Chapter 8
Bella's PoV
Dutifully, Mike carried my books and backpack to each of my classes over the course of the school day, and surprisingly, our small-talk conversations between classes were light-hearted and easy, almost like breathing. Neither of us mentioned the awkward air between us, nor recognized that we actually had a "thing" together… Or was it just my imagination? And yes, I was now calling it a "thing".
I was just supposing that I was one of the many Newton-kissed girls that Mike dealt with, and I had resigned myself to believing he was just trying to let me down easy. Like, distance himself away from the clumsy, incoherent, idiot girl he had gotten stuck with.
But there was only one question this theory left me with. If he wanted to distance himself away from me, then why was he being so nice? And why hadn't he revoked the free school rides yet? I supposed he was just being nice…
Mike's PoV
It was a pretty busy day. After getting to school and walking Bella and her stuff to her first class, I ran through the drizzly Fork's weather to the high school's gymnasium. I had a study hall to burn through, and I normally wouldn't have even showed up to school this early if I hadn't had to pick up Bella. Not that I was complaining in the least bit. But I got a basket ball out of the supply closet and began shooting some hoops and listening to the pound of the ball on the hardwood floor. A soothing sound helping my concentrate and really get into the groove.
I had just begun to work up a sweat when Crowley slipped in and joined me.
"I'll verse you. First to twenty points wins!" he asked me.
"Sure, man. five bucks if I win?" I smirked
"Fine, five buck? You're on bitch!" Tyler jeered. He then swiped the ball from me and shot for the hoop. Fortunately for me, he missed and I got the ball, traveling around and tricking him, slyly sneaking by him to shoot a basket by the three-point line. I swiftly and lithely spun around his every lunge, scoring point after point. Soon, it was extremely apparent that I had won by a landslide. We both flopped down on the first row of plastic bleachers, gasping for breath.
"You fucking asshole." Tyler gasped.
"You owe me five bucks, bitch." I laughed.
We relaxed for a minute or two to catch our breath and Tyler chose then to turn to me and say, "So…. Wow, you really like this Bella girl, huh?"
Startled by Tyler's sudden insight into my budding attraction to this girl, I blushed and absent-mindedly bit my lip. Biting my lip had always been a nervous habit of mine, and it immediately gave me away to my best friend, who nodded and motioned for me to speak.
I scratched the back of my head and figured it was no use denying it. "Yeah, man," I said. "She's funny and pretty cool… And kinda beautiful, yah know? Yeah, I suppose I like her. " I admitted, trying not to sound like a tool-bag.
Tyler accepted this information as if he had already known anyways and asked, "When you gonna ask her out on a real date?"
"I really don't know, man." I replied. Since Bella had kissed and ditched the other night, and although she sweetly apologized for it this morning, I still wasn't certain how our relationship was standing right now. I was stuck between 'friend zone', 'potential fuck buddy', and 'trophy girlfriend'. I hoped it was the last of the three. If I actually had a chance with Bella, I wanted to do it right this time. I wanted a real… relationship with someone with real feelings. No long-nailed Jessica-whore relationship bullshit.
"Well, bro, you betta' ask her soon, or she'll be taken by a different dickwad, and you know it." Crowley said.
I nodded. I guess I wouldn't be able to take as much time trying to woo her like I originally wanted to. It was a bit disappointing, because I really had just wanted to prove to her that I was worthy of her affection. Damn, I really liked this chick. I was thinking long-term, and I really was holding a torch for her. I just wanted to get everything right with Bella, to prove to her, despite my past, that I was a decent guy.
"Ty, what do you suggest I do?" I put my head in my hands , unsure of how I would even get Bella and I back to the stage we were at the other day. It was really one step forward, two step back.
Tyler gave me a sympathetic look and shrugged. " Just do what you do best." He got up and glanced at the clock. "Okay, I gotta go to Trig. See yah later.?" He started walking out. When he got to the door, he turned to me and winked, "Don't fuck this up." Tyler chuckled and went through the door, leaving me alone in the gym, indecisive as usual.
I gathered up my shit and went to pick up my Bella and drop her off at her next class.
Bella's PoV
I spent all of my classes just waiting for the bell. Yes, it was so that I could see Mike. Which was rather pathetic because I'm certain he doesn't like me anyways. Whatever, I figured that I would just enjoy the ride while I still can.
Mike was so sweet to me while bringing my stuff to each class. Once, when I complained about my throbbing headache, he offered to carry both myself and my backpack to chemistry, which was on the complete opposite side of the school. I blushed and politely declined.
Now, it was the last block of the day; 2:58 PM. Two minutes to go. These minutes were undoubtedly going to be some of the longest minutes of my life. I turned back to the front of the classroom, where Mrs. Regal continued to drone on and on about the 'scandalous' 1920's. And from the way she was describing the speakeasies so vividly, I would have been surprised if she had lived through the era herself…
2:59 PM; Only one more minute to go. I was bouncing my legs so violently that the entire desk was shaking. Every second seemed like an eternity. I started trying to silently pack up so that I would be one of the first out of the room.
So, naturally, I dumped all of my books and pencil case onto the floor. At least the gigantic crash woke up the other sleeping students in the room just in time for the bell. I was receiving a multitude of glares from all sides as my pencils rolled under their feet and my face felt as hot as the sun. I muttered a quick 'sorry' and hurriedly gathered up my books as the teacher rolled her eyes and muttered something about interruptions under her breath.
The bell rang and I was still picking my pencils up as my classmates and Mrs. Regal practically ran out of the room as if the sun-blinds were on fire. I was the only one left for a few seconds and then Mike walked in and crouched down next to me as I scrambled on my knees to get to the last two pencils that had rolled under a stupid filing cabinet. Just as I grabbed them, Mike said, "Pink thong, today, Bella?"
I stood up so fast that I clipped my shoulder on the edge of the filing cabinet handle and yelled 'fuck' and jumped up and down as if it would actually ease the pain. Goddamn it. Mike just looked at me with an amused grin on his face.
flustered, I yelled, "Yeah! So what's it matter to you, buck-o?" I was so frustrated with myself that I stomped me foot. I knew I was acting foolish, but, by now, Mike was full-out laughing at me, making me feel even more angry. I crossed my arms and turned away from him, after giving him a cold glare. I was not a happy camper.
I glared out the window for a few seconds, then I heard him rise and stand behind me. Ever so gently, he laid a warm hand on my shoulder and asked, "Is your shoulder alright?"
Oh, so he was gonna be all sweet now. I murmured "It's fine, you butthead," and shrunk away from his touch. Then, surprisingly, he used the hand on my shoulder to turn me around and embrace me in an unexpected hug. At first, my arms were frozen at my side in shock, but then I started to respond. My arms wrapped around him and slid up his back. I enjoyed the delicious feel of all of his rippling back muscles that I didn't even know existed on a man.
They stopped moving about midway up his back and I laid my head on his chest. It was so sweet! Any kind of feelings of resentment grew wings and just flew out the window. It was like paradise in his arms; there was no other place that I would ever rather be. (Except a bedroom with Mike… Hehe.) But all too soon he pulled away and swiftly slung my backpack over his left shoulder. He took out his keys and asked, "Ready to roll, Babe?"
I nodded and we both navigated our way out of the school and into the parking lot where he opened the car door for me, got in himself, and stuck the keys in the ignition. He turned, winked at me, and then floored it out of the parking lot.
After a five minutes trip that really should have taken twenty minutes, we were pulling up to the curb in front of my house. Awkwardly, it kinda felt like he was dropping me off after a date; It felt as if I should kiss him, say a seductive 'have good night', and then get out of his car and skip gleefully all of the way into my house. However, that wasn't even close to the current situation.
I unclasped my seatbelt and turned to look into his beautiful, sky-blue eyes. As genuinely as I could, with the biggest smile I could muster, I said, "Thank you, Mike." He returned my smile and his eyes sparkled.
"Anytime, Babe," he said with a wink, "I'll be seeing you tomorrow, bright and early."Do you want me to bring your backpack into the house for you?"
Not wanting to be a burden, I declined. He looked a bit disappointed… Perhaps I should have invited him in… Made him a snack, watched a movie and cuddled, waited anxiously for his arm to slither over my shoulders, just in time for me to lean over and place my lips on… Woah! Way too ahead of myself here!
I grabbed my backpack out of the backseat and swung myself out of the car as I said, "Nah, I can totally handle it." And I fell flat on my ass onto my front lawn. Luckily, we had been parked close enough to the curb so I narrowly could miss hitting the pavement. Unfortunately, it still knocked the wind out of me and I fell onto my back.
Mike, very alarmed by my suave, little show, jumped out of the car as soon as he saw me begin to lose my balance and topple over and got over to me at record time after dodge rolling over the hood of his car.
"Bells? Bella! Are you alright? Is your head okay?" he asked frantically. As I sat there, very stunned, he tried to help me up, but my body did not seem to want to move.
"Oh, God, please don't be a vegetable." Mike begged as he tried to get me to move.
I sucked in a glorious deep breath of fresh air. Mike sighed in relief and gathered me up into his strong arms. He carried me right into the house (we never lock the doors… not like there wouldn't be a policeman immediately on scene) and set me down on the living-room couch. He whispered, "I'll be right back, baby." and walked back outside for a minute. Mike returned with my backpack in one hand and his keys in the other.
"When is your dad coming home?" he asked me.
Still a bit stunned, I forced out the word, "Late."
"Well, then it looks like I'm staying for a while. I need to make sure you don't' do anything else that may result in you getting a worse concussion or bleeding out on the floor. Besides, I've been told that I can make a pretty boss dinner of spaghetti and sauce from a jar."
He gave me another one of his famous winks and headed into the kitchen.
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