charity project // mischa bachinski (ride the cyclone)

16 - it had better work

I'd never really talked to Anthony Moorson. I knew he was in my gym class and that he was on the basketball team, and that's about it. I also knew that Mischa punched him, which was pretty cool in my opinion. He still had a faint bruise on his eye.

Either way, I was still a bit surprised when he tried to talk to me in gym class.

"Y/n! What's up?" Anthony asked, attempting to put a hand on my shoulder.

I shrugged away. "Nothing. Do you need something?"

"I might."

"Make it quick. I have somewhere to be. By the way: it looks like there's something on your eyelid. Like dirt or something," I pointed out, knowing full well what it was.

He scowled. "A few weeks ago some idiot got mad at me in the locker room and punched me. For no reason."

"Sure," I clenched my jaw. "What do you need? I'm skipping and I need to leave while Coach Jonas is busy setting up."

"The bleachers are pulled out for the basketball game. This would be the perfect chance-"

I held up a finger. "I'm going to stop you right there. I am not going under the bleachers with you."

"Really?" He whined.

"Okay. First off: that place is disgusting. Do you know what falls behind the bleachers? Secondly: I hardly even know you and you hardly even know me."

"I do know you, though! You're that one girl in the choir and you like a lot of plays!"

"-Musicals."

"-That's what I said."

"I also have a boyfriend."

"No you don't!" Anthony exclaimed. "You're just saying that because you don't want to make out with me."

"I don't want to, you're right on that. And you know the idiot that gave you that ugly bruise on your eye? That was my idiot."

He stood there, mouth agape. "Oh. That makes a lot more sense why he punched me."

"No, really? That's insane!" I replied, hardly bothering to even raise an eyebrow.

"This is terrible. Your idiot is kind of scary. And good at beating people up. Don't tell him I asked you to do that. Sorry"

"As long as you never talk to me again. It would do us both good."

I was admittedly a bit surprised at that interaction. I didn't expect him to be as respectful as he was about it. Granted, he did call Mischa an idiot. But he did leave me alone after that. I didn't intend on telling Mischa about this. Not because I felt it was my fault, but because I didn't feel like bailing him out of detention again.

...

After school was Mischa's tutoring session. We did in fact get a lot more done because we drove separately, which was a bit annoying when you think about it.

"Any ideas for Tom and Laura's gifts?" I asked him.

"Yes. For Tom, he really likes to collect model trains. I found one that's super rare that he does not have. He will love it," Mischa reported.

"And Laura?"

"She likes beauty products. Like the stuff you put on your face where it is cold and green."

"I can definitely help with that. I love that kind of stuff," I piped in.

Mischa stood up. "That's great! I will pay, and then we will go find the face goop for Laura."