Chapter 10:

Rick threw the first firework in the air and watched it go off with some level of glee. He was angry, to say the least, and needed to take it out on something, and poorly made, dangerous explosions seemed to do the trick.

"Look who it is"

Rick's eyes came off the firework Shane had thrown and on to the driveway, where a familiar looking car pulled up. He frowned at first, then smirked when he saw who came out.

"Can we help you?"

Mike snarled at Rick as two of his friends joined him, slowly walking up to them, "What's it to you?"

Rick gave a nonchalant little shrug, "This our party so, I need to see invitations"

Mike's head jerked back, "This is your party?"

"It is"

"Aye Rick, let em go on inside", Shane appeared at his side, with a hand on his shoulder.

Rick raised an eyebrow at Shane.

"Go on in and enjoy yourselves gentleman"

Mike looked at Shane strangely, before back at his two friends who both gave him confusing looks back, "We won't stick around long. Just came to check it out"

"That's fine. Knock yourselves out"

Mike glared at Rick as he walked past him, heading straight up to the cabin. Rick looked at Shane again, who was watching the three teens walk inside the cabin. Rick's eyes dropped to what was in Shane's hands, and he an excitement fired through him as he realized what his friend had planned.

"Do it"

Rick handed Shane the lighter, and watched him set alight the large firework, before running over to Mike's car and throwing it in the open back window.

"Fire in the whole! Move!"

As the four boys knew what to expect, they all moved clear out the way, while over students panicked and moved back as Mike's car seats began to catch alight. Just as Rick expected, the firework went off in the car, sending black smoke pouring out of it, before finally a large explosion, causing the windows to break and nearby cars to bounce. He smiled from behind his own car as he watched it burn.

The teens around it all cheered and laughed as they watched, with a few gasps ringing out. Rick knew from previous times, that either the police would be there soon enough, so he had intentions to leave as soon as possible, but he needed to see Mike's reaction first.

He looked towards the front of the cabin where everyone that was inside, came spewing out, all with wide eyes as they looked at the burning car. He wondered where Michonne was, but not for too long as she and Sasha appeared, just as shocked as everyone else.

Sasha said something to Michonne, who in turn shook her head, causing Sasha to nod, before coming over to them. Rick didn't need to know what was said.

"What the hell? Whose car was that?", She asked with wide eyes.

"Don't know", Shane shrugged, "Never seen it before in my life"

Rick gave a small smirk and shook his head, "Let's get out of here before police show up"

"Alright", Shane sat up off his car and walked around to the driver's side.

"Uh… what about?...", Sasha's tilted her head in the direction of the cabin.

Rick looked over at Michonne, who was looking at the blaze, just as Mike pushed through the crowd, his eyes wide and his jaw hanging.

Sasha quickly ran through the crowd and over to Michonne. Rick divided his attention between an angry Mike and the two girls talking on the porch. He realised the other male would be over to blame him in any moment, and he was in the mood to happily welcome the fight.

When he looked back at Michonne and Sasha, Michonne was no longer there and Sasha was making her way back over to them, the same time Mike was.

"You!", Mike barked as he stomped towards him.

"Yeah, hold on a second!", Rick called as he turned his attentions to Sasha, "What happened?"

Sasha quickly looked back at Mike, then Rick, "She's staying. I'm staying with her"

"What-"

Rick pushed Sasha out the way just as Mike made a lunge for him, knocking him to the ground. Rick truly hated him in that moment for punching him right on the same bruise he gave him just days before.

"Hey, over here!", Shane shoved Mike off Rick, grinning at him as he pulled off his T-shirt. "I'm the one you want"

Mike's eyes flashed with anger as he jumped up off the floor and tackled Shane. Rick watched the two scuffle as he stepped over to Sasha.

"What do you mean she's staying here?", He asked as he glanced over at her, shouting over the crowd that now circled the two vehicles.

Sasha looked back and forth between the fight and Rick, "She said she's staying so I'm staying with her"

Rick groaned as he all but dragged his hands over his face as he watched the fight.

"Y'all go, I'll call my brother to pick us up", Daryl insisted, his eyes locked on Shane and Mike.

Rick turned to him, thinking over the idea. He knew she was probably just as mad as him and wanted to calm down, so he sighed and nodded in agreement, "Alright"

He stomped over to Shane and Mike and pulled Shane off him, and pushing him in the direction of his car. Glenn jumped over Mike to get in Shane's car, where Jessie pushed a drunk Paula in to the back seat, while Rick went over to his own, just as Karen got in the passenger seat.

He hooked his horn so students would move out the way, before driving off, checking in his rear view mirror as he did.

"That was crazy!", Karen giggled as she looked out the back window.

Rick didn't say anything back, he just kept driving. His mind was racing, so many thoughts pulsed through his head that he didn't have a chance to focus on her words. He just knew he was angry and upset and he didn't know what to do with himself.

….

"What's wrong?"

Rick sat up from Karen's bed and ran his fingers through his hair. He threw the unopened condom back on the nightstand and sighed.

"Is there a problem or…"

He frowned into her dimly lit room. He gazed around it questioning why he was there in the first place. He shook his head as he stood up and grabbed his jeans.

"Rick, what's going-"

"I can't do this", He huffed as he pulled them on, his eyes up at the ceiling.

"Well can you tell me why? You never had a problem before?"

"Because I didn't care before", He grunted as he grabbed his t-shirt.

He stopped when he saw Karen's mouth agape as she sat on her bed, her sheets up over her chest.

He sighed and shifted his stance, shoving his feet in his boots, "Look, I'm sorry if that sounded harsh, but it's true… I've been an asshole. A really big asshole. And I'm sorry because you like me in a way that I don't like you, and I shouldn't have had sex with you at all. That was… a poor choice on my behalf"

She sat there staring at him, dumbstruck.

He yanked his t-shirt over his head and huffed, "Once again. Sorry"

He looked around for a moment, before nodding and walking out the room. He didn't feel it necessary to stick around any longer as he had already been there too long. He checked the time on his phone around so he snuck out her house. It was almost sunrise, and they had been driving around all night, so his body was beginning to feel it.

He wondered if Michonne was already home. He hoped she was, and he hoped she wasn't still angry. He groaned as he drove home, his body tense, mainly with anticipation, as he felt like he couldn't get their fast enough and with tiredness.

When he reached his driveway, he saw Michonne's father leaving their house. Rick automatically went in defence mode as he exited the car. He watched the older man as he looked over at Rick. Rick couldn't help but ponder why the man always left so early in the morning. He didn't even know if Michonne knew why either, but weekends he was up and out at the crack of dawn. Rick sent him one last glare before entering his own home.

The house was quiet as he expected. He virtually tip toed up the stairs, heading to his room first. He released another strained groan as he saw Rocky sat on his desk chair, with a few new scratches on the arm. He kicked off his boots and pulled his t-shirt off, chucking it on his bed as he ran his hand over his face. He left his room and went down to the guestroom, figuring that if Michonne wasn't in his bed then she'd be in that one.

He figured right, as he gently opened the door and saw a lump under that he covers. He stepped in and almost closed the door, when Rocky quickly snuck in. He was beginning to see why the kitten reminded Michonne of him, as she too was just as much of a pain as him.

"Hey", He didn't know where he was touching her as he rocked the covers to wake her.

She released a little moan as she rolled on to her back, her eyes tiny slits, "What?"

"I need to talk to you"

She looked over at the nightstand, lifting her head slightly to look at her alarm clock. She sighed and laid back, "It's too early, wait until later-"

"I know I should, but I can't because if I do I might talk myself out of this" If he wasn't so tired, he was sure his eyes would pleaded with her, "I need to say this now, and you can just lay there and listen"

She pulled the comforter down a little to look at him, looking as tired as he felt.

"When we stopped hanging out all those years ago, thangs changed for me. I couldn't work out what it was cause I was a kid, but I didn't miss you the way you'd miss a friend… I knew that much" He rubbed the back of his head as he poured his heart out, "It all just got… different. You started sleeping over and I was happy, we didn't get a chance to see each other in the day so I loved that you'd come over and we'd stay up talking all night to make up for it… but when you got your first boyfriend I realized what it was that was different… I realized what changed, and I was confused, and I thought all this time… Sleeping around just made it easier in a weird way…"

She sat up in the bed, her eyes still slits, and her hair in a messy pony tail.

"I guess, what I really felt just seeped his way out in other ways… I don't know, but I just tried to hide how I felt behind us being best friends…" He turned to face her, but kept his eyes everywhere else as he was nervous, "Now that you're not with you parents… I just feel like it's my job to protect you now, and I don't want anyone else to hurt you, but I realized I can't keep you locked up to myself… I think that would make you hate me and I don't want that because I love you"

Her eyes opened up a fraction.

He sighed as he found the courage to look at her, "I've been a punk. I know I have and I'm sorry. You're more than capable of looking after yourself and I don't need you with my every second of the day to make sure you're safe-"

Rick sat stunned, his apology cut short, his eyes wide as he looked at Michonne's eyelashes. It took him a moment to gather himself as she kissed him, but when he did, he didn't hold back. He held her waist as he pulled her to him, enjoying the way she tasted and how soft her lips were. He wanted to pinch himself, he had never felt this excited kissing someone, though he cursed his lower half for rising to the occasion so quickly. She re-positioned herself to straddle his lap, and as tempting as it was, he held her away from his crutch.

"Wait, wait, wait", The words left his mouth strained.

She pulled back confused, her eyes darted all over his face, "What?"

"As much as I'm enjoying this, and believe me I am… I need a shower, and rest because if we're gonna kiss like this then I wanna be clean with lots of energy"

She smiled and all felt right in his world, "Fair enough"

"How'd you feel about what I said? I mean you obviously liked it…", He raised an eyebrow about the her.

She gave a quiet chuckle, "I did like it. A lot"

"So… I mean", He looked up at the ceiling and sighed, "You feel the same way? Do you? And not because I just said all that?"

"I think it makes sense. A lot of sense. And I hold my relationship with you above everything else" She brushed his hair from his face, "I think when you started talking about what changed, it all just clicked into place… But we don't need to be tied together at the hip"

He sighed, "I know… I need to leave you alone sometimes… and you need to leave me alone sometimes…"

Her eyebrows shot up.

"Don't do that, you can be clingy too. Especially at night"

"Stop it"

"You are. Whenever I try to move you come over, pushing up on me to hold you"

She stared at him.

"I wouldn't mind if you weren't always so damn hot in the night. It's like sleeping next to an open flame"

The smile she tried to suppress was dying to make an appearance.

"It's not even like you sweat, you're just hot like a radiator or somethan'" He grinned.

She finally smiled as she shook her head and he pulled her to him, thankful that he could finally kiss her when she smiled. His mind raced as he slipped his tongue in her mouth, his eyes rolling back beneath his lids as her tongue danced with his. He was almost lost in the moment, when he felt a familiar throbbing.

"Alright alright", He broke the kiss and lifted her off his lap into her bed, "Go to sleep. I need a shower"

She frowned at him, "In here?"

He stood as he nodded, "Yep. You can have a whole morning to yourself"

"Oh…"

His face fell as he looked at her, "What do you mean 'Oh'? That's a good thing right? I thought we were giving each other space?"

"Yeah… but not sleeping… I meant like in the day time…"

He tilted his head at her and sighed as he opened the door, "Come on"

She climbed out the bed with a smile on her face, and was about to step out when she stopped, turned around and grabbed Rocky, before walking out the room. Rick shook his head, though he couldn't deny how happy he was.

...

"It's two in the afternoon! Get up!"

Rick groaned as he buried his face in Michonne's neck, trying his best to ignore the banging on his bedroom door.

"Alright!", He called out tiredly.

"Good!"

Rick missed the days where his mother didn't care if he was sleeping or dead. He wanted to inhale Michonne's sweet smelling hair, and lay wrapped around her.

"We need to get up"

"I don't want to", He mumbled against her skin.

"I know, neither do I but we have to" She stroked his arm.

He lifted his head as he rolled her on to her back, "I just wanna lie here and kiss you for while"

"Your mom might come back with a sledgehammer and take the door down"

"Let her" He whispered as he leaned down and pressed his lips against hers.

He'd never knew he could enjoy kissing so much, and he had kissed more girls than he would care to admit. He'd kiss her until his lips were numb if they didn't have to get up.

All was going well until she took his bottom lip between her teeth and the urge to move between her legs became too great.

"We need to stop. The rest of my body's waking up", He whispered against her mouth.

She giggled, "Oh, sorry"

He resumed his original position, looking down at her, "I can't believe I'm asking this… but what does this mean?"

She chuckled at him, while he gave her a very unimpressed look, "Oh, how the tables have turned-"

"Answer me"

"What do you usually say to the girls that ask you that? It's not you, it's me?"

"I have never said that in my life"

She smiled at him as she brushed her fingers through his hair, "Well I have your number so I'll call you-"

He quickly used his free hand to tickle her waist, "You wanna play games?"

She giggled as she grabbed his hand, "Fine, fine, fine. I'll stop… So what does this mean… I think it means I'm your first girlfriend?"

He bit his lip as he studied her face, "My first girlfriend… you're my first girlfriend"

"I am…You like the sound of that?"

"I love it"

She reached up and traced her thumb over his jaw, careful not to put any pressure on his bruise, "Who blew up his car?"

Rick frowned for a moment, then his eyes flew open as he remembered what she was talking about, "Shit. Shane did"

Michonne sighed as she looked up at him.

"I'm gonna talk to Shane"

She shook her head as she sat up, "You should probably talk to your mom about it"

He snorted, "Nah. I'll handle it"

She looked back at him, "You don't think she could help sort it all out?"

He shook his head, not even thinking about it.

"She might surprise you. She seems pretty understanding… and you know, she's a judge"

He watched her for a moment, then sat up with a huff, "I'll think about it"

"Alright"