CHAPTER 10
[ Noah ]
My brain was a mess of incoherent thoughts. Of those thoughts, there were three things that I absolutely knew: the boy that stood in front of us just mere seconds earlier was inhumanely beautiful which made me feel a bit insecure of my own appearance, he was also foreign which didn't make me feel any better, and Michael had sex with him which made me feel even worse.
I didn't want to jump to conclusions because nothing good ever came from that, but how could I not? When we made this virginity deal, it crossed my mind that Michael might have not been a virgin and was just using that as a way to have sex with me. I dismissed the idea, of course, because he didn't seem like that kind of person. But now I wasn't so sure, so I gave into the paranoia and asked, "You had sex with him?"
He finally seemed to recognize my existence after staring at the spot where the foreign guy stood for nearly a minute. "No," he said simply, but that wasn't enough confirmation for me.
"Are you even a virgin?" I continued to pry.
He narrowed his eyes at me. "Why would I lie about being a virgin?"
"To have sex with me," I retorted.
"Obviously not since you won't let me." I placed my hands on my hips and shook my head in disbelief, genuinely at awe at the fact that he would pull that card. Noticing my sudden distress, he quickly retracted his words. "Don't worry, I'll play along with your games. Just know that when the time comes, I'm gonna redeem my prize." He finished with a silly laugh.
Any doubt that I previously had disintegrated into thin air once I saw his smile. "So you didn't have sex with him?" I asked just for further confirmation.
"He wishes," he scoffed. "Clearly, he only said that to break us up."
"Break us up?" I questioned, surprised at his strange use of terminology, but I didn't argue with it. "Why would he want to do that?"
Michael gave me a side glance as the corner of his lips curled into a lopsided smirk. "In case you didn't realize, I'm kind of a catch." He chuckled at his own statement, but when he realized that I wasn't following his train of thought, his countenance grew hard and serious. "Wait, you didn't hear about what happened to him?"
I shook my head. "No, what happened?"
He parted his lips slightly to tell me, but he stopped himself to skeptically scan his surroundings. "We can't talk out in the open. He's everywhere." Before I could question what he meant by that, he opened the passenger door for me and ushered me inside before retreating to the driver's side and doing the same. Even when we were behind closed doors, he kept surveying the school's parking lot to ensure that we were alone. "That guy, Nicolas, tried to kill himself a few months ago."
I gaped. "That's awful!"
Michael didn't seem to have any normal human reactions to such news, because he rolled his eyes. "Don't sympathize just yet. He's a crazy, psychotic stalker. He was obsessed with Calvin, to the point where he was willing to hurt Derek just so he could have him to himself. He tried to kill himself once he finally got the hint that Calvin didn't want to be with him. He hit his head pretty hard and now he claims that he has amnesia, but I don't believe it. Seems too convenient."
I wanted to say something, but when I opened my mouth, I realize I didn't really have anything to say. The entire situation sounded highly exaggerated because I couldn't actually believe that a person who was capable of all that was still attending our school, but the look of pure horror in Michael's clear eyes when he talked about certainly meant something. "Maybe you should tell a teacher, or your mom, or—"
"I can't tell anyone," he interrupted. "He hasn't done anything to me, yet."
"If he makes you feel uncomfortable, then—"
"You don't understand," he barked. "That guy has connections to everyone. He always escapes anything we throw at him."
"But you can—"
"Noah," he snapped, finally bringing his eyes to me. "I can't do anything right now. The only thing that I can do is try to stay away from him. That goes for you, too. Don't talk to him. The less he knows about you, the better."
My shoulders fell as I released a heavy sigh and brought my attention to the windshield. "Okay, so what do we do now?"
Michael turned the key into the ignition and the engine soon roared to life beneath our feet. "I need to talk to Derek. If Nicolas is lying about his amnesia, then I need to warn him about it." Not even a minute later, he backed out of the parking space and zoomed out of the school's camps in record time. I decided that this whole Nicolas threat was a big deal since he was willing to forget about my offer to pleasure him, but even though this should have been a serious matter, I sorta liked the adrenaline running through my veins and the way my heartbeat sped up whenever he pressed on the gas.
"Ten bucks says that Derek's currently fucking the life out of Calvin," Michael jeered once we were on the highway. He had relaxed a bit, judging by the fact that he only had one hand on the wheel rather than a firm two-handed grip like before.
I shook my head in disbelief. "Why do you curse so much?"
He scoffed. "Why don't you curse?" He didn't give me any time to respond because he raised a finger in the air to silence me. "Wait, lemme guess. You're not allowed to curse."
I frowned, not wanting to admit it. "There's no need to curse to express what I feel. I can get the same point across without a vulgar vocabulary."
"Are you insulting me?"
With a half-hearted shrug, I retaliated with, "If you think stating facts is insulting, then sure."
He clutched a hand over his heart, feigning offense. "Wow, you're a total ass, you do know that right? You think that just because you have pretty eyes and cute hair that you can be an absolute dick?"
I gave him a coy smile. "Yes."
He tore his eyes from the road for only a second to smile at me. As he started to laugh, he reached over to run a hand through my curls and then reverted his attention to the road. He didn't talk much after that; he just continued to laugh to himself like he was constantly thinking of something funny. I didn't totally mind the obnoxious laughter because it was quite comforting to see him so free and happy. Because of that, it became apparent to me that I liked this ridiculous human being, like a lot, and I would do anything to keep that smile on his face.
But unfortunately, that smile didn't stay long. As soon as we parked the car in Derek's driveway, Michael appeared to be upset and less cherry than he was just minutes before. Somehow, I figured that it was because Derek and Michael had a rocky friendship that was somewhat dysfunctional, based on the information he shared with me when we were on the roof. I had wanted to share my opinions on to topic, but I was in no condition to tell him who he should be friends with. If Holly had listened to all the other drama kids who told her to stay away from me because I was a "disease", then we would've never become such good friends.
The front door swung open after Michael rang the doorbell a few times with a half-naked Derek Fletcher on the other side of the threshold. I forbade my eyes from drifting lower to take in the sight of his hard abdomen, but I was never really gifted with a strong will anyway. Derek was beyond attractive and he knew it, too.
"Yes?" he prompted, his eyebrows rising in inquiry. His dark blue eyes settled on me for only a second before they retreated back to his friend.
Michael folded his arms across his chest and cleared his throat. "Where's Calvin?"
Derek shrugged as he propped himself up against the door frame. "Why do you just assume that he's with me?"
Michael didn't respond; instead, he glanced over his shoulder to look at the gray SUV parked in the driveway alongside his own car. Then he flicked his attention back to Derek and frowned. "Wherever he is, tell him to put his clothes on and get lost because you and I need to talk."
"What if I don't want to talk to you," was Derek's quick reply. It didn't even sound like a question, more like a bitter statement laced with poisonous venom.
Michael scoffed, "Trust me, you're gonna want to talk to me since this involves your beloved boy toy and his creepy stalker."
Derek pushed off the door frame suddenly, his face hardening with seriousness. No longer trying to evade Michael's advances, he firmly grasped onto his wrist and practically dragged him into the house. I stood there, awkwardly, for a while before deciding to follow the duo into the house. As I expected, Derek had already pulled Michael into a hallway leading to an unknown destination. I was compelled to trail behind them because I didn't know what else to do, but my body froze in place when I caught a glimpse of a shirtless figure sprawled across the couch.
"Derek, who's at the..." The figure turned to face me and as soon as he recognized who I was, he grinned. "Well, look who we have here!"
I gulped and shifted uncomfortably. "Uh, hi."
"It's so great to see you." Calvin lifted himself from the couch and made his way to me, his grin growing more cynical with every step. "I believe we got off on the wrong foot when we last talked. I didn't mean to call you a little boy. I was only trying to get under Mike's skin—plus, I think you're ridiculously cute."
I loosened the collar of my shirt with the crook of my finger while I took a subtle step away from him. "Uh, thank you, but—"
"You don't really wanna be with someone like Mike, do you?" he asked, seeming not to get the hint that I wasn't interested. His eyebrows were raised in genuine curiosity. "I mean, he's kinda weird."
I shook my head. "I don't think he's weird."
"Hmph," Calvin hummed, then closed the gap between us by continuing to move closer. "At least with me, you won't have to worry about sex. That's obviously what he wants from you, isn't it? Me? I want a relationship and a boyfriend that I can call my own."
I backed away until I was pressed against the wall. "You have Derek."
"Derek and I aren't together." He stepped closer until he was just inches away from me, tilting his head to the side in curiosity. I tried to look away from him, but he responded by hooking his finger around my chin to force me to look at him. "Besides, you do think I'm attractive, don't you?
"N-no, I d-don't—" He pressed his hand against my crotch, "—oh my god!"
Chuckling softly to himself, he retracted his hand and smiled at me. "You're so goddamn cute," he commented with that smile still plastered on his lips, like he was weirdly fascinated with me or something. "But I won't force you since it's obvious you only have eyes for Mike. Why that is, I don't know, but that's good for you."
I swallowed harshly, but couldn't find the right words to respond with.
"Just promise me something. Don't ever let him change you. Be happy with who you are." He reached up to grasp onto the arms of my glasses. "I used to wear glasses just like you, but I got rid of them when Derek told me to."
I frowned. "Why would he do that?"
"It's a long story that's like forty one chapters," he dismissed, "but the point is: don't let hot guys change you. If Mike is the right guy for you, then he'll accept you as you are. If not, then you know where to find me!"
I nodded. "Okay."
In the distance, I could hear Mike and Derek talk amongst themselves and their voices were drawing nearer. Silently thanking God for saving me from having to endure the rest of the this conversation, I eagerly waited for Michael to return so that we could leave. Before he could, though, Calvin caught me off guard when he grasped onto my shoulders and pulled me into a kiss. My first instinct was to pull away as soon as possible because I didn't want Michael to get the wrong idea, but Calvin managed to keep me in place as his tongue probes into my mouth.
"What the fuck!" I heard Michael yell. Not even seconds later, he shoved Calvin away from me. "What is wrong with you!"
Calvin shrugged and turned away, but not before he sent a flirty wink my way.
Michael was fueled with so much rage that his demeanor hardened, his nostrils flared, and his jaw was set. "Derek, please keep your puppy on a leash or I'm gonna have to put him down," he hissed as his hands found mine, letting his fingers wiggle between my own. I don't even think he realized that he was holding my hand in a much too intimate way, but I didn't mind it. I liked this sort of interaction.
He sent the two boys a deadly glare before turning on his heel to exit the house, pulling me along with him. He trudged down the driveway to his car in long, angry strides; he even slammed the car door once he slipped into the driver's seat. We sat in palpable bitter silence for quite some time that I was beginning to think that Michael was angry with me. "You don't like him, do you?" he asked suddenly.
I shook my head.
"Okay, good." He offered me a small smile as he started the car. "I have a long history with people who use me just to get access to other people."
"I would never do that, Mikey."
There was a strange flicker of uncertainty in his eyes, like he honestly thought there was a possibility that I didn't want this as much as he did. Maybe I wasn't ready for sex, but I knew that hanging out with Michael made me the happiest I had ever been in a long while. And everyone needed a little happiness in their lives.
Mustering up the strength needed to execute my plan, I crawled over the median separating our two seats and straddled him with my legs on either side of him. His eyes went wide in shock. "Noah, what are you doing?"
"Do you like vampires?" I questioned.
His brows pulled together in confusion. "What?"
Instead of responding, I dove into the crook of his neck and ran my tongue over the pulsating vein there. Then, without any warning, I opened my mouth and pulled on his flesh with my teeth, biting down slightly. He squirmed beneath me and let out a shaky breath, but he didn't show any signs of discomfort; in fact, his hands grabbed onto my butt as though to steady himself while a moan escaped his lips. "Fuck, I love vampires!"
Giggling to myself, I moved my lips to his earlobe where I did the same thing, nibbling hard enough to invoke a reaction but not hard enough to draw any blood. I continued to bite him in the most sensual of places until he had enough and he forced our lips together. I scooted closer to him, pressing our chests together, and kissed him deeply and with as much emotion that I could formulate. Slowly pulling away from the heated kiss, I captured his bottom lip between my teeth and pulled gently. It was as if I had the upper hand, stealing the moment without his knowledge.
My phone buzzed on the passenger seat, but before I got the chance to answer, Michael grabbed the phone, tapped on the display a few times to turn it off, and tossed it into the backseat. I wanted to tell him that he shouldn't have done that because it could've been my parents, but he kissed me again, letting all of my worries fade away. His hand grabbed onto the back of my head to pull me closer to him and he tilted his head slightly to slide his tongue into my mouth. With every passing second, his crotch enlarged until his erection was practically poking my thigh.
Taking note of it, I ended the kiss to turn my attention to the current issue at hand. "Hey," Michael spoke up, grabbing my attention. "Are you gonna hate me again if I ask you to blow me?"
I smirked. "Not if you ask nicely."
He pulled his lips into a cheeky grin. "Please?"
I hooked my fingers underneath the waistband of both his sweatpants and his boxers and tugged them down enough to reveal his erection, which had sprung upright to its full size. If someone had told me that I would be doing this two weeks ago, I would've laughed in their faces. Now, I was willingly sucking the penis of someone I had known for only four days.
If my parents knew about this, they would surely kill me, but I didn't care about the possible consequences.
After all, my parents knew how much they meant to me. They knew I followed all of the rules they put in place for me. They knew that I would never do anything to hurt them. But yet, they repaid my obedience by fighting with each other and threatening to get divorced. If they didn't care about my feelings, then I wasn't going to care about theirs.
So I blew Michael without a single care of the world. I flicked my tongue all over his shaft, I sucked lightly on his tip, and I even tried to deep throat him, which didn't really turn out as well as I expected it to, but he didn't complain. Halfway through, he ordered me to bite his penis, which I was reluctant about, but I eventually complied. He howled in pain but it was quickly followed by a dreamy sigh, which meant that he found some sort of pleasure in that.
I continued to suck and bite him until the pressure built inside him had exploded into my mouth in the form of a warm, thick liquid. I was completely repulsed by it, just like I had been when he had tasted mine, but I decided to swallow it down since it seemed like something that was expected from me.
Michael grimaced. "Sorry."
"Sure," I deadpanned. "Apologize after the fact."
His grimace quickly turned into a grin. "How'd it taste?"
"Well, it didn't taste like yogurt for sure." I pulled his pants back up and plopped into the passenger seat, sighing. "Don't say I never did anything for you."
He reached over to grab onto my crotch, but I slapped his hands away before he could. He raised a questioning brow in which I responded with, "I kinda already ... uh ... you know."
Michael cracked a smile. "Seriously? You came just from sucking me off?"
I narrowed my eyes at him and folded my arms against my chest in disapproval. "Don't laugh."
Naturally, he laughed. "I can't help it! Noah, you're just so damn adorable that it's hilarious."
I looked away from him to peer out the window, desperately trying to clear my head of the dirty deed I had just done. Yes, I had done it willingly and I had done it for Michael's sake, but I still couldn't help but feel weird about it. I would've never thought that I would do something so sexual with someone who wasn't even my boyfriend. But apparently, relationships didn't really mean anything if my parents were willing to break up after eighteen years of being together.
I didn't say much else for the whole drive back home because my mind was consumed with thoughts of what was going to happen to my parents' relationship. Was Dad really serious when he said those things to Poppa? Why did he even say them? What happened that would make him want to leave him? Maybe it was because Poppa went against everything Dad said, but that was why they worked so well. Dad was the over protective one and Poppa was the laid back one.
What hurt even more was knowing that the only reason they were still together was because of me. What did that mean? Was I forcing them to be together when they secretly hated each other? How long did Dad feel this way?
"Noah, listen," Michael spoke up once he pulled into my driveway, like he had been listening to my thoughts for the entire time. "Your parents are fine, okay? Stop worrying over it."
Sighing, I nodded in agreement. "Yeah," I said, "they're fine."
"Good." He leaned over to plant a brief kiss on my lips and gave me a reassuring smile. "I'll see you on Monday?"
"Yeah." I returned the smile as I propped open the car door and hopped out. As I walked to the front door of my house with a smile dominating my face, I looked over my shoulder to wave at Michael who was reversing out of the driveway. If today was any indicator, I knew that he cared about me as much as I cared about him and that made me really happy.
I stuck my key into the old, busted lock and jiggled it a bit, occasionally bumping the wooden door with my hip until it propped open. Whistling, I tossed my keys into the bowl and hung my jacket on the coat rack before sauntering into the living room to announce my return.
Only when I entered the living room, I saw Holly and my parents seated on the couch, staring back at me.
**
a/n: Ahhh, so here's another chapter! As always, let me know your thoughts. Even though I try to do alternating POVS for chapters, the next chapter will be in Noah's point of view for obvious reasons. We gotta see what's gonna go down!
Because Noah is still trying to figure out the cause of his parents' animosity for each other, I want you guys to take a wild guess: what do you think it is? As many of you may know, I like to consider myself the queen of plot twists and plot roller coasters because I like to bring my characters through hell and back.
If you liked this chapter, don't forget to leave a vote and a comment!
Until next time,
Lara <3