Part 21

Liz' last words chase around in my head. Was she right? Should I trust Michael?

Oh, I really hate this! Why isn't there a reliable sign over everybody's head, so you can see if the person is lying or not? That would be very helpful. I´m an emotional wreck at the moment and nobody can help me with it, except for myself.

I have two choices: Either I trust Michael and believe that he didn´t lie to me, but to his best friends.
Or I send him packing and try to cope with my life without him.

Maybe the last one would be more reasonable, right? But, what about my feelings for him? Yes, I admit it, I have feelings for him. I don´t know what they're all about, 'cause I never before felt the way I feel around him. But when he kissed me, even if it was only for a few seconds, it seemed so right.

I take the phone I got from him, hold it in my hand and stare at it. Should I call him? But what am I supposd to say? No, I can´t call him. It would be too weird.

I have a bigger problem to resolve: Billy.

I glance at the phone one last time and put it into my bag then. Maybe it's a good idea to take it with me tonight.

***

11:00 pm

I wait outside. There is no need for him to come into the flat to pick me up. I'm nervous. Very nervous, to be honest.

"Ah, there she is," Billy slurs from a distance. It's not hard to figure out that he´s already a little drunk. All the other Hurricanes are with him and there's another person I don´t know.

"Didn´t I tell you to put on some sexy clothes?" he asks when they reach me.

I look down at myself. I'm wearing a pair of blue drainpipe jeans, some high white pumps, which I bought in better times and a white top unter my jacket. Well, I think I do look sexy – just not slutty-sexy.

"It's cold!" I respond.

"It's not cold inside the Election."

"I think she looks damn hot, man!" the guy I don't know says.

Billy grins at him and drapes an arm around his neck. "That´s good Anthony, 'cause she´s yours tonight."

What? Did I hear him right?

"Maria, this's my cousin Anthony. You have to be nice to him tonight."

"What are you talkin' about, Billy?" My voice sounds shrill. I look at Sean, Ava, Brody and Ryan in hopes of finding some indignation – but nothing. They all look down at the ground.

It´s another story when Billy makes out with some other woman, but he can´t expect from me to sleep with another man he had chosen. I'm not a whore.

"Let´s go." Billy grabs my wrist and we walk to the Election.

***

Ava and Ryan are at the bar; they drink and flirt the whole time. I wish I could be as light-hearted as her.

I'm sitting in one of the booths – between Billy and Anthony. God, can it get any worse? I'm on the verge of freaking out here.

"You stay with Anthony, got that? Go dance with him, flirt with him and later, you go home with him," Billy says to me over the loud music. I don´t think that Anthony can hear him.

I shake my head. "You can't expect me to sleep with him."

"I can! And I will. Take my word for it," he blusters.

"But why?" I scream.

"Because he's alone in town, he wants to get laid, and he thinks you're hot."

"But there are lots of hot woman here who would be willing to go home with him, I´m sure."

"Listen," he grabs my chin rudely, "you´ll do what I tell you. Or else you'll catch it, Maria." With these words he leaves.

***

Anthony keeps touching me on my leg the whole time. I don´t know how long I can stand his closeness. If I didn´t know better, I might think that he's an attractive guy. But he´s a jerk and I hate him, because he's the same as Billy, an arrogant asshole.

"You want something to drink?" he asks, almost touching my ear with his lips.

I back off a little. "No, thank you."

"You're kind of tense." He slides his right hand further up my thigh and comes close again.

I turn away from him and find Michael Guerin staring at me.

***

My heartbeat races the moment our eyes meet. I wonder how long he's been observing me. It's good to see him again, but the circumstances could be better. Bandits and Hurricanes in the same room... it doesn´t turn out very well most of the time.

"I have to go to the bathroom," I yell at Anthony to be heard above the noise and leave the dance hall.

I look into the mirror in the bathroom and ask myself, what I should do next. I can´t get out of this mess; it doesn't matter if I stay or leave. But maybe it would be healthier to stay.

I leave the bathroom after a few minutes to make my way back to my seat. But someone suddenly grabs my wrist and drags me into some kind of storeroom. I want to scream, but the person presses his hand over my mouth and then the door shuts behind us and no one will hear me above the loud music outside anyway.

I spin around furiously and don´t know if I should be scared or glad when I see Michael.

"You?" I whisper, and my knees go weak when I meet his intense glance.

"Did you expect someone else?" He lifts his eyebrows in question.

I'm too shocked to respond.

"Who's the jerk you were with?" He cuts to the chase immediately and crosses his arms.

"Why do you care?" I snap only because I´m too ashamed to tell him the truth.

"You're not answering my question," he states coldly.

"Are you jealous or something?" I try to hide my insecurity.

"Why should I be jealous? Any fool can see that you don´t want him to touch you."

I guess he observed me for a while in the dance hall.

"He´s Billy´s cousin," I whisper.

Michael rolls his eyes. "Great, another bastard in his family," he murmurs. "Why are you hanging out with him anyway?"

I look down at the floor. I can´t tell him the whole story, it´s too embarrasing.

He takes my chin in his hand and lifts it. "Tell me the truth, Maria." The expression on his face softens. "You're not with him by your own choice, right?"

I nod slightly and try to hide the oncoming tears. "Um..." I gulp, "he… Billy wants me to spend the night with his cousin."

Michael's eyes widen in shock. "WHAT?" He slams his fist into the wall behind me. "Fuck! That jerk is out of control," he yells.

After a few seconds he pulls himself togehter and looks straight into my eyes. "You're not doin' that!"

"I have no choice, I..."

"No, Maria. I won´t let you."

"What do you suggest we do, Michael?" I scream. "We can't do anything about it."

"Max and I will tear them up. Both of them, and in a way that they won´t be able to fuck anyone tonight."

"Yeah, right. It'd be Max and you against Billy, Anthony, Brody, Ryan, Sean and Brody. They're all here, Michael."

"Kyle and Alex are here, too."

"Oh, come on, Alex? " I look at him doubtfully.

"Fine. So it's Max, Kyle and me against them. We can manage this."

"Maybe, if you weren't still hurt."

"I feel fine."

"Really?" I punch him in the stomach – not with all my strength, of course. He winces in pain.

I take a step forward and poke my finger into his chest. "You're still far from being fine. Billy knows that and he would take advantage of it. He would hurt you, Michael. He would hurt you really bad."

He shoves my finger away from him and looks into my eyes. "Better me than you."

Suddenly I lose all my doubts and insecurity about him. This whole thing between Michael and me has nothing to do with some ridiculous revenge plan or wounded pride. He wants to protect me, even when he knows that he doesn't have a realistic chance of coming out of this very well.

"I´m sorry, that I didn´t believe you," I breathe out and blink back tears.

He seems to be a little confused by my sudden change of subject, but he realizes the significance of my words and nods.

"I have an idea. Wait here for me, I´ll be right back, okay?"

"Okay."

Then he leaves me alone in the room and I sit down on one of the beer cases.

***

After a few minutes he comes back.

"Give me your hand", he says.

I look at him puzzled, but I do what he asked me to do. Michael pulls something of of his pockets and places it into my palm.

"Is this what I think it is? Drugs?" I look closer. "Cocaine?"

He nods.

"Michael, where did...?"

"I don't take dugs, okay? Trust me, I´m not a total dumbass. But I know people who deal them."

"What am I supposed to do with them? I don't think that a purple haze will distract them from sex."

"Did Billy and his cousin leave their jackets at the coat check at the entrance?"

I grin. "Yeah! And I have the tokens to pick them up."

He smiles a little. "Then just make sure that Billy and his cousin have the drugs in their pockets when you leave. I´ll take care of the rest."

I nod. "Thank you, Michael."

"Go now, before anyone starts to wonder where we are."

I turn around and start to leave the room. I want to hug him so bad, but I think it´s not the right time.

***