The Note (Chapter 2)

Two weeks have passed and Michonne and Rick are still exchanging glances and smiles whenever they see each other. Maggie reminds her that it is around the time he and Lori normally make up and pick up right where they left off. She considers her friend's words and silently hopes that doesn't happen.

It's another game night and the buzzer on the scoreboard is going off as the last quarter of the game ends. The team had to work extra hard for this win so the players are celebrating albeit tiredly. Everyone still has plans to get together later on. Only this time, they will have a bonfire out on Maggie's farm. Her dad is out of town for the weekend and her older brother Shawn has been left in charge. He was a jock himself when he was in high school, so he welcomes the team and the cheerleaders for a night of loud music and drinking.

The bonfire commences without a hitch. Not only did the football team and cheerleaders show up but members of the band and pep squad joined in as well. The farm is a bevy of activity as so many are drinking by the bonfire, some are running around chasing each other, some are seated near the vehicles, others are close by the speakers where Shawn and a couple of his friends have the music blasting and some are in a small cluster, smoking.

Sasha, Michonne, and Maggie sit on bales of hay and drink coca colas no matter how tempted they are to try something alcoholic. Sasha elbows Michonne in the side and points discreetly towards some trees by the fence. Rick is standing there with Lori who looks very angry. Michonne can't make out what they are saying but Lori seems to be the only one talking. The conversation ends abruptly as Lori shoves Rick and slaps him across the face.

Michonne watches as he drops his head and walks away. Sasha and Maggie watch their friend as her eyes follow Rick. He disappears close by the barn and Michonne hands off her drink to Maggie deciding to check on him. She glances in Lori's direction and sees her crying on Mike's shoulder.

The barn is old and devoid of any livestock as the Greenes had a new barn built a year or so ago. She looks around the creepy dark place and wonders where Rick got off to. Unbeknownst to her, he is standing in the doorway of the barn loft, watching her. She was just about to walk off and return to her friends when she hears, "Hey."

She turns around and looks up. She can barely make him out in the darkness but checks her surroundings before disappearing inside the barn and making her way up the ladder to the loft. She finds him sitting in the open doorway, looking out over the Greenes' expansive land. She sits down beside him, keeping her distance.

"Are you ok?" She asks quietly.

He takes a deep breath and releases it. "I'll be alright. I'm just tired of….stuff like that happening all the time."

She frowns as she tries to make out whether or not Lori's slap left a mark on his cheek. She wants to ask him what happened but doesn't want to press or appear nosy so she just sits quietly. The silence grows and becomes a bit awkward so they both start talking at the same time, then laugh.

"What were you gonna say?" He asks.

"Just that I didn't get to congratulate you on the field tonight. It was another good game," she answers.

"Yeah I hope we get to state again. That would be a nice end to my high school career," he supplies.

"What are your plans after graduation?"

"Dad wants me to spend the summer working at the bank and then I'll start at GSU," he informs.

"You know your major yet?"

"Criminal Justice."

"Really? I'm thinking Political Science with a minor in Criminal Justice," she states.

He scoffs. "Why am I not surprised? You're always together aren't you?"

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"It's a compliment. Believe me." He looks over at her, finding her eyes in the dark. "Thanks for checking on me. I appreciate it."

"That's what friends do right? I thought we'd be joined by a few others by now but I guess not."

"They've seen it all before. She gets like that when she doesn't get her way," he explains.

"What does she want?"

"Me."

Michonne's eyes pop with that answer and she wonders if he is going to give in this time and give Lori what she wants. "Well, what do you want? Shouldn't that matter?"

You. He admits to himself silently. Out loud, he says, "Yes. It does matter."

She gasps when she feels the warmth of his hand next to hers. She looks over to see that he has inched closer which only sends her heart into overdrive. The clouds shift and reveal the moon high in the sky. Its luminance making them more apparent to each other.

Rick swallows nervously as he admires her profile, caressing her smooth looking skin with his eyes, knowing that one kiss from her would make all the bad stuff from tonight go away. He leans over and kisses her cheek softly.

She smiles shyly as she closes her eyes, almost like she is relishing the feel of his lips against her. She opens her eyes and turns toward him. They search each other's faces and lean in slowly. Before they connect, they hear a loud yelp followed by these words,

"RICK AND MICHONNE ARE DOING IT IN THE BARN!"

She gasps and jerks back, searching the ground to see who could have shouted those words. Of course whoever it was has run off, probably to spread that vicious lie. "Oh no."

Rick drops his head, wondering at the ignorance of some of their school mates. "Hey. It's ok. We know nothing happened and that's what matters."

She can only nod as she knows that's all they have to cling to but it would not help as the gossip spread and served to tarnish her reputation. Now all she can think about is how to get out of there without facing the others. That is easier said than done as a crowd starts to gather near the barn. They both cringe but Rick offers her his hand and they both lift to a stand.

"There's nothing to see here. We're both fully clothed," Rick shouts.

Michonne can sense his aggravation as they make their way down amongst catcalls, whispers, and questions. A few of their peers have had too much to drink and start making crude remarks. That only incites Rick to start shoving guys and Michonne is afraid a fight will start.

Luckily, Tyreese and Shane were close by. They grab Rick before anything drastic could take place. Maggie and Sasha flank Michonne and they make their way to Tyreese's car.

Rick calms down enough to seek out Michonne and makes his way to her. "Hey. Can I….I'd like to see you home. Can I give you a ride?"

She thinks about refusing him but realizes none of this is his fault and they know the truth so the gossip shouldn't matter. She nods and allows him to lead her away as she turns to wave to her friends.

Andrea looks around anxiously for Lori, wondering where her friend is and why she wasn't around to handle this. She notes that her car is gone and surmises that Lori was so upset about her argument with Rick that she left the party early.

Lori was upset alright. So upset that she is in the back seat of her car making out with Mike. She wrestles with the decision of what to do….go back to the party and try to talk to Rick again or just have some more fun with Mike. The latter wins as he grabs her ass and squeezes tightly. All she can think about is the fact that Rick didn't want her back. She could have any guy she wanted. She didn't need Rick Grimes. With that last thought, she starts unbuttoning her blouse.

XXXXXXXXXX

Rick pulls up to Michonne's house. He looks over at her and says, "Well I got you home safely."

"Yes you did."

He kills the engine and exits the vehicle to open her door. They walk to her front door together.

"I'm sorry tonight wasn't the best night for you," she offers.

"I'm sorry for what that idiot said at the barn. I hope you won't let it bother you. Other than that, tonight was good coz I….I got to spend time with you," he returns.

She hopes he can't see her blushing in the dark. "I had a nice time too." She leans in and kisses him softly on the cheek. "Good night Rick."

"Hey. Do you mind giving me your cell number? I'd like to call you sometime if that's ok."

"It's fine." They quickly exchange numbers before she retrieves her house key and inserts it in the door.

"Good night. I'll give you a call tomorrow," he tells her. He watches as she nods and enters her house. Once the door is closed, he makes his way back to his truck with a wide smile.

The next day, Lori sits in her car outside of Rick's house. She couldn't believe all the missed calls and text messages she got the night before. She finally tracked down Andrea and got everything from her best friend about Rick and Michonne having sex in the barn. She didn't reveal her true feelings to Andrea, but she just refused to believe that little Miss Goody Two Shoes Michonne gave it up to Rick. Hence she is outside of his house, mustering up the courage to face him and ask him for the truth. If that actually happened between them, then she'd know for sure that she has finally lost him.

She exits her car slowly and makes her way to the front door just as it opened and Rick was coming out. His eyes pop with surprise when he sees her. "Hey."

She returns the greeting, wondering where he was heading off to. "Can we talk?"

Rick leaves the front door slightly ajar and gives her a nod.

"I'm really sorry about last night. I hope you can forgive me. You know how I get sometimes. I guess….I just overreacted."

"It's over with Lori. Let's just forget about it," he states.

She tries not to panic hearing those words. "Are we going to forget everything? Even us?" She swallows nervously, hoping he has seen the error in his decision.

"I told you how I felt. I'm tired of the games you play, the fights. I don't want that anymore so I'm moving on. You should too."

She huffs as she tries to rein in her anger. "So it's true then? You had sex with Michonne?"

Rick drops his head, trying not to be too upset that the rumor had spread. He had to turn his cell phone off just to get some sleep last night. "Don't believe everything you hear."

She gives a small smile. "So I was right. She's not putting out, is she?" She steps to him seductively, putting a hand on his chest. "She wouldn't know what to do with you anyway." Her hand starts to drop lower and she smiles wider as Rick grabs her hand to stop her. "You're going to miss me, Rick. I know you will."

"It's over, Lori. Stop embarrassing yourself."

She sputters with disbelief. "Embarrassing myself?! I think that goes to you! Chasing after a fucking sophomore! What does that little bitch have that I don't?!"

The front door is snatched open and Rick's mother stands there with a harsh frown on her face, satisfied as the two teens jump with her presence. "Lori Petersen! I know you are not standing at my front door shouting profanity at my son. What has gotten into you girl?"

Rick drops his eyes to the ground and Lori gasps as Ms. Gladys stands with her hands on her hip, awaiting an answer.

"I'm so sorry, Ms. Gladys. I didn't mean….I shouldn't have….I was angry and….I'm sorry."

"I've a mind to call your mother about this. Now I don't profess to know what's going on between you two but I will not tolerate this behavior. You best go on home now."

Lori apologizes again before she walks away, gets into her car and drives off.

Ms. Gladys looks to Rick. "I was wondering what was taking you so long getting the mail and I come to the door to hear her talking like that. What is going on Rick? Are you two on the outs again?"

He sighs thoughtfully, wondering if he should tell his mom everything. "We broke up and it's for good this time Mom."

She watches curiously as he makes his way to the mailbox and retrieves several letters. She knows her son well and from the way he spoke she is more than sure that he is completely done with Lori Petersen.

Rick makes his way up to his room and checks his phone. He bypasses the missed calls, the texts and pulls up Michonne's number. He takes a deep breath, releases it and dials. He smiles as she picks up on the second ring. He greets her before asking what she was doing. His entire purpose for calling was to see if he could come over for a visit, but he can't bring himself to ask. They carry on a ten minute conversation before his mom appears at his bedroom door. He ends his call and sighs as his mom tells him that Shane and Tyreese are downstairs.

XXXXXXXXXX

Michonne is seated in her room, wanting to watch the latest episode of her favorite show, but knowing she should study for her History test. She sighs heavily before grabbing her back pack and retrieving her textbook. She was glad for the quiet time on this bright Sunday afternoon. She spent most of yesterday with Sasha and Maggie, hearing all the different versions of the rumor floating around about her and Rick. She thought she'd be more upset but she is truly not bothered by what their peers are saying. As Rick had told her, they knew the truth and that was all that mattered.

She jumps when she hears her mother shout her name. She frowns, wondering what she could possibly want. She did her chores on yesterday so she wouldn't be bothered with any of that today. She puts her book aside and makes her way downstairs, almost missing the last step as she sees Rick standing by the front door talking with her mother.

The latter looks to her with a smile. "You have a visitor, young lady."

Before she can even form a coherent word, her father steps into the foyer and asks, "A visitor?"

"Hi, sir. I'm Rick….Rick Grimes."

Michonne's father, Walter, looks Rick up and down. "As in high school football captain Rick Grimes?"

"Yes sir."

Walter nods. "Your dad's president at the bank, right? Arthur Grimes?"

"Yes….yes, sir."

Walter looks to Mae, Michonne's mother, and then to his daughter. "So you two are friends or something?"

"Dad…."

"I'm just asking, but never mind me. You kids gonna watch TV?" He wants them close by so he can keep an eye on them.

"That's a good idea. Michonne, aren't you going to offer some refreshments to your guest?" Ms. Mae smiles. "Rick would you like to join us for dinner?"

"Thank you ma'am, but no. My mom's expecting me for dinner in a couple of hours," he answers.

Michonne looks to Rick nervously. "Would you….like something to drink?"

"Thank you but I'm fine."

Michonne takes a deep, calming breath before she leads Rick into their living area. Once seated, she powers on the TV. Her parents move towards the kitchen so she looks to Rick and asks quietly, "What are you doing?"

"I….I just wanted to see you. Was it rude to come unannounced?"

She giggles at his question, finding his slight insecurity about manners delightful. "No, it wasn't rude."

"Honestly, I didn't want you to tell me no."

"Why do you think I'd say no?"

"I don't know. Sometimes I don't think you believe I'm serious about you. I thought meeting your parents might change that," he admits. He wonders if her heart is racing like his as he looks into her soulful brown eyes.

Well you're off to a good start. Should I meet your parents? Do I want to be serious about you? She takes a look at him and realizes she does want something with him. She has always wanted something with him. She just thought of him as one those unattainable guys. Now he's sitting in her house, telling her he wants her to take him seriously and she wants more than anything to believe him.

"I….I think you're serious about me," she offers.

"Good. Would you….like to go out….on a date?"

She gives him a slight smile. "Sure. To the movies or the game park?"

"I was thinking something a little more special than that." He gives himself two beats and asks, "Would you be my date for the Homecoming Dance?"

"Our first date is gonna be the Homecoming Dance?" She asks as her heart hammers in her chest.

First date? Does that mean we'll have another? "We don't have to. I just thought…." He trails off as she lifts her hand.

"It's fine, Rick. I'll be your date for the Homecoming Dance."

XXXXXXXXXX

Monday arrives and Michonne is dreading what she will encounter at school. She walks to the lockers with Maggie and Sasha and sure enough there are eyes on her. Eyes that probably never bothered with paying any attention to her before. She holds her head high as she makes her way to her locker and retrieves what she will need for her 1st period.

She looks around, seeking out Rick. Her eyes connect with his and they both smile. The rumors are swirling and he doesn't intend to make anything worse than it already is. That makes him second guess himself and what he'd like to do. The latter wins out as he makes his way to her side, greeting her and her friends before asking if he can walk her to class.

"Won't that make you late?" She asks.

"Not at all. You ready?" She tells Maggie and Sasha she will see them later and walks off with Rick.

Half the day is done and they are making their way to the cafeteria for lunch.

Sasha makes a beeline for Michonne and asks, "Have you heard about the votes for Homecoming Court?"

"No what about them?"

"Looks like you're leading by a huge margin for our class. Now why do you suppose that is?" She gives her friend a pointed look.

"I guess being friends with the football captain has its perks," Michonne says jokingly.

"Friends huh?" Sasha notices as Rick walks up behind Michonne and asks her to join him for lunch. She smiles as he greets her and tells her she is welcome to join them. She watches as they walk towards the salad bar and thinks, friends my ass.