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Hey guys. Thanks for all the fantastic reviews. You guys rock! D
Enjoy!
Chapter Eight
By the time lunch rolled around the rumours had begun to spread.
I must admit it was pretty quick work even for Freedom High’s infamous gossip chain. Usually it took at least an hour for the true story to be warped into something less believable and then at least another three days before the now completely ridiculous – yet juicy – piece of gossip to became the talk of the school.
That’s why I was shocked to find every eye on me when I entered the cafeteria that lunch. I raised an eyebrow at a group of girls who were downright glaring at me as I passed their table.
What the heck is going on here? I thought as my eyes searched for the table my group was sitting at.
Before I could take two more steps, however, Jordan and Rachel were standing in front of me. One look at Jordan’s face and I knew what was coming next.
“What the hell happened in the hallway this morning?” Jordan hissed. “I told you I didn’t want you kissing him, let alone allowing him to feel you up.”
I stared at my twin in confusion, my eyebrows raised. Slowly, comprehension dawned on me and I slapped my forehead.
“Maybe we should take this outside,” Rachel muttered, gesturing to the people who were staring at our little group, their ears obviously straining for more gossip.
I nodded and let her and Jordan to steer me out of the cafeteria and down the hallway. We stopped in a deserted corridor and I found myself the object of Jordan and Rachel’s questioning stares.
“Nothing happened,” I told them quickly.
Jordan rolled his eyes. “So you just stood there looking at him, then?”
“What? No! I mean, something did happen. Well, we talked and I walked off. Big deal.” I shrugged.
“Details,” Rachel said, snapping her fingers in an indication for me to hurry up.
I sighed and delved into the story – how Michael had asked why I was dressing this way, how he said he didn’t want the social war to come between me and him and how I had snapped at him before storming away. By the end of my explanation, Rachel was staring at me in exasperation and Jordan looked furious.
“What. The. Hell,” Jordan spat through gritted teeth. “He offers you a perfect chance to get closer to him – which is what we want, in case you’ve forgotten – and you throw it back in his face!”
I glowered at Jordan and was about to snap at him when Rachel said, “He’s right, you know. That was the chance we were looking for… a bit earlier than I thought but still…”
I rolled my eyes. “I can’t believe that jerk suddenly wanted to be friends again just because I started dressing like a slut,” I muttered. “Just goes to show how freakin’ shallow the guy is.”
“Oh, come off it, Madi. We both know that Michael isn’t showing interest in you just because you changed your style,” Rachel said. “I think he’s liked you for a while… why else would he have wanted to ‘talk’ to you before this?”
I frowned in thought. Michael Summers liked… me? As if. All he was interested in was getting some ass.
“So, what were the rumours saying?” I asked to change the subject.
Jordan snorted. “That you and Summers were feeling each other up in the hallway this morning. You know how it is… they can never come up with anything original.”
I sighed, running my fingers through my hair. “So what do we do now?”
“We do nothing. You have to go up to Michael and say you want to give the whole ‘friendship’ thing a go,” Rachel informed me.
“Don’t you think that’ll look a bit suspicious, considering the way I blew him off this morning?” I asked.
Rachel shrugged. “Why would he even bother with suspicions? You’ve never really shown too much interest in the feud so I’d think he’d just be happy to have you as a friend. Besides, he might have his own little motive up his sleeve… getting closer to the enemy’s sister and all. He might think he’s manipulating the situation to his favour. All we have to do is play dumb and then rip it out from underneath his feet when he gets too attached.”
Jordan’s eyes glinted with barely concealed appreciation.
I sighed. “Fine. When do you want me to do it?”
“Looking for someone, Aqua Duck?”
I shrieked and jumped in surprise, landing on my ass in the dirt. Looking up with a glare, I saw a grinning Alex standing over me, his blonde hair stuck to his forehead with sweat.
“Alex!” I exclaimed. “Haven’t I ever told you not to creep up on me like that?”
Alex chuckled, holding out a hand to help me up. “Probably, but I just can’t help it. The look on your face is priceless.”
I glowered at him and, ignoring his offered hand, clambered to my feet, dusting off the seat of my jeans. I had changed out of the disgusting outfit after school today, instead coming to the senior guy’s football practice in jeans and a simple curve-hugging tank top.
“Why do you always have to catch me in spy mode?” I muttered, almost to myself.
Alex simply laughed.
“What are you doing here anyway?” I asked, shaking my hair out of my eyes.
Alex grinned, gesturing to the football he was holding under his left arm. “Well, technically I’m supposed to be on the field, but I had to chase this ball out here, where I saw you. And, well, scaring you is a lot more fun then running around on field.” His eyes glinted with humor.
I stuck my tongue out at him and turned back toward the football field, resuming my search for Michael.
“So, who you looking for Aqua Duck?” Alex asked, coming to stand next to me.
I shot him a look, one eyebrow raised. “Aqua Duck?” I repeated.
Alex grinned at me. “It’s your spy name. You can call me…” He paused for a moment in apparent thought before finishing with obvious pride, “Blue Bear.”
I snorted. “Nice spy names. You’re really… creative,” I commented sarcastically.
Alex nodded, his grin widening. “It’s one of the many reasons you love me,” he said. “So, Aqua, who’s the target?”
“Michael Summers,” I told him, returning my gaze to the footballers. “Is he at practice today?”
I felt rather than saw Alex stiffen beside me but when I glanced at him a moment later, he had regained his relaxed composure, if not for the slight grim look on his face.
“What’s up your ass, Alex?” I asked, frowning slightly.
“What? Nothing! I haven’t got anything up my ass,” Alex said quickly, his tone snappish.
I raised an eyebrow but decided against asking further. “So is he here or not?”
Alex nodded swiftly.
“What? No spy talk like: affirmative, Aqua Duck, the target is on field,” I joked, trying to lighten the somewhat tense mood.
Alex shrugged. “Practice is nearly over. You’ll be able to catch him in the parking lot in twenty minutes.”
And without another word, not even a simple goodbye, Alex turned and jogged back on field to rejoin his teammates.
I frowned at his retreating back, wondering why he was acting so strangely. I knew he had been against the plan since the beginning, but I didn’t realise he was that against it. He seemed furious.
Sighing to myself, I began to walk around to the field toward the front of the school, taking my time as I watched Alex’s figure run across field…
I jerked awake, letting out a loud, unflattering snort. I heard muffled laughter as my vision cleared and I raised my eyes to meet Michael’s blue ones. He was looking down at where I was sitting, previously asleep, against his car, his grin apparent on his face.
“M – Michael,” I yawned widely, stumbling to my feet and stretching.
Michael raised an eyebrow. “Oh, so it’s Michael now? What happened to ‘Summers’?”
It took me a minute to realise he was copying the attitude I had held toward him that morning.
“Er… Yeah, about this morning…” I trailed off, watching Michael.
“About this morning…” Michael prompted, motioning me to continue.
I rolled my eyes. “Well, that’s about the time you’re supposed to cut in and say ‘don’t worry about it’ or ‘forget it’ so I don’t have to embarrass myself apologizing,” I said rather snappishly.
Michael’s eyebrows rose but I detected a faint smirk tugging at his lips. “Apologize for what? Hating me?” He shrugged. “It’s only what can be expected.”
“Look,” I said with a slight sigh, “I don’t… hate you.” I caught his look of disbelief and insisted, “I don’t!”
“OK, OK, whatever you say, Madi,” Michael said, holding up his hands in mock surrender. “Now can you get off my car so I can go home?”
My eyes narrowed. “I’m trying to tell you something here and you’re making it really hard for me,” I said in a low voice.
Michael glanced at his watch before sighing and saying, “Look, I have to head off home now because Lilly’ll be getting back from a friend’s and I have to cook her dinner. So unless you want me to give you a ride to your place and you can talk in the car, I’ll have to talk to you tomorrow.”
Lilly was Michael’s incredibly cute three year old sister. I smiled at the thought of her.
“How is Lilly?” I blurted without thinking.
Michael stared at me for a moment. “Good… Missing you,” he said quietly.
I sighed. Lilly and I had been really close before the fight between Jordan and Michael.
“So, can I give you a ride or what?”
I hesitated for a moment before nodding. It would be better to get this over and done with today rather than waiting for school tomorrow. Besides, if I went home without beginning a friendship with Michael, Jordan would probably kill me.
Michael unlocked the car doors and gestured for me to get in. I opened the passenger door and was about to slide inside when I looked across the car park, catching someone’s eye.
Alex.
He was watching me from where he stood beside his own car, keys in hand. Some emotion I couldn’t quite grasp flickered across his face.
“Madi? You getting in or what?” Michael suddenly asked from the driver’s seat.
I glanced down at him and when I looked back up, Alex was already in his car and driving away.
With a sigh, I slid into the passenger seat, closed the door and clicked in my seatbelt. As Michael drove out of the parking lot, I realised this was the first time we had been alone without fighting in about a year.
“So, what did you want to talk to me about?” Michael asked as he pulled out onto the street.
I hesitated for a moment, staring out the window and wondering how to say it. Finally, I just decided on being abrupt.
“I want… to see if we can make this… friendship… work out,” I said after a few moments.
The car suddenly swerved sideways before straightening up. Shocked, I glanced over at Michael to see him staring at me in disbelief.
“Eyes on the road!” I exclaimed. “I don’t know about you, but I actually want to live to see my seventeenth birthday.”
“I’m already seventeen,” Michael said distractedly.
I rolled my eyes. Then suddenly it hit me. That birthday, Michael’s seventeenth, would be the first birthday of his that I’d missed…
Clearing his throat, Michael turned to face the road again. “Are – Are you serious?” he said finally. “About being friends?” He glanced at me.
“Well… yeah.”
“What about your brother?”
I paused, thinking back on Jordan’s strategy. Shrugging, I said, “You know I’ve never really taken part in the feud before. Well, I thought I hadn’t, until I realised I was taking sides, so I decided to take up your offer… become friends with you. I kinda…” I paused here, faking embarrassment, “I kinda miss the way we used to talk.”
It was half true. Michael and I used to stay up late at night talking about anything and everything. Because I had liked him romantically back then, those were the best times of my life.
“Me too,” I heard Michael say quietly.
I turned to him, surprised. I hadn’t expected that.
“So… If we do go back to the way things were,” Michael began, his voice louder, “how do you think Kliene – I mean, your brother – will react?”
I shrugged. “I spoke to him about it today and he obviously wasn’t too happy but… he ended up saying that he would rather him know about our friendship rather than me going behind his back.”
Michael smiled slightly. “I have to admit, I didn’t expect this,” he said. “I thought you were going to hate me for the rest of your life because of your brother.”
I felt anger bubbling up inside of me. Because of my brother? What, did Michael all of a sudden forget that he’d slept with Jordan’s girlfriend?!
Forcing my feelings down, I said, “Well, you did sleep with Tiffany.”
Michael’s hands tightened on the steering wheel and he shot me a look. “You’re kidding, right?”
I frowned. “Er… no?”
Michael shook his head. “That’s unbelievable,” he muttered. “Like I told Jordan over and over again when it happened, I didn’t sleep with her.”
My eyes widened. He expected me to believe that? What did he take me for?
Michael took one look at my face and shook his head. “Don’t worry, Madi, I don’t expect you to believe me. After all, Jordan was my best friend and he trusted that whore over me.”
I turned my gaze away from him to look out the window and realised we were pulling up outside my house. Looking back at Michael, I saw that his eyes were trained on the road directly in front of him and his jaw was tight, an indication that he was gritting his teeth.
Unbuckling my seatbelt, I said quietly, “Thanks for the ride.”
Before I could open the door and get out however, Michael’s hand closed around my wrist, turning me back to face him. His blue eyes held mine, seeming to stare deep inside me, as though he could see what I was thinking.
I couldn’t stop the faint blush that crept across my cheeks.
“I’ll hold you to the friendship thing,” Michael said quietly, his eyes unblinking.
I nodded, breaking eye contact as my cheeks threatened to be overcome with redness. His hand released my wrist and I climbed out of the car, closing the door behind me and stepping back on the pavement.
With a slight wave, Michael shifted the car into gear and sped off down the street. My fingers subconsciously rubbed my tingling wrist where he had touched me.
Ok. So I'm thinking I'll set up a poll and u guys can answer in your reviews.
Who would you rather Madi end up with? Michael or Alex?
I'm not saying that whoever wins the poll is going to be the one she ends up with.. but it'll just be good to see who you want her to be with.
So, again, thanks for all your reviews. They mean a lot.
Thanks!