Hey there, I'm still on vacation and have several chapters done. But I thought I'd take my chance here at the airport and update my story. Enjoy!

Chapter 15 Friends are Only Good for Annoying You

October 17, 7:05 A.M.

Alan's P.O.V.

"Well I'm glad that you got the part Michael. But does this mean I'm going to be staying up half the night listening to you reciting lines from some play that will annoy the hell out of me?"

Michael smiled, "Don't worry; I won't put you through that again. You knew that I was nervous and when I'm nervous I do stupid stuff."

"It wasn't stupid," I responded, "it was just annoying as hell."

"Why are you saying 'hell' every sentence?" Michael asked, moving his finger in a circle to tell me to turn around while he changed. I complied and did the same thing. It was cold that morning in our shared room, probably because Debbie forgot to reset the heater or something stupid like that.

"I overheard Tori talking about how she enjoyed rappers from America. They use curse words a lot, so I thought I'd start with 'hell' and then move up from there." Michael scoffed at that while I tried to justify what I was saying. "It's hard keeping up with what she likes. It seems like every week they change! It's hard as hell!"

"I wonder why…" I heard Michael mutter.

"Oh like you're the guy to judge me on how to impress girls!" I retorted, "You're the one who decided to do the same exact play as Nina just so you could find an excuse to spend more time with her!"

"That's not why I decided to do the same play as Nina!" Michael replied angrily. I heard a belt going on so I turned back around to face him.

"Then why did you?" I asked. I saw Michael hesitate as he finished putting on his belt. It was annoying me heavily that I couldn't figure out Michael's feelings towards Nina. For Charlotte it was easy, but for Nina it's really hard.

"She gives me… courage…" Michael responded weakly. I could call his bluff and tell him that I heard him saying her name while he slept. But Michael was a notoriously bad sleeper and I've heard him call everybody's name in the house.

"Right…" I responded, not willing to embarrass Michael too much. "Well, you won't mind if I swing by your practice after school, would you?"

"Why would you want to do that?" Michael questioned, a bit of an edge in his voice.

"I just want to see what you guys are up to. I've been thinking about joining theater as well." I said with a sly smile on my face.

"It will be really boring."

"I'll manage."

Michael sighed, finishing buttoning up his shirt. 'Oh screw it!' I thought to myself. "Do you like Nina."

"No." Michael replied almost automatically, "She's a friend." He responded too quickly for my liking there.

"Michael-" I started, before he cut me off.

"She's a friend Alan! Leave it at that!" He responded angrily.

"Fine, keep your secrets! You American's love them don't you! Area 51, Watergate, the Bermuda Triangle Mystery!"

"You've been spending too much time with Alfie." Michael said, his tone mellowing a bit.

"He's a friend." I responded in a fake American accent just like Michael's. It got quiet after that as we both finished changing. I hate awkward silences so I had to say something.

"I've decided to stop saying hell so much." I said to break the ice. Michael smiled.

"Good, maybe I'll teach you some stuff about rapper so you are actually kind of cool."

"I'm cool!" I protested, pushing up the rim on my glasses. "And I thought you didn't like rap! You don't know more than me!"

Michael laughed, "Trust me, I do." We gathered our stuff and left the room to brave Debbie's cooking. When we saw Nina at the kitchen table, Michael plopped down right next to her. I'm definitely going to that practice today.

4:02 P.M.

Mr. Winkler seemed to be yelling at twenty different people when I arrived at the auditorium. His voice was echoing off of every corner of the area and for a moment I considered leaving, but I convinced myself to stay. I still wanted to see Michael with his costar Nina and how they would act. Luckily Fabian was nowhere in sight which meant Michael would be acting more natural. When Fabian's around, Michael raises his "mental walls" as I call them and is more closed off. With no Fabian, he acts just like my best friend.

"Well if the final painter isn't here, then she'll just be replaced!" Mr. Winkler shouted at a group of painters, who were in charge of backdrop I gathered. The three of them looked pretty distressed and seemed to shrink away from Mr. Winkler's gaze.

"Bu… But Mr. Winkler… she's the best one out of all of us!" One of the female painters protested. "If you get rid of he.. her then the backdrop won't be as good." Mr. Winkler back away and took a couple of deep breaths before responding.

"Ok fine! But make sure she's here this week alright?" The three painters nodded and quickly moved away from Mr. Winkler, eager to escape his gaze as he moved onto his next victim in line.

It wasn't a secret that Mr. Winkler was into Coach Roberts, and when he stood her up or something at the prom, she stormed out of the room when he finally showed up. I'm not entirely sure on the story though. Nobody is really, I'm not even sure Coach Roberts asked where he was. Bottom line was that this year both of them were sour. I've had to listen to Sophia complain about her attitude all the time. When Michael recommended quitting she laughed at him and told him 'quitting is for suckers'.

With his ranting done at the minor stage help, Mr. Winkler turned his full attention to the stage. Everybody was broken up into groups depending on which plays they were doing. Mr. Winkler said that they should focus on the longer plays first and spend only a short time before opening night doing the skits. I'm not sure exactly when the whole thing is, but I think Michael said that it was sometime in late November or early December before winter break and final exams.

That blonde girl from Anubis, Amber, was onstage showing up everybody else there. Mr. Winkler looked happy for the first time today. I would find her more attractive if I didn't hear about what she did to Michael at the disastrous dinner that he went to with Nina. Those sort of dinners are only supposed to happen during family holiday dinners or when you're meeting your girlfriend's parents for the first time.

I was watching Michael with almost a stocker's intention when Jimmie Jim sat a few seats away from me, groaning furiously. Jimmie Jim wasn't his real name, but everybody called him that because he got annoyed by it. He was a freshman and there's always one freshman that everybody hates. Jimmie Jim was annoying on an unknown level, so full of himself and sure that he was the best. His parents were stuffed with money, so he thought he could own the world. Everybody messed with him, so I thought I do it too just to pass some time and make him go away.

"Jimmie Jim," I began, "Why you looking so glum? Is it because you're not on stage?"

"Yes!" He declared, oblivious to my mocking tone, "I should be up there, I am better than any of those so called 'actors' up there!" He did mock quotations marks in the air when he said 'actors', his voice still filled with the same arrogances that everybody had come know and hate.

"Now I'm stuck doing stage crew! Stage crew! Mr. Winkler is yelling at me like I'm the help or something!" I had to smile at that, maybe I will come more often just to see him get yelled at. But as of now, I was working to block him out.

"I was ready for the stage!" he continued, "I am better than all of them! I should be the one who gets to costar with Nina!"

I bolted awake at that, "Why are you so eager to costar with Nina? Nina takes a lot of care about choosing her friends and let me be the one to tell you that she would not have you as a friend."

Jimmie Jim laughed at that, "You think I want to be her friend?" I nodded my head, and he laughed again. "Are you kidding me? I just wanted to privilege her with my tongue!" I gasped and he laughed again. I grabbed him and turned him around to face me.

"What. Are. You. Talking. About!" I said in my most threatening tone.

"Get your hands off me!" He protested, but I just grabbed him tighter.

"What are you talking about!" I repeat a little bit louder.

"I should have had Michael's part, he's the one who gets what should me mine!" Jimmie Jim responded angrily, "I wouldn't be surprised if Nina barfs after what happens!" He fumbled with some papers that were on the other seat in front of us. "Here!" He said, throwing papers at me, "Take a look for yourself!"

I let go of him and looked at the title of pages. It was a playwright titled 'The Glass Menagerie', which I recognized to be the play that Nina and Michael are in. Jimmie Jim was already running away, but I didn't care anymore.

I browsed through the sections page by page for any scenes with Nina and Michael. There was one major one at the end where it was just the two of them. I continued reading until my eyes froze on one section of the playwright. I must of looked ridiculous with my mouth wide open in shock.

I stuffed the playwright into my backpack and left the auditorium. 'Michael has some explaining to do.' I thought

6:23 P.M.

It was late when the door to my room door and Michael appeared smiling. I was so angry at that smile that when I jumped out of my hiding place I pushed him down onto the bed. Michael was oblivious to my anger and perceived it as a joke.

"Dude! Where a little old to wrestle."

"Where were you? Your practice ended at six!" I asked angry. Michael looked surprised.

"Sorry Mom, I was hanging out with Nina!" That did it for me and I felt the anger returning to my face and mind.

"You practicing with her for your play? Perhaps one scene in particular? Or how about just one bloody paragraph!" I said, throwing down the playwright into Michael's lap. I was just barely controlling my voice.

"What are you talking about?" Michael asked.

"I read the play Michael! I know that you and Nina kiss during it!" I said. It was silent after words for awhile as Michael was trying to figure out what to say. "Alan-" He began, but I cut him off before he could get far.

"What the hell are you thinking Michael?" I started, "Kissing Fabian's girl? The guy who would rip off your head if even given the slightest excuse! Does he even know!"

"Like you said, I wouldn't have a head if he did." Michael responded softly. "I don't think that Nina told him."

"Why?" I demanded. Michael shrugged. I sat down on my own bed, facing him with things becoming silent again. Finally I could take it anymore and I asked him again, "Do you like Nina?"

"Alan we talked about this-"

"No we didn't!" I said, jumping up off my bed again, "and this… this scene changes everything! You knew about this scene didn't you? Didn't you?"

"Yes!" Michael responded, getting angry himself, "why do you care so much? Huh? What does this have to do with you?"

"I don't like it when my best friend lies to me!" I responded. Michael's anger drained from him and he slumped over defeated. But mine was still inside of me, ready to burst forward now.

"I'm sorry." He said weakly.

"You should be! And I'll ask you again, do you like Nina?" Michael was quiet for a bit and he contemplated the question.

"I don't know." He finally responded, "I really don't know."

I sighed again, falling back onto my bed in a rage. "You do realize that you are going to piss off a bunch of people right? I can think of several people who will see your head on a platter if this gets out."

"Nothing bad is going to happen to me." Michael protested softly.

"Oh really?" I said with sarcasm, "Let's think about this for a second alright? Half of the people in Anubis hate your guts because of your relationship with Nina, right? Don't you think they would attack you out of rage? I mean, have you seen Amber's nails! They are perfect for ripping somebody's eyes out! And don't even get me started with what Charlotte will do!"

"Charlotte won't do anything." Michael said, speaking sharply like he always does whenever Charlotte is brought up. "She doesn't care about me. She made that clear last year."

"She does Michael, I'm sure of it. But it's that Joy girl that made Charlotte do what she did. Charlotte was used!" I argued, hoping to make Michael see light. But he just laughed.

"So you would have me like a girl who is shallow and can be used easily?"

"I would have you like somebody who isn't already in a relationship!" I nearly shouted. It was quiet again afterwards, neither of us sure what to say. Finally Michael got up and moved towards the door.

"Where are you going?" I asked.

"Out." He responded, "I need to clear my head."

He slammed the door behind him. I let out another angry groan and looked around the room helplessly. I would have to go after him eventually, but I think I'll wait a little bit. I'm pretty sure if I saw him again I would punch him.

Thanks for staying with me, I know I haven't been updating but I've been on vacation. China has been great and I'm going to Munich, Germany and then Paris, France. I'll be back in about a week and I will be able to update on a regular bases again.

As you guys probably already know, this is done in different P.O.V. This means that not everybody knows what somebody else knows. What's happening with Nina is mystery to Alan, as is what happened with Mr. Winkler.

Please REVIEW! If I can, I will review!