(Sara)
Sara watched him for a few minutes, her eyes drawn to his mouth as he chewed on his pencil.
She thought back to the night before when she had hugged him. It was a funny thing too, because she hadn't really intended to do it. And last night she had chalked it up to sheer gratitude that he had agreed to get rid of the syringe for her. But now as she studied him she couldn't help but wonder how it might feel to kiss him.
She shook her head and pulled her eyes from his mouth. She was obviously still suffering from some kind of withdrawals. Or maybe it was just that she hadn't been laid in a while. 'Cause Michael so wasn't her type. He was too…well smart for one thing, and too uptight and well, 'good'.
But still…She sighed softly and he looked up at her, his blue gray eyes questioning.
She looked at him her eyes moving to his mouth and back to his eyes. She knew she was being teasingly wicked, but so what? What was he going to do about it; that is if he even figured out what she was doing, maybe run away again?
"How's it coming?" His question startled her from her thoughts.
"It's not. I hate this shit, Michael. And it's not like I even care about school. I just want out of here."
Michael closed her pre-calc book and placed it aside.
"What do want to do when you get out of high school, Sara? I mean, you don't wanna live here with your dad, right? I mean when you say you want out of here, you mean this house, this city, right?"
When she didn't say anything he continued.
"Sara, if you really want out of here half as much as you say do…"
He pushed her pre-calc book towards her.
She didn't say anything for a minute, but then her eyes moved from the book back to his face. He looked different somehow; older.
She laughed and shook her head. "You're so full of it, Michael. How much extra does he pay you for the pep talks? I mean my dad is so lucky to have found such an awesome tutor full of such uplifting words of wisdom." She said this in mock teenage drama.
She stood and pushed her chair in hard, knocking it over in the process.
"Sara, wait!"
His words met her back as she left the room.
(Michael)
He knocked softly, unsure if he should even be knocking at all. Maybe he should just leave and try to talk to her later at school? That way she would have a chance to cool down. But what if she was on the other side of that door with a needle poised and ready to go?
He sighed and knocked a little harder.
"What do you want, Michael?" Her words were sharp despite the door separating them.
"Can I come in?"
He was about to give up when her voice, much lower this time, came through the door.
"It's not locked."
He hesitated for a moment, his mind replaying the whole scene leading up to this moment; her eyes on him intently as he studied the text book. And then the seductive way she had moved her gaze from his lips to his eyes.
Her behavior had resulted in his need to lecture her; to be the adult. Thus enforcing within himself that he wasn't her peer, and her flirting with him was not to be encouraged.
He took a deep breath now and pushed open the door. She was just as he had pictured her, sitting on her bed hugging her knees.
He walked into the room and pulled up the chair he had spent an uncomfortable night in a little over a month ago.
He sat down, he eyes never leaving her, while she had yet to even glance up at him.
"Sara, I'm sorry. What I said was...It's just that I see you differently, that's all."
She looked up at him curiously.
"You see me differently? Differently then what?"
He put his hands together and leaned forward a little.
"Differently then you see yourself, I guess; differently then your friends see you. I see someone who is smart and...um...pretty...someone who has a lot going for her if she will just look in the right direction, maybe make a few changes."
She was looking at him, but he had averted his eyes as he spoke trying to stay in character. No way would the school geek make eye contact as he stumbled though the you're pretty and special speech with any girl, much less a girl who looked like Sara. And he wasn't lying. He did think she was pretty.
And he knew from her test scores as a child that she was also highly intelligent. It was only when she hit middle school that her grades had fallen.
When almost a full minute had passed without a word from her he figured it was okay to look up.
She was looking at him, her coppery eyes hit by the sunlight from the window making them fairly glow.
"I'm not so special, Michael. I'm just me."
She looked down at her hands studying them intently.
After a few beats..."I want it everyday, Michael, the drugs. I thought I could do it, you know? But now I think maybe I was just kidding myself. Maybe I'm not strong enough to change."
She hugged herself again, her thin arms wrapped around her body making her look more frail then he knew her to be a she made this all important confession. He knew this was a big deal; her opening up to him.
She had leaned forward, until there was only a foot of space between them, and he made himself look up into her eyes.
"I can help you, Sara. I mean anytime you feel like you're going to slip...if someone gives you another 'present?"
She smiled. "You'd do that? Why, Michael? I mean I haven't been exactly nice to you. I mean yeah, recently I have been okay to you, but I had an ulterior motive. I wanted you here so I wouldn't use."
He was surprised she had admitted this, but also impressed by her honesty.
"Well there you go, I'm already doing it," he smiled, trying to make light of it, and at the same time avoid her question as to why he would be willing to let her use him.
"Okay, then. It's official, you're my body guard. Protector from me," she joked.
He tried to laugh, but was hit with a fit of coughing as his spit traveled down the wrong tube.
He leaned back away from her, and covered his mouth.
"Are you okay? Do want some water or something?"
He shook his head. "No, um, I'm fine."
He cleared his throat.
"Maybe we should get back to work? I mean if your dad comes home and..."
"Relax Michael. It wouldn't be the first time old Frank caught me with a guy in my room."
But she hopped up all the same and he stood in to follow her, a wave of relief washing through him.
(Chapter End Notes:)
This will be my last post for a bit. I leave for vacation May 4th and won't be back till the 9th. Thanks for all of the comments, they are greatly appreciated.
