A/N: I have, yet, to do a story featuring Mike and Emily from Power Rangers Samurai/Super Samurai. This story is AU.
Summary- Emily has been dating Jayden for three years. However, for the past couple of months she's realized her feelings for him aren't the same.. Emily meets someone new and becomes swept off her feet. It's a classic love triangle, but with a question posed, what's Emily to do?
Disclaimer- I don't own the characters; I only own the plot.
Encounters
Xxxxx
Student Affairs
University of California- Panorama City
Panorama City, California
A young man entered the office, where all of his academic and personal needs would be fulfilled. He curiously surveyed the area. Not sure of where he was going externally, he thought a person, internally, would aid him. Locating the long desk with the hanging sign displaying 'Information', he approached the receptionist sitting behind it.
He was from a smaller town and different state. This guy felt like a tiny goldfish swimming in the expanse Pacific Ocean, but his personality was the opposite. After all, in his hometown he was known as the class clown and the future, star basketball player of the Los Angeles Lakers. It was a no-brainer he would pick this elite school as his college, since the campus was less than half an hour away from the Lakers' Convention Center. Not only that, but he was on a sports scholarship, so in addition to keeping his grades up, he needed to make sure he kept up physically.
That would be easy to accomplish if he had the slightest clue of where he was going.
"Excuse me." Mike, the young man from Monalua, Hawaii, owner of forest green eyes, almost mahogany brown hair, tan skin, synonymous with a different heritage than the inhabitants of Hawaii, lover of the color green, and a guy completely lost, spoke up He waited for the woman, who was busy writing away.
"Yes." Emily, the receptionist, politely answered. Her head ascended upwards, and she got a good look at the man in front of the desk. Her breath mildly caught in her throat, as she saw how handsome he was.
For a moment, Mike couldn't speak either. The lovely lady in front of him was beautiful. Hazel, almost green eyes, blonde wavy hair, smooth skin, a youthful appearance, and a sweet smile to match, met the new student. He forgot his question, and they kept looking at each other.
Emily needed to snap out of her stupor- not only because she was on the clock, but also because a certain person would be upset with her roaming eyes. "Is there something I can help you with?"
Mike slightly tapped his head. "Sorry, that was pretty rude of me." He nervously laughed, and Emily joined in. "I was just wondering, can you show me how to get to the Shiba Gymnasium?"
Love at first sight was very cliché for Mike, but he was willing to make an exception for the pretty girl behind the desk. He leaned in closer, so he could be a part of her aura. That was totally a creep kind of move, but at that point, he didn't care.
The name of the gym definitely hit close to home for the blonde. "Yeah, when you exit these doors, take a left, go all the way down the corridor, and you will see double doors and that leads to the gym." She answered. She went back to writing, but she realized he was still standing there. "Why aren't you moving?"
"I said, 'show me how to get to the Shiba Gymnasium'." Mike chuckled at her, and he smoothed the side of his gelled hair.
Another woman came from the back of the office, and she stopped by Emily. "You can show him Emily. I can cover the front." The older, blonde intermixed with gray haired lady informed. She smiled at the young man, and she knew courtesy was a part of the customer service environment. How else can someone be polite? Of course by personally interacting with another person. "Go on, and you can take your half an hour lunch." Edna, one of the clerks, informed.
Emily's eyes moved from Mike, the handsome student, and Edna, her old-fashioned co-worker. She has been working for the past five hours, and by law she was due for a break. "Alright. I'll be back, Edna." She went to the side drawer, and she got out her yellow purse. Slinging the item over her shoulder, the young woman exited the side doors. "Follow me." She instructed Mike, and they exited the building.
The blonde walked faster than the average person did, and Mike was several feet behind her. She ignored the distance, and she checked her phone. There were calls from her mom, friends, and boyfriend. She smiled at every one of the calls, especially the cute text from her boyfriend.
"What's the rush!" Mike piped up, and he jogged up to her. He hadn't noticed how short she was and laughter exited his mouth.
"Why are you laughing?" Emily's eyebrow quirked upwardly.
"Who knew you were so short?" Joked Mike and he looked at the annoyance on her face. "What?" I think it's cute."
Emily mildly blushed, but she tried to get the color out. There was no way she could take a compliment from another guy. "Um, I guess." She kept walking down the long hallway.
Mike nodded. "You should. By the way, I'm Mike." He prevented her by walking any further and stopped in front of her. He extended his hand for her.
"I'm Emily." She took his hand into hers, and they shook on it.
"So… Emily." Mike somewhat nervously began, and he needed to prolong this moment with her. "How old are you?"
"I'm 20 and how old are you?" Emily responded, and she found a way to walk around him.
"I'm 21. You know I'm legal." He smiled brightly, and he watched as she kept walking ahead of him. "Is there something wrong?"
Emily sighed heavily. "Hey, you just needed to get to the Shiba Gym, and I'm walking you over there, since I know where it's at." She retorted irritably. Even though she found him so, so good looking, she still had her boyfriend to think about.
The look on Mike's face was one of hurt, and he looked confused. Emily felt bad, since she wasn't usually like this to a person. She was the kindest; gentlest girl anyone could meet. Her slight roughness filled in, so she could make Mike stop talking to her. The plan was stupid, but it seemed right... or so she thought.
"I'm sorry." Emily sincerely apologized. "I don't know what got into me just now."
"Has it been a rough day?" Questioned Mike politely and he led her to the closest table and bench he could find.
"No, not at all." Emily replied, and she remained standing, not wanting to get close to Mike. That was something she really, really couldn't do to Jayden. Although, she really isn't happy with her relationship.
Emily and Jayden have been dating for the past three years. They both met in their senior year of high school, and from the start, they were attached at the hip. Never one without the other, and they did everything together. The young Blonde fell completely hard for the tall, shaggy ash brown haired, blue eyed, smart guy far beyond his years, and his athleticism. He was the star of their high school's basketball team. Not only was Jayden popular, but he was really sweet and selfless. When they were applying for colleges, they were very much in love and didn't want to go to different ones, so they applied for UCPC- University of California Panorama City. They've gotten closer, but the relationship has gotten boring to the blonde. There wasn't much action as it was before, and she felt robotic. Yes, she respected her boyfriend, as she didn't want to talk to other guys, but now, she missed the excitement.
Plus, there was a major attitude change. She didn't know where the possessive Jayden had came from, and that would always be a mystery.
"Good, then I can tell you about my day." Mike relayed with a big smile, and he motioned the open seat for the petite girl.
"And what makes you think I wanna know about your day?" Emily curiously questioned the boldness of Mike. She was slightly intrigued, and that caused her to sit with him.
"Obviously you do." Mike chuckled, once again. "Are you from here?"
Emily nodded, and she grabbed a small energy bar from her bag. She began to unwrap the item, and Mike looked at her oddly. "What?"
Mike pointed to the bar. "Are you hungry?" That was a pretty small meal, in his mind.
"I am, but this should be enough."
"If you're hungry, then we can go to the cafeteria. Since you work here, I'm sure you know where the place to eat is."
Again, Emily looked at Mike inquisitively. "I thought you needed to head to the gym." She crossed her arm over her chest. She knew about the basketball players' schedules, since her boyfriend was the captain. She knew there wasn't a game for another month, and the practices were to start tomorrow.
Mike waved her words away. "I can come back. I just wanted to find out where it was." He gave another megawatt smile. "Come on, I'm starving too." His huge, gym bag went over his shoulder.
Emily had mixed feelings, but she followed nonetheless.
The two arrived in the cafeteria, and Mike even paid for Emily's meal. She was amazed at the amount of food Mike piled onto his tray, and he looked at her plate of food with a smirk. This wasn't a food competition, but he had to realize that his appetite was by far, more superior than hers. Finding a spot inside of the place and after Emily checked her watch for the time, the two kept on talking about Mike. Emily laughed at Mike's cockiness, and he was far different than Jayden.
"I'm not from here." Mike started, and he spooned some fried rice into his mouth. "I came here on a scholarship. I lived on an island, and it's a lot different than California, I'll say that much. Besides surfing and martial arts, pretty much the only two things you can do in Hawaii, I became interested in basketball. Over time, I became the star at my high school, and I was offered a full ride to here."
"So, you're Hawaiian?" Emily assumed, and she popped a blueberry from her fruit salad into her mouth.
"No, I'm not. My dad is Latino and was in the Marine Corp., and he was stationed in Hawaii. He got hurt, and that's when he met my mom, who is also Hispanic, who was a nurse at the time. He ended up retiring, they got married, and they had me and my little sister, Liliana, but we call her Lily for short."
"I was just asking if you were Hawaiian. You didn't have to give me a biography." Em joked around with him.
The guy rolled his eyes and held onto his chest like he was hurt. "Ouch, I thought you wanted to get to know me."
"Who said that?" She quipped back, and they both laughed.
"Since, you ended up finding out about me, why don't you tell me about yourself." Mike offered, and he kept eating away.
"Uh, I work here part time." Emily started, and she was rudely interrupted by her new friend, Mike.
"I kinda figured that." He was kidding, but that still earned him an eye glare. "Alright, alright, continue."
The temples of Emily's cheeks became flushed, and she did as told. "I also go to school here for nursing." He smiled at her, and she rolled her eyes. "Not because your mom did it; it's because I really like to help people. It's a part of my nature. I have a sister, and she's in the army. My parents don't live far from here either, but I choose to live on campus." She finished up.
Mike nodded. "Interesting. Do you like California?"
"Yup, love it here. Born and raised. What about you? Is this different than Hawaii?"
"No, not really. I mean the beach is near here, you guys have parks, places to shop, eat, schools, and of course the basketball courts." Mike answered seriously. "I guess there is one thing different though."
"And what would that be?"
"The girls here are cuter than the ones from back home." He winked at Emily, yet he was serious.
Emily stared deeply into Mike's green eyes. They were vastly different than her current boyfriend's, and she really wanted to get to know this guy more. She felt comfortable, she was able to joke with Mike, and she couldn't help but swoon over the smile he would flash her. She took his statement as a compliment, but he could've been grouping all the girls from California into one.
"Emily, I'm talking about you." He further clarified for her.
The innocence of her hazel eyes, her sweet, and when needed, ireful personality; he found her very attractive. Out of the girls he's encountered, and there have been many, she was different. Naturally, he wanted to take her on a date.
"Mike, you can't mean that." The bashful Emily had that subtle rose tint still.
"Why not?"
Emily forked her food around, and she wanted to admit that she had a significant other. However, she kept that to herself. "Nevermind."
The two kept talking and Mike's comical personality shined through, and from the distance, Emily's boyfriend walked into the cafeteria with another one of his basketball teammates, Antonio. Jayden's eyes became dark; as he watched his girlfriend's eyes twinkled at the look of another guy. His emotions were getting the best of him, and he immediately stomped towards the two. He gave his best attempt to remain as calm as possible, and for the most part, it was working.
Emily's laughter inconsiderably died down. She cleared her throat, and she panicked suddenly over the arrival of her boyfriend. Checking her phone, she had realized the two texts she had received from him. Her phone was still on silent, even though she thought she had taken it off. "Jayden." She tried her best to calm him down.
"Hey, Babe." Jayden bent down and gave her a powerful kiss on the lips.
Mildly grossed out by the public display of affection, Mike had an idea of his relationship to Emily, but still, he was upset with newfound fact. Mike let out a slight cough to prevent the couple from making out further.
Jayden and Emily parted, and Emily's boyfriend faced Mike. Each gave the other a once over, and Emily became very embarrassed by Jayden's inconsiderate gesture, and she became worried over Mike's thought of them. She slouched in her chair because her mind seemed to be working backwards. She was upset over Jayden, her boyfriend of three years, and was concerned over Mike's feelings, a guy she had just met 15 minutes ago.
"I'm Mike." The lover of the color green held up his hand for Jayden. He looked at the color most pronounced on Jayden, and it happened to be the color, Red. He shrugged and waited for Jayden's hand.
"I'm Jayden. This is my girlfriend, Emily." Jayden shook the hand of the man that was sitting with his longtime girlfriend. As the handshake went longer than expected, the two men looked at each with some fury.
"Can I help you with something?" Mike keenly took his hand back, and he got up. Substantially shorter than Emily's boyfriend, he still didn't back down.
"Yeah, can you tell me why you were sitting with my girlfriend?" Jayden angrily asked the shorter guy.
"Stop!" Emily got up, and she went to stand in between the two. "Please, Jayden, I was just having a nice meal with Mike."
The two heatedly pushed each other away. Antonio immediately went to his friend's side, and he decided if there was a fight, he would be there to break it up or step in. Looking at Mike's body, he assumed Mike worked out on the regular.
"Hey, I was just eating with Emily. There's no need to fight." Mike began to grab his bag, and he straightened out his shirt. "If I had known she was taken, I would've backed off."
Jayden wrung out his ears. He couldn't believe the words that had exited his, now, enemy's mouth. Scowling down at his girlfriend, he wanted to know if that was right. "We've been together for three years; of course she's taken, right?" He asked through gritted teeth.
All of a sudden he had to question his girlfriend's loyalty.
"Jay, calm down." Antonio urged, and he placed his hand on the red clad man's shoulder. "Everyone around campus knows you and Emily are together. Maybe this guy is new." He guessed.
"I am new." Mike cleared up any confusion, which there seemed to be a lot of. "I would love to stay and chat, but I have to work on my free throws." Before he could escape the lover's quarrel, Jayden and Antonio's ears livened at the comment.
"Wait a minute, Mike, as in Mike Diaz from Hawaii?" Jayden nosily wondered, and Mike nodded. A little smirk formed on Jayden's face, and he was ready to put Mike through the ringer.
"Is there any reason why you are wondering?" Mike disliked the cheshire cat like grin displayed on Jayden's mouth. If anything, he wanted to smack the damn expression off.
"Nice to meet you. We'll see you tomorrow at practice." Jayden informed. "Be there and don't be late."
Mike nodded. "I'm never late for practice." He turned to face Emily. "I'll see you around sometime." He smiled at Emily.
Antonio wanted to lunge at the guy for the disrespect he was showing, but Jayden stopped him. The captain of the basketball team had a fitting punishment for the guy striving to horn in on his girlfriend. Once he witnessed Mike leaving the cafeteria, his attentiveness went back to his girlfriend.
"We need to talk." He angrily ordered her.
"Jayden, I need to get back to work." Emily was exasperated, at that moment, and even more, she was mortified with the way her boyfriend was acting.
"Edna can cover. I need to talk to you." Jayden wasn't letting this go, until they talked. He had been calling and texting her, and then he finds her in the cafeteria with a guy. A guy she barely knows, at that. She's laughing, her hair was tossed back, and a smile plastered on her face. That bothered him because lately, she didn't do that
"That's not fair to her, and you know I need to work." Figured Emily, and she was ready to smack her boyfriend for the idiotic thinking he seemingly adopted.
"We need to talk about this." Jayden refused to back down.
"Jayden, not all of us have parents that can pay for gymnasiums to have our names on it, not all of us have the money and power to be on the school board of this school and not work, but you do. Just because you don't have to work, don't try to think all of us with jobs can just slack off magically. We can't do that." Emily grabbed her purse. "We'll talk later." She kissed his cheek and left.
With more fire in his eyes, Jayden's hands balled up into fists. The veins protruded, and he wanted to break the tables in half. Instead of doing so, he grabbed Antonio. "We're going to make this guy's life a living hell." He vowed, and the two left.
Xxxxx
Two Months Later
Shiba Gym
UCPC
"One hundred more push-ups." Jayden lividly commanded from the stands, and he watched Mike move his body up and down. Sweat cloaking the tan man's body, and the veins eagerly coming forth.
The captain smiled in delight.
As promised, Jayden was making Mike's life miserable. While everyone else was practicing basketball drills, Mike had to work out. Not just any kind of workout, but ones regimented by Jayden. The native of Hawaii would do 5,000 suicides, run from one side of the court, making sure to touch the line, and then head over to the other side of the court, making sure to touch that line, next, he would have to do almost 2,500 pushups, and if needed to, Mike would make the lunch runs for everyone else on the team. He couldn't eat lunch, since he had to continue finishing up his exercise before he could even play. When Mike did play, there was a jealous look on Jayden's eyes, which fueled Mike's need to work harder. He questioned Jayden's little power trip, and he believed it was because of Jayden's girlfriend- Emily.
Up to this time, Mike hadn't forgotten about his first chance encounter with Emily. They sporadically saw each other and were able to have some discreet conversations. The two exchanged numbers too. Late night conversations were their thing, and they would sometimes fall asleep on the phone. Poor Emily had to go so far as to save the number under the name, 'Michelle'. Whatever they could do, they wanted to keep their burgeoning relationship a secret.
Antonio stopped practicing, and he felt it was enough. He approached Jayden with utmost respect, and he spoke up. "Jay, stop it. It was funny before, but now this is wrong." He demanded.
Jayden didn't take his blue eyes off Mike's body in motion. The exciting smile displayed on his face wasn't coming off anytime soon. He basked in the pain Mike's body was engulfed in. This was about Jayden's insecurity though. He loved Emily with all of his heart, and he wouldn't dare have a guy come between them. In addition, he knew Mike's skills in basketball were proficient, and they were better than his. He would never disclose something like that, but that's the reason for the decimation of Mike.
"Would you like to join him, Antonio?" Jayden wondered, and he counted in his head the number of pushups Mike had completed.
"No, but you know you are abusing your power. Come on, let Mike play. Stop this nonsense right now."
The Captain of the basketball team shook his head. "No."
Antonio became worried about his friend's maniacal acts, and he ran to the only person he could think of.
The rest of the team kept up with their training. Their opinion of Jayden's power trip? They, too, felt like he had gone out of control, but they wouldn't step up to their superior. Of course it was out of fear they would be kicked off the team or subjected to the same torment. Very much so, that haunted them.
The burning sensation in Mike's arms, the sweat pouring down to the gym floor, the anger resonating inside, he was ready to punch Jayden in the face. Angrily continuing with his pushups, Mike counted down until he could stop. He needed some relief.
Emily entered the gym, and she witnessed the team playing. The coach was absent and her boyfriend, the one that she was beginning to get restless with, watched Mike like a hawk. And it hit her, there was Mike on the floor, and she could see the trembling in his arms and body. Pretty soon, his arms would give out on him. All because her boyfriend was self conscious!
"Jayden Allen Shiba!" Emily swiftly marched towards her boyfriend. She didn't know what was going through his head.
"Hey, baby." Jayden happily greeted her. He wanted a kiss, but she stood firmly by him. Her arms menacingly crossing her chest, and there was rage complacently fixated in her hazel colored eyes. Knowing he was about to be in the doghouse, Jayden found his whistle. He blew into it. "Alright, practice is done for the day!" He shouted.
Antonio reentered the gym, and he headed straight to Mike.
Mike's weak arms couldn't hold him up any longer, and he rested flatly on the ground. He felt a tap on his shoulder and turned around to see Antonio. An arm was extended towards him, and Mike gladly accepted the offer. Antonio helped Mike to the locker room.
With just Emily and Jayden alone in the gym, the intense argument began.
"What exactly is your fucking problem?" She hissed. Emily wasn't one for cussing, but with the disgusting actions of her boyfriend caused her to do so.
"Nothing. What's yours?" He countered with an eye roll. "Don't tell me you're defending that douche. He knows what he did was wrong."
"He didn't know I had a boyfriend, and that was so long ago!" She yelled at him and followed him to the court. "You are being a big jerk, and what you are doing is wrong, but you don't seem to care. Do you?"
"I care that a guy I don't know was flirting with my girlfriend!" Jayden updated with a lividness he had never exchanged with Emily before.
Likewise, Emily had never been this upset with Jayden, but he's been going about this wrong. "There has to be more to this. I know you Jayden, we've been together for three years, and you don't normally act like this." She confronted him with doe eyes, and she pleaded with him instantaneously. "You need to give him a break.
Intently meeting her eyes with the same emotion, Jayden couldn't get the mental picture of his girlfriend, laughing, talking, and smiling with another guy. He hated it, and he hated Mike for bringing what he couldn't bring out of her anymore. "I'll lighten up on him, but I won't stop this." He admitted, and he walked up to her. Bending down, he expected a kiss, but that wasn't the case.
"Jayden, I don't even know who you are anymore." Emily sadly admitted, and she left him hanging.
The petite Blonde walked outside, and she went to find the boy locker rooms. Guy after guy exited the lockers, and she stood on her tippy toes to look for the tanned man with forest green eyes. Once she didn't see him withdraw from the room full of lockers, she braced herself for a gutsy move. She barged into the room with a confidence she didn't know she had.
The pungent smell that attacked her made her want to vomit. Different body odors were apparent between the sexe. She, also, wished that Jayden wouldn't enter this locker room. However, knowing her boyfriend, he probably retreated to his dorm. Emily slowly walked along the perimeter, and she found Mike in the bathrooms. He was slumped over the toilet, and she freaked out instantly.
"Mike!" Emily screamed, and she got on one knee.
"Hey, Em. What are you doing in here!" Mike tiredly inquired, and his head seemed to be glued to the inside of the toilet bowl. He tried to look at her, but even neck was filled with cramps.
He's been succumbed to this intense workout for awhile. Now, Mike had formed a wonderful bond with the toilet bowl. The porcelain item would catch Mike's lunch and sometimes dinner.
"How are you feeling?" Emily alarmingly retorted with her own question. She didn't care that she was in a horrible smelling bathroom; all that she cared about was Mike getting better.
Finding some strength, Mike lifted his head out of the bowl. He moved himself around, and his whole body was burning with pain. The suicides are what really got to him, but he felt the need to prove himself. He scooted his body all the way to a bench, and with Emily's help, he was able to sit on top of it.
"Aren't you a girl? I thought girls couldn't be in here?" He sarcastically questioned her.
"Ha, ha, ha." Emily retorted, and she shook her head. "Mike, why are you putting up with Jayden's crap?"
"Why do you?" Mike countered with anger. He shook his head. "Emily, it's obvious you don't care for him like you used to. Hell, I'm not the only one that sees it."
"Mike, you don't get it." Emily looked away from him, almost in shame.
"Then help me get it." Mike said, and he struggled to relieve his muscles.
Emily stood up, and she began to pace. "I've been with Jayden for three years. I just can't break up with him! I don't want to hurt him." She figured, and she kept walking back and forth along the imaginary line.
Mike didn't like her reasoning, and he knew that was a cop out. "You are hurting yourself, if you stay with him. You aren't only hurting yourself, but you are hurting me."
Tears graced Emily's eyes, and she shook her head at him again. "You can't do that to me. You can… can't tell me that, just so I can break up with Jayden."
"I'm telling you that so you can open up your eyes!" Mike shouted at her. "Don't you see! Both of us like each other." Though, their feelings were deeper than that. "And you don't want to hurt Jayden, well that boat sailed a long ass time ago. Those late night conversations we share, those times that we meet up, all of that doesn't exactly constitute as a faithful girlfriend."
"I am faithful, and you know it." Emily narrowed her eyes at him.
"Physically… yes, but emotionally, you know you aren't in love with Jayden like you used to be."
"I do love Jayden." Emily endeavored to make herself believe that.
"Really? You love Jayden, then why are you in here with me, and he's out, God knows where?" Mike honestly portrayed the situation for her.
Mike accepted the silence as her answer. He knew the truth was hard to accept, but Emily needed to realize, she wasn't Jayden's girlfriend anymore.
"I didn't mean to hurt you." The shorter woman promised him. "I don't want to hurt anyone."
He limped towards her. Towering several inches over her, Mike stared into her eyes. Those eyes, that smile, her personality, all of that would be his last thought before he slept. The young basketball player didn't mean to fall for another person's girlfriend, especially the team captain's girlfriend, but that was the least of his concern.
The concern Mike had over her made her feel amazing. Something she couldn't say about Jayden. She didn't know how their relationship got to that point, but she didn't want to question the status of their relationship anymore. Mike was in front of her, her heart lovingly pulsated. He was exciting, and every night, she found herself counting down the minutes, so she could talk to him.
"Tell me, you don't feel what I feel." Mike coaxed her to speak honestly.
"Mike." She sighed, and he brushed a hair from her face.
They became closer and closer, and finally, she stood on the tips of her toes, and he came down to meet her. Successfully, their lips met for the first time. Sparks darted around them, and Emily couldn't hide her feelings any longer. They continued.
Antonio came from the back, and he observed the biggest shock of his life. "Oh my God!" He said above a whisper, but the words bounced off the lockers and to his best friend's girlfriend and teammate. His emotions were conflicted now. What was he to do, would he tell Jayden, or would he let this slide as a fluke.
Hearing Antonio's voice, Mike and Emily parted abruptly. They looked at the other guy in the locker room, and both turned a bright red.
"Antonio, what are you doing here?" Emily nervously stated, and she watched the cement floor rather than the other people.
"I'm a guy and I can be in here. What are you doing here? Better yet, what are you doing kissing Mike?" Antonio had to admit he wasn't exactly proud of Jayden's behavior, but he wasn't ready to turn his back on him. The unexpected attraction between Emily and Mike, he really didn't see that coming. He definitely saw it now.
"It was a mistake!" She squealed with anxiety, and after those words exited her mouth, she realized the error. She placed a hand on Mike's arm, but he managed to shake her off.
Mike felt the blow of that statement. He would've done more than 10,000 suicides than to hear her call the kiss a mistake, knowing he believed it felt right. He shook his head, and he felt incredibly stupid to actually think he had a shot with her. He staggered towards the door.
"Mike!" Emily called, and he didn't stop walking. She trailed him. "Mike, please, I'm sorry." She begged for him to stay.
Antonio witnessed the urgency coming from Emily, and the truth was slowly coming out.
"Em, you said it yourself. I was the mistake." Mike didn't have the heart to look at her.
"I've been trying so hard to defend the relationship I had with Jayden for so long." Emily confessed, and there was a lump in her throat. She had hurt Mike, and she hoped he would at least hear her out. "You aren't a mistake. That kiss, it meant more. Please, don't go."
"I think it's best that I go." Mike continued in his venture out the door.
The water fell, and Emily kept sobbing. Antonio wrapped his arms around her, as a gesture of comfort. He wasn't sure what to do next.
"It'll be okay." Antonio consoled his friend.
"What am I going to do?" Emily asked earnestly, almost scared of the consequences of her actions. "Mike, Jayden… I would hate to hurt both of them."
"I'll keep this from Jayden, but you gotta tell him how you feel." Antonio gave his word, and it was at the expense of his best friend. He, too, didn't know what the best plan was. "Just be honest with yourself, Emily."
And that's when the two friends left the locker room. Emily hoped the decision she made was the right one.
Xxxxx
Two Months Later
S.S. Mega Banquet Hall
It was the annual Panorama City's Charity Basketball Dinner. The event featured auctions, entertainment, and even raffles. Usually, $10,000 would be raised for the local children's hospital. So far, the team had raised about $5,000, and it was the second hour of the dinner.
Since the kiss and their fight, Mike and Emily kept their distance. Emily was hurting very much, and she wished to have a conversation with Mike to clear the air. With him not making eye contact, she already had an idea that he wouldn't sit with her for a conversation She watched as Mike, dressed in a classic penguin suit with green tie, vest, and even cummerbund, dancing with one of the school's cheerleaders. She voiced a distressing sigh.
"Are you okay?" Jayden softly nudged the side of his girlfriend. Exhibiting a slight smile and a head nod, he accepted it. "Do you wanna dance?"
After their past couple of fights, Jayden had an epiphany. He slightly eased up on Mike, and he even engaged in a little shopping trip. Spending the average man's three month's salary on a piece of jewelry was worth it. He knew tonight was the night. His relationship with Emily was vital to him. There was no way he could let her go so easily, and he knew this was the right step.
"Maybe later." Jayden mused, and he couldn't wait for that.
Meanwhile, Mike continued slow dancing with his partner. She isn't Emily he thought to himself, and he twirled her around. Truthfully, Mike was miserable without talking to the petite blonde. He missed her terribly, and he yearned to be with her. The kiss the two shared was indescribable literally. He couldn't put the words to what he felt, at that time. But she said it was mistake! He couldn't let go of that either. That still rattled him.
Two Hours Later…
Names had been called for the past hour for awards. The next award was MVP or Most Valuable Player.
"And the award for the MVP goes to Jayden Shiba!" The Head Coach of the UCPC's Red Lions' Basketball team announced with excitement.
There was no surprise that the captain of the basketball team was going to receive that award. Mike chivalrously clapped for his captain, even though he treated him like shit. The rest of the team gave Jayden a standing ovation. Before Jayden left for the stage, he grabbed Emily's hand and whisked her off with him.
"Jayden, what are you doing?" She hissed, as she still kept her smile on. She smiled at everyone in the crowd, so she could mask her dislike for Jayden's act.
"Emily, this is our time to celebrate." Jayden answered with his smile.
The couple entered the stage. Emily's cheeks were burning with embarrassment, and she looked into the crowd. Fishing for Mike, she found him, still sitting with the cheerleader. That was disheartening, and it made her want to sit down. Her boyfriend didn't help the matter with him dragging her up there.
Tapping the mic a few times, Jayden smiled before speaking. "Wow, this is such an honor. I would to thank my parents for giving me my first basketball. Thanks Mom and Dad!" The crowd laughed at his little snippet. "I'd like to thank my team as well. And I mean everyone in my team. I know I wasn't the easiest person to play with this year, but that doesn't mean I don't have respect for you in some way." Jayden smiled, and he became extremely edgy at the next act he was going to do. "Most of all, I want to thank my girlfriend, Emily." He made sure to stay as close to the mic, but his concentration stayed on her. "You are my motivation, and I love you so much. Without you, I wouldn't know where I'd be. Thank you for everything."
Emily was surprised by his statement. The next move totally caught her off guard.
Jayden departed from the podium. The light from the rafters shined completely on them, and the crowd gasped at his position. He was on one knee, hand in his right pocket, and he used his left to hold onto Emily's left hand. Emily's right hand flew to her mouth, and she was definitely not prepared for the question.
From the crowd, Mike had to blink his eyes several times to fully comprehend what Jayden was about to do. His heart raced, as he realized that one girl he truly liked and fallen in love with, was about to get a marriage proposal. His throat became dry, and he watched the exchange with a close eye.
Without the mic, Jayden's voice became almost inaudible. "Emily, I know for the last six months or so, we've had some problems. I've been overprotective, rude, and most of all, I've neglected you. I love you though and without you, I literally would feel like I would die." He stated, and he went in for the kill. "Please, do me the honor, and I am making the promise, if you become my wife, you would never see that kind of Jayden again. Will you marry me?"
The petite lady, garbed in a yellow, body hugging, strapless gown, was speechless. Not because of what he'd done, but she didn't think when she actually broke it off, for good, it would've been before 200 people or so. Emily couldn't accept the marriage because she didn't love Jayden anymore. Things weren't the same, and she had fallen for someone else. She broke the eye contact with Jay and looked to the left. Mike was still sitting in his chair, looking like a deer caught in headlights at the whole situation.
"Jayden." Emily softly said his name, so she could let him down gently. "I need…"
"Emily, I love you!" Jayden automatically accepted her words; regardless of what they were. He slipped the ring on her finger and feverishly kissed her.
More standing ovations filled the banquet hall at the appearance of the happy couple.
Antonio gulped at the sound of Mike banging his fists on the table, and he left the room. There were no words said to his date. He just left.
Once their lips parted, Emily bobbed around to look for Mike. When she realized he was gone, she hated that it went this far. She undressed the ring from her left, ring finger. Handing it over to Jayden, she ran off the stage. She ignored the malevolent whispers, the calls of her name, and the pleas to stop. That didn't matter. As she arrived to the outside, she knew who to seek for, just not where.
The presence of Emily alerted Mike, and he looked to the lost young woman. He got up from the little perch of the columns. He had always fantasized about her ass, and there it was staring right back at him.
"You know, your fiancé is in there right?" He questioned, as he walked towards her.
"That would make sense if I had a fiancé." Emily countered, and her back was still facing him.
"But in there… he kissed you, and you didn't stop him." Mike's eyebrows furrowed at the truth.
Emily faced him, as if she was about to challenge him to spar. "If you would've stayed or paid closer attention, then you would've known that I didn't say anything." She took a few more steps to him. "When I would've come down from the shock, my answer would've been 'no'." She enlightened him.
"Why?"
"The first time I met you I didn't want to like you. Even though I did find you incredibly cute." She said.
"Well, yeah, I am incredibly cute." Mike figured out, and he took one step closer to her.
"Jayden and I had been drifting apart for some time. I guess you came during a time that I really needed to make up my mind about my feelings. You are fun, you get me excited, I hate your stuborness, but you are sweet, and I feel happier with you." Emily admitted finally.
"Are you sure about this? I mean, it's not going to be a mistake?" Mike wondered out loud.
"It was my mistake to say that about you." She didn't have to stand on her tippy toes to kiss him. Her heels helped her quite a bit. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him passionately.
Mike pulled away. "Are you sure because I don't want to hear that the next time…" He was pulled into another kiss, and they continued.
Jayden exited to the outside, and he found Emily kissing Mike. Seeing red, he ran to Mike and ripped the two from each other. He punched Mike square in the jaw, and that elicited a scream from Emily.
"Jayden! Jayden! Stop, please!" Emily urgently requested, and she stood in front of Mike and right before Jayden.
"Emily, get out of the way. I don't want to hurt you." Jayden ordered irately, and he was ready to pounce once more.
"We can talk about this. Don't blame this on Mike, blame it on me." Emily attempted to soothe him, while protecting Mike with her petite body.
Mike moved his jaw around in a circular motion. "Damn, he hits fucking hard." He needed to get some ice.
Jayden moved to the right. "You want me to hit you again, and make sure you feel it!" He lividly countered.
"Jayden, stop! Please." Emily implored with her hazel doe eyes. "We need to talk." Her fingers were placed between the two of them. "If you had any respect for me, you would talk to me."
As much as Jayden wanted to pound on Mike, he agreed. "Fine."
Emily turned to Mike. "I'll see you inside, okay?"
Mike's eyes bounced from Emily to Jayden. "Are you sure?"
"I'm sure. You don't have to worry about me." Emily supplied, and she looked at Mike seriously.
"I choose to worry about you though." Mike confessed. Assuming it was safe to do, Mike kissed the temple of Emily's head and left to get his jaw looked at.
With them alone, Jayden opened up.
"Emily, I thought you loved me." Jayden needed to understand where his girlfriend was coming from.
"It's not the same. Things between us have become too routine, and our personalities have changed. How that happened, I couldn't even tell you." She wished things were different, but they weren't "I'm not happy Jayden, and I felt horrible when I fell for Mike." She explained.
"When did you?"
She pondered about it. "Probably that first day we met." She looked towards the night sky, and she paid more attention to the twinkling stars. "Mike and I just clicked. I felt security. Not only that, but I laughed, I smiled, and I couldn't wait to see him again." She turned to him. Even with her heels, she was still shorter. "You will always be my first love, but we weren't meant to be together forever." She wisely told.
"Do you think you're going to be with him forever?" Jayden questioned.
"I don't know, but I wouldn't be surprised." Emily was honest with herself and to her, now, ex.
"So, you are dumping your boyfriend of three years for this guy, and you aren't positive it's going to be worth it?"
Emily smiled. "It will be. I'd rather, us, breakup now, and say we didn't, we'd hate each other in the future. I still care about you." She gave a soft kiss to Jayden's cheek. "Thank you, for everything you've done."
Jayden slightly nodded, and he watched Emily head back inside. In one night, he gained MVP, proposed to, who he thought was the love of his life, but ended up losing her. He hadn't realized how much they had drifted apart, and he felt bad for being an asshole to Mike. He couldn't deny this was still going to sting the next day, and the day after that, and possibly over the next few months, but he wished them the best and wondered if he was ever going to meet the girl he would spend his forever with. He shrugged and went to finish out the night.
Once Emily rejoined Mike in the dining room, she smiled and kissed his swollen jaw. She mildly giggled, and forgot to tell Mike that Jayden was proficient in Krav Maga. Both Mike and Emily smiled at Jayden as he reentered, and Jayden gave them a slight nod. The hurt was still expressed in his eyes though.
"Is he going to be okay?" Mike asked, while he continued to ice his jaw.
"Yeah, I'm sure he'll be fine." Emily smiled, and they continued to party with everyone else.
Xxxxx
One Year Later
Quad
UCPC
Down, on one knee, in front of all the students coming out of their 12 o'clock classes, Mike proposed to Emily. The surprise was a big one, and she had no clue. On top of that, he had to do this during the busiest school hour of the day.
She grinned and eagerly accepting his proposal.
Claps, whistles, and congratulations were commenced for the newly engaged couple.
Emily and Mike held hands, and they were on cloud 9. They passed by Jayden, and he nodded his approval at them. They mouthed, 'thank you', and they continued on their way. Mike and Emily were about to cement their relationship, and they knew they were going to be together forever. Both felt bad it was at the expense of Jayden's feelings, but they wished for his happy ending.
Jayden watched as the couple became smaller, and he sighed. This year was a tough one, but all he cared about was Emily's well-being. As much as the breakup had hurt him, and the fact she had kissed Mike while they were still together, pierced his heart.
He had to move on though.
While he was reading his textbook, a young woman around his age advanced towards him.
"Excuse me." She said.
"Yes." Jayden answered. His head ascended upwardly, and he looked at the lady in front of him.
Her breath seemed to catch in her throat. She wondered if 'love at first sight' applied here. "Um, I was wondering, can you point me in the right direction of where the Shiba Gymnasium is?"
"It's right down that corridor, and you will see the double doors and that leads to the gym." Jayden replied, and he couldn't let this opportunity go. "Would you like me to walk you there?"
The Asian woman, donning pink and with long, black hair, nodded enthusiastically. "I thought you'd never ask. My name is Mia. What's yours?"
Jayden hoisted himself up. "I'm Jayden." The two kept talking, as they were walking to the gym.
Emily and Mike headed back to the quad, once they realized Jayden and Mia had walked away together.
"Did you set up that little encounter?" Mike queried his fiancee.
She nodded. "Mia's a childhood friend of mine. She just moved back from China, and I knew she was coming to this school. I told her about Jayden, and well, they ended up meeting like we did." Emily patted herself on the back and tossed a wink his way.
Mike kissed his soon to be wife. "I love you, you know that?"
"Yeah, I do."
The two walked towards the gymnasium. After all, they had to see where that encounter was leading to.
The End.