Luck and Love: V
Introduction:
I’m glad you all liked the story. The format is difficult to fix and i have had trouble trying to make it more aesthetic.
Michael endured his classes until lunch, the smile from the morning’s events lingering at the edges of his mouth. He talked animated in his classes, drawing the attention of several teachers. Once lunch came, he went about his normal schedule, sitting at his lonely table and surveying the crowd of students. Halfway through his lunch he was surprised to see one of his classmates, Zoë… something, heading straight for his table. She sat down next to him, no tray or any trace of lunch with her. She flashed a charming smile at him and waited for him to finish his lunch until she spoke.
“What’s up Zoë?” Her smile was cute, perfect teeth hiding behind lips shining with lip-gloss. She looked down at the leaf she was toying with and began a bit nervously.
“Well… You were over here all by yourself and I just thought maybe you might want some company. I did, also… you know want to ask you if you could help me with the math homework later tonight. I understand if you cant but I really need to pull my grade up.” She glanced up at him every little bit as she talked, talking faster than normal, trying to be through with the whole conversation as quickly as possible. Michael sensed that there was some sort of hidden agenda but didn’t feel like questioning her about it.
“I’d be more than happy to help you out. When’s a good time for you? I’m available most of the evening…” Thinking back to the night before he corrected himself. “Actually I’m available any time after six o’clock tonight.” She smiled wide, making his heart skip a beat as she dropped the leaf and stood up.
“Sounds good! How about seven? I get out of band practice at six thirty so I can meet you…?”
“Is your house ok? My family is a bit crazed.” He flashed a smile at the question, praying for her to say yes. He refused to take people back to his house. She returned the smile and did a little hop-skip in place.
“Yeah, that will work! Here is my address… do you have your phone?” He passed it to her and she punched some keys, handing it back with an open map application and directions. “I’ll see you then. Thanks Michael!” She bounced off as he put the phone away. He dumped his tray with a smile and made a beeline for the bathroom. Just as he put one foot into the men’s room he felt that familiar hand pull him backwards and push him to the wall. Just as had happened every day for the past school year he was faced with the five girls who made a point to make fun of him. Four actually. Looking around for Rose he realized she wasn’t making an appearance. He sighed and faced Candy, the orchestrator of his torture. She was a knockout of a girl, a ballerina with one of the hottest body in the school. Michael didn’t grace them with a smile, he just tried to push past her and through the twins, wanting to get to the bathroom and be done with them. This time though Candy didn’t move. He walked directly into her, not bothering to move her with his hands. He didn’t expect her to brace and let him walk directly into her, pressing her tits into his chest and her face into his neck. She placed her hands on his shoulders and pushed him back against the wall.
“You don’t get to ignore US. You are NOTHING” Candy looked directly at him and glared. “Little prick!”
The last line set Michael off. That was what Meredith called him. That was what Dana called him, among other things. His father wasn’t here to protect Candy like he did the girls at Michael’s house. He felt the anger he had held down so long in his gut boil up and over.
“Bitch.” The word came out cold and steeled. He failed to notice Rose walking down the hall towards her friends. Candy gasped and made to slap him again. This time he moved on instinct, catching her hand before it was even halfway to his face. When her other hand came up to swat at him he caught that too. He spun her around, making sure that the other three saw the force he put into it. Grabbing both her wrists in one hand he placed the other on her back and shoved hard. She flew forward, only Jenna and Brittany saving her from slamming face first into the wall. Michael’s face was a mask of rage and pain, steel showing above everything else. “You don’t get to hit me. You don’t get to call me a prick when you are the most royal WHORE in the FUCKING school. And you don’t GET to do anything to me EVER again. And you better not ever think that I am just some nerd who can’t do SHIT about you and your little pinpricks. Now,” He looked at all of them, still not noticing Rose standing a little ways down the hall. “get THE FUCK out of my face, you CUNTS.” Brittany, Jenna and Alice all ran towards the lunch square, leaving Candy sitting on the ground rubbing at her wrists. Michael walked towards her and squatted in front of her.
“And if you ever mess with me again…” Her eyes were like those of a scared animal, moist with fear and insecurity. His were metal, showing only degradation in them. “I will make damn sure that you don’t get anywhere in this school, or in your entire GODDAMN life. Got me?” She nodded and continued rubbing at her wrists. “Good. Now get the fuck out of my sight.” She got up and walked quickly down the hall, looking back at him with fear once or twice before she finally made it to the doors. Michael exhaled and felt the red at the edge of his vision clear. He stood and turned coming face-to-face with Rose. One look at her face and he knew she had seen everything. She had tears in her eyes, looking wounded. He couldn’t find any words to say, didn’t have the energy to try and justify his actions.
“What… What was that?” Rose stepped back away from him as he took a weak step forward. She turned and walked away, not looking back at all. Michael didn’t try and go after her.
“What’s up Zoë?” Her smile was cute, perfect teeth hiding behind lips shining with lip-gloss. She looked down at the leaf she was toying with and began a bit nervously.
“Well… You were over here all by yourself and I just thought maybe you might want some company. I did, also… you know want to ask you if you could help me with the math homework later tonight. I understand if you cant but I really need to pull my grade up.” She glanced up at him every little bit as she talked, talking faster than normal, trying to be through with the whole conversation as quickly as possible. Michael sensed that there was some sort of hidden agenda but didn’t feel like questioning her about it.
“I’d be more than happy to help you out. When’s a good time for you? I’m available most of the evening…” Thinking back to the night before he corrected himself. “Actually I’m available any time after six o’clock tonight.” She smiled wide, making his heart skip a beat as she dropped the leaf and stood up.
“Sounds good! How about seven? I get out of band practice at six thirty so I can meet you…?”
“Is your house ok? My family is a bit crazed.” He flashed a smile at the question, praying for her to say yes. He refused to take people back to his house. She returned the smile and did a little hop-skip in place.
“Yeah, that will work! Here is my address… do you have your phone?” He passed it to her and she punched some keys, handing it back with an open map application and directions. “I’ll see you then. Thanks Michael!” She bounced off as he put the phone away. He dumped his tray with a smile and made a beeline for the bathroom. Just as he put one foot into the men’s room he felt that familiar hand pull him backwards and push him to the wall. Just as had happened every day for the past school year he was faced with the five girls who made a point to make fun of him. Four actually. Looking around for Rose he realized she wasn’t making an appearance. He sighed and faced Candy, the orchestrator of his torture. She was a knockout of a girl, a ballerina with one of the hottest body in the school. Michael didn’t grace them with a smile, he just tried to push past her and through the twins, wanting to get to the bathroom and be done with them. This time though Candy didn’t move. He walked directly into her, not bothering to move her with his hands. He didn’t expect her to brace and let him walk directly into her, pressing her tits into his chest and her face into his neck. She placed her hands on his shoulders and pushed him back against the wall.
“You don’t get to ignore US. You are NOTHING” Candy looked directly at him and glared. “Little prick!”
The last line set Michael off. That was what Meredith called him. That was what Dana called him, among other things. His father wasn’t here to protect Candy like he did the girls at Michael’s house. He felt the anger he had held down so long in his gut boil up and over.
“Bitch.” The word came out cold and steeled. He failed to notice Rose walking down the hall towards her friends. Candy gasped and made to slap him again. This time he moved on instinct, catching her hand before it was even halfway to his face. When her other hand came up to swat at him he caught that too. He spun her around, making sure that the other three saw the force he put into it. Grabbing both her wrists in one hand he placed the other on her back and shoved hard. She flew forward, only Jenna and Brittany saving her from slamming face first into the wall. Michael’s face was a mask of rage and pain, steel showing above everything else. “You don’t get to hit me. You don’t get to call me a prick when you are the most royal WHORE in the FUCKING school. And you don’t GET to do anything to me EVER again. And you better not ever think that I am just some nerd who can’t do SHIT about you and your little pinpricks. Now,” He looked at all of them, still not noticing Rose standing a little ways down the hall. “get THE FUCK out of my face, you CUNTS.” Brittany, Jenna and Alice all ran towards the lunch square, leaving Candy sitting on the ground rubbing at her wrists. Michael walked towards her and squatted in front of her.
“And if you ever mess with me again…” Her eyes were like those of a scared animal, moist with fear and insecurity. His were metal, showing only degradation in them. “I will make damn sure that you don’t get anywhere in this school, or in your entire GODDAMN life. Got me?” She nodded and continued rubbing at her wrists. “Good. Now get the fuck out of my sight.” She got up and walked quickly down the hall, looking back at him with fear once or twice before she finally made it to the doors. Michael exhaled and felt the red at the edge of his vision clear. He stood and turned coming face-to-face with Rose. One look at her face and he knew she had seen everything. She had tears in her eyes, looking wounded. He couldn’t find any words to say, didn’t have the energy to try and justify his actions.
“What… What was that?” Rose stepped back away from him as he took a weak step forward. She turned and walked away, not looking back at all. Michael didn’t try and go after her.
At four thirty Michael knocked on Rose’s front door. A muffled call came from inside. After a few minutes the door opened and Rose looked up at him with a look that went from happiness to slight fear to apprehension.
“What do you want Michael?”
He tried to start the words but somehow he couldn’t make it work. Finally he spoke, just trying to fix whatever he could.
“I’m sorry Rose. I’m sorry if I scared you, or if you think I’m a brute or anything like that. I…”
“Candy and Alice are coming over soon. You should go before they see you.” Rose shut the door and left Michael standing there. He knocked again, harder this time.
“Michael, what the fuck? Don’t you get it you need to leave!” The door flew open fast and hard as Rose glared at him.
“Is there anything left?” When he asked, her face fell.
“If there is, it’s nothing I want to act on. Just… just leave Michael. This was a bad idea anyway.”
