Bound By Contract

Chapter Five

Michael's P.O.V.

I watch Christina arrive from my bedroom window on the second floor. It's around noon, I think; and I haven't been out of my room. I like to be alone, especially ever since a couple of months ago when disaster struck. I don't like to go out and experience the pity looks from some people and I absolutely despise the judgmental looks from others. Can't I be left alone? Nevertheless, ever since my meeting with Christina last night, I feel a little better. It seems things just might start going my way.

Christina gets out of her car with heavy bags under her eyes and her hair is a bit messy. I chuckle. Poor girl, she must have been going through hell last night. I reach for my cell phone and text her a message. 'Hello, beautiful.' I chuckle again.

She notices her phone go off and drops her car keys and her bag while she digs in her pockets to find the phone. She reads the message while grabbing at her hair and then smiles, while texting back. While my phone starts ringing I see her looking around for me. She finds me up in my window and waves, I wave back. I look down on the message on my phone. 'Hey there yourself, gorgeous. Stop making fun of me.' That makes me laugh.

I look back down at her and as she saw she got a laugh out of me, she lights up. She is beautiful. I love the way the blonde hair of her ponytail falls down her back even though it is a bit messy today. She looks rather sexy in her black sweatpants which make her hips look very curvy and her black tank top which caresses her thin waist. We stare at each other for awhile, not realizing we're doing it, at least on my part, anyway. I turn around swiftly from the window and put my phone away on the table. My stomach growls at me for some food. But I can't think to eat, I am so excited about this new chapter in my life that is about to start, so my stomach will just have to wait.

I sit on my bed, leaning against the heavy wood headboard with my knees to my chest hugging my fluffy pillow. I don't know exactly how I am feeling right now; I am still upset about the interview. It was damning to my character, and as much as I don't want to admit it, it really does bother me. What is the most frustrating to me is that I know I'm doing good, and people accuse me of doing bad, so I want to prove myself for whatever reason. That's all I am trying to do is to redeem myself from whatever it is that so many think about me. But unfortunately I put my trust in the wrong person and things went terribly wrong. It's been two months since the interview with Bashir aired and I can't get it out of my head. Am I really that weird? I feel that I live a relatively normal life. But if you hear something for long enough you start to believe it. Am I weird because I'm a nice and caring person? If that's the case, then everyone can say goodbye to their Mr. Nice Guy.

With that in mind, I was trying to be tough in my meeting with Christina, yesterday. I hope I wasn't too tough, though. I have enough life experience in my almost forty-five years to know that everyone who tries to put on a façade always fails in the long run. The real you comes out sooner or later. You can't change who you are. I hope I don't fail miserably, and Christina sees right through me. That's when the problems start, when people see me as 'nice.' Nice equals weak to some people, and they try to step all over me. Christina on the other hand seems genuine, what you see is what you get. She looks sweet, personable, caring and non judgmental. But looks can be deceiving and I still have to be on guard from her. The trouble is... I'm very attracted to her.

Christina's P.O.V.

Rachel runs after me as I am heading towards the shed to put away my things. She catches up to me, panting, trying to catch her breath. "Hey Rachel," I say, happy to see my new friend.

"Hi, Christina, what's up? So how did you plans go last night?" I am caught by surprise. Of course she remembers. I had turned her down for drinks last night because of my 'plans.'