Chapter 1:
"Grimes!"
Rick groaned as he got up from the chair. His scuffed black Timberland boots dragged along the floor as he walked into the principal's office. She sighed at the sight of him as he dropped down into the another chair.
"We had a deal Grimes! You're not to show your face in here unless its voluntary! What on earth were you thinking!?"
He sat back, crossed one leg over the other and shrugged, "Seemed like a good idea at the time"
Her mouth dropped open as an eye twitched, "Using the Bunsen burner to light a cigarette seemed like a good idea?"
His eyes darted behind her as he thought, then back at her as he nodded.
She stared at him in disbelief, "Why on earth where you trying to smoke in class anyway?"
His brow furrowed as he looked at his principle, wondering if she was asking a rhetorical question, "...Because I smoke?"
"I know you smoke! But I've told you before we do not tolerate that here!", Her eyes bulged as she stressed her point.
He stared at her, hearing her words but choosing not to store the information as he slowly nodded.
"Rick. You know that I know your parents well, they're good people, and the only reason I haven't kicked you out is because I know you have potential to be a great man one day! You're so damn smart yet so dumb at the same time! I refuse to warn you again, you know the rules here"
He looked behind her again, then back at her. The school day was ending and he wanted to leave as quickly as possible, "I get it. I'm sorry. I won't smoke in the science lab-"
"You won't smoke on school grounds!"
He held back a sigh, "I won't smoke on school grounds anymore, okay? It won't happen again"
"Good! It better not", She rubbed her temples as she rested her elbows on the desk in front of her.
He winced at her as he waited for her to dismiss him, "Can I go now?"
She waved her hands dismissively at him, "Yes, get out"
He smiled, "Bye Mrs Niedermeyer"
He hopped up from his chair and almost sprinted out the office. He was used to this routine; he'd do something he knew was ridiculous, get sent to her office, she'd reprimand him, and he'd leave. It had been a consistent part of his day for as long as he could remember.
"You get in trouble?"
"Course he didn't!"
Shane and Glenn waited for him at the front of the school in their designated spot. Rick grinned as he approached them, "Course I didn't"
"Hey! There's gonna be a fight happening around here pretty soon" Daryl appeared from behind Rick, tucking a cigarette behind his ear.
"Who's fighting?", Shane asked as he looked at his friend, already excited from hearing the word fight.
"That football player, Mike, and the runner, what's his name... Gareth?"
"Oh this is gonna be good" Shane's eyes lit up, "What happened with them?"
"Somethan' to do with Mike's girlfriend"
Shane clapped his hands together, "Pull up a seat gentleman"
Rick hopped up on the wall beside Glenn, ready to sit and wait for the drama to unfold, though it didn't take long. Mike appeared with his friends, wearing a very angry expression. Students stood around in anticipation. Rick's eyes scanned the faces for Mike's girlfriend, then stopped when he saw her. She was not far from Mike, watching him take off his football jacket with angry expression, her arms folded across her chest.
"Cha-Cha!"
Her eyes came off Mike, looking around at the students at the front of the school, then stopping when she saw Rick. He raised his eyebrows at her and he could tell she huffed before turning back. He smiled wickedly.
"Why do you call her that?", Glenn asked as he looked to him.
Rick shook his head, his eyes still locked on her, "I wish I could tell you Glenn but then I'd have to kill you"
Glenn frowned, looking back and forth between he and Michonne. Rick knew his friends thought his friendship with her was a strange one, but they knew better than to ask any too many questions as they would get a very vague reply.
Gareth appeared with his own friends and excitement grew. Rick moved to stand on the wall so he could get a better view. The two teens began to square up to each other, saying something inaudible to everyone else, when Mike took the first swing. Gareth stumbled back but quickly recovered, and lunged for him, sending him to the floor.
"Get them up! We can't see!", Shane ordered from the other side of Rick.
Mike managed to knock Gareth off him and stand, his clothes ruffled as he gathered himself. They had just began throwing punches again when a group of teachers appeared and began breaking it up, wrestling the two teens away from each other. Rick could tell Shane was heartbroken and it made him laugh. He watched Michonne stand helplessly to the side while Mike got taken back in the school, her friend Maggie rushing over to her.
Rick jumped down off the wall and walked over to her, shoving over students out the way, "What was that about?"
Her frown only deepened, "A misunderstanding. Again"
He nodded as he watched her, knowing she wasn't know any mood to go into too much detail, "You waiting for him?"
She tore her eyes away from the school entrance and fixed her bag on her shoulder, "Yeah"
"I got practice so I gotta go", Maggie gave her friend a wave as she began to walk off, "I'll call you later"
"Alright, make sure" Michonne waved back. She turned back to Rick, "Later?"
"Yeah, later"
She nodded as she turned back to the school, heading up the steps to the front entrance. He watched her walk away for a moment, before going back over to his friends.
"Let's move!", He called out to them as he passed them, taking a cigarette from behind his ear.
Nothing excited him more about leaving school and driving around causing mischief with his friends. If he could do that for the rest of his life he would die a happy man.
"Who knew if you knew the right people you could get fireworks this time of year"
Rick smirked as he watched Daryl light up the smallest firework and throw it into the distance, causing it to explode in mid-air.
"Gimme that big one"
Daryl handed Shane the largest and heaviest firework and the teen set it alight. Rick was sure the next moment happened in slow motion, as Shane hurled the firework down the car park at the abandoned steel factory, and watched it drop through the sunroof of a car. The firework went off inside, causing the seats to catch fire.
Rick didn't need to be told anything. He jumped back in his car and waited for the others to do the same.
Just as he pulled away, they heard a loud explosion that caused his car to bounce, as well all the cars parked nearby, setting their alarms off. Rick drove out of there as fast as he could, his heart pounding in his chest as adrenaline surged through him.
"We just blew up a car"
It didn't take long for fire engines to go speeding past them as they drove down the street. Rick watched them with glee. The four of them burst into a nervous laughter as he pulled up to a red light. He looked over at the car beside him to see three women sat in a small convertible with the roof down. His eyes scanned the driver.
"Nice car", She winked at him, her blonde hair glistening in the afternoon sun.
He smirked, "Thanks, you wanna see it up close?"
After an eventful afternoon and evening, Rick arrived home and headed straight upstairs. He knew his mother was in her study, and his father was probably asleep so he kicked off his boots and threw his jacket on his desk chair once he got in his room, not feeling the need to see them. He sent a text to Michonne before retrieving a rope ladder from his closet and hung it on the ledge of his window, waiting until he heard it drop before moving away.
He took off his shirt and headed to the bathroom for a quick shower pausing when he heard movement downstairs, then the door to his mother's study closing. He found his parents obsessions with their work always worked in his favour. His mother had been a Judge for almost as long as he'd been alive while his father ran his own food production company and they often brought their work home with them, which meant Rick had free reign to do whatever he wanted.
Once he showered and brushed his teeth to remove any ruminants of that evening's activities, he headed back to his room, where he found Michonne already in his bed, tying her hair up as she prepared to sleep.
"You took a while"
"I did", He threw his towel down and pulled on a pair of pyjama pants. He checked his phone on his desk and saw a text from the girl he met earlier. He cringed and put it back down.
He walked around to the other side of his bed and climbed in, wrapping his arm around her waist and pulling her towards him as he got comfortable, "You set your alarm?"
She nodded, resting her arm on top of his, "My birthday's coming up"
"I know" He closed his eyes and inhaled her scent, "What are you doing for it?"
"Nothing"
"Looks like we're doing nothan' then"
"Alright. Night"
"Night Cha-Cha"
...
Rick watched Michonne climb the rope ladder going back into her room, waiting until he saw her enter her room before he went to get ready for school. They came up with the method years before hand, so she could sneak into his room without her parent's knowledge, and without his mother's knowledge either. Her parents would never allow her to go over to his house, let alone spend the night.
He was still tired from the night before but tried his best to shake it off. He trudged down the stairs and headed straight to the kitchen.
"Saw Michonne going home"
His father was sat at the island reading a newspaper while he ate his toast. He was often the first one up in the household.
"She says hi", Rick grabbed a bowl then took out the milk from the fridge.
"She don't stay over as often anymore"
"She's studying a lot"
His father said nothing. He sat down next to him and ate his breakfast in silence, though his father got along fairly well. He knew Michonne had been staying over in their home and never told his mother or her parents. Rick appreciated him immensely for keeping the secret.
He headed back upstairs to get changed when he finished eating. His phone was already going off as his three friends would often start texting each other as soon as they woke up. He pulled on his black jeans and a black t-shirt, tying his red flannel shirt around his waist once he put his boots on. He grabbed his phone and keys off his desk and went back down stairs.
"Bye dad", He called as he left the house.
"Bye son"
He got in his car, pulled out the driveway and headed up the street, then stopped, allowing Michonne to get in. That was another way they would beat the obstacle that was her parents; she would wait for him at the bottom the street so she wouldn't be seen getting in his car.
He could tell something was bothering from the moment he saw her face.
"What's wrong Cha-Cha?", He started the car up again.
"Nothing", She sighed looking straight ahead with an unreadable expression.
"Why do girls always lie about that? You sit there looking all sad, and when you ask them what's wrong they say nothan' or I'm fine", His face contorted in confusion.
She looked at him, her annoyed expression now very easy for him to read, "Don't do that. Don't generalise"
He raised his eyebrows as it was his turn to sigh, "Fine! Why do some girls do that?"
"I don't know Rick! Stop grouping us all together, I'm me. I only know what I do", She stressed, pointing a finger at her chest.
He glanced at her face, already moving off the topic he started, "You're mad because of Mike?"
"I don't want to talk about him" She sat back in the chair and folder her arms.
He relented, "Alright… you gonna help me with my homework later?"
She shook her head as a small smile broke free, "For what class?"
He shrugged, "Whichever you want"
She finally smiled and it made his heart swell.
"You gonna help me then?"
"Fine, Rick"
He grinned, "Thank you Cha-Cha"
"Stop calling me that at school, too!", She studied the side of his face with serious eyes.
"Sorry! No one knows what it means any way. I haven't told anybody, have you?"
She huffed and sat back in the chair.
"Does he know?", His brow furrowed as his thoughts turned to her boyfriend.
"Of course not", She reassured as she looked back at him.
"Good. He doesn't need to know anythan' about us", He could feel himself getting worked up as he thought about she and Mike's relationship.
"He doesn't okay?"
He glanced over at her again, and gave her a quick nod.
"What did you do yesterday?"
He kept his attention on the road, "The usual"
"...So you played a couple pranks then ended up fucking a girl you-"
"Don't talk like that. I don't like it", He reprimanded as he turned a corner.
She gave a quick roll of her eyes, "Fine. You ended up having sex with some girl you met five minutes before"
"I didn't have sex with her. She just showed me a few talents of hers..."
"Oh really? Let me guess, she could play the piano well?"
He smirked as he gazed out the windshield, "Do I detect a hint of sarcasm from the virgin?"
She smiled as she teased him, leaning over in the passenger seat, "Who said I'm still a virgin?"
He smirk was replaced with a frown, he took a chance to look at her, "What?"
She cackled and nudged his arm, "Calm down alright, I'm kidding"
He continued to frown as he turned back to the road, "Don't joke about that"
"Rick-"
"Don't, Michonne", He warned. He rarely ever used her name, only when he was conveying how serious he was.
She groaned and sat back in the seat, folding her arms.
He kept sneaking glances at her as he drove them to school. He knew she was already annoyed with her boyfriend and he didn't meant to annoy her any further but they often butted heads when it came to their sense of humour and what each considered funny.
When he pulled up after finding a parking spot, he locked the doors before she could attempt to jump out the car. She looked at him, waiting for him to explain himself.
"Don't let him get to you like that", He leaned forward to look at her properly.
"Okay Rick. Can you let me out now?", She tilted her head at him.
He examined her face as unlocked the vehicle. They both got out and walked towards the front of the school building. Rick saw his friends waiting by the wall they usually met up at.
"See you in class", He told her as they went their separate ways.
She nodded and continued walking towards the doors.
"Aye Grimes!", Shane grinned at him as he walked over, "You sleep well last night?"
"Course I did", He smirked.
"Hey guys can we get a move on please? Not all of us can get away with turning up late", Glenn urged as he hopped off the wall.
Rick hated going to his classes. He always struggled to focus and was easily distracted. His teachers wanted to send him to get tested for ADHD when he was young, but his mother refused. She didn't think anything was wrong with him, and chalked It up to boys being boys. He would fidget about so much that Michonne refused to sit next to him in their classes together. He understood because she took her work very seriously.
He survived through most of his lessons up to lunch without ending up falling asleep, and he was proud of himself. He and Shane made it to lunch first and were joined by Daryl and Glenn after, all sitting at their usual table.
"Hey boys!"
Karen, Paula and Jessie appeared smiling with their trays as they joined them. Karen sat down beside him and ran her hands through his hair as she smiled at him. Rick smiled back, his eyes studying her.
"What are you doing later?", She leaned over and whispered in his ear.
"I don't know, what do you have in mind?"
"I say we catch up. It's been awhile don't you think?"
He smirked, his eyes dropping to her chest, "Really? I could have sworn I saw you a few days ago?"
She giggled and flicked her hair over her shoulder, "Well now you can see me again"
"Well I think I…", His eyes darted behind her as he noticed Michonne walk past with Maggie, both deep in conversation, "Hold on Karen, Cha-Cha!"
Her head turned, her eyes scanning around for him, then stopping when she saw him.
"Are you gonna sit with me today? I'm gonna need your help", He pouted at her, his eyes pleading.
"I'll think about it", She turned back to Maggie and continued walking.
He stared after her for a moment, then turned his attentions back to Karen, "Where was I?"
"Why do you call her that?", Karen questioned, her brow furrowing.
Rick looked over to where Michonne had sat with her friends, then back at her, "I would love to tell you that but why don't we talk about you and I instead?"
Once their lunch break was over, Rick and Glenn headed up to their next class together. It took a lot for him to calm his excited lower half after having Karen whisper in his ear throughout lunch.
When he reached the classroom, Michonne was already sat at the back, talking to her friend Sasha, who was at the table in front of hers. Rick grinned as he made his way over to her.
"Thank you"
"Yeah whatever, you don't even have a pen", She shook her head at him as he sat down, facing towards her and not the desk.
"We can make notes together", He pulled her closer to him by her stool.
"Rick!", She hissed as she grabbed his arm.
He tilted his head at her, his eyes flashing with amusement, "We can go over them later"
She winced at him with frustrating, "Then let me focus, okay?"
He smiled as he raised his hands in surrender.
"Alright class, good afternoon, we are going to finish up where we left off from so you're gonna have to take notes as I go through the slides"
Rick was already bored, though he was grateful when the teacher switched off the light. He laid his head down on his arms and watched Michonne as she wrote. He was trying his best not to bother her, which was difficult in itself as he loved bothering her. It had been that way since they were kids.
When the class was over he sat waiting for her to pack away her stuff before they walked out together.
"Later?"
She nodded as she and Sasha went in the opposite direction. He and Glenn headed to their next class, where he fell asleep again.
He wasn't surprised to see Karen waiting with Jessie for him outside the classroom. She had always been keen on him, though he wondered how she and Jessie's friendship worked as Jesse had shown interest a couple times too. He didn't really stop to think about it though, he just slipped his arm over Karen's shoulder and she continued where she left off from lunch.
When they reached the front of the building, they people gathered around, all looking around in anticipation again. Rick went straight over to Shane and Daryl to ask what was going on, but then he saw himself. Mike was there again, waiting with his friends.
"Again?", Rick asked as he took a cigarette from Daryl.
"He got expelled", He informed, "So did Gareth, but they both came back to finish it"
"And I appreciate them both for that", Shane grinned as he crouched on the wall.
Rick jumped up and sat beside him while Karen placed herself between his legs. He wished she wouldn't as he wanted to concentrate on what was about to unfold in front of him. His eyes darted across the sea of faces, looking for Michonne. His brow furrowed when he couldn't see her, but then saw her making her way through the crowds over to Mike. She was saying something to him, but he didn't appear to be listening. She shook her head and began to walk off when he grabbed hold of her arm and pulled her back. Rick sat up straighter as he watched. She pulled her arm from him and walked away.
Rick handed Shane his cigarette and gently pushed Karen out the way to jump down, "I'll be back in a minute"
He shoved his way through the crowd and walked towards the direction he saw Michonne go. She was walking down the street, so he sprinted to catch up with her.
"Hey!", He grabbed on to her arm when he was close enough.
She yanked her arm away from him, "Don't grab me! I'm sick of being grabbed!"
He tilted his head as stood directly in front of her, "Do you realise who your talking to?"
She was frowning, her eyes to the ground, "What do you want Rick?"
"What's the matter with you?", He could hear, what sounded like cheering as the two teens started their battle again, and a small part of him wished he was still there to watch, "Why did he grab you?"
She huffed and looked back towards the school, "Because he's an idiot"
He nodded, unsure of what to say to that, though he whole heartily agreed, "Come on, I'll drive you home"
"No it's okay, I'd rather walk. Clear my head a little"
He stared at her for a moment, before shaking his head, "I'll drop you home"
"Rick just go, I'll be over later okay?", She already began to walk away from him. He didn't want to have to grab her again so he let her go. He kept checking over his shoulder as he walked back to the school, until he couldn't see her anymore.