Authors notes: Hey all! First off, I want to thank my well wishers concerning the Hurricane. My family decided to tough it out and stay here, and we lost power 8am on Saturday and water the next morning. I live in west palm beach, (If anyone knows anything about Florida, look at the very bottom of lake Okeechobee and go as far right as you can) and we got hit pretty bad. We got the hardest winds without actually getting the eye, but considering it was only a size 2 hurricane, it wasn't as bad as it could have been. Mostly we just have a lot of debris, broke trees being 98 of it.
Well, we didn't get power back until late Monday, and we were one of the first people to get it. A lot of people still don't have any power or water. So anyway, pretty much all I had to do is read and write, sun(or candle)light permitting. So I had plenty of time to catch up with this story, and even start another one. Don't worry, that one's on the back burner until this is finished. When Lightning Strikes is defininetly my first priorite. And, without further babbles of my hurricane experience, Here is (Ba ba baaa) Chapter Twelve:
First Fight
Since it was still only three, Alex and Jeff went into Alex's room, which left Matt and I, once again, alone.
"So." I ventured. "Now what do you want to do?" I asked looking at Matt sitting next to me on the couch. He gave me a impish grin, which I rolled my eyes at.
"But we never talk anymore." I teased. He nodded gravely and rested his chin on his hand in deep thought; which, of course, looked so cute I just had to lean over and kiss him. What? You would have done the same thing.
"What happened to talking?" he mumbled against my mouth.
"You can talk." I replied, kissing down to his neck.
"Says you." He croaked, much to my pleasure. "Well, we did the movie at your place thing, you wanna come over my house?" he asked wagging his eyebrows at me.
"To do that alone boyfriend/girlfriend stuff?" I grinned at him and he chuckled.
"We'll just have to see, won't we?" he replied.
Without replying, I went to give Alex the pizza money incase we didn't come back before tonight and, after grabbing a jacket, followed Matt out the door.
We walked over to his cycle and were just putting on our helmets when, of course, Dean decides to pull up. I swear, this guys has some kind of six sense to come around when no one wants him to. But maybe that's just because no one ever wants him around.
Matt, apparently in effort to ignore Dean, swung his leg over his cycle and started it up. I started to follow suit when Deans hand shot out to grab my arm.
"Why don't you take a ride with me instead, baby?"
"Ugh, let go of me!" I demanded, trying to yank my arm free. This definitely had an effect, and even though it wasn't the one I was hoping for it was still kind of cool. What happened was this; as soon as the words left my mouth, Matt practically flew off the bike to come to my aid.
"Let her go." Matt said through gritted teeth, fists balled at his sides.
Dean just smiled his slimy smile and held on tighter to my arm. As much as I liked the 'Knight in shining armor' Matt, I knew I had to show him I could get out of this myself, or he might get the wrong idea about me. I mean, I'm not exactly the damsel in distress kind of girl, you know?
So before he could take a step towards Dean, which I knew he was about to do, I grabbed Deans wrist and twisted my arm around in a move my uncle taught me for just such an occasion. He either had to let me go or have his wrist broken and, as I knew he would, he chose the former.
I took a step back to get out of his reach in case he wanted to try something like that again. Though by the way he was rubbing his hand it didn't look like he was going to get any more wise ideas soon.
I couldn't help it, I sent a smug smile Matt's way. I was hoping I didn't just inadvertently bruise some caveman ego of his, but by the way the side of his mouth curled up as his eyes met mine I had a feeling I didn't.
Matt put his hand on my shoulder and gently steered me back to the cycle. As we got on, Dean seemed to find his voice.
"Just what I'd expect from someone who spends her time riding around on the back of a puny little bike." He spat out.
Now, I've been around guys with bikes my whole life, and if there's one thing I've learned not to do, jokingly or no, is to insult their cycles. A guy's ride is an extension of themselves, so to insult Matt's bike was to take a stab at Matt himself. I've noticed he doesn't really like when you do that.
"This 'puny little bike' could outride your vette any day, Townie." He replied with a glare. I have a feeling this is not going to be good.
"Oh yeah? Prove it. Come on, right here - right now." Dean replied, revving up his engine.
"Come on Matt, lets just go." I urged him while he glared back at Dean.
"Yeah, go on and listen to the little woman. I can tell that's the kind of boy you are." Dean said with a harsh laugh.
"He's just trying to provoke you Matt, don't give him the satisfaction. Let's just go to your house." I pleaded with him. From the way he was scowling, I don't know that I was having much effect.
"Get off for a minute Amy, this won't take long." He said without looking at me. I just looked at his for a second, mouth hanging open. Then I got mad.
"Fine, be an idiot, see if I care; but you can just keep yourself company tonight." I growled at him, getting off the bike and stalking back towards my house.
"Amy, wait." I heard Matt call out just as I reached the door, but I ignored him and went inside.
"Back so soon?" Alex asked from the couch as I walked in. They were watching a movie and had both looked up when I walked in. I wasn't particularly happy with the male sex at this point so I just grumbled something unintelligibly and stormed off to my room, barley stopping myself from slamming the door.
What a moron! Tells me to 'get off for a minute' so he can have a drag race with Dean. What's that going to prove? If he wins does he think Dean will just suddenly leave us alone? Yeah, right. In his dreams maybe. And does he think I'll just stand on the side of the road while he risks his life and clap my hands all happily? Give a little cheer? I needed someone to vent to but as Trish was still at cheerleader practice and I was a social leaper, there wasn't much option.
I was pacing as I thought all this and then turned a flopped down on my bed. I picked up a baseball that was on the floor next to my bed and started throwing it up in the air and catching it, trying to calm down. My anger flares up pretty harshly, but I've learned to try and calm down before I do something I will regret later on. Like throw a baseball at my wall, or something just as destructive.
Usually I need to go for a walk, but as Matt and Dean were drag racing outside, that wasn't going to happen. Okay, first of all I can't think of that. Punching my pillow never worked. Counting to ten didn't either, but If I take some deep breaths while I count, that can do the trick. One, deep breath in and hold it; Two, deep breath out and hold it. Three, deep breath in and hold it; Four, deep breath out and hold it.
I was so caught up in this that when there was a knock on the door I jump, startled. I hoped and dreaded that it was Matt. I sat up on my bed, letting the ball roll to the ground, but made no move to open the door.
"Ames? Can I come in?" Matt's southern drawl stood out when he was nervous. Good. He should be nervous, stupid jerk that he was.
"It's open." I called out before I could think about it.
Matt walked in and closed the door behind him. After a few moments of hesitation, he came to sit on the chair next to my desk, close enough to touch, though I wasn't in the mood to get any closer then we were right now. I knew I was being a little brat and not making this easy for him, keeping my eyes on the ground with a scowl on my face. I should be happy he was here, there was no way he could have raced Dean and followed me in here in a matter of minutes. 'But it doesn't mean he shouldn't be punished.' I thought with an inner smile.
"Ah told him to get lost." Matt supplied with effort and I nodded, thinking how cute it was how his accent stood out when he was nervous. No, no, no. I'm mad at him.
We were quite for a few more minutes before the silence was broken, once again by Matt. "Ames, Ah'm sorry for the way ah acted." He mumbled. I sighed, reaching out for his hand.
"Me too. I just didn't want you to encourage him. The only way to deal with Dean is to ignore him." I said, deciding to finally let him off the hook.
"Ignoring him doesn't seem to be working too much better." He replied softly, as if testing the waters.
I thought about this for a few minutes as I watched out intertwined hands. Dean had been a nuisance before, but ever since he saw Matt and I together he's become unbearable. Though it seemed as the more I insulted him, the more he hung around; I had to agree that ignoring him really wasn't getting a better response. Which lead me to think, not for the first time, why the hell he was so adamant about 'winning my affections' sort to speak.
"He has to have an ulterior motive." I said, continuing my thoughts aloud for Matt's benefits. For his part, Matt looked slightly surprised.
"What makes you think that?" he asked.
"Well, despite the fact that he is a total slime ball, there are still some freshmen girls who would think it was cool to be seen with him. Why doesn't he go back to bothering them?" I retorted, restraining myself from actually whining as I said this.
"Ignoring the fact you are the coolest, prettiest girl at school," Matt smiled as I, tomboy that I still was and so unused to these kinds of comments, resorted to my favorite reaction – blushing. "Sometimes it's the things a person can't have that makes him, or her, want it so much." He said.
I digested this. Was the reason Dean bothered me so much simply because he knew I would never go out with him?
"What about Trish and all the other girls who tell him to take a hike?" I asked.
"Are we still ignoring the fact you are the coolest, prettiest girl at school?" he asked with his 'Dimple smile'. I rolled my eyes, smiling back at him. "Well, don't forget we got the last point on the score card, figuratively speaking. We both jumped Dean, then I, in his eyes anyway, stole you right out from under him." He explained and I narrowed my eyes at this.
"Stole me out from under him?" I repeated dubiously.
"His words, not mine." Matt assured me.
"He said that?" I asked, fuming. Matt shrugged. "As if, even if he were the last thing on earth, I would ever go out with him!" I spat out, feeling the anger build back up in me.
"As comforting as that is, we need to think of a long overdue plan to take care of him." Matt smiled at my vehemence, and I depleted.
"Well, it's obvious, isn't it?" I paused and Matt raised an eyebrow at me. "If the only reason he won't leave me alone is because he knows I'd never go out with him, I'll just have to out on a date with him."
Authors EndNotes:
What?? But she just said she'd never go out with him! She's kidding, right??
Did it sound like she was kidding?
Well, no, not really. But-
Listen, just wait until next week and see what happens.
Wait until next week? Wait until next week!? I can't wait until next week!
Well, hello, your in my head. You, at least, won't have to wait.
Oh, yeah. Well...yeah. Good. Hurry up already!
Anyway. Hope you liked this Chapter, because I really did. I'll have the next chapter up as soon as I have it written. Hopefully, Ivan won't hit us and also my brother is coming home from Irac on Monday for two weeks (if, of course, Ivan doesn't hit) and I don't know how much time I'll have to write. But I have most of Chapter 13 done already, So, if we have power(Cross your fingers- I never knew how much living without power sucks, lol) I'll have the next chpater up by next saturday. Tell me what you think about this one!