Chapter Eight - It's You I Fell Into
When I talked about it
Carried on
Reasons only knew
But it's you I fell into
"Big Me," Foo Fighters
[Syd's POV]
Later That Night
"Mike, ten bucks--"
"Wait. Before you let this one out, let me just say that in any other scenario, I would certainly take your challenge, my friend. But today is different. We have a new man in our midst." Mike says dramatically, patting Michael's back. Aw, is Mike actually warming up to Michael? "And I think we should grant him the honor of having his first ten dollar bet. As an initiation, per se, into our little group here."
"Oh, God, no..." All the girls groan at once, covering their eyes and rubbing their foreheads.
"What?" I ask with a grin the size of Texas on my face. Okay, you got me, I'm exaggerating. It's more like Connecticut. I glance over at Michael and he chuckles slightly, looking downward.
Hmm, fishy. Something's up with that boy. I'll have to make him reveal everything about himself to me tonight. Although we'll probably be busy, come to think of it...
Having sex that is. Yeah, I'll definitely be testing Michael's bangability first hand tonight.
"Okay, the guys have this strange -- and I mean strange in a completely idiotic sense -- tradition of ten dollar bets." Nancy explains.
"What kind of ten dollar bets?" I ask, suddenly interested. I shoot another glance at Michael who has again pretended to be off in his own world. He's definitely hiding something and he sucks at it.
"Trust me, you don't want to know." Carol replies, shaking her head sadly.
I turn my attention back towards the boys. Ed and Mike seem pretty excited. And so does Michael. This will certainly be interesting.
"Hey, Sydney, has this guy here told you about his legacy at Columbia?" Ed asks grinning evilly at Michael who looks like he's going to kill Ed.
"No," I respond, smiling as I slowly shake my head.
"Ed, if you say a single word I will feel absolutely no remorse in kicking your ass right here." Wow, this must be really juicy. Michael's really getting defensive, isn't he?
"Dude, I could so take you on," Ed replies, tilting his head mockingly.
"Hey! If you kick his ass, I'll kick your ass," I joke, pointing a warning finger at Michael. He raises his eyebrows flirtatiously and his hands rise in defeat.
"Yes, Ma'am," he surrenders.
Yeah, you better know who's boss. There's nothing stopping me from finding out all of Michael's juicy secrets, I swear.
"Go on, Ed," I say, still glaring at Michael with a grin.
"I'll just leave it at the fact that he very well could be the Phi Beta Kappa to graduate from Columbia who also hold the rec--"
Whoa there, Mikey's getting fiesty. He grabbed Ed by the shirt, but they're both laughing. I don't think it's necessary to go into my unhealthy addiction to that laugh. I've pretty much exausted that issue. But yeah, It's definitely to die for.
"No." He said simply.
It's like he's ordering his dog not to chew the furnature. It's hilarious. This definitely must be really juicy.
"Okay, okay," Ed replies, laughing as he pushes Michael off of him. "You know what? I think this bet will meet his quota of embarassment for one day. But, Syd, meet me at the fridge at 0400 hours and I'll hook you up with some classified intel."
Ed is adorable. No, the world adorable doesn't convey the degree to which he is adorable. He's so funny and sweet and smart and charming and...did I mention funny? Yeah, I did...This man is like a giant teddy bear that you just want to hug and squeeze...
And learn juicy tidbits about Michael from.
"What about us?" Molly inquires as she takes a sip of her beer.
"Oh, I'd so tell you guys once I find out. So there's no question about that." I reply in a matter of fact tone. They're my girls now! There's not a doubt in my mind that the next few weeks will be wildly entertaining.
In more ways than one.
Ha, gotta love the sexual innuendos.
Man, when did I become so horny?!
Oh yeah, I think it was right around the time of a certain antique frame...
"Okay, enough with this. What's my bet? We all know I have a pretty high threshhold of embarassment so this'll have to be pretty big."
Big? Hahaha, Big.
So so dirty.
"Mike, what do you think we should do to this newcomer?" Ed asks, turning towards Michael.
"I was thinking about him challenging Big Willie over there to wra-sle!" Mike says with a laugh.
"Ah! By George, that's genius!" Ed says patting Mike on the back with a nod.
"I know. Like I keep telling you guys, you can't be accepted to med school if you're a dumb ass."
"Oh yes, you can," Nancy pipes in.
"Alright, Michael Christopher V--Saunders. We officially bet you ten dollars to go challenge Big Willie over there to a nice old fashioned wrestling match!" Ed says triumphantly. "Right here, in the middle of The Goat, for everyone to watch."
Good Lord, I think I'm going to pass out. Michael Vaughn? Wrestling that guy who has to be atleast 275? In the middle of a packed restuarant?!
Michael looks over at "Big Willie" and assesses him with his eyes. All the while the girls are begging Michael not to do it. 'You'll never be the same...' I hear faintly in the background...
He slowly takes off his jacket and puts it on the back of his seat. I feel my jaw drop as he pulls off his sweater, revealing his fairly tight undershirt beneath. Tight enough to see his pecks in all their glory. I would get an immense kick out of checking out the other girls' reactions, but I'm pretty sure they're reveling in it just as much as I am. He tosses the sweater my way, and stands up, turning towards Ed.
"Twenty says I'll do it and beat him."
"Ohhhhh!!!" Ed and Mike exclaim in shock.
"Little man here really thinks he can take down Big Willie?!" Mike asks, in shock.
"This will be priceless," Ed breates inbetween laughs.
"BIG WILLIE?!" Mike responds. "You're so on."
"And may the best man win," Michael says, nodding at Ed and Mike.
Michael's definitely got something up his sleeve. Because he seems way to cocky for how much Ed and Mike are cracking up at him.
We all sit and watch as Michael approaches "Big Willie." They exchange a few words and before we know it, they're facing each other in front of the bar, shaking hands before going at it.
Whoa there. Mikey is certainly more than a bit fiesty. If I didn't know better, I'd say he has some experience wrestling 275 pound drunkards.
Either that or he took it in High School.
Mmmm, young Michael in tight spandex.
Ew, groping other sweaty teenagers. How gross.
But wait, in this case, the tight spandex might just win out.
Am I being a tad freaky here? Fantasizing about Michael as a teenager? A thirty year old fantasizing about a thirty three year old when he was sixteen. Is that more than just a little creepy to you? Because I think I've become one disturbing specimen of woman.
Wow, I guess it's over because Michael's shaking Big Willie's hand like the gentlemen that he is and walking back towards us. And apparently the whole place got quite a kick out of it too, because they're giving our very own Michael a standing ovation. And so is the manager. Wow, this town is so strange. In a loveable sort of way.
"Twenty bucks," Michael says, reaching a hand out as he gulps down his water.
Mike and Ed's jaws are literally sitting on the floor. I don't think they can believe what they just saw. And the girls are still reveling in the glory that is my Michael. Yes, my Michael, so BACK OFF!
So yeah, Mike and Ed pull out ten dollar bills simultaneously and place them in Michael's hand, hanging their heads in defeat. He slips them into his back pocket.
"Ed, I would have expected you of all people to know my prowess in bets of any sort," he says condescendingly.
How cocky of him.
Hahaha. I don't even need to say it because I know you're thinking it too.
Hahaha. Cocky.
Michael waves to the crowd before walking over to me.
What a crowd pleaser.
Everyone seems settled down once again, and he reaches over to take his sweater from my hands. I just shake my head in wonder as he puts his sweater back on.
"You didn't think I could do it, did you?" He asks quietly.
"No," I reply nonchalantly, "I knew you could."
"Oh really?" He asks, raising an eyebrow at me.
"Yeah. And by the way, I call next match." I retort with a glint in my eye.
Now that would be fun.
I hear him laugh as he sits down beside me and places his hand on the back of my chair.
Sigh.
I turn to the girls who are glaring at me suspiciously.
"What?" I ask turning towards them.
"Oh nothing..." Carol jokes, pretending to be inconspicuous.
"Okay, just so you know, you suck at that." Molly jokes nudging Carol. "All we have to say is that you..." she looks to make sure Michael isn't looking, "are so telling us all about this Monday."
I have the urge to put on the "What are you talking about?" face, but where's the fun in that, right? I feel a huge smile spread across my face. Yeah, this one's definitely Texas.
"Well..." I start, rolling my eyes.
"How did you guys get together?" Nancy asks, quietly.
"Um, well, today we kinda just..." I stumble, looking down at my hands.
"What?!" Molly exlaims, causing the guys to look up at her like she's crazy.
I nudge her and then smile at the guys. I feel Michael's eyes linger over me, even after I turn away, and I can't help but blush as I feel his thumb caress the back of my head.
"You guys weren't an item back in LA?" Molly asks shocked.
"No way, I refuse to believe it." Carol says adamantly. "You guys are like perfect. No, I refuse."
I do have to admit it would be fun to talk to the girls about me and Michael. I mean, I always had Francie, but it was never fun to talk to her about him because it would always come down to "the bank" with her. She was never able to just be there for me, she always had to look out for me. And that's not her fault, but still...
It would be more than nice to hang out with these girls. But a part of me still feels uncomfortable talking about it in front of him. I don't know why. I guess it's like having the biggest crush on the captain of the football team, and then finally getting to date him. You wouldn't just go up to him and spaz about how incredibly hot he is, and how how perfect he is, and how you would so do his hair. And, yes, the banging sense, not the combing.
Definitely not.
I look over to the girls, that stupid grin still on my face.
"It really is a long story. And I mean long as in War and Peace meets both 'Lord of the Rings' movies combined long." And trust me, it is that long. It would take forever to explain the relationship me and Michael have now, and how it came to be. I'd have to recount joining the CIA, being such a bitch to him for so long, Noah, Taipei, the exact moment I realized I had feelings for him...And Danny. And I can't do that. Not now atleast.
"We've got the time," Molly says, looking at her watch then back at me. "It is only 9:00..."
"I'll tell you guys all about it. But later."
"Aw man!" Nancy exclaims playfully.
"On behalf of two of most of the most undersexed people at this table," Molly says, nudging Carol, "you are going to fill us in on everything. Everything. Creepiness is not an issue to us. In fact, we welcome it."
We all laugh and for the first time in my life, everything seems right. No, I think "perfect" is the word I'm looking for.
~~~
[Warren's POV]
"No, Diane, I don't know what you're talking about..."
These two are pathetic. Poor excuses for teenagers, I say. All "in love" and "happy." I thought being a teenager meant being brooding and distant and not giving a sh-t about what's going around you or--
Hold it.
Hold it right there.
What has happened here? I look over to my buddy Ed's table to admire the astonishingly beautiful Ms. Carol Vessey, the English teacher of everyone's dreams, and an unknown woman steals my heart.
Her hair is brown and absolutely perfect. Her lips, full and volumptuous. Her smile as bright as the rising sun. Who is this fair maiden?
And what's she doing hanging out with Ed?
I've decided it right here, right now. She will be the next Mrs. Warren Cheswick. I wil make it my life's mission, if I must. I will do anything to win the affections of that woman. Anything.
I think Diane's saying something to me, and I'm sure Mark is yelling at me for stealing this onion ring off his plate, but now's my only chance.
I may never see her again, so I've gotta sieze the opportunity.
Live life to it's fullest.
Carpe Diem, baby.
I don't know how I get over there so fast. Or how I end up on one knee beside her chair, between her and Ms. Vessey.
"Warren? What are you doing back there?" Ms. Hudson asks slightly confused at my actions.
And there she is. She's turned around and staring right at me. Her eyes are gorgeous and so is everything else about her.
Speak, boy, speak!
"Will you marry me?"
The ring, fool! Get the ring!
I pull out the ring and offer it to her. The onion ring, that is.
Is her lip quivering because she's going to shed tears of joy, or laugh hysterically at my idiocy?
I'm pretty sure it's the latter.
The whole table is dying now, including Ms. Vessey. And the guy sitting next to my future wife. The dude who wrestled Big Willie and won. Great, now I didn't just make a fool out of myself in front of the woman of my dreams, but also in front of the coolest guy to ever grace Stuckeyville with his presence.
"Warren, I'd like you to meet Ms. Hanton, you're knew English Lit teacher for the next few weeks. Sydney -- Warren." Ms. Vessey says, wiping the tears from her eyes.
"It's very nice to meet you, Warren." Sydney says, nodding her head in my direction with an incredibly amused expression on her face.
Oh God, What do I do?
Suddenly I burst into laughter as I stand up. I turn around and point to Diane and Mark, who are apparently in shock, and I think I play it off well.
"Oh man, I got you that time, Carol!" I exclaim, nudging a not very amused "Carol."
"Ms. Vessey. I mean, Ms. Vessey."
Yeah, time to bow your head in shame and just walk away. No need to dwell on past failures, just look ahead and start planning your next way to sweep her off her feet. It can be done. I'm sure of it.
"Shot down," Diane and Mark say in unison as I sit back down in the booth.
"Shut up." I retort.
It's going to happen.
I'm going to make it happen.
~~~
An Hour Later
[Syd's POV]
"You know what, guys? I'm actually a little tired. You'd think that after all the travelling I've done, I would have gotten used to the jet lag already, huh? But yeah, I think I'm going to head back to Ed's place." I say as I stand up and put my coat back on.
"Already?" Nancy responds, somewhat disappointed.
"Yeah," I reply with a light chuckle, "but I'll see you guys tomorrow."
"You know the way, right?" Ed asks.
"Oh, yeah," I say, with a hint of 'Does double agent ring a bell?' in my voice. To tell you the truth, I'm taking my time, waiting for a certain green eyed handler to get the message...
"Yeah, I should probably be heading out too," Michael says, getting out of his chair and putting his jacket back on. 'Atta boy.
"Aw man!" Ed exclaims. "Not you too, man!"
"Sorry," Michael says, patting Ed's back apologetically. "I'll see you guys later." He says, as he nods towards me with an almost inperceptible grin. "Shall we?"
"We shall," I reply with a smile, as he makes his way towards me. "See ya, guys. We really had a great time." I say politely.
"Bye!" They call out.
I don't think I'm able to hide my giddiness as I feel Michael's hand rest on the base of my back as he leads me out of the restaurant.
By the time we're a block or so away, I can't help it and just start laughing. I need some sort of way to release all this pent up energy I have from tonight, and it was either this, or jumping Michael, and I think I should save the latter for when we get back to Ed's place.
"What?" He asks, smiling brightly.
"What?" I mimic playfully as I walk backwards in front of him so that we can face each other. "You know what."
"No, I actually don't." He sucks at lying, but it's cute that he's playing along. Although I'll probably regret this sudden outburst of childish excitement later on, I'm definitely going to live it up.
I grab his hands and wrap them around my waist, and we slowly come to a stop as I wrap my arms around his neck and bring my lips to his. I feel his hands rise along my sides and I smile against his lips. This must be what Heaven is like. How cliche, I know, but really...
I slowly pull away and look into his sparkling green eyes.
"I love this town," I say, prying my arms off of him. I grab his hands and intertwine his fingers in mine, lifting them up to his chest. "I love the people, I love the food, I love the trees, I love the cold..."
"My, aren't you just full of love today." He jokes.
"And you know what?" I ask. I've known it for awhile, but I don't know if I should tell him like this. In the middle of the street while I'm on this natural high brought about by this town.
"What?" He asks, pulling a strand of hair out of my face.
"I love you."
There went nothing. I said it. It's out there. There's nothing I can do now, no way to turn back, it's been said. I've known him for almost two years, kissed him...twice now. Saved his life a few times, he's saved mine a few times. We've been to Hell and back and I've made up my mind. I love him.
"I love you, too," he says with no hesitation. My smile grows even wider and I wrap my arms around him once again. We kiss once again, but I'm pretty sure this one beats out the last two. And all of the other one's I've ever had for that matter.
And as if by cue, snowflakes slowly begin to fall from the sky. I pull away suddenly, and look up laughing.
"Geez, even the weather is perfect!" I explain.
"Yeah, I do have to admit, the timing was a bit freaky." Michael replies with a laugh. I feel his arm wrap around my waist once again, and I rest my head on his shoulder as we walk in silence towards the house.
You know how it's so easy to put pain, anger, hate, and despair to words? Well yeah, it's not as easy express inexplicable joy. I could go on for the next hour talking about bunnies and rainbows and flowers and naked Michaels, but I won't. Because, first of all, It would probably be nausiating beyond belief, and second of all, I think I'll be a little busy...
If you know what I mean.
END CHAPTER EIGHT
