Author's Note:
I'm going to try to finish typing this in one sitting. I'm at work and I can only type until 8, so we'll see how it goes. I'm sorry if I fail!
I hope you love Ann.
I still do.
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The next morning Ro woke up with a heavy feeling and red rimmed eyes. She thought it was unusual seeing as she didn't remember crying the night before. Still she finished the motions of getting ready, moving through everything slowly. The last thing she did was grab a Luna bar because she didn't feel like eating at six AM.
This heavy feeling warmed her up in the cool morning, but everything she did felt slower than usual because of it. Miraculously, she made it to Mico's driveway on time.
Standing on the pavement, Ro pressed slowly up and down on her toes in her sweatpants, waiting for Mico's dad. Mico himself walked out the front door first, having seen Ro through the window. She smiled at him and his mouth twitched in return.
Sighing, she figured she couldn't do anything but be grateful for even that much of a response. The weight of the stories and secrets she was about to unload on her friends stood on her shoulders but it made her feel happy that two people would understand. Hopefully.
Mico stood with Ro outside, waiting for his father. Mico noticed the number of days Ro was wearing sweatpants was increasing. He didn't want to know if it was because of her cancer. As the sun rose over the houses across the street, Mico's jaw dropped slightly. As amazing as the sky looked, Mico was more taken aback by the way the light brushed her golden hair and lit her emerald eyes.
He reflected on how long it had been since he'd snuck out to see her. Five months was a long time. Mico smiled at Ro, and she smiled back. He stepped towards her, until their bodies were pressed together. He was about to steal a kiss if he could, but his dad came out of the garage door. The two jumped apart quickly and shared a sly smile. As Ro reached for the door handle, Mico noticed she was shaking.
Ro tried to steady herself: she didn't want to be this affected by Mico because then she could definitly consider herself addicted. Still her hand shook slightly as she reached for the handle of the van. She jumped in, Mico stepping in after her.
She memorized the car ride in detail to think about during her chemo. Her theory was to remember as many things about Mico as she could so as to stay calm. So she sat in the van, counting the breaths Mico took, noting how his fingers were shaped- thick and manly, but not fat- that his profile showed his father's eyes and his mother's nose. His cheeks were slightly pink, but not from embarrassment: the spring heat had already affected his skin tone.
Ro met Mico's gaze in the car and he didn't smile at her. Although it made her feel awkward, it was not as unusual as the past had been. Years of their past in fact had consisted of his somber attitude. His playful side only emerged when he tried to drown her when they were swimming, or when he hit her head against the fireplace.
However, Ro did also remember years when they wre younger in which they were inseperable. Ro ached for those years and she remembered how she'd known even then how much he would one day mean to her. Though the ride passed in silence as usual, Ro's thigh was pressed against Mico's and she felt the livewire heat her body, making her blush.
Mico looked out the window into the passing lane and watched the different cars go by. His phone vibrated and he opened the text message from Alexia, without replying. It was about ball; Mico knew he was going to have to tell the girl it wasn't happening some time soon.
He amused himself with the possible outcomes of that situation. He knew Ro was staring at him, but he didn't know why. Only the fact that she was reached his brain and a euphoric feeling filled him. More than anything, Mico wanted to hold her hand. He wanted his lips on hers, and his heart beating against hers. That was all he wished of her.
He also missed the times when they were younger. He remembered helping Ro learn how to ride a bike, and equally his denial of the action many times after. His heart throbbed with the memory, and he wondered if she remembered as many of the specific times they shared as he did. There was no way of knowing.
The van pulled up at school, and Mico decided as he got out of the car with Ro that he didn't care if he drove a mini-van. A car was a car, and sharing it alone with Rosalina was nearly a million times better. He turned his attention back to Ro and before he could stop himself he asked, "What are you thinking about?"
He wasn't sure if Ro would answer the personal question truthfully, but he'd figure out the meaning if it meant understanding her mind. She replied, "I'm not sure. I think I'm trying to understand our relationship, or lack thereof." He'd tried that many times, but asked, "How so?"
Ro explained breifly. "We aren't friends. We aren't dating. We aren't related. We aren't enemies. Neighbors isn't strong enough to describe the attachment, and lovers is extremely cheesy. I've run out of expressions."
Mico understood her, and in turn, began to think about it as they crossed the threshold of school. As they began to part, knowing they'd be thinking about their feelings all day, Mico contended himself with their silent goodbye. Their hands brushed and momentarily reached for each other, grasping and releasing their other half.
Rosalina met Ann outside her homeroom door, pulling her towards the bathroom. Her best friend didn't protest, but was confused. By the time they got to the space, Ro was dismayed to realize the blonde bitch who hung around Mico was there.
Ignoring her dirty look, Ro took Ann into a stall, shut and locked the door. She pulled out her phone and opened a blank message with no recipiant. She didn't want to chance anyone overhearing. Ro typed out how long she'd had cancer, and that it was in her cervix before Ann exclaimed, "No way!" Ro nodded, and was ashamed she'd waited so long to tell her best friend.
Ann's eyes widened and she asked, "Why'd you keep this from me? Does anyone else know?"
Ro whispered his name and that smile that carressed her tone made Ann smile in response. She was grateful Ann understood, and wasn't too angry or hurt. Her eyes watered and she asked Ro, "Can we make it go away?"
As Ro looked at her best friend before her, she stepped the distance between them and enclosed her in a tight hug. "It'll be okay," Ro murmured.
The five minute bell rand as the girls came out of the stall. Ro caught a flash of blonde hair go around the entrance. She'd eavesdropped, and Ro wanted to rip her hair out, but she didn't have time today. Ann wrapped her arm around Ro's waist, said hi to Mico on the way by while Ro just smiled at him, and Ann led the way to homeroom.
Ro noted that she looked in shock, but if Ann really knew what Ro planned with Mico, she'd be sick.
Alexia looked like she had a secret. She looked at Mico like he was the one who was keeping something huge. He didn't understand but her jealous glare concerned him. What the hell was wrong with her? His day went quickly, but near lunch, Alexia said something that made Mico angry. It made him furious.
"Heard ya knocked up your bitch?" With a smile on her face, she watched Mico's face drop and his hands curl into fists. "What?" He hissed, not at all amused by her choice of words, or the idea of him doing what his father had done to his mother in school.
"The blonde one," Alexia said calmly with a smug smile, "Something this morning. She said you knohw about something that she wants to get rid of." No comprehension dawned on his face, but he understood the concept of cancer loosely in Alexia's description.
Ro probably hadn't even been the one talking because she wouldn't have said it out loud. It must have been Ann. She must have told Ann.
Well, Alexia's secret was out, and Mico mustered all the disdain he could pack into his voice as he said, "Rosalina is not pregnant." Then he walked away seething, determined to break off ball with Alexia.
Ro walked towards the orchestra room for a lesson, glad the year was almost over. She was counting down the days until ball. Okay, well she knew that there was roughly two months left. She walked into the doorway looking at her sweatpants and flashed her eyes up to look infront of her right as she hit a warm wall of white.
Hands grabbed her arms to brace her, and she looked up into mischievious brown eyes. She eyed his smile and returned it automatically. She could feel her heart pumping blood through her veins, wondering if it was adrenaline. Ro knew she hadn't fallen, but her midsection was tingling. She was used to that feeling looking up at Gabe, however.
He'd given her that affect since eighth grade. If not for Mico she'd have really liked Gabe, loved him even. Ro didn't know if her friends had been serious when they'd said that he wanted to be with her, but a part of her wanted it to be true, in spite of her feelings for Mico.
Her feelings for Gabe were different. Ro liked Gabe's sweet side, and the physical attraction she felt for him, but she hated his other seven personalities. She liked Mico's personality and his scarce affection because she'd grown with him, and learned every secret.
The previous year, when she'd found out he started smoking weed, she made him give it up. That was the last memory she called from the past as Gabe called her back to the present.
"Hey," she said, blinking. "Hi," he smiled, squeezing her arms briefly where he held them before letting go. She stared at him, wishing his hands were touching her again. "Way to run into me, Gabe," she commented nervously, giving away her furiously beating heart.
"Thanks for being in my way, Ro," he teased with a sleazy smile. Ro couldn't help laughing at that. She told him, "I have a lesson, so I gotta get in there..." Gabe just smiled. "I have study hall," he replied, "I just won't go back. I can stay, right?" Ro shrugged and stepped past Gabe.
He turned to follow and Ro jumped and shrieked when he poked the space above her hips. She turned around and almost ran into him again when he put his hands on her hips and pushed her backwards into the room. She braced herself with her hands against his chest.
"Back again, Gabe?" The orchestra instructor, Dr. Browning asked the boy. Gabe smiled, nodded, and gave Ro one last squeeze before releasing her. Ro turned went to go get her violin. She put no effort into warming up whatsoever, until Gabe pulled his cello back out, sat down, and began to play with her.
Ro put more effort in than usual as she listened to their parts together. The melodies that intertwined in that short period of time formed a bittersweet mixture, two parts so different that they blended at regular intervals, and the ending resolve was the same punishing chord.
Each player let it drift staring into each others' eyes. The teacher complimented the two and as the others arrived late, Rosalina and Gabe relazed in a corner of the room. Dr. Browning began to work with them. Ro flirted with Gabe the entire lesson, and many time the two found excuses to touch each other, brushing hands, thighs together, and hands rubbing down the others' arm.
Ro found her buried feelings emerging quickly, and when Daniel had touched her, it was a weak echo of Gabe's touch. When Gabe touched her, it was a stronger echo of Mico's touch. This fact drew her closer to him still. During the last twenty minutes, behind everyone's backs where no one noticed, Gabe slid his left arm around Ro's waist, and she felt like her skin was burning.
She leaned her head on his shoulder and he reached for her hand. She gave him her right hand with his and although awkward, that strange style worked for them. With two minutes left Ro tood up, stretched her arms above her head, facing Gabe, and her shirt lifted. Gabe wrapped his arms around her waist tightly, standing up and pulling her to hin.
She let her arms fall on his shoulders, wrapping them around his neck. She looked into his eyes and he said, "I think I want to kiss you," in a husky voice she'd never imagine would sound so natural. Knowing how deep of a hole she was digging for herself, Ro said, "I think I like you too."
Ro pressed herself on her tip toes, and his lips met hers as he leaned down. It was a different kiss than one she'd ever received. She was more than satisfied to kiss this man in front of her with almost as much passion as she reserved for Mico.
Mico took the short cut through the music hallway with Jay to get the the cafeteria for lunch. Mico was excited because Ro was in this lunch with him, one of four. The pair walked in silence and Mico stared at his feet while Jay casually glanced into each room that they passed.
Mico, from the corner of his brown eyes, caught Jay stop. "Isn't that your girl, Mico?" Jay asked him, and Mico's neck snapped up to look into the room. It was the orchestra room, and Ro was there. Who she was with caused his fists to curl.
Gabe had his arms around her waist and she had hers around his neck, and Mico watched as their lips met, and wrapped around each other in an odd way before they pulled apart. Before he could help it, he let slip, "I wonder if she ever looks that passionate kissing me?"
Jay exclaimed, "There's more to it than you liking her isn't there?! You've done shit! Oh Jesus. That's major, like adult and a minor?! This is bad dude." Mico shook with anger, and immediately felt jealousy course through his veins. He fought the urge to pound Gabe now.
Stupid sophomore, he thought, don't you dare think you're as good for her as I am. He was enraged when he cracked his knuckles and the bell rang. Mico turned away and marched to lunch with feet gripping the bottom of his shoes.
He was going to make Gabe pay for that kiss. He was going down, because even Alex hadn't received that much passion from Ro. His lunch was ruined because all he could think about was wha he just saw. The worst part was that she didn't know that he'd seen. Jay wasn't dumb enough to ask,so they resumed walking in silence.
Sitting at their table, Alexia tried to apologize by being all over him, and Mico just looked the other way. He wasn't in the mood to do anything but think about how many different ways he was going to beat Gabe's ass all the way to China. He was glad he used all of lunch to plan when he was going to mess the kid up.
Ro walked out of the orchestra room, hugging Gabe goodbye. She walked down the hallway to lunch and thought about why she'd just done that. She wondered if Mico had seen it, if he would be crushed? She wished he would be crushed, because otherwise if he hadn't, it would mean he didn't care.
Though he couldn't have, because then she'd be crushed as well. Ro began to wonder what was wrong with her. In just over an hour together, she'd kissed the guy she hadn't been with in six months. She couldn't believe she'd done that to Mico.
Guilt washed over her, an from lunch on to the end of the day, Ro only had eyes for Mico.
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Author's Note:
Hey, it's high school. All's fair!
I don't have a song or a picture for this chapter :( Can anyone find one?
Comment, vote, fan! :)
ALLLLLLLLSOOOOOOOO
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