Hello everybody. It has been a long, long time since I last posted an update for this story. Many things has happened since then, and I apologize for having left the story unfinished.
While I am not sure how many will start to follow back, I do plan to continue Michael's tale with the rest of the Tree Hill gang.
So, without further waiting...here we go, the new chapter!
Edit: I am posting back this Chapter after editing some minor details, including some curse words (I forgot that the story had a 'T' rating). Aside from those small edits, this version is essentially the same of the one I posted almost a day ago.
The Third Scott Brother
Chapter Seven: Because I hate who I become
New York, 13 months ago
"You know...if the student body knew how affectionate cheerleaders are to players after practice, the team would have a lot more applications."
"Shut up and kiss me, Bayle." ordered Sarah, her ragged breath matching Michael's as the two figures were entwined against a corner of the gym; the couple has been making out since the end of their respective practices-it was almost an hour ago-, after having been stealing glances from each other during practice.
"Hey" Sarah interrupted his thoughts "What are you thinking of? How grateful you are for being here with me?" she asked teasingly, making Michael chuckle.
"Nah...just some random thought."
"Boys don't usually start thinking while making out with me."
"Perhaps you're not that good, then" suggested Michael, smirking: since their first meeting after the match, they have teased each other constantly, which, he had noticed, intrigued a lot Sarah, clearly used to a more respectful-or reverent-approach.
"Please, you could never handle Sarah Heart, babe."
"Are you sure about it?"
"What do you have in mind?"
"A date." he said, noticing the surprised and interested glint in Sarah's ruby orbs, and he knew the reasons: in East High, everyone was aware of the head cheerleader's high standards for dates; so far, only two dates have been deemed "acceptable" by the girl, though the two relationships didn't last long anyway.
"I am seriously impressed, Bayle" she grinned "You do know that I am not the type to easily please, don't you? I yet have to have an "amazing" date"
Michael shrugged, his lips spreading into a confident smile "That's because you never dated me before."
"Sarah smiled, and shook her head "Fine...you can pick me up at 7.00 pm." she said, and stepped back, separating her body from Michael's "I expect you to be on time, and to prove me that this confidence of yours has some solid back-up." she finished, heading out the gym, swaying her hips, leaving the brown-haired boy alone while he whistled cheerfully.
"Deal."
*******The Third Scott Brother*******The Third Scott Brother*******The Third Scott Brother*******The Third Scott Brother*******
Michael reached his apartment in a rush, breathing heavily, his heart pounding fast and painfully against his ribcage; after the confrontation with Felix, as the memories that he had tried so hard to bury in the depth of his mind, he had started running, trying to not fall prey to those feelings that had been his companion before and after Martha Bayle's death: anger, confusion, regret, guilt, despair...it was like he was back to his grandparents' house at Charleston, after his mother's funeral, where he almost ripped the black tie that he was wearing before he realized that it wasn't that the reason he felt like he was choking...
After slamming the door as hard as he could, the brown-haired boy started pacing in circles in his small living room, resembling a caged animal, until he stopped to stare at his reflection on the door-length mirror placed on a wall; the young man that was watching him with piercing green eyes was no longer the rising basketball player in East High, nor he was the brother or the friend that Nate, Lucas, and the others had started to know in these few past weeks at Tree Hill: here, all alone, the mirror showed a boy whose soul was consumed by his own emotions, led to a path of self-destruction.
Shaking his head, refusing to fell prey to the disturbing thoughts that had kept him awake every nights for months, Michael dropped himself on the floor and started doing a series of push-ups, one after another, ignoring the signal of protests of his burning muscles, already strained after an hour of running; he kept pushing himself, hoping that the physical pain would make him not listen, even for the briefest of moments, to the tiny, cruel voice in his head, mercilessly reminding him of the past.
After all, Sarah is right: she didn't force you into something you didn't want, and you were aware of who she is...it was your choice, as it was you the one who decided to leave his mother while she was...
"I KNOW THIS ALREADY!" Michael shouted to the voice, while his arms gave in and he landed on the cold floor, panting, the sweat pouring copiously from every pore of his body "I know what I have done..." he whispered, wiping the tears from his eyes, listening to his breath for seconds, minutes...maybe hours. He didn't know how much time had passed before he stood up again, but he didn't care...as he reached the shower in the bathroom, he realized that, even if he couldn't free himself from his past, he couldn't let this harm the people he started to grow close to...he had to deal with Sarah...he knew that she wouldn't let go of him easily, but he had to make sure that she would keep her claws on him, without involving his brothers, or their friends...
"No matter the price."
*******The Third Scott Brother*******The Third Scott Brother*******The Third Scott Brother*******The Third Scott Brother*******
"What happened here? Did a storm passed through your room?" a cheerful voice snapped Michael to his observations, and he stared at his room: clothes were everywhere, as he had tried everything in his wardrobe to see what would look better on him for his date with Sarah and, at the end, he had opted for a button-down white t-shirt, a pair of dark blue jeans, and a black leather jacket, and was checking himself on the mirror when his mother had barged in; he faked a sarcastic laughed as he glanced at her, and noticed that she was smiling cheerfully.
"Very funny, Mom, I always thought you had a hidden talent as a comedian, perhaps a change of career is in order?"
"Wow, someone's grumpy today, uh?" asked Martha as she found her way through the mess that was her son's room, and sat on the end of the bed; when Michael ignored her, she continued "I guess she must be someone special, isn't she?" she asked softly.
Michael hesitated for a moment, but then nodded "I really like her, Mom" he whispered, blushing slightly: no matter how close he and his mother were, it was still a bit embarrassing to talk about his crush "Though I don't know if she feels the same way I do."
Martha's smile widened as she reached her son, and hugged him "Michael, you are growing to be an amazing, good-hearted young man, if this girl has even at least a bit of sense in her, she will see how much special you are."
Michael blushed at Martha's words, and shook his head "Thanks Mom" he muttered, before heading to the door "I am going now, or I will be late."
"Remember, the curfew is at..."
"11 pm, I know, I know." he said smiling, and waved his hand "See you later."
*******The Third Scott Brother*******The Third Scott Brother*******The Third Scott Brother*******The Third Scott Brother*******
Coach Whitey Durham was sipping a cup of coffee as he rested on a chair in the small patio of his house, watching a framed photo of his wife, Camilla; he was so lost in thought that he didn't notice that someone was next to him until he heard a voice.
"Coach, do you have a moment?"
"Well, well, if it isn't Lucas Scott, already back to Tree Hill" he chuckled, but only for a moment: he knew why the blonde-haired boy was here "It's good to see you again, son, but if you are here to talk about my surgery, I have to ask you to leave me alone." he said, sternly.
Lucas looked at his coach worried, his hands stuffed in his jacket's pockets "I just want to know why you made this decision."
Whitey frowned Damn it, the boy is looking more like Keith as time passes he thought but that doesn't change the fact that I don't owe an explanation to anyone "What I do or don't in my life isn't any of your business" he answered quite harshly, standing up "Now if you excuse me, I want to stay alone."
"It's not just me...the whole team is worried about you, Coach" Lucas's words made Whitey snap "And you think that I care about what a bunch of kids thinks? You got it wrong, Lucas...the only person I cared about is dead, and I spent the moments we were together worrying about basketball instead of her" Whitey's voice was sad now, as regrets tormented him.
Lucas glanced at the photo in the coach's hands before talking again "Did you know that Nathan has got into the High Flyers?" he watched Whitey's surprise "We need you Coach: the team, Nathan and Haley, me, Michael...and we don't need you for basketball only...but because we need you to teach, to show us how to grow up, how to face life, how to make the proper choice...we need you, coach...and you need the surgery." he whispered, and, with a little nod of the head, started walking away "Please think about it."
Whitey sat again, tears forming in his eyes as he stared back at his wife's smiling face.
*******The Third Scott Brother*******The Third Scott Brother*******The Third Scott Brother*******The Third Scott Brother*******
Michael arrived at beach 15 minutes before the time Sarah mentioned with the phone message, but he couldn't wait anymore; plus, knowing his former girlfriend, it wouldn't be unusual that she was already there: therefore, he wasn't surprised as he found her waiting for him, standing in a spot close to the sea.
He walked slowly towards her, taking advantage of the fact that she had yet to notice him, to watch her closely: she was dressed quite simply, with a pair of black capri pants, and a purple blouse, with a pair of sandals at her feet; she was beautiful, but she didn't look like the girl Michael dated at New York I can still remember what she was wearing that night... shaking his head, Michael announced his presence "Sarah" he simply said, making the girl turn with a surprised but pleased expression on her face.
"I was sure you'd come, Michael" she purred, leaning closer to kiss him, which made the brown-haired boy step back.
"I'm not here for playing along another one of your games, Sarah, I want the locket back."
"Well, you have to give me something in return for it, don't you think?" she asked, her lips quirking in a delighted smile.
"Fine, what do you want?"
"A kiss."
"You are crazier than I thought." chuckling, Michael shook his head, taking some steps back, a look of fake amused etched into his features. With the corner of his right eye, he could see that Sarah seemed unfazed by his reaction, a grin plastered onto her gorgeous lips.
"It is just a kiss, Michael. A simple, little kiss and you get the recover locket. It is not that big of a price, unless..." she paused, and he could see her grin widening "...you are confused over your feelings for me?"
"Oh, there is no confusion about how I feel about you, Sarah. I hate you."
"Then prove it: kiss me, show me that there is nothing between us anymore, and I will leave. You do know that I always keep my promises."
He stopped pacing, and looked at her, annoyed, which made her scoff.
"It seems you made your choice."
A deep sigh escaped Michael's lips as he watched his former girlfriend start to leave "Wait." he whispered, ignoring the returning grin on her face "Just one kiss, and we are done."
"Just one kiss." she replied, stepping closer to him, and he couldn't help but feel his heart skip a beat as he leaned closer; it was similar and yet different from the last time they almost kissed.
Let's get this over with, and quickly.
Michael was sure of having thought that, right before his lips met Sarah's own for a brief kiss; yet, he was aware that several minutes have passed, and he was still kissing her with passion, her arms wrapped around his neck, her fingers stroking his dark brown locks, his hands circling her lips.
Sarah was right: despite what he told himself, Michael still loved her; she was his first love, and he now he could see, a part of him would always be in love with her.
But that only broke his heart more.
*******The Third Scott Brother*******The Third Scott Brother*******The Third Scott Brother*******The Third Scott Brother*******
New York, 7 months ago.
"I am not in the mood for a party."
"Oh, I am sure I know how to cheer you up, babe. Come on, everyone is already here, and the main event is reaching its climax. See you in a few minutes ~ "
Sighing, Michael hung up his phone and headed towards the house where the week's party was being hosted, chuckling to himself: it had been almost three months since he had left his home to move in with Sarah; the relationship with his mother was still strained, as the two have not been talking since he left, but Micheal was sure that, eventually, his mother would come around and accept how much he loved Sarah.
He decided to continue with this line of thought as he arrived at the party, greeting several students before he noticed a large, cheering crowd in the middle of the room. Curious, he moved closer, trying to see what the fuzz was all about.
When he did, he felt like someone shot him right in the stomach.
His eyes were wide open with shock, his skin white as ash as he stared at three kneeling boys, their arms tied behind their backs, their faces covered by small, black garbage bags, their upper bodies bare, their chest bearing the word "LOSER" in bold red letters, as people kept drenching them with beer and alcohol: even with the loud cheers, he could hear them crying.
"There you are, babe ~ What do you think? Those three losers wanted so bad to join the party, so I decided that it was time for some initiation tes-babe, what are you doing?"
Michael barely registered Sarah's voice calling for him as he rushed towards the boys, his heart beating fast, pumping adrenaline through his veins; his hands were shaking as she ripped the bags from their faces, and he felt something die inside him when he recognized the one kid in the middle.
It was Gabriel, a shy freshman that Michael met back when he had yet to join the team, defending him from several bullies; after the incident, the two bonded and became friends: he remembered that he was impressed by the artistic skills of the younger boy, who even made Michael an amazing sketch of his first game in an official match.
"Gabriel are you o-" he began speaking, but something died within him as he noticed that his friend was pulling away from him, the terrorized look in those eyes matching the ones on the other two boys' faces.
At first, he thought that the fear in their eyes was from the situation they have been forced to endure, but it took him only a few moments to realize that it wasn't just that.
Gabriel had recognized him, but he was still scared.
He is scared of me.
Because he doesn't see me as his friend.
He sees me as one of them.
I am one of them.
He stood up, finding that it was hard to breathe, almost like the air was made of countless, invisible blades that pierced his throat and lungs. He could now see what he had become, right in the eyes of his former friend: he had never participated in bullying, but since he started dating Sarah, he had started to unconsciously ignore those situations, blinded by the love he felt for his girlfriend.
"She is changing you, Michael, and you're not even noticing it! Sometimes I don't know who you are anymore!"
His mother's words echoed in his mind as horror hit him hard. Finally managing to take a breath, he looked around himself, realizing that a deep silence dominated the room now, everyone's eyes on him; he could feel Sarah approaching him, but he refused to look at her.
"Babe, what are you doing?"
"Let them go."
"The test is not over, you are ruining everyone's buz-"
"Let. Them. Go. Now." he whispered again, his eyes still avoiding her, and he thanked the anger that was now making rising within himself: being furious allowed him to not dwell on how much disgusted and horrified by himself was.
Sarah seemed to notice the change in his tone because he muttered an order to the crowd, which parted ways to allow the trembling boys to leave. Michael's heart throbbed with more pain as Gabriel left, without even once looking at him. As soon as they were gone from sight, he turned to stare at his girlfriend.
"We are over." he said, and he walked away, leaving Sarah and the stunned crowd behind.
*******The Third Scott Brother*******The Third Scott Brother*******The Third Scott Brother*******The Third Scott Brother*******
"I really believed that this was going to work."
"It was a good plan."
Michael let out a humorless laugh as he glanced at Sarah: the girl was looking away, kneeling on the sand, but he could still see the tears staining her face, her eyes reddened. It reminded him of when they met at school, after their break-up.
It wasn't him that ended their kiss: as they made out, Sarah seemed to notice that her plan wasn't going to work, and slowly pulled away from him.
"You can't deny any longer that there is still something between us."
"Of course there is." sighing, Michael lowered himself, and sat next to her "What we had, what I felt for you was real. Focusing on my hate for you was the only way to ignore how much I still loved, and love you."
"I was right then, and yet, I still lose." it was her turn to laugh now, and like him, there was no joy in it "You still don't want to have anything to do with me." she waited for his affirmative nod, holding back new tears "Why?"
"Because I hate who I had become when we were together. It took me a long time to see it, but once I opened my eyes, I realized what I was becoming was not the man I wanted to be...the man my mother raised me to be."
"I am really sorry about your mother."
"I know you are. And if it makes you feel better, my mother never hated you. She disliked you a lot but, believe it or not, she actually thought that our break up could have helped you to change into a better person, too."
"I can change. If you just give me the chan-"
"I do not doubt that. Everyone can change, if they have the will to follow through, and I know you can do it. But" he interrupted her attempt to speak "I am not sure that is possible with me around. We are not healthy for each other. Look at what happened here, Sarah. The troubles you caused to get to me."
"The troubles I caused to Brooke, you mean?"
"It is not like that, Sarah."
"Oh, you have it for emo blondie, then? I surely hope it is not for your brother's wife, although from what I have heard, it wouldn't be something shocking, considering the Scott genes. In any case, you have been too protective for something to not be there with any of those girls."
"I am protective because they are my family, Sarah. Since my mother...passed away, I felt lost. But being allowed to become a part of Lucas and Nathan's lives, alongside with Haley, and Peyton, and Brooke, and their other friends, I have finally felt something close to...home." he smiled "That is why they are so important to me."
They remained silent for several minutes, their eyes lost in the dark sky. When the meteor shower began, Sarah rose to her feet, looking away from him.
"I do not agree with your take on us, Michael. But I can see that right now, any further attempt would just be useless. Here." she handed him the silver locket, before starting to walk away "But I haven't given up on you. This isn't the last time we see each other, Micheal Scott."
*******The Third Scott Brother*******The Third Scott Brother*******The Third Scott Brother*******The Third Scott Brother*******
"And since we are going to work together, I guess we can also...party together."
Micheal's brow furrowed as he heard those words from a stranger's voice, right as he was stepping inside the Tric. After having stared at the meteor shower for a while, he decided to head back, and on his way, he noticed that the lights of the soon-to-open nightclub were still up; guessing that Peyton was still there, he decided to pass by and see if she needed any help. Now, he looked at the blonde, who seemed wary of the stranger that was talking to her.
"Peyton? Is everything ok?" he asked, making his presence clear; he noticed the relieved look in her friend's face, as well as the annoyance of the shady guy that now looked at him. With a smile, he moved forward, until he was at Peyton's side.
"It is all right Michael, it was just-"
"I was just leaving. I just wanted to congratulate for the opening of the club" the stranger muttered and walked away. As soon as he was gone, the brown-haired boy turned to look at Peyton, worried.
"Are you sure that you are all right?"
"I am, don't worry about it. I was just going to close anyhow, it has been a long day."
"Tell me about it." he chuckled, still worried, but choosing to let Peyton decide when she was going to be ready to tell what was going on. Glancing at the table, he noticed some of her friend's new sketches, and he felt a dull pain at his chest, the image of a young boy's amazing art flashing through her mind.
"Earth to Michael? You look lost in thought."
"Oh, I am fine" he whispered, forcing a smile "Soo...how are you feeling for all ages night?"
"Honestly? I am terrified, and annoyed that I had to hire that arrogant jackass" she scoffed, mentioned Keller, which made Michael laugh "But I hope everything will go great."
"It will, Peyton. You have done an amazing job, you should be proud of yourself" he whispered, grinning at the blonde, that grinned back to him, punching his arm playfully.
"Thank you, Mike. Wait a moment!" she gasped as she recalled something "How did it go with S-"
"Sarah? We talked, and I think we won't be seeing her for a while."
"What about the l-" she stopped as Micheal showed her the silver pendant "I hope you didn't have to do anything revolting with the b-I mean, are you ok?" she asked, concerned.
He really wanted to say 'yes', but he felt a lump on his throat as he tried to "I am going to be. One day at a time."
"You will." Peyton's smile was reassuring "Is there anything I can do?"
Nodding, he handed her the locket "There is something you can do, actually."
"Why are you giving me the locket? You should-"
"It is better if you give it to Brooke, Peyton. What matters is that the locket is back, but I am not the hero in this story, or in any that is related to Sarah."
"Mich-"
"Peyton. Please."
*******The Third Scott Brother*******The Third Scott Brother*******The Third Scott Brother*******The Third Scott Brother*******
New York, 7 months ago.
Several minutes after leaving the party, it had started raining heavily, but he ignored the countless drops of water that soon made his clothes drenched. He couldn't stop running, because if he did, the horror, the images of what just happened would start tormenting him again.
Micheal knew that the many calls that were making his phone buzz were from Sarah, but he did not care; he wasn't even conscious of where he was going until he found himself standing at a familiar door, panting, his heart broken.
It didn't think for more than a second before he knocked on the door. He awaited, tears beginning to drop from the corner of his eyes, as he never felt as lost as he was right now.
Then the door opened. Deep green eyes that match his own were locked on him, featuring many emotions.
Surprise.
Confusion.
Relief.
Pain.
Fear.
"I..I am so sorry." he whispered, his voice broken by tears. A moment later, he felt his mother embracing him, sobbing as she pulled him inside.
"Get inside before you catch pneumonia." Martha said, and the door behind them closed.
*******The Third Scott Brother*******The Third Scott Brother*******The Third Scott Brother*******The Third Scott Brother*******
"I am coming! Geez, what is with everyone tonight!" Brooke walked towards the door, annoyed: she had just managed to fall asleep, and now someone had the brilliant idea to wake her up, ringing the doorbell!
This day can't seem to end she thought, and who could blame her? She had gone from having sex with Felix of all people -she couldn't deny that the boy was attractive, but she was sure that, had she not see one old pic of Lucas and her, back to their dating days, she wouldn't have gone with it- to having to bear watching all of her stuff being sold, meeting the new bitch in town and see her get away with one of her precious stuff, to Mouth surprising her by having bought back her dollhouse. What more could be happening today?
"Now who the h-Goldilocks, what are you doing here at this hour?" she asked, surprised to see her best friend standing in the doorway, a smile on her lips. Then, her surprise turned to shock as the blonde pulled out her silver locket.
"How..how did you..?"
"It is a long story, Brooke." her friend answered, but she couldn't say more as Brooke pulled her into a crushing hug.
"Oh who cares, you are the best!"
"Bro-oke! You are choking me!"
*******The Third Scott Brother*******The Third Scott Brother*******The Third Scott Brother*******The Third Scott Brother*******
Michael watched from afar as Peyton gave Brooke the recovered locket, chuckling in amusement as the latter almost choked the former with a hug, her happy cries almost reaching his ears, even from afar.
He didn't leave until Peyton waved her friend goodnight, heading to her care and leaving; Brooke remained to her patio for several seconds, before jumping excitedly back inside her house, closing the door behind her.
Goodnight, Brooke.