The story of our favorite high school couple is continued in this sixth chapter with thematsaidwelcome, who navigates the waters of character development like a true ship captain.

Be sure to check out her other works on her FF page.

-We're The Ones Who Write


Chapter 6: And both that morning equally lay

November

"OMG….Are these what I think they are?" Sasha asked Michonne, shocked by what she found in her drawer.

"Why are you going through my drawer?" Michonne picked up the dress from the foot of her bed and examined it.

"I was looking for a pen so that I could sketch out an idea for my prom dress. I found something else though." Sasha held up the pack of birth control pills and waved them around in the air.

"Okay, you found them, now put them back before you lose em." Recognition came to Sasha's face, then a broad smile.

"You and Rick...when...where? Why didn't you tell me?" Sasha placed the pill pack into the drawer and shut it softly so she wouldn't miss anything Michonne was going to say.

"Which question do you want me to answer first?"

"When?"

"Our first time was the night his mama showed up at the pool last summer."

"Last summer! Michonne, that was months ago. Why haven't you told me?"

"I don't know. I guess, I wanted it to be just for me and Rick, ya know."

"I forgot you're good with secrets."

"It wasn't really a secret... it was just nobody's business." Michonne looked pointedly at Sasha and smiled.

"So you're on the pill, do y'all do it all the time? Eww...do y'all do it on this bed?" Sasha slowly got up and walked over to sit in the desk chair, creeped out by the thoughts running through her head.

"You know you're a whole mess, right?" Michonne picked up another dress, sighing at having to choose one. "So you and Abe haven't?"

"No. He's actually been a real sweetheart about it all now, which is more than I can say for how Bob was."

"You have to wait for the right time, and if he wasn't willing then too bad for him."

"I figure I'll be cliche about it all and give it up on prom night." She took a deep breath and blew it out. "First I have to get over the fear of death with Abe's huge body on top of me."

"I don't think Abe will crush you to death Sasha, but you can always get around that by being on top." Michonne gave her a wink.

"You know, it's always the quiet ones!" Sasha laughed out.

"Just do whatever feels right...when it feels right." She picked up another dress from her bed. "Which one of these should I wear?"

"I can't believe you're even going to this luncheon. A bunch of stuck up over achievers fighting to be valedictorian."

"You know if I didn't have to, I wouldn't be going. I didn't factor in that Terry's mom, would tell my mom about it and she insisted that I go." Michonne placed her hand on her hip to prepare for the impression of her mother. "It's such a great opportunity Michonne. Think of all the people you'll meet. Terry will be there, can you imagine what the two of you will look like walking in together, talk about a power couple."

"She's still trying to get you two together? She's not gonna stop until you're Mrs. Terry Montague and y'all are in the wedding section of Jet magazine." Both girls roared with laughter because it was true, Michonne's mother was Terry's biggest fan. He always made a way into her conversation, no matter if she was talking about school or changing the drapes in the dining room. His name always came up and Michonne always tuned her mother out, because to flat out say she wasn't interested always resulted in, "Is it because of that blue eyed mechanic from the other side of the tracks? He's no good for you and the sooner you realize it, the better."

"Which one?" She held up a yellow empire waist dress with a flowy skirt and a simple green sheath.

"Go with the yellow one." Sasha answered.

"I'll wear the green one."

"Then why did you ask if you were just gonna wear that green one?"

"Just wanted your opinion." She shrugged her shoulders and held up the yellow dress to her body. "Rick likes me in yellow."

"Then why not wear the yellow one?" Sasha asked a little annoyed at her friend.

"Because he's not gonna be there. Just Terry's tired ass, and a bunch of strangers that I'm supposed to network with. I'm not trying to look good for any of them." She set the dress down and started gathering the other ones to hang back up in her closet.

"Well, luckily it's just one day. Maybe there'll be so many people there that you won't even see Terry."

"Yeah, one really long day."

"Are you driving back that same day? It's a two hour drive right?"

"No, my mom insisted that I stay at the hotel and drive back the next morning."

"She's letting you stay overnight at a hotel by yourself?" Michonne rolled her eyes.

"Only because you know who is also staying. And she has to teach a few classes that day, or she'd be right there with me."

"Wow. I think I'd jump on the bed all night, order food and drop water balloons off the balcony. No adult supervision, I would go wild." Sasha said with a smile, quirking her eyebrows. "Too bad Rick can't come."

"Whatever Sasha. Here," Michonne handed her a pen, "Start drawing your dress and stop thinking about me and Rick."


Michonne sat at the huge round table that sat ten, looking around at the people filing into the conference room, all seniors in high school from the state, all African American and all there to hear how best to succeed in college. She had just looked to her left to read the name of the person who was sitting next to her, when she heard his voice. She closed her eyes and said a silent prayer for strength.

"Talk about luck huh? We get to sit next to each other for this thing."

"Terry...yeah looks like it." He noticed her vexed and bothered expression and decided to try his luck one more time.

"Look Michonne...I know I might come across as sort of…"

"Egotistical. Conceited. Self centered...selfish." She finished for him.

"Maybe one of those." He conceded. "But I'm really having a hard time trying to figure out why you keep rejecting me. I'm in the top ten percent at school, class president, basketball team captain, I drive a sweet whip, live in a great house, my parents have lots of money and I'm guaranteed to go to an Ivy League school that I want. Why do you keep wasting your time with that hillbilly from the other side of the tracks, when you can be with me?"

"Why are you so hung up on me Terry? There's at least ten girls at school, that would give up their Louis Vuitton purse just to date you. Why me?"

"You're smart, beautiful and…." Cutting him off again, Michonne finished for him, not wanting to hear anymore of his voice.

"And I've shown no interest in you from the first time you spoke to me." She took a deep breath to steady her nerves some before continuing. "Terry, as special as you think you are, I'm not buying it. You're top ten, but so is that hillbilly that you just mentioned. Do your parents with all the money know that you drive your sweet whip over to the other side of the tracks to buy weed every week? Do they know that you struggled with math last year and manipulated Vanessa Newton into doing all your homework for you? That she copied the answers to the test for you and you taped them to your water bottle. You cheated your way through junior year, Terry. My time is never wasted with Rick. He's a genuine person. He never has to pretend with anyone. The only reason you want me is because I don't want you and you can't handle that."

"Michonne…"

"No Terry, I'm done talking to you. I came here because my mom thought it would be a good idea to meet new people. I think I'm gonna go do that." She stood up just as the speaker began to talk. She walked right out of the conference room and into the foyer where she walked and perused all the college tables that were set up. She grabbed a swag bag from most of the tables for the pencils, pens and snacks they had. Since she left the conference room early, she missed lunch, but the protein bars and chocolate candy were a great substitute. She stopped at the last table when she noticed the small animals in a cage on top of the navy blue table cloth.

"Hey, I'm Charles, are you thinking about schools out of the country?" His accent caught her off guard, but also was pleasantly soothing.

"I haven't been, I just came to look at your sugar gliders. They're so cute. What are their names."

"Danai and Andrew. We knew if we brought them, they'd attract people to our table. Everyone loves them."

"They definitely caught my eye." She leaned down to get a closer look at them. Wishing she could take them out and play with them. She noticed the pamphlets on the table and her attention was drawn away from the sugar gliders and to the wording on the glossy paper. "You have a pre law program?"

"We do, one of the best." Michonne watched as Charles picked up another pamphlet and then listened intently as he talked to her about the school, their programs and the scholarships that she would qualify for. Forty five minutes later after having all her questions answered and leaving her information with him, Michonne walked away from Charles just as the other attendants of the conference started to fill the foyer, the luncheon and speech over with. She glanced one more at the sugar gliders and the insignia on the navy blue table cloth, feeling excited about the prospect of college and also conflicted about choices she needed to make.


"Hey."

"Hey Michonne. I wasn't expecting to hear from you until later tonight. Everything alright." Rick asked worried since she was calling so early.

"Everything's fine. I think I've done enough networking for the rest of the year." She sat down on her bed, kicked her shoes off and plopped back releasing a tired sigh. "You weren't up under a car or anything were you?"

"No." He answered with a chuckle. "Done for the day. On my way home to take a shower and eat."

"I'm about to head to the shower myself, but they have this huge soaker tub in there." She looked over at the bathroom. "Maybe I'll get in it and relax and then order room service."

"Room service, huh? Fancy. I've never ordered room service, hell, I've never been to a hotel either."

"I'd share my fancy hotel food with you if you were here." She said wishfully.

"I can be there in three hours."

"You promise?"

"Just hold off on that bath until I get there." She could hear his smile through the phone.

"You got it. Call me when you get into the city."


"So what do you think?"

"The pizza was over priced." Rick looked over at Michonne as he answered. They lay in the bed staring up at the ceiling, her body pressed into his, her mind couldn't help drifting back to when he got there.

Four hours earlier he had knocked on her door and she was swept up within his arms in one of his tight warm hugs as soon as it was opened. They shared a kiss that heated up once the door closed and Rick carried Michonne to the bed laying her down, never breaking the kiss until he finally noticed her in her fluffy white robe smelling of lavender soap. He lifted his swollen lips from her and stared at the hotel logo on the left front pocket.

"What is it?" Michonne asked worried and wondering, since his pretty lips weren't on hers anymore.

"I thought you were gonna wait on the bath." He pouted and Michonne laughed.

"I did. I just hopped in the shower to wash some of the day... and people off of me." Rick knew she was talking about Terry.

"Did he touch you?" His eyes were dark and intense, full of the detest he held for the senior class president.

"Oh god no. Just him being next to me was enough." She smoothed her hand down his arm to calm him and get his eyes to return to their normal color. "It was just a long day, I wanted to get out of that dress and…"

"You got nothing on under this?" His hand started to lift the terry material from her chest.

"Don't you worry about that now." She heard his stomach grumble and gave him a quick peck on the lips before gently pushing him off of her so she could stand up, leaving him laying on the bed feigning hurt. "I ordered a pizza. I knew you'd be hungry. We can relax in the tub after we eat." Rick took a deep breath, mesmerized at how good Michonne was at taking care of him, better than anyone. He was halfway over to her to show her just how much he appreciated her when there was a knock on the door. "Hold that thought." She turned around to head for the door when she felt his arms wrap around her and they walked to the door together.

The pizza was good, but nothing compared to Rhee's Pizzeria. They each had a personal sized one, loaded with all their favorite toppings thanks to Michonne.

"Are you getting full?" Rick asked her as the sat on the floor at the foot of the bed. He was trying to hurry her up, the large bathtub was calling his name.

"Not really, I could probably eat two more whole pizzas. And some chocolate cake." Michonne knew he was getting antsy about that bath. His not so subtle looks down the front of her robe told her exactly where his mind was between bites of his pizza.

"I don't doubt for one minute, that you could eat two, probably three more. I'm still trying to figure out where it all goes." She watched as his eyes scanned the entirety of her body. Then followed his finger as it dipped into some sauce on his plate. Thinking he was going to wrap his pretty lips around hi, he fooled her and brought it to her cheek, smearing tomato sauce across her smooth brown skin.

"Rick! What did you do that for?"

"Don't think you have time for more pizza, baby. Looks like you need to take a bath." He laughed, getting up as Michonne reached for him, missing just as he got to his feet.

"You're in so much trouble Rick Grimes." She chased him around the room coming up short when he leapt over the bed and ran to the bathroom door, waiting for her.

"You coming to get me?" His smug look as he leaned against the door frame, only ignited a flame in her that grew with each step she took towards him. When she was close enough he reached for her, pulling her to him by the belt of her robe. "You forgive me?" She didn't say anything, just looked into his hungry eyes. "I'll make it up to you." He smiled and licked the sauce off her cheek as she giggled.

"You better." She was cut off from saying anything else when his hands found their way into her robe, caressing her skin. He kissed her, squeezing her bottom and pushing her further into him. "Mmm… I think...it's time for that bath." Her robe hit the floor and she grabbed Rick's hand leading him into the bathroom to turn on the water.

"The bath was good though." Rick continued with a smile.

"It really was. You have the best hands."

"I work with them all day, I'd hope they were good for something else besides carburetors and oil changes."

"I didn't know they were good at foot massages. You never told me. You've been holding out on me."

"Not holding out, they've just been a little preoccupied with other parts of you." He maneuvered to his side and lifted the sheet they were under to gaze at her naked body underneath.

"You're so silly. Haven't you had enough yet?"

"Not quite." He placed his hand on her belly and squeezed gently, breathing in the scent of the room, a perfect balance of both of them. "How many schools did you get to talk to today?"

"Not too many, I mostly got the swag they were giving out." He looked over at the desk, the top filled with multiple colored plastic bags. "I really just wanted to talk to the ones I applied to...we applied to. You know see if I felt a pull towards any of them. Does that make sense?"

"Yeah. It does." He nodded his head. "So who were you vibing with?"

"Well, they all seemed pretty nice, but I started talking to this man from the University of Oxford. Their pre law program seems amazing."

"Oxford. Is that in New York or something?"

"It's in England, Rick." She smiled at him sweetly.

"England. That's a whole other country Michonne."

"I know. Can you imagine living over there?" She watched as his eyes fixated on a spot on the wall in deep thought. "Can my Georgia boy make it in England?" She ran her hands through the curls at the nape of his neck, still damp from the bath and the sweat they worked up afterwards. "You can do anything Rick." He closed his eyes amazed at her belief in him, she would always be on his team even when he didn't feel worthy enough to play.

"Give me some time to think about it okay? I'd need a passport huh?" She nodded and smiled as the prospect of going to another country to study sunk in.

"No problem. I'll fill out the applications when we get home."

"How about you let me do my own this time." He smiled down at her, getting lost in her warm inviting eyes, the color of his favorite brown sugar syrup. They were so full of love and promises for the future, he couldn't help but feel excited too.

"You want to?"

"Yeah. Can't be that hard. I'll give your hand a break from all that writing you did before."

"Yeah." She reached under the sheet and ran her hand down the length of his body. "I can think of better things to do with them anyways."