Characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. "Plays Pretty For Baby" belongs to Anthony Green (I'm not sure which band: Zolof the Rock and Roll Destroyer or Saosin).

Mike Newton

I feel her smooth skin slightly
Brush against the back side of my arm

"Hey Mike," Jessica stood on her toes so her lips could give mine a light press.

Returning the affection, I put my arm around her shoulders. Her strawberry scented perfume felt tingly through my nostrils.

"Hi Jessica," I nodded, too enthusiastically to be genuinely cheerful. Jessica noticed, but she just rolled her eyes and looked away.

I heard her groan in annoyance. Not following her gaze, she nudged me lightly in the arm to point me in the direction.

What I saw made me scowl. Edward Cullen and Isabella Swan. The tall, pale boy had Bella's all too pretty face in his hands, as if it were the finest piece of china. Maybe it was, for Isabella Swan surely was a treasure. Why couldn't I make her blush like that? As if Cullen didn't already have everything in the world. Why did he have to have the prettiest girl in school? Surely he'll just dump her and move on to college women...

For months, I've been mustering up the courage to ask Bella out. But I asked her to the dance; she said no. I asked her to a movie; she said no as well. What is so wrong with saying "yes" to Mike Newton?

"Mike?" Jessica's bubbly voice broke my thoughts.

"Yes?" She was looking at me as if I've missed the whole point. I just gave her a confused expression.

She cleared her throat. "It's time for class."

"Oh." Encircling her waist with my arm, I led us to our classroom. We were quiet on the way, and for that I was thankful. I mean, Jessica Stanley is not known to keeping her mouth shut. I wonder what's on her mind?

I need the song started over
Your crying made me miss my favorite part

How can I be thinking these fantasies?

Here I was, kissing my girlfriend, with her back against the lockers nonetheless, wishing I had another girl in my arms. A certain wide eyed, pale skinned beauty.

I was breathing unevenly, while Jessica kept roughly kissing my neck. I didn't know she was so fierce. I liked it. I only wish it was Bella.

"Mike!" Jessica's sharp voice scolded. What did I do wrong?

She gave me a dirty look. "You're not doing anything! I'm doing all the making out here."

I blinked. Oh, yeah, I was supposed to be kissing my girlfriend.

I immediately pushed her further into the lockers, making her gasp at my forcefulness. I knew she liked it too.

Smashing my lips on to hers, I pretended it was Bella who was between me and the wall. She put her arms around my neck, while I kept my grasp on her hips tightly secure.

Much better, my mind told me. Any minute now, the bell would ring, separating us apart, just like always.

I hear the exclamation point

"Mike, what's going on with you?" Jessica's concern surprised me. Not that she's indifferent, but she's usually so caught up in herself to notice anything that has to do with me.

I gave her my best serious impression. "Nothing, Jessica, why'd you ask?"

She shrugged. "I dunno. You seem so down lately." She flipped the channel to the food network. When she saw what was on, she changed it to something else.

"Hey, Emeril's good," I didn't tell her I liked to watch Emeril because Bella liked that show, but I wasn't lying. I wouldn't do that.

Jessica looked at me sideways, but continued to watch "Material Girls". I guess that will do for the afternoon.

Halfway through the rather dull movie, Jessica leaned down my chest. I felt it rather suffocated me, and I politely told her to "please remove your head from my body, because it's rather uncomfortable." She looked hurt for a moment, but complied.

"Mike?"

"Yes?"

After a pause, she put the TV on mute. "This isn't working."

"What isn't working?" Of course I was perfectly aware of what wasn't working. Our relationship, just like the movie, was boring and pointless. Our breaking up was inevitable.

But that didn't stop me from feeling surprise and shock by what Jessica said. Surely I wasn't that bad of a boyfriend? Didn't she tell me herself, after our first kiss, that I was the best boyfriend to walk in this world?

No. She was probably lying that time. I don't think I'm the best boyfriend in the world.

Jessica, who was still looking at the soundless picture, smiled, as if she knew what I was thinking.

"Me and you," her voice broke for just a moment, showing her vulnerability to emotion. "You know, I see it in your eyes, the way you'd wish there was something more to us. I really like you, Mike, but we can't make this work."

I should have been rejoicing because of my freedom, should have been unaffected at least. But all of a sudden, the only thing I wanted to do was cry in sheer emptiness and despair. My mind was in a crazy fuzz, and all I could do was bite my tongue while Jessica told me of her unhappiness and the want for something greater...

"What?" I asked. I couldn't believe this. "You found someone?"

She was startled by my angry tone, but she cleared her throat and spoke again.

"I haven't found someone," she was trying to be vague, but her excitement on the subject gave her away, "but there is an idea of someone..."

I shook my head. "Why do I feel like I've heard that from one of the chick flicks you made me watch?"

"Ugh!" Her composed face became angry and flustered. "You're so obnoxious! I'm trying to break up with you in a mature way, but I can see that's not going to happen."

Her annoyed face, as if I was being childish, made it easier to walk away from her. I stood up from the couch, grabbed my jacket, and stormed out the Stanley residence.


Her eyes are so there...
They're greener

Miserable.

Here I was, staring at a picture of Jessica and me, taken the day of last year's prom. We looked so—was happy the right word?

I examined it again. I was wearing a pinstriped tux, and she'd been wearing a long, flowing tan dress. We were both holding hands, and her head was tilted toward me, as if trying to reach closer. We looked... awkward.

Groaning internally, I placed the picture back on my desk. This was not how I was supposed to feel. Why did I want to crawl in a corner, only to hug my knees to my chest and blubber like a baby?

I missed Jessica. She was always there—though this fact was at times annoying—so she'd check up on how I was doing, and what exactly I was doing. True, she could get talkative, but her face lights up with the littlest gossip. Making her happy could never be easier.

"Why!" I cried to my window, overlooking... well, some trees.

Lay back
The song is almost over
I tried to hear you out but I dozed off

The next day was absolutely heart wrenching.

Who was I to know that Jessica was still crushing on Edward Cullen?

"Jessica," I confronted her after school, "What the hell? You're trying to get with Cullen?"

Her hushed tone took me by surprise. "There's no point in trying now. He's practically married to Bella."

"Wha—" I saw her face, and immediately choked back my response. Jessica, realizing what happened, made a move to turn away.

I took her arm gently. "Hey, hey," my voice was gentle, a sound I reserved for my close friends. "Why're you crying? What happened?"

When she looked at me in disbelief, I smacked my forehead. Of course I knew what happened: Cullen rejected Jessica for the millionth time.

Jessica looked so hurt. Usually, nothing really gets to her. She'd joke about everything that bothered her. Where was that Jessica? Where was my Jessica?

Thinking it chivalrous, I tried keeping the mood light. "Well, there goes my chance with Bella." It wasn't hard putting on a fake sad tone, because I realized how true my statement was.

She laughed bitterly. "I know what you're trying to do, Mike," then she smiled. "You're trying to make me feel better. Though it won't work, I appreciate it."

"I'm just trying to be a good friend," I admitted.

We both heard a low hum of a car's engine. Cullen's Volvo was leaving the school, giving Bella a ride to school no doubt.

"Wanna get outta here?" Jessica motioned for me to go to her car.

"With you?" Was she saying what I think she's saying? I followed her, though I had a feeling she was kidding.

She rolled her eyes and opened the car. "Of course with me, silly." Then her tone changed to wariness. "Unless you don't want to."

I got into the passenger seat. "No, no. I want to."

After turning her ignition, she leaned on me and gave me a kiss.

"Good," she said, and sped away.

I need the song started over
Your crying made me miss my favorite part

"So, what'll it be?" Jessica lazily asked, crossing and uncrossing our fingers together.

"I dunno," I couldn't believe we were back to this. "Emeril?"

"Mike," she gave me a pointed look, and I backed down.

Sighing, I took her shoulders and kissed her fully. She responded eagerly, sitting on my lap and putting her arms around my neck. Though it was quite uncomfortable, what with the added weight and the human noose, I enjoyed every single minute of out kissing session.

Her lips were demanding, and it felt like she was devouring me whole. It actually felt like she wanted this.

When we pulled away, breaths ragged, I smiled.

"Oh, look at the time," she glanced at the clock: eight in the evening. "Maybe you should go."

She had a glazed look in her eyes. They looked... guilty? What would she feel guilty about?

Rachael, it's times like this I wonder

We were standing, she and I. We were standing in the pouring rain, facing each other. Not doing anything, just staring into each other's eyes, hoping that alone would keep us warm. But it didn't. It only sent my body into paroxysms of coughs.

"Is this your idea of romantic?" I finally asked, when the splats of water against my head were getting too monotonous for my ears.

She shrugged, as if she wasn't standing in the freezing wet, drenched from head to toe. "Ever heard of a kiss in the rain?"

"To be honest? No." Who wants to kiss while he's sneezing and possibly getting pneumonia?

"Grr!" Jessica stomped her foot on the pavement, creating a splash. "Just shut up and kiss me!"

So I did what the other guy from the movie did: I picked her up, letting her legs go around my waist, and let her weight put the pressure on our mouths.

The kiss was mind blowing. The way she tilted her head, so our lips could completely meet at every point, every curve, was amazing. It was one of the sexiest things I've ever done.

But why did I start thinking of Bella again?

Even when Jessica's hands were on my face, caressing them lovingly, I wished she was Bella.

This made me angry at myself. I kissed Jessica again, with more force than necessary, causing her to moan. In pleasure or in pain, I didn't ask.

Finding this situation useless in averting my mind from Bella, I carried Jessica inside. How does one get Bella Swan out of his head?

You're eyes are so there...
They're meaner

On our way to English, Jessica and I spotted them. Edward Cullen and Bella Swan. I put my arm around her waist firmly, just like he did to her. Jessica sighed.

"This is never going to stop, is it?" Her voice was lifeless, no hope at all. Did she mean Cullen and Bella's relationship? Her fixation on him? Mine on her?

There were many things that could go with her declaration, but I didn't ask further. Whatever she was referring to, I knew it only mean one thing: we were stuck together.

"Just face it, Jess," I said. We were looking at the couple with longing, wishing the world would tilt its axis and give us our wants.