+++Chapter 9+++
~I don't want the world to see me
'cause I don't think they'd understand
when everything's made to be broken,
I just want you to know who I am. ~
. . .
Victoria sat on a smooth couch in the student lounge of the high school. It was a break between classes. Her next one was supposed to be in less than ten minutes, but she had barely made it through her last one. She couldn't concentrate and her head had been spinning. Since she'd sat down, the spinning had stopped. She'd just have to skip her next class, because she couldn't be passing out. The early bell rang signaling 5 minutes until the next class.
Michael sat in Lit class about 10 minutes after the bell rang, not really paying attention to what the teacher rambled on about. He looked over to the other side of the room where an empty desk sat. That's where Victoria always sat. She hadn't come into class today, yet he was sure he'd seen her as he passed the lounge a short while ago. She wasn't easy to overlook. Michael raised his hand.
"Yes, Mr. Guerin?" Mrs. Danielson stopped talking.
"Can I have a pass?" -Michael.
"Yes, Mr. Guerin. I may as well give you one, since you'd leave the class anyway," Mrs. Danielson, the teacher, replied.
Michael grabbed his books, stood up, and left the room. School sucked. He'd been doing better at attending and his grades this year so he could graduate, but still it sucked. Lit class was secretly his favorite, though. He wouldn't dare tell anyone that, but anyway it was just too unbearably boring today. Before he was consciously aware of what he was doing, he was walking towards the student lounge. Michael noticed her immediately, wearing a little baby blue fitted designer suit, with her very long hair loose as usual. She was sitting leaned back on the couch, very still. When he got closer, he saw her eyes were closed.
Feeling a presence, Victoria opened her eyes to see Michael Guerin standing above her, his tall form clothed in somewhat baggy jeans and a short- sleeved white and brown striped button-down shirt.
"What's wrong?" -Michael.
"nothing." -Victoria.
"Why weren't you in class?" -Michael.
"Why aren't you?" -Victoria.
"I was, actually looking for you." Michael said, surprised when the truth came out of his mouth.
"Oh." She said as she turned slowly and dug in her purse which she had pulled out of her backpack. She found what she was looking for and held it out to him. "Here. I almost forgot."
Michael took what she held out. It was money. He looked at it dumbly, as it lay in his hands. "What's this."
"What I owe you." Victoria replied.
"But I gave you 30 bucks for the cab. This is $500!" -Michael.
Victoria shrugs. "I know."
"I can't accept this!" -Michael.
"Why not? Money means nothing to me. And you helped me." -Victoria.
"I didn't do it for money! And I won't accept this. It's crazy!" -Michael.
"What? Why?" -Victoria.
He thought to himself, Guerin, you're crazy. It's $500, probably more than you get paid in 2 weeks at work. But he, Michael Guerin, had done something unselfish for someone and he'd been given this money in payment for it. It made it cheap or something.
"I saved your ass 'cause you needed help. I don't want your damn money." He throws the money on her lap and starts to stride away.
"Wait. I'm sorry." -Victoria.
"Whatever, see you later." -Michael.
"Come back." -Victoria.
He was almost out the door when he heard that. He froze for a moment, but then he did go back almost as if he didn't have a will of his own. He walks over and sits on the couch next to her, with a sigh, and then looks at her.
"I don't understand, but I didn't mean to offend you." -Victoria.
He looks at her, realizing she didn't understand. But he also saw that she hadn't meant anything offensive or ungrateful by trying to give him the money.
"Yeah, well it's just- I don't do things for people very often, especially not in an unselfish way. Being paid for it would have made it wrong, I think." -Michael.
She looks at him a long moment, almost understanding now. But she was surprised. She just said, "My hero."
Michael didn't know whether to laugh, take offense -or something else.. when she said that. He couldn't tell whether she was being sarcastic or not, so he didn't comment. He noticed she looked strange still, only in so much that she looked sick or something. Well she was still.. beautiful.. had to think to himself, but she did look tired or sick.
"Are you going back to class?" -Victoria.
"Nah, I don't think so." -Michael. Still studying her, he asked, "Are you sick?"
"No. ..yes, sort of." She admitted reluctantly.
"Wanna go to the nurse's station and get some aspirin or something?" He asked her.
"I don't think that would help." She almost laughed.
Michael looked at her, not quite knowing what to say next. He finally said, "I'm going outside I guess. Wanna come?"
"Yes. I suppose I could." -Victoria.
Michael stood up. Victoria grabbed her backpack and started to do the same when her head swam again and she sank back down, holding her aching, crazily spinning head.
"What's wrong?" Michael asked, a tinge of concern entering his voice.
"I have a headache and I'm dizzy, that's all." -Victoria.
"Let me help you outside." -Michael.
She almost said no, but after a pause, she nodded her head. She was leaned on him a bit as they walked outside. Once outside, they sat on the lawn under a shade tree.
"Do you want something to drink or eat. I can go to the machine and get something." -Michael.
"No, thanks. I couldn't." -Victoria.
"Why not?" -Michael.
"My stomach wouldn't let me." -Victoria.
Michael studied her for a few long moments in silence, wondering what was wrong with her, then in a flash he remembered when Tess had been here in Roswell still, before she left. She'd been sick. She'd been pregnant. E looked at her strangely. Was she a true popular girl, a party girl too, in every sense of the word? The guys here fell all over themselves to talk to her, let alone anything else. Maybe she. ..¦
"Are you pregnant?" He snapped, very frankly.
She looked at him in shock before starting to laugh.
"What's so funny?" -Michael.
"Just that the question was absurd." -Victoria.
"It was a perfectly legitimate question. I know that the guys like you, and- --" -Michael.
She interrupted him. "---And what? And I sleep with them? Do you think I'm a tramp?" She asked, serious now.
Michael had almost expected her to answer affirmatively, not get mad! "What? I didn't say that!"
"Well, you'd better not have- not even think such a stupid thing!" -Victoria.
"Now, I don't understand." -Michael.
"I don't have a boyfriend?" -Victoria.
He was almost said with surprise, ~You don't?~ Instead, he said, "So?"
"So? You're not getting it- must I spell it out?" Victoria said, a bit embarrassed.
1 Realization dawned on him. "Are you saying, you aren't - you've never---"
She stopped him. "Okay, enough of you spelling it out."
Michael smiled a little now, amused at something. "If you've never --well, how can you be so adamant about your opinions on love?"
"One doesn't necessarily have to do with the other. I've always felt strongly about true love. And I could never do anything like that unless I truly loved the person." Victoria answered,
"But why have you felt so strong about it?" -Michael.
"Because, I know the feeling -- true love that is. It is the ultimate greatness, the most beautiful thing. I've always known it - maybe forever." -Victoria.
"How's that possible?" -Michael.
"You're asking me?" She laughs, almost shyly.
Michael looks at her. "Maybe you're more than just the beautiful, rich girl."
"I would hope I was more than that, because that's not even me." Victoria answered.
Surprised, Michael just looked at her, yet he knew what she said to be the truth. He had begun to see a lot of facets to Victoria Winthrop.
Michael teasing, "So, you're saying you don't enjoy being Miss Victoria 'Princess' Winthrop of the $10,000 suits and limos. That's not you right?"
âE?$10,000?âE? She laughs. Then she sobers and says after less than a moment of thought, "No."
Surprised again, Michael didn't know what to say. Was she kidding, lying??? No, he could tell she was not.
"Have you ever felt like you were far more than you seem? That you're playing a part almost -"Victoria asked, her voice almost far away in inner inspection.
Michael nodded solemnly. She looked up at him, almost surprised at his affirmation. But he had nodded.
"Being different, the world doesn't understand, so you don't try and let it. You just play along." -Michael.
"Exactly. But who are you, *really*, Michael Guerin?" She asked, looking at him almost as if for the first time.
He looked at her probing, solemn green eyes, almost getting lost in them for a second, but inwardly smacking himself. He didn't want to say these things to anyone. He couldn't especially not to her. She had no idea.
"How are you different?" She asked.
"You wouldn't understand, princess." -Michael.
Victoria was almost hurt or taken aback, she didn't know which, when he had called her by that nickname, the one he used when he was being sarcastic or smart-alec. She hadn't even been this open to anyone else before.
"Try me." She flashed back, almost a challenge, almost a dare-
So tempted he was as he almost got pulled into her probing eyes of green. He almost answered, almost as if willed to. But he didn't. He did not answer that. He knew she wouldn't understand. Besides, he would never tell anyone else *that*. "I can't." He shakes his head. "Let's just change the damn subject, okay?"
Victoria looks up as she sees some people coming out of the building in the distance. Class was over, she thought. Almost reluctantly she said, "I'd better go."
"Why?" He looked at her.
"Class is over." She said, with a glance in the direction of the building where some students were filing out.
"I don't think you'd want this Maria Deluca to see us talking. Besides, I'm going to try to make it to my next class." -Victoria
Michael helped her up. "I'll. .. See you later, I guess."
She simply nods before starting off slowly across the lawn, fighting her physical weakness and the bit of daze she felt from having talked to Michael.
---end of chapter 9---
~I don't want the world to see me
'cause I don't think they'd understand
when everything's made to be broken,
I just want you to know who I am. ~
. . .
Victoria sat on a smooth couch in the student lounge of the high school. It was a break between classes. Her next one was supposed to be in less than ten minutes, but she had barely made it through her last one. She couldn't concentrate and her head had been spinning. Since she'd sat down, the spinning had stopped. She'd just have to skip her next class, because she couldn't be passing out. The early bell rang signaling 5 minutes until the next class.
Michael sat in Lit class about 10 minutes after the bell rang, not really paying attention to what the teacher rambled on about. He looked over to the other side of the room where an empty desk sat. That's where Victoria always sat. She hadn't come into class today, yet he was sure he'd seen her as he passed the lounge a short while ago. She wasn't easy to overlook. Michael raised his hand.
"Yes, Mr. Guerin?" Mrs. Danielson stopped talking.
"Can I have a pass?" -Michael.
"Yes, Mr. Guerin. I may as well give you one, since you'd leave the class anyway," Mrs. Danielson, the teacher, replied.
Michael grabbed his books, stood up, and left the room. School sucked. He'd been doing better at attending and his grades this year so he could graduate, but still it sucked. Lit class was secretly his favorite, though. He wouldn't dare tell anyone that, but anyway it was just too unbearably boring today. Before he was consciously aware of what he was doing, he was walking towards the student lounge. Michael noticed her immediately, wearing a little baby blue fitted designer suit, with her very long hair loose as usual. She was sitting leaned back on the couch, very still. When he got closer, he saw her eyes were closed.
Feeling a presence, Victoria opened her eyes to see Michael Guerin standing above her, his tall form clothed in somewhat baggy jeans and a short- sleeved white and brown striped button-down shirt.
"What's wrong?" -Michael.
"nothing." -Victoria.
"Why weren't you in class?" -Michael.
"Why aren't you?" -Victoria.
"I was, actually looking for you." Michael said, surprised when the truth came out of his mouth.
"Oh." She said as she turned slowly and dug in her purse which she had pulled out of her backpack. She found what she was looking for and held it out to him. "Here. I almost forgot."
Michael took what she held out. It was money. He looked at it dumbly, as it lay in his hands. "What's this."
"What I owe you." Victoria replied.
"But I gave you 30 bucks for the cab. This is $500!" -Michael.
Victoria shrugs. "I know."
"I can't accept this!" -Michael.
"Why not? Money means nothing to me. And you helped me." -Victoria.
"I didn't do it for money! And I won't accept this. It's crazy!" -Michael.
"What? Why?" -Victoria.
He thought to himself, Guerin, you're crazy. It's $500, probably more than you get paid in 2 weeks at work. But he, Michael Guerin, had done something unselfish for someone and he'd been given this money in payment for it. It made it cheap or something.
"I saved your ass 'cause you needed help. I don't want your damn money." He throws the money on her lap and starts to stride away.
"Wait. I'm sorry." -Victoria.
"Whatever, see you later." -Michael.
"Come back." -Victoria.
He was almost out the door when he heard that. He froze for a moment, but then he did go back almost as if he didn't have a will of his own. He walks over and sits on the couch next to her, with a sigh, and then looks at her.
"I don't understand, but I didn't mean to offend you." -Victoria.
He looks at her, realizing she didn't understand. But he also saw that she hadn't meant anything offensive or ungrateful by trying to give him the money.
"Yeah, well it's just- I don't do things for people very often, especially not in an unselfish way. Being paid for it would have made it wrong, I think." -Michael.
She looks at him a long moment, almost understanding now. But she was surprised. She just said, "My hero."
Michael didn't know whether to laugh, take offense -or something else.. when she said that. He couldn't tell whether she was being sarcastic or not, so he didn't comment. He noticed she looked strange still, only in so much that she looked sick or something. Well she was still.. beautiful.. had to think to himself, but she did look tired or sick.
"Are you going back to class?" -Victoria.
"Nah, I don't think so." -Michael. Still studying her, he asked, "Are you sick?"
"No. ..yes, sort of." She admitted reluctantly.
"Wanna go to the nurse's station and get some aspirin or something?" He asked her.
"I don't think that would help." She almost laughed.
Michael looked at her, not quite knowing what to say next. He finally said, "I'm going outside I guess. Wanna come?"
"Yes. I suppose I could." -Victoria.
Michael stood up. Victoria grabbed her backpack and started to do the same when her head swam again and she sank back down, holding her aching, crazily spinning head.
"What's wrong?" Michael asked, a tinge of concern entering his voice.
"I have a headache and I'm dizzy, that's all." -Victoria.
"Let me help you outside." -Michael.
She almost said no, but after a pause, she nodded her head. She was leaned on him a bit as they walked outside. Once outside, they sat on the lawn under a shade tree.
"Do you want something to drink or eat. I can go to the machine and get something." -Michael.
"No, thanks. I couldn't." -Victoria.
"Why not?" -Michael.
"My stomach wouldn't let me." -Victoria.
Michael studied her for a few long moments in silence, wondering what was wrong with her, then in a flash he remembered when Tess had been here in Roswell still, before she left. She'd been sick. She'd been pregnant. E looked at her strangely. Was she a true popular girl, a party girl too, in every sense of the word? The guys here fell all over themselves to talk to her, let alone anything else. Maybe she. ..¦
"Are you pregnant?" He snapped, very frankly.
She looked at him in shock before starting to laugh.
"What's so funny?" -Michael.
"Just that the question was absurd." -Victoria.
"It was a perfectly legitimate question. I know that the guys like you, and- --" -Michael.
She interrupted him. "---And what? And I sleep with them? Do you think I'm a tramp?" She asked, serious now.
Michael had almost expected her to answer affirmatively, not get mad! "What? I didn't say that!"
"Well, you'd better not have- not even think such a stupid thing!" -Victoria.
"Now, I don't understand." -Michael.
"I don't have a boyfriend?" -Victoria.
He was almost said with surprise, ~You don't?~ Instead, he said, "So?"
"So? You're not getting it- must I spell it out?" Victoria said, a bit embarrassed.
1 Realization dawned on him. "Are you saying, you aren't - you've never---"
She stopped him. "Okay, enough of you spelling it out."
Michael smiled a little now, amused at something. "If you've never --well, how can you be so adamant about your opinions on love?"
"One doesn't necessarily have to do with the other. I've always felt strongly about true love. And I could never do anything like that unless I truly loved the person." Victoria answered,
"But why have you felt so strong about it?" -Michael.
"Because, I know the feeling -- true love that is. It is the ultimate greatness, the most beautiful thing. I've always known it - maybe forever." -Victoria.
"How's that possible?" -Michael.
"You're asking me?" She laughs, almost shyly.
Michael looks at her. "Maybe you're more than just the beautiful, rich girl."
"I would hope I was more than that, because that's not even me." Victoria answered.
Surprised, Michael just looked at her, yet he knew what she said to be the truth. He had begun to see a lot of facets to Victoria Winthrop.
Michael teasing, "So, you're saying you don't enjoy being Miss Victoria 'Princess' Winthrop of the $10,000 suits and limos. That's not you right?"
âE?$10,000?âE? She laughs. Then she sobers and says after less than a moment of thought, "No."
Surprised again, Michael didn't know what to say. Was she kidding, lying??? No, he could tell she was not.
"Have you ever felt like you were far more than you seem? That you're playing a part almost -"Victoria asked, her voice almost far away in inner inspection.
Michael nodded solemnly. She looked up at him, almost surprised at his affirmation. But he had nodded.
"Being different, the world doesn't understand, so you don't try and let it. You just play along." -Michael.
"Exactly. But who are you, *really*, Michael Guerin?" She asked, looking at him almost as if for the first time.
He looked at her probing, solemn green eyes, almost getting lost in them for a second, but inwardly smacking himself. He didn't want to say these things to anyone. He couldn't especially not to her. She had no idea.
"How are you different?" She asked.
"You wouldn't understand, princess." -Michael.
Victoria was almost hurt or taken aback, she didn't know which, when he had called her by that nickname, the one he used when he was being sarcastic or smart-alec. She hadn't even been this open to anyone else before.
"Try me." She flashed back, almost a challenge, almost a dare-
So tempted he was as he almost got pulled into her probing eyes of green. He almost answered, almost as if willed to. But he didn't. He did not answer that. He knew she wouldn't understand. Besides, he would never tell anyone else *that*. "I can't." He shakes his head. "Let's just change the damn subject, okay?"
Victoria looks up as she sees some people coming out of the building in the distance. Class was over, she thought. Almost reluctantly she said, "I'd better go."
"Why?" He looked at her.
"Class is over." She said, with a glance in the direction of the building where some students were filing out.
"I don't think you'd want this Maria Deluca to see us talking. Besides, I'm going to try to make it to my next class." -Victoria
Michael helped her up. "I'll. .. See you later, I guess."
She simply nods before starting off slowly across the lawn, fighting her physical weakness and the bit of daze she felt from having talked to Michael.
---end of chapter 9---