wednesday
THE next morning anais didn't bother getting out of bed. she hadn't used that ability in years so using it to fight whatever the fuck that thing was had taken a greater toll on her body than she had ever expected. there were aches and nausea, spins of dizziness like she was going to throw up. the feeling was similar to that of greening out.
around 2pm she decided it was time to shower and at least attempt to stretch her aching limbs. dressed in black shorts and one of marshal's hoodies, anais slipped on fuzzy socks and walked downstairs. she pressed play on the black stereo and began to do stretch her arms. 15 minutes into this the doorbell rung.
anais opened the door only to be slightly taken aback when she saw mike standing there with a silver canteen.
"what are you doing here?" she asked, shifting from one foot to the other and squinting at the sunlight that the open door let in.
"you weren't answering your phone." mike said. he pushed past her into the house, inviting himself in to which she rolled her eyes at.
"where are the bowls?" he asked, kicing off his shoes and strutting into her kitchen.
"mike- why are you in my house? why are you in my kitchen?" she asked exhausted. she pressed a hand to her forehead and leaned against the wall from the pounding feeling on her brain. mike noticed and set the canteen down, rushing over to her.
she made a face as he felt her cheek. he was cupping her face.
"ana you're burning up!" he spoke, voice and eyes full of worry. "come, sit down." he pulled her arm and gently pushed her into a dining room chair.
anais watched as the lanky boy raided her kitchen cabinet for a plastic bowl. he screwed open the canteen and poured in some liquid before heating it up in the microwave.
"why weren't you at school?" mike asked against, leaning against the sink with arms crossed.
anais' face teased a smirk. "why? you miss me?"
"ana i'm serious."
she pouted before shrugging. "nothing, i just wasn't feeling well."
"all of a sudden?" he questioned, obviously looking like he didn't believe her.
anais nodded. "yup. it came on fast."
the microwave beeped and he turned, bringing it out and grabbing a spoon before setting it in front of her.
"mom made you chicken soup."
anais looked at the soup before smiling. "tell karen i said thanks, but i'm not really hungry though.." she pushed it away.
mike gave her a look. "have you eaten today?"
she gave the same look back. "what's it to you?"
"why can't you ever just answer a question?"
"why can't you ever just stop asking them?"
he sighed deeply. "you at least need to drink some water.." he went back to the cabinet, opening it again and shuffling through. he felt something cylinder. before he could pick it up completely it slipped out his hand, bouncing off the counter before dropping to the floor and spilling everywhere.
"michael!" anais yelled, scampering from her chair and beginning to pick up the circular green tablets.
mike crouched down next to her, grabbing the bottle that was rolling towards him.
"..amitriptyline.. what's that?"
anais had never snatched something so fast. "none of your damn business." she scoffed, placing the pills back into the bottle and closing the cap. "you should go now. lock the door on your way out."
pill bottle in hand, she began to head for the stairs.
"so you're just not gonna answer my question?" mike asked, following her up the stairs until she got to her room.
anais turned around and glared at him. "what the hell makes you think i'm entitled to give you an answer?" she went to slam the door but he caught the handle, pushing it open and making her step back.
"why are you being so difficult right now?" he huffed, closing it behind him.
she laughed with anger, "why do you keep asking me so many questions?"
"because i care about you!" mike shouted. anais frowned a bit, flinching at his voice. she stared at him with glossy eyes, not knowing why the tone of his voice and his words affected her emotion. "because i give a shit! and god do you make it so difficult to do so." he spoke the last sentence through gritted teeth.
mike noticed and sighed. "fuck, come here." he pulled her into a hug which the girl fell into. her head pressed against his chest and her arms wrapped around his torso. mike wrapped his around her neck, beginning to rub small circles on her back to try and comfort her.
after a minute the two pulled away. she looked up at him, staring at him for a second before he moved his hands to her face. she dropped her arms from the embrace. his thumbs grazed her cheekbones softly as he stared at her with an expression one can only know as adoration.
"what are you-"
she couldn't even fully ask the question before his lips were on hers. anais' body froze, she didn't move or speak or kiss back. he pulled away after a few seconds, looking at the girl's shocked and almost mortified expression.
they both stood there, no words bing exchanged as the intense awkwardness grew in the room.
"..you just kissed me." she spoke, hand going to her head in disbelief.
mike cringed. "..yes."
anais took a breath before grabbing his shirt and pulling him to her for another frivolous kiss. mike's arms moved down, wrapping around the girl's waist before walking forward, practically carrying her. he pushed her gently against the wall, moving his lips desperately against hers. mike's fingers traced up her thighs before pushing under her sweater and rubbing his hands over her sides.
anais whimpered and he smiled, teasing under the skin of her boobs before passing his thumbs over her nipples, which were surprisingly hard. this was all so new, he never had done this with a girl before, he never touched someone like this. mike slid his hands back down, not wanting to go too far too quick. the two pulled away and looked at each other a bit breathless.
there was another kind of awkward pause.
"...so i'll see you tomorrow?" his hands dropped from her waist.
she nodded, still stuck in the way he just kissed and touched her.
mike smiled, glazing over her features once more before leaving the house. after he left she went back to the brown book. scribbling more words on to the pages like she couldn't let any thought pass.
•••
thursday
the first thing on anais' mind when she woke up was the kiss. her crush touched her boobs and she couldn't even tell her best friend about it.
what kind of world do we live in where i can't tell my bestie i got my tits fondled by a guy?
those thoughts were then chased away by all the drama surrounding her. today's outfit needed to say something along the lines of, 'bex ryan and julie fairchild who? i literally don't know' and definitely needed to be done on a motorcycle entrance. after waking up an hour early at 6 am she called max who answered immediately.
"your outfit today needs to send a message." max said as soon as the phone picked up. there was the sound of water in the back so anais assumed she was brushing her teeth.
"definitely. but what kind?" ana was digging through her closet.
"well.. how do you feel now that the world knows bex ryan is a fucking dick?"
anais smirked, remembering the song she just wrote it.
"i feel.. free? in a strange way. like i'm finally done with his shit."
"then send the message of freedom.. and acting out."
anais paused. "what?"
"well everyone knows you're a single girl now. act like it. wear that skimpy jean skirt with the skulls on your ass cheeks!"
anais giggled a bit. "bet. i think i'm gonna change my septum to the one with sharp ends instead of the balls."
"definitely. do you wanna match?"
anais smirked. "why? you wanna be a rockstar's bestie?"
"perhaps.."
anais laid the outfit on her made bed. "okay, i'm wearing a brown Ed Hardy shirt, the jean skirt and my thigh high leather boots. i have an extra jean skirt and a purple Ed Hardy shirt that matches my brown one. you have the shoes?"
"yup, i'll take them from my mom."
anais nodded. "kk, just come over and i'll do your makeup."
"see you in 10." max hung up and anais went back to the closet, setting out max's outfit and makeup. in 10 minutes, the bell rang and she excitedly ran down the stairs. max stood there, very huge smile on her face. she pulled the girl into the house and then closed the door. the two ran up to the room and started music before dancing around and getting dressed.
"after he sees you in this outfit, he's gonna wish he was never born." max laughed, taking off her shirt and pulling on the purple Ed Hardy. next they both changed into the skirts before squealing at how good they looked.
anais sat at her vanity and plugged in her straightener before coming through her hair and spraying it with argon oil heat protectant.
"you gonna wear the prada glasses?" max asked, looking in a different mirror and coming through her curly red hair.
anais shook her head. "you wear them, i'm feeling like wearing the gucci today? it matches with the tiger on the shirt."
"definitely. pass me the straightener when you're done."
when they two were finally ready, they walked down the stairs and pulled on the shoes matching shoes.
"it's gonna be a long walk to school in these." max sighed, closing the door behind her.
anais laughed and walked over to her honda nighthawk. "who said we were walking?"
"anais.. there is no way i'm getting on that death machine."
"please!" the girl whined. "i'm an excellent rider, not one accident. i have a helmet for you."
"..fine." max reluctantly took the helmet from anais and secured it on. she then got on the back of the motorcycle and wrapped her arms around anais' what tightly.
"this remind you of anything?" anais teased, talking about the summer of 84'.
"shut up and drive, higgins."
•••
anais revved the engine lucky when they pulled up to the school. like she suspected there was paparazzi at the gate. of course they knew what school she went to, there was only three in the whole town! anais revved again and drifted, much to max's dismay. she parked the motorcycle and got off, pulling off the helmet and doing a hair flip which she knew would he photographed.
max took off the helmet and looked around.
"sunglasses on, chin up." anais whispered. "the flash from the camera is blinding so don't look at it even with the glasses. keep a poker face, don't answer questions, beeline for the door. and whatever you do, don't react."
max nodded and held anais' hand before intertwining their fingers. as soon as the paparazzi saw them walking, more like strutting, they followed them in hurts immediately. there had to be at least 30 reporters, which wasn't a lot but with each one with cameras and questions made it seem like a lot more.
"are you still friends with julie?"
"how do you feel knowing they're together?"
"can we expect to see the two together more?"
"who's the girl you're holding hands with?"
"my friend!" anais said, throwing them at least one bone.
"has bex tried to contact you since?"
"are there any plans for new music?"
"who was the boy you were sitting with from the article?" anais bit the inside of her mouth ti not react to that question.
"are you planning on going back to wildchild?"
that question was oddly enough the one that annoyed her the most.
the two finally made it the through the reporters and pushed the school doors to step inside which of course, they couldn't follow.
"how do you do that every day?" max said as she let out a deep breath. anais only laughed, moving over to her locker.
"celebrity skin."
"i definitely don't have it." max sighed. she went to her locker and opened it, pulling out some book for first period.
"there's a herd of reporters outside. guessing that's for you?" lucas called from down the hall. he was walking in with mike and dustin. anais caught mike's eyes but quickly broke the contact.
why the fuck am i nervous around him now?
"hey ana." mike said with a smirk, brushing his hand on the girl's waist and making her spine shiver a bit.
"hi." her voice was a bit quiet which shocked herself.
the boy pulled books from his locker, stealing glances at her as he did so and making her skin flush all warm.
"ana!" stacey's voice called. anais turned to see stacey lyn walking down the hall towards her.
"hi stace! what's up?"
stacey frowned. "you never came to cheer tryouts."
"shit," anais facepalmed. "sorry i felt like shit yesterday. couldn't get out of bed, let anyone drag my ass to school."
stacey smiled at her. "it's okay, you're on the team either way."
"that quick?"
she nodded. "we've all seen you guest star on electric circus. we know you have moves."
"great," ana smiled. "when are practices?"
"every wednesday after school."
"got it."
stacey smiled once more before turning and walking over to her friends. anais closed her locker, slightly startled to see mike leaning against the next one and looking at her.
"so you're a cheerleader now?" he asked with a smile.
anais put a hand on her chest. "jesus christ wheeler, don't do that. that scared the shit out of me." she fixed her bag on her shoulder before beginning to walk.
"sorry."
he trailed behind her, looking at the design pattern on her skirt.
"stop staring at my ass." anais sighed, turning around and making him bump into her.
"i wasn't staring at your ass!" he got defensive. "i like the skull pattern on your skirt."
"yes michael," she smiled sarcastically, "the one that just so happens to be on my ass?"
"i-"
"walk in front of me, perv." she said with arms crossed. mike gave up the argument quickly and began to walk in front of her.
"ouu, cute butt wheeler." she smiled, looking at the way his ass in the jeans. he definitely had taken those from her look book.
"okay now i'm being objectified."
she teased a smile. "yes."
anais pulled her hand back, slapping his ass harshly before dropping her bag and running down the hall away from him.
"ana!" mike yelled, dropping his bag as well and chasing the girl. she laughed, dodging people and turning the corridor. she ran to the end of the hall next to mr clarke's bio class. just as anais thought she lost him, a pair of arms wrapped around her whats making her scream as she was lifted into the air.
"put me down!"
"no." he stated simply. mike walked into the classroom, the girl still clad in his arms. lucas and max walked into the class next, each holding their friends bags. the two watched as mike set anais down on a lab bench and leaned forward to her with a smile, saying something that made her return his adored expression.
"you look really pretty today." mike smiled, not taking his eyes off her features.
"i look pretty everyday." anais said, turning her bench to face the front. mike scoffed and sat beside her.
"your bags." lucas said, dropping them next to the pair. "seems you forgot them when you chased each other down the hall." max added, her voice was on the verge of laughter.
mike looked over at the girl slowly, again glazing over her features making her stomach feel a weird way. she smiled slowly before stretching out her hand and pushing his head. he laughed and sat up straight, trying to focus on what mr clarke was doing but she was just too damn pretty for him to care about biology right now.
•••
on the line for lunch dustin set his tray down next to mike, grabbing a bowl of grapes. "you see to be getting close to anais."
mike shrugged. "yeah, i guess."
"can you pass me a juice?" anais asked, walking over to mike. she stood next to him, pressing her chin next to his shoulder.
mike reached for a bottle of apple juice and handed it to her.
she flashed the smile that he loved. anais pressed a quick peck to his cheek saying thanks and walking away.
"mhm." mike pulled his lingering gaze away from her as she exited the cafeteria. it was lunch and she had to catch up on some cheer stuff with stacey and the squad. when he noticed that dustin was paying close attention to the interaction mike gave a deep sigh.
dustin looked at mike, then ana, then mike again before his jaw slowly dropped.
"..oh my god.. OH MY GOD YOU-"
"shut up!" mike said with gritted teeth. he slapped a hand over dustin's mouth and grabbed him before pulling the boy out of the cafeteria into the mostly empty hallway.
"you and anais?!" dustin said, jaw dropped.
"..yes, no, kinda? maybe? i-"
"OH MY GOD?" dustin squealed, he clapped his hands making mike feel embarrassed.
"will you stop? it's not that serious."
"not that serious??" dustin asked in disbelief. "she kissed you cheek!"
mike sighed.
"i cant believe it, you're gonna date a rockstar oh my god!"
"dustin will you stop!" mike exclaimed. "like i said, it's not that serious. she's just some stupid girl."
dustin's face dramatically dropped with the last entrance mike spoke. he stared at something behind the boy, a frown forming on his face.
mike got confused. "what?"
"just some stupid girl, huh?"
mike froze at the voice before turning around.
"ana i-"
"shut the fuck up michael." she scoffed, she pushed past him into the cafeteria where he followed her. she forgot her bag on the table.
"i swear it's not like that-"
she clenched her fist and turned around, fixing the bag on the her shoulder.
anais took a deep breath. "honestly mike i've been through enough this week without piling your shit on top of it. i don't have the time or energy to deal with it. if you don't like me, you didn't have to kiss me. and if you don't wanna kiss me what are we doing here?"
she gave him a look but he didn't answer the question.
anais nodded, tears slightly pricking her brown eyes. "that's what i thought. thanks."
he watched her storm out the cafeteria, feeling his heart clench at what she told him.
why the fuck did i say that?
•••
FAE SPEAKS
🤭🤭🤭