Author's Note:
RADER:In the original version I explained it. Manny doesn't have a license. Kevin isn't trusted by Orlando's mom. And Orlando is terrified of driving on the highway. Plus, it's a drive through liquor store as described in PD5. They put the drinks in the trunk. I must have deleted all that. But now you know.
Dyers: Liss isn't in the story. She is a reader who will defend Felix's honor to her death. She had the dedication for a few chapters ago. Sorry for the mix up.
This Chick: He does like Sarah Jane, but also likes Mia. She's almost like a replacement, just as Schilling was for Mia. Also, this is going to be how Michael behaves around girls for a long time; just has them around and dates them when it's convienent. Get it? You'll see what I mean later. It's the male psyche; not really to be understood.
Lyra: People talk about sex. Especially twenty something males, and they often don't care if it's in mixed company. I'm never serious about marrying anyone. I'm only twenty and a sophomore in college. BUT, Rodger's band is mentioned in this chapter.
LivingArt: You got it ;). I'm surprised no one else noticed it.
MissKaur: A basic outline: His full name is Emmanuel. His mom is Jewish, and his dad is Irish. He looks more Irish than anything else; his dred locks are red. Yes, dred locks.
Force the Fallen owns The One I Love. There is only one place to hear the song, and that's through me. You can e-mail me and I'll send the link.
In my next author's note I'll give you guys the official "If this was a movie then this person would be playing..." list. I really did struggle over it. And I think you'll enjoy the results. Even if they are for only for a few characters.
MICHAEL:
I tried to look casual as people started filtering into the party. I started talking to Felix from high school. He'd been hanging out with the guys and Mia while I was with Sarah Jane. But we got past our immature fight from high school. Serena had never actually loved me so I can't really say it was his fault necessarily.
"So you are with that girl still?" he asked, looking behind me.
"Yeah. Since November. Sarah Jane. Remember?"
"Wait, who?" he asked, laughing.
"Sarah Jane Russell."
"I always…nevermind."
"No, what?" I asked laughing.
"Why are you with her? You could have had Mia all along."
"Not true."
"I thought you guys had been dating all this time," he replied. "You know, before I met up with Mia."
"No, why?" I asked. Why was that everyone's response?
"Well…I just always thought…never mind."
Two hands covered my eyes. I felt a ring on the right one. "Could this be my hot date?" I asked teasingly.
I turned and saw Mia smiling. "It's your date. Hot or not?"
"I'd say pretty hot," Felix said in a flirting tone. I turned to him and gave him the guy signal to back off.
"Feeeeeelix?" she said laughing. "I'm surprised you are here!" she said throwing her arms around him. "It's been far too long!"
"Yeah, two whole days, Drama Queen."
She made a face.
I do not like how this is going. Not. One. Bit.
"Two whole days of torture. How've you been m'dear?"
"Not too bad. Especially not now. How've you been?"
"Eh, stress. Senior week planning committee."
"Did you send in your deposit already for Duke?" he asked.
I must have looked stricken cuz she started laughing when she glanced at me,
"NYU doofus.."
"I know, I just love that look of pure confusion on Michael, don't you?"
I noted that his hands were still on her hips. I possessively took her hand. "Hey, there's something I wanna show you in my room."
I led her to my room and made a face at Felix, who was quite taken with Mia's bottom.
I had to admit, she did look really good that night. A plaid short tartan skirt. Her high boots and a tight t-shirt.
"What did you have to show me?" she asked, looking around my room.
"Nothing. I just….we said we were going to be together tonight. He was putting his grubby hands all over you."
She made a funny face, "Michael, I said I was your date tonight. I'm yours tonight. Not Felix's. He's genuinely JUST my friend. Relax Mr. Jealous. Remember, you have a girlfriend."
She had to remind me, huh?
"I know…but I just don't like how he was looking at you."
She went toward my door. "You never like it when boys looked at me. C'mon, let's go be social."
But we weren't very social. At least not after a few drinks. We were off in a corner all alone catching up and flirting outrageously. "You know," she said fingering the bottom of my shirt. "I always loved this shirt."
"Want it?" I offered, half teasing. It was my yellow taxi cab shirt.
"Nah. Maybe later," she flirted, batting her eyes. "Maybe I can wear it to bed-"
"Guys, picture," Lilly said coming by with her digital camera.
We hammed it up for the camera, wide smiles showing off our teeth. Lilly snapped a few more before becoming bored with us as subjects.
"Hey, I love this song," Mia exclaimed, jumping up and grabbing my hand. We went to where some people were grinding against one another and saying they were dancing. Mia started jumping up and down to Force of the Fallen's You're the One I Love. (AN: This is my friend's band) I felt someone staring at me. I turned and saw Sarah Jane and her friend Will glaring at me. Well, Sarah Jane….her expression was confusing. She looked….not surprised. "Hey," I said squeezing Mia's hand. "I'll be back later."
MIA:
We had been having so much fun. Forgetting that he had a girlfriend I even flirted with him without being actually intoxicated (not that he knew I was not intoxicated). I let myself believe that I was his real girlfriend. But it came crashing down when he rushed off to see Sarah Jane when she came into the apartment. I saw him hug her and then go off to a room alone with her.
"Hey," Felix said poking my belly with his finger.
"Oh, hey," I said.
"Sorry, I'm not him."
"Who?" I asked.
"Michael."
I rolled my eyes and let my arms go around his neck as we swayed to the music. It was a fast song, but we were slow dancing. "That's a good thing."
"What's going on with you two?"
"Nothing," I said honestly. "He has a girlfriend. I'm single. I'm happy."
"Why didn't you guys date?"
I looked in his eyes for a double meaning, "I can't look at him like that. And I'm sure he couldn't look at me like that."
"Good. So I won't feel guilty for asking you out then."
"What?" I said laughing.
"Just for coffee."
"Oh…okay then. That sounds nice."
The whole 'sounding nice' turned into a hormonal make out session at his dorms two hours later. My mother thought I was staying with Lilly that night so she wasn't expecting me to come home.
"He's going to kill us," Felix said, kissing my neck.
"Who?" I asked.
"Michael."
"No he won't," I assured him. "We just won't tell him anything. It's not like he's my father or anything."
He smiled, "Thank goodness for that."
He proceeded to kiss me full on the lips, but we didn't go further than make out. And touch one another a lot. Not a lot a lot. But a lot enough. Does that make sense?
"Plus," I started, after we woke up the next morning, both fully clothed, "This isn't serious. It's just a date, right?"
"Right," he said quickly. "Just one measly date. Speaking of which, when do you wanna go out for real?"
I smiled. "Well, my birthday is next week, so that's out."
"Plus, I'm leaving for Europe anyways. My band is doing a little tour. For that Indie Record Company."
"Oh...um...Then Graduation. How about…Wednesday?" I replied as he walked me to the doors. Where Lars was waiting for me. I am so lucky I have a bodyguard who keeps secrets.
"Okay. I have class til six. Then was going to work out a bit. I'll get you at like eight thirty. We'll grab dinner."
I wasn't expecting to actually like Felix like that. Really. We had a great time on Wednesday night and he simply kissed my lips softly when he dropped me off. "I'd come to your birthday," he started, "But my summer abroad is starting next week. I'm flying out on Sunday and I have to get some rest."
"It's fine," I assured him. "Trust me."
He held my hands, not wanting to say goodnight. "Okay," he replied. "I'll call you."
"Okay. Night."
I logged online and was immediately inundated with messages.
WmnRule: OMG! Mia, you are hooking up with Felix now?
PrincsLeia: Huh?
WmnRule: We saw you two at Rosario's.
I had a sinking feeling.
PrincsLeia: Who is we?
WmnRule: Me, Manny and Michael
PrincsLeia: What did Michael say? Was he pissed?
But I got my answer only a few second later
Glassoh20: You are with Felix now?
PrincsLeia: Uh, I dunno. Y?
Glassoh20: we saw you eating dinnr and holding hands.
PrincsLeia: Oh, well. It's not that serious. Just a date
Glassoh20: really? Just a date? So where'd you go after I went to SJ the other night?
PrincsLeia: None of your business. I have so talk to Lilly so leave me alone.
Michael:
When Sarah Jane appeared at the party I had a sinking feeling. But I knew it was the good kind. "Hey," I said kissing her cheek.
"Hey. Let's go talk," she said softly, pulling me towards my bedroom.
I sat on my bed as she paced. "You weren't expecting me, were you?" she asked carefully.
"Well, to be honest, no. When'd you get here?"
"About an hour ago," she replied.
Oh. God. "Sarah-"
"No, Michael. It's fine," she assured me, kneeling down in front of me. Her hands on top of mine. "I understand. I should have known back in February when that thing happened with Schilling…I didn't want to admit that my boyfriend was in love with someone else."
"I-"
"Don't disagree. I knew. I saw how you looked when you came for her. You didn't even come back to me. It's fine. Seriously. And tonight I just saw….I saw you for who you really were."
"Honestly Sarah-"
"No, I mean that in a good way," she assured me. "I mean, you were yourself with her. Dancing and jumping around. Having fun. That's not me. I can't do that. You should go for her."
"But-"
"Michael, it's better this way. But I wanna know…"
"Yeah," I said softly.
"What are you going to do about this? You can't keep it to yourself forever."
We spent the next hour and a half talking about my feelings for Mia. Weird to be talking to the girl you spent the night before feeling up about the girl you are really in love with.
"So I'll see you in the fall," she said as she got up to leave.
I kissed her cheek, "Yeah. Have a great summer."
A sense of relief came over me as I watched her and her friend leave. I was free to go tell Mia I loved her.
"Hey, have you seen Mia?" I asked Manny when I finally left my doorway.
"Oh, uh, she left with Felix a little while ago," he replied.
"What?"
"Felix?" he said questionably. "The old drummer from your band? The guy that's been floating around lately. Acting like a puppy dog around Mia?"
"Yeah," I said dejectedly.
"Dude, that guy blows. He can't play a single song by us-"
"Yeah, he does suck."
But she never said anything to be about it. I didn't tell her about Sarah Jane either. I don't know why, but I didn't. She had no right to know about the break up. I mean, it had been basically over her anyways. What right did she have?
But I didn't see her with him until a few days later. They were eating dinner and holding hands on the table. "Is seriously dating that guy?" Lilly asked. "I think it looks like a-"
"Manny, don't say that his face looks like a female's anatomy, please," Lilly cut him off. ""She was always freaked out by his facial hair."
"Apparently not anymore," I replied.
