Chapter 16
"Could everyone please hand their assignments to the front of their rows to be collected." Mrs James voice droned and I handed mine to the girl sitting in front of me. A girl who had become one of my closest friends in my time at Rosewood. A girl that I would trust with my life.
"Have you heard anything from A recently?" She whispered whipping around to face me.
"No thankfully! Have you? I heard Spencer got a text last night." I replied pressing my hands to my temples. The whole 'A' thing was physically and emotionally draining.
"Me neither, but Spencer seems to be jumping at everything." Aria sighed. Spencer didn't need to be worrying about A, she had enough to worry about with her grades. She was focused on being at the top of the school to get into her top ivy league colleges, I don't know how she found the time to study with A constantly watching her every move.
"Do we have any ideas on who it might be?" I asked, it was something no one had talked about in a long time.
"Em and I were talking about it last night actually, but no. By the way how did your date go with Mike?" Aria smiled adding a light tone to the conversation. Something I was thankful for.
"It-it was great." I smiled feeling a warm blush rise to my cheeks.
"That good huh? I meant he must have been confessing his love or something because he never gets that dressed up!" Aria exclaimed causing me to blush even harder.
"Did he tell you he loves you? What did you say?" Aria squealed.
"Girls!" Mrs James yelled at us causing us to laugh. Aria turned to face the front of the class and I was thankful that I didn't have to answer her question, although as soon as class was over I knew I would be interrogated.
"Possessing a powerful sense of his own imperfection, Michelangelo pressed himself to exceed all expectations and was often frustrated by patrons who failed to meet their obligations." Mrs James continued her train of speech. It was utterly boring, seeming to serve us as a reminder that everyone had their own inner turmoil or something.
"Well?" Aria whispered, turning to face me once again.
"I don't see how that is any of your business." I laughed feigning interest in what Mrs James is saying.
"Nikita Taylor you seem to have so much to say about this subject. Why don't you continue the lesson." Mrs James said taking a seat at her desk.
"Okay class lets see what we have here." I rose from my seat grabbing the notes of Mrs James' desk. She looked utterly shocked.
"Michelangelo had insecurities blah de blah de blah... created tender and poignant scenes of mother and child and creator and sinner. Ooh liked painting naked men fun! And when I thought he was such a great guy he spent the last forty years of his life preparing for death. Party pooper! Anyway on the topic of Mike's I had the most romantic date with Mikey last night." I winked at Aria sitting down on Mrs James' desk. The whole class erupted in laughter and I turned to see what the laughter was about. Mrs James' looked so offended and utterly shocked. It wasn't a facial that suited her.
"Sorry sorry I'm going off topic. Just Michelangelo seems to kinda be... how do I put this. A perverted old weirdo who probably painted many x-rated pictures of men to wank over." I had jumped of the desk and was now looking Mrs James straight in the eye.
"Excuse me! You clearly don't appreciate the talent of Michelangelo! Are you sure Art History is the subject you should be taking?" Mrs James finally spoke out.
"I'll have you know that I love the subject of Art History. But couldn't we study someone with, I don't know, some form of a life? At least someone who wasn't preparing for death for forty years." I said feeling the stares of each student on my back. It felt pressurizing, like I couldn't back down.
"And who did you have in mind?" Mrs James asked, thankfully this was an easy question.
"Andy Warhol." I spoke confidently and Mrs James looked surprised with my answer.
"Or Jackson Pollock, they're both really cool!" I exclaimed with a wide smile on my face. I had about two million prints from these guys around my house and another three million in my room alone. They were legendary in my book.
"Nikita sit down." Mrs James ordered so I sat back down on her desk, causing the class to laugh yet again.
"Nikita!" Mrs James exclaimed.
"Oh you meant in my seat? You may want to try being more specific, still thought I was teaching the class." I shrugged walking back to my seat.
"Nikita has raised an interesting point," Mrs James stated and I took a curtsey as the class applauded.
"Class! You will each be studying an artist of your choice. All the work will be done in class and it will be done across eight periods depending how we go." Mrs James continued to explain the assignment and everyone looked quite pleased. I mean it sounded easy enough.
"I'm guessing you'll be doing Da Vinci? No wait Michelangelo!" Aria laughed as we exited the class.
"Oh Michelangelo for sure. I just really idolize him." I put on my best fake voice causing us both to erupt in laughter.
"Are you two laughing about me?" Mike asked coming up behind us. He wrapped an arm around my waist as I laughed harder.
"I keep forgetting how big your ego is, but no and if you don't mind us." Aria giggled pulling me away from Mike and into our english class.
"Aria!" I exclaimed giggling hard. Mike just looked so adorable standing in the corridor completely shocked.
"Love you!" I called out, winking in Mike's direction. Mike shook his head and walked down the corridor, presumably to his next class.
"Love you?" Aria asked her mouth in the biggest smile it could form.
"You and Mike..." Spencer began looking between Aria, me and the door.
"Are in love?" Emily continued mimicking Spencer's actions.
"Chill guys! Niki is in looove." Hanna sang leaning her head back in laughter. An approaching Caleb pressed his lips on to Hanna's in greeting. We at first thought it was cute, but soon things started to get steamy. Hands going places they shouldn't be.
"Hanna, Caleb." Miss Montgomery separated the couple as she took her place at the front of the class. An embarrassed Caleb and Hanna quickly took their seats and I slid into one between Hanna and Aria.
"So has he actually said the three words?" Spencer whispered from in front of me, causing me to blush.
"He said I love you?" Emily asked from beside Spencer. I blushed harder and hung my head.
"I thought I would never see the day!" Aria exclaimed looking utterly shocked.
"Sorry girls is there something more important than the English lesson?" Miss Montgomery asked interrupting the conversation. Spencer immediately whipped around to face the front, acting like a good student.
"Mike and Niki sitting in a tree, k-i-s-s-i-n-g, first comes love..." Hanna sang trailing off. Miss Montgomery looked startled and Aria clearly felt the need to explain Hanna's weird behavior.
"Mike loves Nikita! Like he actually said the words!" Aria exclaimed causing a shocked look to fall across Miss Montgomery's face.
"Wow, oh, wow, that's... wow!" Miss Montgomery exclaimed why was this such a big deal?
Class was finally over, but Miss Montgomery had asked me to stay. Really? This was cutting into my lunch period.
"Hi Miss." I smiled approaching her desk.
"I was wondering would you and your brothers like to come over for dinner tonight? Spencer's going to be there as well." Miss Montgomery asked sorting papers on her desk.
"If I didn't know better I would think you just want to hear Mike confess his love." I laughed and Miss Montgomery blushed a bit. Clearly I was right.
"So you'll be at mine at seven?" She asked smiling.
"Sounds great!" I replied walking out of the room.
"One more thing." Miss Montgomery called as I was in the doorway. Turning to face her I saw a worried look cross her face.
"Are you okay? With your parents, your brothers?" I hadn't realized until now that maybe I wasn't okay. I wanted so desperately to run into her arms and cry. Tell her every little secret I have kept, whether about Tom, A, my parents, my own secrets. I wanted to let it all out.
"I'm fine." I plastered on a fake smile and exited the classroom. Fake it till you make it right? Well my destination was happiness.
"Hay babe, what are you doing here?" Mike asked as he answered the door.
"Wait, your Mom didn't tell you?" I was suddenly nervous that I had the wrong day or had heard wrong. Maybe I had the wrong house.
"I'm just joking, come in." Mike laughed as I rolled my eyes and made my way up to Aria's room. I was already getting bored with Jesse, Blake and Mike's conversation and I wasn't in it.
"Hay Niki! Lets go down stairs." Aria greeted me jumping towards her bedroom door. Being pushed down the stairs by Aria, Spencer quickly slammed the door and followed us.
"Are you guys hiding something?" I asked, suddenly very suspicious.
"Us? No no." Spencer said in a strained voice.
"Guys?" I asked looking between the two. We were now on the landing of the stairs and the two girls looked extremely nervous.
"Hay sexy." Jesse sidled up to Spencer who developed a light pink blush as she giggled.
"Hay Aria, um thanks." Blake smiled looking into Aria's deep eyes.
"For what?" Aria breathed, clearly nervous around this boy.
"For staying by me in hospital and everything. It was really cool of you." Blake was so nervous that I just wanted to egg him on, help him. But instead of doing that I darted up the stairs heading straight for Aria's bedroom.
"Where are you going Nikita?" Spencer yelled running after me.
"Don't think you're getting away that easy!" Aria added racing up the stairs. Turning the handle I fell into her room and wasn't fazed at all. There was literally nothing to hide.
"What-where-huh?" Aria stuttered as she came behind me.
"See we told you we weren't hiding anything." Spencer shrugged nudging Aria hard in the ribs. I looked between the two girls and shrugged making my way down the stairs. I heard Aria whisper thanks to Spencer for hiding it though. Hiding what?
"You okay Niki?" Jesse snickered and I lightly hit him.
"Help me with Aria and Blake okay?" I whispered in his ear and he stiffly nodded. Letting Mike lead me into the lounge I decided step one was setting the mood in the room. Force Aria and Blake into conversation.
"Lets play some music." Jesse exclaimed bounding over to the iPod speaker.
"My iPod's in their if you want to swap it." Spencer commented causing a mischievous smile to form on Jesse's face.
"Perfect!" Jesse winked at Spencer who in turn blushed. Soon one of the most classic songs came on. The perfect song to say you were into a guy. I swapped a look with Spencer and soon we were singing to our boyfriends.
"Don't know what you did boy but
You had it and I've been hooked ever since.
I told my mother, my brother, my sister and my friend
I told the others, my lovers, both past and present tense.
Everytime I see you everything starts making sense." We were belting out the lyrics as Aria and Blake were awkwardly looking at anyone but each other. Deciding to take things one step further I straddled Mike and continued singing.
"Ain't no other man, can stand up next to you
Ain't no other man on the planet does what you do
You're the kinda guy, a girl finds in a blue moon.
You got soul, you got class.
You got style with your bad ass
Ain't no other man its true
Ain't no other man but you." After the chorus had ended Mike grabbed my lips with his sending us into a passionate kiss. Spencer's voice was silenced as well as Jesse's lips came cascading down upon hers. I could feel the sexual tension between the two on the opposite couch though. Soon the song had ended and had been replaced by one for the boys to sing, which indeed they did. Pushing us girls off their laps Mike and Jesse bounded up to the ground to perform. Pulling Blake up all three boys were belting into invisible microphones.
"I gotta tell her how I feel
I gotta let her hear, the best love song she ever heard in her life
No need for me to write it, I just gotta picture her smiling
And if you feel that way, go ahead and kiss your baby
Now we've got the whole stadium in love like eh" The boys were tone-deaf and Spencer and I were loving it. Aria on the other hand was a deep red colour as Blake tried not to look at her, but it was clearly impossible for him.
"Homie kiss your girl
Shorty kiss your man
We can see you on the kissing cam
Please show me some love" Jesse and Mike sang one last verse before pulling their respected girlfriends into deep kisses. Mike and I were soon back in our place as his hands explored my body and our lips crashed harder and harder against each other after each breathe.
General POV:
"Wow! They're really getting at it." Aria exclaimed looking at the two couples. She honestly wouldn't be surprised if they started having sex right there. Blake took one look at Aria and immediately wished they could be one of those couples. Okay maybe not that intense, maybe more romantic. Loving.
"So how have you been?" Blake asked draping his arm over the couch. Aria truly was beautiful.
"I've been good, how have you been? You're the crippled one." Aria teased playfully hitting Blake on the chest. Blake faked being hurt falling back on the couch.
"I-I think you broke a rib." Blake spluttered trying his hardest not to laugh.
"Oh damn! I should help you right?" Aria was soon on her knees in between Blake's legs, hitting him all over his chest in a light way. Although she could hit as hard as she wanted, she doubted he'd feel anything beneath those rock hard abs.
"Oh that's it!" Blake exclaimed, a mischievous glint passing through his eyes. Reaching his arms up to tickle Aria he couldn't help but pull her closer to him. She in turn erupted in a fit of giggles.
"Stop!" She protested secretly not wanting the loss of his touch. Trying to pry his hands off her she slipped falling onto his expansive chest.
"S-sorry." Aria whispered to scared to move. Blake was very close to her now, she could feel his heaving chest beneath her and longed for his kiss.
"You don't ever have to apologize." Blake breathed pulling Aria into a much sought after kiss. It felt perfect.
"Um guys, dinner is ready." Ella's boyfriend Zack interrupted the make-out fest awkwardly rushing out of the room.
Read and Review guys! Hope you liked it (:
By the way the songs are in order of appearance:
-Ain't No Other Man - Christina Aguilera
-Best Love Song - Chris Brown & T-Pain