FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE HEART.

CHAPTER SEVEN.

The music. The drinks. The games. The vibe. Mike had been missing out on it for so long that it felt like that part of him was didn't exist but once he saw the party he felt home.

  The DJ turned from his turn table to the door and lowered the music. "Well this is suprising." He said over the speakers "Turns out apart from our very special birthday girl we have a legend who I never thought I'll see walk into these places again. Please give it up for the keeper of the parties! Michael "Fiesta" Roland!"

  Mike smiled as he heard his former title. "Fiesta." The guy who never left the parties and always brought everyone a good long smile on their faces. He had left that side of life but hearing his nickname only wanted to make him party harder.

  "What's up, Staken court?!" He roared and got a roar back as a reply. Wills grabbed him "See? They love you. I think you should have your night away from the troubles of life. It helps relax."

  Wills was right. Mike felt brand new. Like all his troubles had been washed away by the music. He sighed "Oh how I missed this place." "And it missed you too." Wills told him "Now get out there, I need to go check on my lady."

  Mike partied. And he partied hard. He went through every game from beer pong to chug. He hadn't done it in a while so he was indeed rusty but he didn't care at that moment in time. Finally a smile, a smile that revealed his shining white teeth was plastered on his face.

  He grabbed Max. "I haven't felt this way in so long." Max laughed and threw his arm around his shoulder "I was wondering when this side of you will come back. I missed pulling birds aside for a fun time."

  Mike shook his head "Nah, mate, I don't think I'll go that far tonight. I'll just have my usual fun."

  Max nodded. "No worries. Glad to see that smile on your face. That's good enough for me." He patted his shoulder before running after a girl that signaled him to come over.

  Mike sat at the sofa with a bottle of Pepsi in his hand. He knew Wills had permitted him to go full out but he just didn't feel like being drunk would help his situation. Plus he also needed to find...

  His eyes widened. He had forgotten about Anna. He leaped off the chair and ran for the stairs. Last time he saw her she was heading to Kim.

  Mike opened Wills door. "He-Holy mother of nature." He said as he saw Wills and Kim making out intensively and Wills was shirtless but when he was about to make Kim the same he gagged loud enough to make them turn.

  Wills cursed in Italian, French, and German. "What the hell, mate? Kind of a bad timing here." Kim turned to him although her arms were still around his neck "Can't you knock?"

  Mike covered his eyes. "I'm sorry. Totally my fault. I was just wondering if you've seen Anna anywhere?"

  "She just left when we were about to start." Kim informed him "Yeah." Wills said "So please close that door and if so much as disturb this moment again I'll beat you up so bad you'll find yourself in Australia." Mike nodded "Yep, I got it." He closed the door and started running wishing he hadn't seen that.

  He ran and ran until he bumped into Marnie. "Hey, Mike." She said "You seem to be out of breath. Everything okay?"

  Mike nodded. "Yeah. Just looking for Anna?"

  "Anna?" She repeated but snapped her fingers as soon as the image came to mind "Oh, you must mean Annabelle Levesique, right? She's down by the lake. Think one dude is trying to approach her."

  Mike nodded and made a dash for the lake just to see Anna stepping back from a big guy who tried to pull her to him. "Come on, beautiful." He said with a sick voice "There's no need to fight. Just chill with me." "Stay away!" Anna screamed.

  "She said stay away, you prick!" Mike shouted and the guy turned. It was the meat head from Starbucks. "So we meet again, Roland." He said cracking his knuckles "Want to go now? Protect her like some Knight?"

  Mike gritted his teeth. "Fuck off, you mistake of nature, go pick some Ogre girls off your Snapchat and leave her alone."

  "You'll regret that." The meat head said and rushed at Mike with a little more speed than he expected so he was lifted up and driven into the ground.

  He took the first three punches without blocking but the fourth one he hit it aside and got a good hit on the face forcing the guy to fall back. Anna could only watch in fear.

  Mike got up and before his opponent could he kicked him hard in the stomach forcing him to the ground and to finish it up he slammed a fist straight on his temple. "And don't you ever fucking show yourself again!" He roared down at him.

  He looked up at Anna who had now regained her senses and then sighed. "Are you okay?" He asked

  She nodded. "I'm okay...you're bleeding from your mouth. And that guy was videoing everything."

  Mike turned and saw Owen stuffing his phone back into his pocket. "Got evidence that he started it." He told Mike "Now they can't say shit."

  Mike smiled at his cousin. "Thanks. I need to go clean up in the bathroom. Mind looking after Paris over here?"

  "First off: Don't call me that." Anna said "Second off: I'm fine on m-." "You're staying with him." Mike cut in strongly "No objections. Just stay with him till I get back."

  He left them outside and began to walk to head for the bathroom when a hand grabbed his wrist.

  He spun around and frowned. "Sidney. What do you want now?" Sidney ignored his comment and touched his face "What happened to you here?" She asked worried "Did you fall? Did you hit something?"

  Mike began to relax. He felt it. The warmness of her palm against his cheek like the days of the past. It made him special. It made him feel good. But his mind went back to normal. What he had had never happened.

  He tore her hand away from his cheek. "I'm not falling for your shit, Sidney, just leave me alone. I'm not okay but talking to you isn't going to make me feel any better."

  Sidney sighed. "I don't understand how you can't even allow me care about your well being. Or how you hold a grudge for so-."

  "It's not a grudge!!" Mike snapped and he did it so loud that the music stopped and all eyes turned to them.

  Mike breathing was heavy enough to be heard upstairs and Wills ran down struggling to put on his shirt. "What is going on he-oh shit." He spotted Mike and Sidney.

  Mike tore his gaze away from Sidney. "Just leave me be...I don't want anything to do with you. Not again. Just let me be." He walked away and instead of going to the bathroom he just went out and grabbed Anna leading her to the car.

  "I heard you yell." She told Mike "Is everything okay?" Mike started the car "It's okay." He told her and wiped the blood aside with a wipe.

  Anna turned to him. "Mike, I know I've been acting childish lately and been annoying to you...but I'm grateful that you came to save me from that sick bastard. I didn't know you stood for others. And I didn't believe you were going to take those guys alone at the Starbucks. You're very brave and I'm sorry for being a nuisance to you. And also, thank you."

  Mike smiled a bit just to show her not to worry. "It's okay, I get it. That's an apology and to be honest I would have jumped in for you even if I didn't know you, Anna. That's just the type of guy I am."

  She turned away. He was different from the others. He had just proved that tonight. She turned back to him "How about that tour you promised?"

  Mike chuckled. "I never promised but if that's your way of asking I'll get you on Wednesday after class. Deal?"

  She smiled. "Deal, Roland."

  He parked in front of her house and then turned to her. "Your stop. Have a good night sleep. We have physics in the morning." She nodded "Okay. Mind picking me up to school though?"

  Mike was suprised by the request but he shook his head still. "Not a problem. See you." He drove off waving and Anna started approaching her gates. Maybe he was different...but she still had to be careful. Everything that glitters isn't gold.

  Mike got home and to his suprise his parents had left him a note on the table. "There's a Bentley parked in the garage from our friend in Greece. He said it's yours hope you enjoy it."

  Mike smiled. Although they weren't always at home their notes were good enough.

  He tossed his clothes off and dropped on his bed with Halls next to him. Maybe he could take Wills' idea. Maybe a relationship would take his mind off Sidney.

  But the question was...who?