.
"Yeah?" Miranda asked. Michael cringed at the sound of her voice. At least Isabel
had the decency to say hello when she answered the phone.
"It's Michael." he said. "We need to talk."
"We're talking now." she replied.
"Not over the phone." he said softly. "Can we meet somewhere tomorrow?"
"I s'pose." Michael was sure he detected some anger in Miranda's voice, and
figured she probably knew where this was heading.
"I need to stay behind after school tomorrow, but can you meet me out the front
at five?"
"I don't see why you bother with school." she whined. "I'm getting by without it."
"Oh are you?" he replied, then immediately regretted it. It wouldn't be any good
to upset her now.
"Goodbye Michael." she said quietly. "I'll see you tomorrow." Then she hung up.
Great, just great. he thought. She's already mad at me, and I haven't even
dumped her!
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"Explain the surface tension of water in chemical terms." Michael read aloud
from his Chemistry textbook. How was he supposed to know that? He'd spent his
last three Chemistry lessons staring at Isabel instead of actually listening.
Suddenely a pair of hands covered his eyes.
"Guess who?"
"Miranda?" he asked.
"Good guess." she spun around a kissed him full on the lips. Uncomfortably,
Michael pushed her away.
"What's the matter?" she asked.
"Can we go outside?" Michael asked. "We need to talk."
"Talking's all we ever do." Miranda whined. "I can think of other things we could
do without our time." She slid her arms around his neck seductively.
"Not now Miranda." he said shaking his head. Not ever. he added. Silently, she
followed him outside to the hallway. Leaning against his locker, Michael took a
deep breath.
"Miranda," he began. "I have to be honest with you. This isn't working out."
Miranda just stared at him.
"I want to break up."
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Isabel was on a mission. She hadn't seen Michael all morning, and when she'd
tried to talk to him in Chemistry that afternoon, he'd immdeiately been called
away by a teacher. The Fates were out to get her, she decided. Hoping that
Ashley was right and Michael really had gone to the library that afternoon, she
turned down the hallway of lockers.
"Miranda...mmm...off..." a male voice sliced through the empty building. Turning
around, she could not believe what she saw. Michael. Lip-locked with a girl who
was obviously Miranda. His girlfriend. Or ex-girlfriend, so she'd believed.
Suddenly Michael looked up and their eyes met. She couldn't take it anymore. At
lightening speed, she tore down the hallway, Michael's sad eyes following her all
the way.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Angrily, Michael forced Miranda off him. What had he just done? Had he actually
let her kiss him?
"Who was that?" Miranda asked, staring at where Isabel had stood only a minute
before.
"No one." he lied.
"Like I believe you." Miranda scoffed. "That's why you're leaving me, isn't it?"
she continued angrily. "You've found someone else."
"Not exactly." Michael sighed. "It's completely one-sided."
"Yeah, and I bet I can guess which side that is!" Miranda pushed him in the
chest. "You're disgusting." she spat. "Whoever she was, she deserves you." With
that she stalked off, her shoes clicking ominously against the hard floor.
"No you're wrong Miranda." he whispered to the empty corridor. "Isabel deserves
so much better."
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
She'd tried to cry all evening, but the tears hadn't come. What was the big deal
anyway? What had even made her think he had feelings for her? He'd tried to
kiss her, so what? He wasn't the first guy to. Angrily, she punched her pillow.
Where was Ashley now that she needed her? She'd been trying to call her friend
for the past hour, but there hadn't been anybody home. Sullenly she got out of
bed and flopped down into her desk chair. She just didn't have any energy at the
moment. Flipping on her snake light, she began leafing through the piles of
papers and photographs that had fallen off her desk. A tattered notebook. An old
biology paper (she'd gotten an A on that one!). A couple of photographs that she
and Ashley had taken a few months ago. A piece of folded notebook paper. She
unfolded it and tried to smooth the creases. Her eyes roaming over the last line
of the page, her heart almost skipped a beat.
"By Michael?" she read increduously. Curiously, she began reading.
I wish upon a thousand stars
To hold you in my arms
Blow out every candle
And wish to be with you
Sometimes I look at you
See only perfection
But feel only pain
I long to reach out
and touch your face
But I can't
I wonder what you're making of me...
Do you know how it feels
To be so close
Yet so far away
When you know it's wrong
But it feels so right
Why is it
That every night I lie awake
Yet still I dream of you
That everyone I look at
Has your face
Why can't you understand
That I never want to hurt you
I only want to hold you
To be with you
And that it's all because I love you...
Tears spilled down her cheeks. It wasn't his wording, or the overall mentality of
the poem that had touched her so much. More so, it was the fact that he had
called it Isabel.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Walking towards her locker the next morning, Michael was the first person she
saw. Approaching him, she took a deep breath.
"Michael?" she said, standing beside him.
"Yes?" he asked.
"I found the poem." Michael was nothing short of suprised.
"Where-how-" he stammered.
"Look, I think I may have misjudged you." she said softly.
"Isabel, I am so sorry." Michael whispered. "I never meant to lie to you. What
you saw yesterday, between Miranda and I, it meant nothing. We really have
broken up this time. For good."
Isabel nodded her head. "I know."
"And about the game." he continued. "Even though you'll probably never forgive
me for that, I have to apologize anyway. I tried to you know, that time in your
bedroom, but you didn't listen. And I don't blame you."
I'm sorry." Isabel whispered.
"Don't be." Michael said. "It wasn't your fault. Not at all."
"Anything else I should know?" she asked dryly, a small smile playing on her
face. Michael nodded his head.
"I love you." And with that they leaned towards each other and kissed.
THE END
Author's note: Sorry this is so much shorter than the other parts, but I wanted to sum this up as nicely as possible. I'll be writing a sequel soon, but for now I just want a rest! :) | |
