Blood of the Pure [COMPLETE]

Chapter 18 - Part 3

Part 3

Just as we'd agreed, and at the set time, Michael was waiting for me by the now closed school gates. His smile greeted me at a distance and, when I walked up to him, he looked at me with an awkward expression.

"Sorry I called you so late, last night. I didn't know your mother had returned."

"It was a last minute decision," I clarified. "She arrived Monday. But no worries. I'd say you left a good impression on her."

"Really?" he asked intrigued.

"Well, you were the first boy to call me at home, after all."

He looked surprised before averting his gaze.

"You must be thrilled to have her back."

"Yeah. Very much so." He smiled and stretched out his hand to me.

"Shall we go?"

"Where to?"

"Does it matter?"

I was at a loss for words for a moment. Something had change in the way he looked at me. The constant uncertainty I'd got used to see in his eyes was gone. And his decided and self-confidant expression left me apprehensive and embarrassed. Still, I place my hand on his, his warm fingers automatically flexing over mine, enveloping my hand completely, before he softly pull me for a walk.

"I missed being with you like this," he confessed making my heart jump. The hand that held mine was big, and soft, his strong fingers drawing small circles over my skin.

I laughed nervously, unable to face him.

"As if we didn't meet every day, at school," I criticized, trying to minimize the serious tone of his voice.

"Yes, but only so briefly and we're never alone," he answered and I didn't know what to say, once again. I was starting to regret having agreed to go out with him. Maybe I should have kept trying to avoid him. I made myself smile once again and took a deep breath.

"You know, I'm quite sure I'm one of the most hated girls in school, nowadays," I stated, trying once more to change the subject. "They all think I stole you away. After all, an idol belongs to everyone. And he's not supposed to show preferences by hanging out with the same person all the time. It's really silly, though."

"I told you before. I couldn't care less about what others think. Though I am sorry that you have to go through this because of me. They don't even know you. If I could do anything to change that ..." he added, sorrowfully, and I shrugged.

"It's fine. My friends still treat me the same. Even after Steph stopped talking to me."

"She's still not talking to you?"

"Yeah ..." I confirmed, feeling depressed. I couldn't help feeling sick every time I recalled Steph's cold and hateful expression when she looked at me.

Michael sighed deeply and I dared take a peek at him. The way the sun touched his face made him look even more beautiful, I thought, and I felt even more depressed as I pictured how I would look standing there, right beside him. Suddenly all the time I'd spent that morning, trying to decide what to wear and fighting against my hair's constant tantrums seemed utterly pointless. No matter what I did, I'd never be good looking enough to stand beside him.

"You know, I even talked to her," he told me and I looked at him in disbelief.

"You did?"

"Yeah. Just to try and make her understand that there was no way you were romantically involved with your cousin," he explained and a sharp pain pierced my chest. "But she just wouldn't believe me. She just told me that there were things I didn't understand. And then I also started thinking that Stephanie's suspicious aren't all that baseless."