"Skylar?"
"Michael?" I said as I looked into those familiar green eyes.
"What are you doing here? And why are you dressed like that?" He looked the slightest bit angry.
"Listen, Micha-"
"No, you listen. You think you can just be two people at the same time? What's wrong with you? You're either a Pastel or you're Dark. You can't be both!" He snapped.
"Michael please, can we take this outside?" I pleaded. His eyes softened the slightest bit before grabbing my wrist and tugging me towards the exit. We walked out and he was leading me towards his car. He stopped when we were infront of it and turned to look at me.
"Well?" He asked, "Care to explain?"
"Um, I don't know how to." I answered.
"Start by why you're here? What's a goody-two-shoes like you doing at a place like this, dressed like that?" He demanded.
"Well, I always come here. I've been coming here since last year." I stated, "I had a fight with my parents and sneaked out." I said.
"Wow, a good girl like you sneaking out at night?" He chuckled.
"I never said I was a good girl." I snapped.
"Well you certainly look like one."
"Looks can be deceiving." I stated matter-of-factly.
"They sure can. Why are you dressed like that? From what i've seen, you dress Pastel every day." He said, "During school, that is. What is this? Are you living some double life? Do you have a different name when you're dressed like this?"
"No I don't have a double life. I just don't like to show my true self at school because I know people will judge. How do you do it, Michael? How do you handle knowing that so many people hate you just because you're different?" I asked.
"I've learned to cope with it. At least I have true friends, unlike you." He snapped.
"I have friends. I have Nicole."
"Nicole? Nicole doesn't like you!"
"Then why does she hang out with me?!" I yelled.
"Because it makes her look better by comparison!" I took a step back as if he had hit me. How could he be so cruel. I felt tears start to form in my eyes as I waited for him to apologize, but he never did.
"Maybe that's why people don't like you, Michael." I whispered.
"What?" He asked.
"You're mean and cruel. Your heart is hard and black and you sure know how to make a girl feel like complete and utter shit." I said as my voice cracked.
"Well i'm sorry for being myself unlike other people." He said. He was sorry, not for insulting me, but for being himself which led to another insult. I quickly turned around and started walking away.
"Hey!" He yelled but I ignored him, "HEY!" He ran up to me and began walking with me. I tried my best to ignore him but I couldn't.
"What the fuck do you want, Michael?!" I said the tears threatening to spill. I turned to face him.
"I'm going to walk you home." He said calmly.
"No, you're not. Why would I let you? So you can insult me and not apologize some more?"
"It's the truth so why should I apologize?" He said. I'd had enough. I let out a scream as I squatted on my legs and pulled at my hair. The scream soon turned into a sob as I sat on the sidewalk against a fence.
"Why are you crying?" He asked boredly.
"Go away." I croaked.
"Tell me what's wrong." He said.
"You."
"Me what?"
"You. You're what's wrong with me. You enfuriate me and you make me sad and I just... I hate you so godamn much." I said.
"I'm used to people hating me. I don't care if you're added to the list." He said.
"Don't you realize that i'm the one you should care the most about. I hate you for a reason. You're an asshole and you made me cry. All those people at school don't have any reasons to hate you. I think they just strongly dislike you." I said calmly. He sat down next to me on the sidewalk.
"I don't want you to hate me." He said so quietly, that if a car had passed by I wouldn't have heard him.
"It's a bit late for that don't you think?" I said.
"I-I'm... Sorry." He said quietly. I snapped my head towards him and my mouth parted slightly. I bagan to laugh uncontrollably.
"What's so funny?" Michael chuckled.
"You."
"Me what?" He smiled.
"I can't belive you just apologized." I said.
"Well I did and that's not something I do very often." He chuckled.
"Are you bipolar or something?" I asked him.
"I could ask you the same thing." He said as he scooted a little bit closer. I tensed up a little bit.
"Calm down. I'm not gonna kill you or anything." He chuckled and I let out a nervous laugh.
"I don't think you're capable of that." I said.
"You barely know me, how can you be so sure?" He raised an eyebrow at me.
"You know, you seem like the type of guy to not need to force a girl into being with you." I said as I dodged his question and buried my face in my hands in embarrasment as he laughed.
"I wish!" He said, "You seem like the type of girl who had every guy dying to be with you at your old school." Suddenly I burst out laughing.
"What?" He asked.
"It's just that... everyone completely hated me last year." I said as my laughing died down.
"What? I don't see how anyone could hate a girl as beautiful as you." He said. I felt my face heat up at the compliment and I felt like crying again.
"Oh gosh, did I say something wrong?" He asked as he realized I was crying.
"N-No. It's just... No one's ever called me beautiful before." I said as I stared into his eyes.
"What? Who have you been hanging out with?" He chuckled, "Well I think you're beautiful and deserve to be treated as such." He said as he wiped away my tears.
"Thank you, Michael." I said.
"Why didn't people like you last year?" He asked.
"Alright, let's make a deal. You don't tell anyone about this and I don't tell anyone you were hanging out with me." I said.
"I don't care if someone finds out." He said.
"But I kind of do... And if you hear me out you'll know why." He tensed up a bit but nodded.
I told him about my parents dying and how I lived with my step parents and how I was treated at my old school. I normally am not the one to let their walls down to a boy I met yesterday. But we were sitting talking on the side of the road for fucksake. He's the closest I have to a real friend.
"Wow. That's not cool. People need to realize how much words can hurt other people." He said, "So that's why you want to fit in. You don't want it to be like your old school." I nodded.
"Alright. You're off the hook and I won't tell anyone, not even the boys." He said. I smiled as I kissed his cheek and stood up. He stood up after me and I noticed the light pink his cheeks had on them as it slowly faded.
"Well, i'm going to head home then." I said.
"Let me walk you home." He demanded.
"Why?" I smiled.
"Cos, I don't want any other guy marking you anymore." He snapped.
"Calm down there, Michael. We were fine a few seconds ago. C'mon then." I signaled for him to follow me.
"So, we're still strangers at school aren't we?" For a second I wanted to say no. That I would stay with him and talk to him during school hours. But I knew that was impossible. I was too much of a damn coward to do that.
"I-I'm sorry, Michael." I said truthfully.
"It's okay. I understand why you're scared and I want you to know that I will always deffend you no matter what." He said.
"Thanks, Michael. You know what? Why don't we have ourselves a secret friendship. You and me. We could hang out afterschool in secret." I said
"That's a very tempting offer. I accept." He said and I smiled.
"I have one question for you, though."
"And what is that?" I asked.
"Why is your Australian accent so faint. It's basically American with just a sprinkle of Australian." He asked.
"Oh, well when my Mom died, my Step-Father moved us to Australia where he met his wife. So i'm American. I never socialized much so the accent didn't really stick to me." I explained.
"Oh, well I think it's really cadorable." He said.
"Cadorable?" I rose my eyebrows at him.
"Cute and adorable. Duh." He said.
"Oh my God, you're so lame." I said as I laughed.
"I know." He said as he laughed along with me, "Do you... Do you still hate me?"
"No, Michael. It has been changed to a love-hate sort of thing now because you proved you're not an asshole all the time." I said.
"Good." He sighed as if relieved. Soon, we were on my doorstep awkwardly staring at eachother.
"So, um, I guess we could say goodbye." I said.
"Yeah." He said as he shifted his weight on to one foot. I decided to kill the awkwardness by embracing him in a hug. He was startled at first, but soon hugged back. He wrapped his arms around my waist as mine were snaked around his neck. I pulled away and put my hand on the doorknob. I nodded my head towards him before opening the door and stepping inside. I rested my back against the door and sighed. I didn't know what was happening. He was so nice and sweet to me. He thinks i'm beautiful. I blushed at the reminder. I wonder if this is what it feels like to 'like' someone. I walked upstairs to my room and slipped into some comfy clothes and wiped my make-up off. I slipped under the covers and fell into a dreamless sleep.
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A/N: VOTE PEOPLE!! PLEEEEEAAASSSEEE!!
~J