I've been horrible and no amount of apologies could ever amend how long I took to update this story! When The Middle went on hiatus I got caught up with my manuscript for Just Smile, and then the holidays hit! It just never seemed like an opportune time to sit down and write but here I am, finally writing about their day off!
I'm going to end this story a little sooner than I thought. I expected the dance to be about 3 weeks away (3 or 4 chapters until) but I'm actually going to make it 2 weeks away. So maybe one more chapter in between before the dance chapter reveal! Obviously there is a lot more to the story than just the dance, so in total, I hope to have at least 4 more chapters before it ends!
Thanks for all the reviews, really made me smile and motivated me to continue! As I promised, this goes to x4ashes4ashes for her idea about the skipping location!
Before I realized it, I had spent a couple of hours thinking about you.
And after it was far too late, I had fallen in love with you.
X
The Skip.
X
It was an early Friday morning and Sue Heck was not in school and not at home sick. Needless to say this was a first for the girl, though this could not be said for her partner in delinquency, Axl Heck.
"So where are you taking me anyway? We can't go anywhere near mom or dad's job or anywhere near the school because they might be looking for us… oh my God Axl, I don't know what I was thinking! Maybe if we go back right now and say that I was feeling a little sick it'll be okay!"
"Enough Sue, relax. You jumped in this car and agreed to go because somewhere deep inside you, you want to take a little risk. So just sit back and enjoy. I have a place in mind for us."
Hesitant to reply for fear that he may be right; Sue didn't dwell on the possibilities of having a deep-seated need for danger and instead chalked up this risqué move she made due to peer-pressure. She made a mental note to contact Brad so that they could come up with a skit about the dangers of peer-pressure, possibly using this real-life experience as an example.
X
Vibrant yellow like hues and cul-de-sac paths. The endless blue sky whirled around with breathable clouds desperate to take shape. Like a funnel she felt like she had been sucked in to this spot, a destined place where there was no escape, and no need to want one.
"Axl…this place. It's beautiful." Gently touching the tip of a sprouting corn, Sue pulled her hand back and placed it on to her brother's shoulder. "How did you find this place?"
Shrugging his sister's hand off his shoulder, Axl looked around before digging into his pocket and pulling out a ripped out advertisement. "I found it in one of mom's magazines."
Looking at the picture and information, Sue looked at Axl perplexed. "When did you have time to rip this out? Didn't you decide to skip school just this morning…and it says this place is ideal for…oh, um, nevermind… I guess you didn't read it all."
Watching her silently for a moment, he stole the advertisement back and glanced at the lines he had seen last night. "Who said I planned this last minute?"
"But… I mean, why wouldn't you?"
"Why must you question everything Sue? Why can't you just enjoy it for what it is?" Walking away, Axl stopped when he didn't hear her footsteps following. Turning back around, he gestured for her to follow him before continuing forward.
"I never thought we had a cornfield so close by, it's like a whole other world. I mean, I know we live in a quiet farmland kind of state but still…"
"Yeah well it's not like mom and dad ever takes us anywhere…"
"Haha, you're right Axl!" catching up to walk directly beside him, Sue smiled contently as they walked throughout the maze like cornfield. After a few moments, Axl started slowing down. Snapping his fingers, he made a sharp right and pulled Sue along by the arm wordlessly, which greatly confused the girl. "Axl, what are you doing?"
"It should be just up this way. Ah! There it is!" Stopping quickly, Axl pulled Sue in front of him, holding her frame gently in place. In front of them was a beautiful small pond where small birds and frogs nestled on lily pads.
"Wow…Axl this is…wow…"
Smirking, Axl boasted about how good he was at taking girls out on epic dates before he could stop himself. As the birds chirped softly into the ensuing silence, Sue turned around slowly within Axl's arms.
"Axl?" Sue gulped before continuing. "What do you mean by that? A date? Did you… I mean…did you mean to take me here on a date?"
Pulling away, Axl wanted the world to swallow him up right then and there. Pulling himself together, knowing he had to think quickly on his feet, he stepped away from her and threw his hands in the air. "Of course not stupid! That's so wrong! Me? Take You? On a date? You got to be kidding me. Even if you weren't my sister that's still a whole new low."
"Oh…" turning back around, opting to watch the pond instead of her brother as she forcibly choke back the tears forming, Sue couldn't understand why his words hurt more than they usually do.
Gesturing wildly behind her, Axl could not believe the messes he continued to get himself into. Last night, after everyone had fallen asleep, he had thought about how Sue wanted to stay in the cafeteria longer and ultimately to spend more time with him. He wracked his brain trying to come up with a way to make her smile like she did when he invited her to sit at his table and couldn't think of anything when he sat on his mother's magazine.
Normally, Axl wouldn't be caught reading one of her silly magazines but when the cover advertised a place that girls would love to go to he quickly opened up to the page that spoke about the cornfield they were currently visiting. Ripping out the advertisement, he read on about how beautiful and quiet the place was and almost instantly thought it would be perfect for Sue. The sentence "perfect to take your girl on a date" did not go unnoticed by Axl, instead he subconsciously smiled at the idea at the time and all but forgotten about it until Sue noticed it too.
Now, Axl was once again about to make his sister cry. Battling with his confused feelings, he had to wonder why he thought taking her here was a good idea to begin with. His slip of being amazing at taking girls on dates and his smile at the thought of taking Sue on one gave him a bittersweet feeling. Try as he might, he could no longer fight the fact that he had feelings for Sue, his sister. Though, the type of feelings they were he wasn't sure of yet, but feelings were definitely present.
"Sue…" The shine on her hair subtly reflected the light that bounced off the translucent water. He could almost make out her appearance but the reflection would disperse every time a tear trickled into the pond. Soothingly, he placed his hand on her arm, as his free hand entangled itself in her hair. Closing his eyes briefly, he figured maybe some part of him was rational and trying to stop what was happening but in the end his entire being wanted this more than he's ever wanted anything before. When he gently spun her around and her eyes widened at the realization of what was about to happen, he was sure that there was no going back.
He wasn't aware that she had started using strawberry chapstick until this very moment. He couldn't help but compare her lips to those of the many cheerleaders he's kissed before. Most used regular lipstick, going the mature route, and it had been probably since junior high school since he's last tasted chapstick on a girl's lips. Either way, he found that he rather liked that Sue didn't have on lipstick. It reminded him of when they were young, and when things were simple. Back when he never really cared about being cool or how dorky his sister was, or wanting to grow up fast and become an adult. In this moment, Sue transported him back to a time when he didn't care who saw him hanging out with her and didn't try to hide the fact that he loved her contagious smile and how goofy she was.
She was the one to pull back first. He was almost afraid to open his eyes and to see her face. Anticipating a slap, he tried hard to think about whether she had kissed him back or if she had been too shocked to do anything, even move away.
When nothing came after a minute or two, he carefully opened his eyes to see her standing there staring at him blankly. Worried, he tentatively waved his hand in front of her face and breathed out in relief when she blinked slowly.
"Listen! Sue. About what just happened? I just… you know, it just sort of happened. I don't really know how to comfort girls other than kiss them…yeah, that's it! So, you were crying and I kissed you so you could stop…and please don't tell mom or dad, okay?"
Motionless, Sue stood there. Her purple pants, tacky and out of place, was the only thing that shattered any hope that this moment was not real. Getting freaked out, Axl reached out to grab her shoulders and shake her. "Sue! Say something!"
Seemingly coming out of her stupor, Sue focused on Axl before pushing him away.
"Axl… you just…you just kissed me! Oh my… Axl!"
"Geez! Don't yell! You just scared all the birds away!"
"Axl! You're my brother! I'm your sister! That's not…something brothers and sisters do!"
"I mean in some places actually…"
"Axl!"
"Alright, alright! Sorry! Okay? Just forget that it happened!"
Shaking her head, Sue refused to. "I won't. I can't!" Breathing in deeply, Sue lunged for Axl's pocket and took out the advertisement. Bringing it up to his face, she forced him to answer her questions. "You planned this before this morning. You…brought me here for a reason! And you kissed me…not just because you didn't know what to do Axl…but because you wanted to!"
"Just forget it Sue. It was a mistake bringing you here, alright? I just wanted you to stop being sad and thought this place was a good idea. I obviously was wrong, so let's just drop it."
"Why do you care so much all of a sudden? You never use to before."
Sighing, Axl started walking away, throwing his hands up in dismissal. Chasing after him, Sue didn't give up, constantly demanding an answer. After they had gone so far that Axl couldn't figure out where the exit was, he had stopped to look around. Sue, ignorant that they were lost, was relentless in her questioning.
"Sue! Shut. Up! We're lost. Now try to figure out where we came from."
"Me?! This was your big great plan!" Lowering her voice to mock him, Sue continued. "Oh Sue! Let's skip school. Let's go to this cornfield. Let me make you cry and then let me kiss you for no apparent reason!"
Frustrated, Axl threw his hands in defeat and spun towards Sue.
"Enough! Okay?! I get it! I messed up! I always mess up! What do you want from me? I'm not perfect and everyone knows you're far from perfect too! At least I tried right? Like you always do? Just like good ole sue, trying despite knowing she will always fail at everything! I just…I don't know okay? I just couldn't take you crying anymore because of me."
Looking as though she wanted to say something, Axl stopped her with a raise of his hand.
"You finally started getting noticed by other people and I was just so use to having you to myself, in a sense. You don't know how beautiful you are Sue, even before all this. With the hair and the new clothes and lack of…" gesturing to her general face, Axl continued. "Braceface."
Sue smiled bashfully, unsure how to take all of what Axl was saying. "You never really stop smiling, even when things get really bad. You always think of others, even me, and I'm so mean to you. I don't know when it started but it never should've to begin with. I'm sorry Sue, I really am. Something has come over me lately I guess, and I have just been feeling really weird lately, and you know, I don't like to think too much about anything, especially this, but I don't think I really have to…it just makes sense to want to be nice to you now and to…"
"Kiss me?"
Silent, Axl nodded, afraid to say anything else. Pensive, Sue thought about all of what her brother had to say, trying to understand all that has happened and her feelings in regards to it. Subconsciously, she brought her fingers up to her lips. She thought about Matt and how she felt when they kissed and was in awe at the realization that it was nothing compared to what she felt when Axl kissed her.
"Sue, please say something…"
"So you didn't just kiss me to comfort me?"
Shaking his head, Axl half-smiled in such a resigned fate at being caught that Sue couldn't help but think within that moment that her brother was incredibly attractive.
"Then do you… like me? Like, like me like me?"
"God Sue! Do you have to move that fast and ask so many questions?"
Shocked by the strength behind his exasperation, Sue bowed her head in contemplation. Axl, wanting this interrogation to come to an end, and for his efforts in making Sue smile to not go in vain, sighed audibly so Sue could look at him.
"I don't really have all the answers right now but I can tell you this." Testing whether or not she was comfortable with the idea, Axl slid his hand across her cheek before gently cupping the back of her head. He asked her silently if she wanted this as much as he did and when her eyes, after mild hesitation, closed into complacency, he placed his lips upon hers once more, this time sure to leave his mind devoid of any other thought except for the kiss they had been unknowingly waiting for.
XxX
There you have it! The kiss!
I think that's a good way to try and get your forgiveness no?
Please review! The next chapter should be a bit of a time skip, filled with moments of their budding romance, secret rendezvous, and preparing for the dance!