charity project // mischa bachinski (ride the cyclone)

15 - unassuming

Mischa had told me he had a surprise for me after school. I waited for him in the hallway that I usually do whenever we did anything after school. I checked my phone for any messages from Ocean and Noel, with whom I was currently working on a biology project with.

I felt a hand on my shoulder and I turned around.

"Mischa!" I exclaimed, giving him a hug.

He kissed my forehead. "Y/n! I have something to show you!"

"What is it?"

He pulled out his wallet and made a big deal of slowly pulling out a card. "I finally got my license!"

"Let me see!" I held out my hand.

He set it down in my palm and I examined it.

"There's no way you're 5'11''," I told him.

Mischa crossed his arms defiantly. "I am. They measured me."

"With your shoes on?"

"No! Just socks! I am that tall!"

I nodded and continued looking at it. "How does your picture actually look good? Mine came out terrible."

"It is physically impossible for a bad picture of you to exist. Let me see."

"You'd be surprised."

Reluctantly, I showed him my license. I could see him cringe.

I laughed. "I told you."

"It's not terrible," He tried. "It's- ah- it's a picture. One of the pictures of all time. Sorry. Love you."

I patted his arm. "You don't have anything to be sorry for. Especially if you heard what Noel said when he saw it."

"Now I want to hear. Noel says interesting things."

"When he saw it he started laughing and said, and I quote: 'You look like a blob fish that went on a diet and somehow grew arms to put on makeup!' And then started hysterically laughing even more," I recalled. "That's Noel. Brutally honest."

Mischa began to laugh.

"On a different note, I'm not sure how safe I am with you driving on the same streets I am," I said.

"For someone who can hardly tell left from right, you're talking an awful lot of shit about my driving skill which you haven't seen," He pointed out.

"What driving skill?" I muttered under my breath.

"You are being difficult. But I will be patient. Probably."

I sighed. "I'm going to miss having to drive you places, actually."

"Driving me places or making out with me in the car before tutoring?"

I could feel blood rush to my face.

"Ha! It is so easy to make you do that! I will take that as a yes," Mischa grinned,

"You've got to stop doing that. It makes my brain all weird," I said.

"No. I like to. It's funny because you are very smart and serious a lot of the time. And then I do that and it all goes away."

"In all seriousness, I wonder why you do like me so much. I feel like I'm a boring person sometimes."

He lit up. "That is the thing. You're interesting in an unexpected way. Like you're quiet, but you like to talk a lot to certain people. And then you're also patient but then you can start making smart remarks. You're full of so many opposites- no- what's that vocabulary word in English class? Contradictions! Yes, that's what it is. Interesting contradictions and it's beautiful in such an amazing but unassuming way."

I stared at him blankly. "That was actually really sweet, Mischa. This is going to sound silly, but I nearly cried."

"No! Please do not cry! You probably are not used to being told how incredible you are! I will do that so you will get used to it and not cry!" He told me, a bit frantic.

"I'm fine, I promise. I've got to go soon, though. It's my coffee day with Noel and he gets off work early today."

"Alright. See you tomorrow, love. Drive safely."

He gave me a hug before I left.

"You too. Please," I called back.

...

"Holy shit! Is that BadEgg on Youtube's girlfriend? Y/n L/n?" Noel's eyes widened.

I scoffed and sat down in the booth. "Shut up."

He just laughed. "How's it going between you guys?"

"Fantastic, really. He's amazing."

"Really? In what ways?" Noel lifted an eyebrow.

"Well, he's actually so sweet and always says the most beautiful things. He's actually very physically affectionate but not as much in front of people as when we're by ourselves."

"What exactly do you mean by that?"

"He gives fantastic hugs," I explained.

He looked a bit irritated. "And?"

"I feel like you're trying to get at something."

"I might be. I feel like you're avoiding the question here."

"You didn't ask a question that I needed to avoid," I scoffed.

"Do you really want me to ask it out loud?"

"Ask what?"

Noel groaned. "Are you kidding me right now?"

"I don't think so. Just ask me."

"Fine. Fine, I will. Have you guys had-"

I raised my eyebrows. "No! God, no! Noel, please. You're just like my mother."

He laughed. "She asked, too?"

"Well, she more assumed, but you know."

"Wait. Then why do you guys go to the janitor's closet during gym so much?

"First off: How did you know? Secondly: We occasionally make out in there if you really wanted to know that badly. Nothing more."

"Mischa tells me stuff. He really loves you, I can tell you that. Whenever we talk, it's about you. You're lucky to have him and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't at least a little bit jealous of your relationship."

"Please don't steal my boyfriend. I feel like that would add some strain on our friendship," I said.

"I wouldn't. Like I said: He's cute, but not my type. I was actually surprised you like him because I didn't flag him as yours, either."

"I don't have a type."

Noel looked at me. "You think you don't, but you definitely do. What has everyone you liked had in common? They were all really smart and talented. They were all 'good students'. They all dressed a certain way."

"I guess I do."

"No, really? But Mischa hardly fits any of those categories at first glance. He breaks rules, he doesn't dress the same as the other ones, and he's not exactly a model student," He pointed out.

"I don't care if he's a good student. He's a good person inside and out and that's what matters in the end."

"That sounded so cheesy. Do not say something like that ever again. You are actually so cringe."

"Would you have said that in first grade when you had no crayons and I let you borrow mine? If you would've said that then, I wouldn't be your amazing and lifelong friend."

"You are so dramatic. Who do you think you are? Me?" He sighed. "I am a terrible influence."

I gave him a thumbs up. "Absolutely!"

a/n: happy new year and merry christmas here is your gift. maybe i'll update more often this year im kinda going too slow haha