This is a prequel story to One Night, another story of mine. Some of the references are from the flashbacks in my other story, just incase you're confused :)
Please comment with your thoughts and please vote! :) Thank you guys <333
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Mitch POV:
The smell of the rain in the air made me sleepy, but I couldn't stop now. I had to walk home or I'd be stranded in the middle of my little town of Arlington. Paramore played on my iPod loudly drowning out any noise around me. I didn't feel like hearing people yell out their car windows at me like they usually did. If I ignored it, it couldn't hurt me. At least I could say that about something in my life.
At this point, I didn't even care if Keith Marquez and his friends jumped me. He could do whatever he wanted because either way he was going to get me at some point this week. Ever since this summer they did nothing but bully me relentlessly. My life was becoming darker and dimmer, and at this point I was convinced there wasn't a thing in the world that could stop it. I finally turned onto the road I lived on, Bliss Road, which was an oxymoron seeing as it was a dead end street where I lived with my damaged parents and sister. I was the most damaged of all, but they didn't know that. They were too busy to care. Not their fault...they were just trying to save our house from being taken away.
Lauren, my older sister, had just moved away to college earlier that month leaving me completely alone. Thankfully I had my best friends, but they were damaged in their own ways as well. I couldn't always rely on them, unfortunately.
I walked in through my side door to an empty home. The only noise was the clock ticking on the wall. When I was little my Dad would have whatever sports game was going on that night on the TV blasting. My Mom would be making dinner and arguing with my sister, which I had always found hilarious. Lauren would be helping me with my homework or playing with me in my room. The house had been so full of life and now it was a graveyard of memories.
I threw my purple sweatshirt on my bay window as I entered my bedroom. My stomach churned nervously and goose bumps danced across my lower back. I had to go back to school tomorrow, and after the first week I had, I couldn't bare it. I sat down on my bed and took a deep breath. My eyes filled up with tears as I thought about how Keith and his friends would surely find me tomorrow and beat me up as they had done all last week. I sniffled and wiped my nose on my arm. I felt small and defenseless around them. There was nothing I could do.
I picked up my laptop and turned it on. Maybe listening to some music could calm me down...
AIM opened automatically and immediately Jamie Johnston, my friend Ally's older brother who had a relentless crush on me, IMed me. I rolled my eyes in disgust. The message only read "Hey". I closed it out.
None of my friends were online, so I minimized the window and went into my music. I started some deadmau5 and then got up to change my clothes. I changed into PJ bottoms and took a minute to look in the mirror. My ribs showed through my skin. I had barely eaten since the summer because every time I did I got sick. I traced my fingers over the bones and sighed. It could be worse.
The ding of an IM broke me out of my trance. I threw on a white t-shirt and plopped down on my stomach on the bed. I took an audible breath in when I saw Scott's name on my screen. I rubbed my eyes and took another look. Nope. Still there!
"Oh my god." I said out loud.
Scott Hoying (scotthoying): Hey!
Scott had saved my butt from Keith on the first day of school, come over to me at lunch to make sure I was okay, and then gave me his number incase Keith bothered me again, but he was a cool kid. He had a gorgeous girlfriend and close rich friends. What could he want with someone like me?
Mitch Grassi (mitchgrassi): Hey! What's up?
I waited nervously once I sent the message.
Scott Hoying (scotthoying): What're you up to?
Oh my god. Why did he want to know what I was doing?! Maybe he wanted to hang out? Wait. Why would a straight guy want to hang out with a twink like me? There was no way this was happening.
Scott and I had been really close in middle school. We were both misfits and we bonded over it, that and our love of Pokemon and music. I got my braces off in eighth grade and that's honestly the only thing that's changed about me. I was still a little misfit and he was a stunner.
I stayed back in 7th grade when my anxiety had started. I used to hide in the basement until my parents left for work every day so they thought I had left for school. I missed almost four months out of the year and had to stay back. That's when Scott and I lost touch. He had transformed into a butterfly in the meantime.
Mitch Grassi (mitchgrassi): Just hanging out! Why what's up?
I slapped my hand on my forehead in regret.
Good job, asshole, now he's going to think you're hanging out with someone and he's going to say "Nevermind".
I ran my hand down my face and exhaled slowly.
Scott Hoying (scotthoying): Wanna hang out like we had promised?
I jumped up and let out a loud squeal. I jumped around my room, excited and overwhelmed. "Okay! Okay! Calm down." I whispered to myself and plopped down on my bed. I took a second to think before I began typing. I didn't want to sound too eager.
Mitch Grassi (mitchgrassi): Sure! J What do you wanna do?
Perfect. Simple and to the point. I stood back up and paced while I waited to respond. I had to change! What was I going to wear?
He's straight, don't try and impress him. It won't work.
My heart sank a bit, but I still wanted to look nice. He could have a cute gay brother I didn't know about or something, right?
You like him.
I groaned at the voice playing in my head. Keith had drugged me with LSD over the summer and now I couldn't get this voice out of my head. I usually just ignored it, but when I got over emotional about anything it seemed to really wake up and speak.
I put on a black v-neck and skinny jeans. I fixed my hair on my head before the ding of the IM brought me back to my laptop. I sat up and grabbed it, resting it on my legs.
Scott Hoying (scotthoying): Maybe go for a drive? Catch up?
I smiled wide at the thought of being alone with him in his car. He smelled so incredible the first time he had hugged me again...I couldn't imagine how nice his car smelled or his bedroom. Oh my gosh, his bedroom must have smelled absolutely incredible. I blushed at the thought and started typing again.
Mitch Grassi (mitchgrassi): Sounds good! J
I sent him my address and my number and told him to text me when he got here. I put up an away status stating, "Out with an old friend." Jamie immediately messaged me again.
Jamie Johnston (jjohnston15): Old friend eh? Need some company?
"Ugh." I said aloud and then signed out of AIM. I didn't need a creep like him in my business. I made the mistake of getting drunk at a party and making out with him in front of Scott, mind you. How much more sucky could that situation get?
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I waited anxiously in my kitchen for his car to pull up but it felt like it was taking forever. I paced back and forth, trying to go over the things I would say and do. I had to be myself no matter what and that's what really mattered.
Finally a green Volvo pulled up in front of my house and stopped. My phone buzzed and Scott had texted me that he was here. I took another deep breath.
Don't mess this up. Just have fun. Make a friend.
I stepped out of my house and ran through the rain to the car. I opened the door and stepped inside.
"Hey!" He said.
"Hi!" I said in a sing-song voice. "What's up?" I closed the door.
"Nothing, didn't realize it was this shitty out." He said before putting the car back into drive.
His car smelled fucking amazing.
"I know. It looked pretty shitty all day." No way are you talking about the weather with this guy.
"No one home?" He asked, nodding towards my house. He pulled into my neighbor's driveway to turn around.
I shook my head. "No, parents are both working."
"Didn't you have an older sister?"
"Yeah, she moved to college a couple of weeks ago."
His eyes went wide. "Wow. We're old."
We laughed. "So how are you?" I asked casually.
"I'm doing okay. No more back brace!" He said happily. Scott had a back brace on in middle school and it landed him in a wheelchair for a good portion of the 7th grade.
"I noticed!" I said. "You're so fricken tall." I laughed and he smiled.
"I know." He said. "So what about you? What's new?"
I'm gay and getting beaten up on a daily basis. Ya know. The usual.
"A lot." I laughed bitterly. "High school's...interesting."
His face became serious. "Has he bothered you?"
"No. Not since you saved my butt."
He smiled and nodded. "I hate him." He said under his breath.
"Yeah, what happened exactly?" I asked. I knew the kid was a dick, but Scott definitely had a personal vendetta against him.
"He robbed my house last year." I recalled him telling me that last week at his girlfriend's house party. "Him and Mike hang out with the same crowd...you know, Grace's neighborhood friends and whatever. They don't get along at all. Mike hates him more than anything." He mentioned his older brother. I remembered him from when we were younger. He was wild and crazy, much like our mutual friend Grace. "Then I heard he was after you and I lost it."
I swallowed and smiled, but tried to hide it. Him beating you up was the last straw...you!!! He cares about you!
I nodded, "Yeah, it was recent." I fell quiet.
"We don't have to talk about that." He said, noticing how uncomfortable I had become. It slowly became darker it rained harder. "Would you be okay coming to my house? I don't want to be driving out in this."
I remembered his parents from community theater. They were really nice people and they got along with my parents wonderfully. I figured it would be okay to see them again. "I don't mind!" I said.
Oh my god, I get to smell his bedroom.
I made a face at the stupid, creepy sounding thought and looked out the window as we drove. Rise Against played quietly from the radio as the raindrops hit the car. He sang quietly with the music, making me smile. He always had such a nice voice and it was making me even more happy to be in his presence.
His house was adorable and small. It was an older home that had been restored. It was homey and cute, just like it should be. It smelled like apple pie and cinnamon. Everything was clean and neatly placed, as if they had a maid, but I knew they were a normal family, not like those "rich bitches" (as me and Grace called them) living up in north Arlington. "My parents are out to dinner, I think." He said as we walked through the kitchen into the living room. Family photos hung on the walls. He didn't give me much time to look at them though because he started up the stairs. I followed behind him.
He turned right and entered his bedroom and turned on the lights. "Sorry for the mess." He said.
The mess, literally, being an unmade bed and one pair of jeans crumpled on the floor.
And yes, the room smelled just as amazing as everything else!
"Can you shut the door?" He asked, picking up the jeans and throwing them in his hamper. I shut it and looked around his room. Singing trophies sat on the shelves on his wall and bureau. He had awards and ribbons hanging all over the place. A poster of Beyonce hung above his bed. He sat down on it and I sat next to him, looking around.
"It's nothing special." He said, smiling at me. I smiled back.
He has no pictures of him and Anna hanging up.
I scanned the room again to see if there were any, but nope! Nothing! Good.
He stood up and turned on his computer, and boom, there was Anna as his background.
Dammit.
I sat back on his bed against the wall as he opened iTunes and put on Kanye West. He turned to me, "So why aren't you in choir?" A smirk danced across his face.
I groaned out loud."Dammit, Kirstie." I said under my breath. He laughed out loud.
"She told me you didn't want to rejoin. Why's that?"
"Is that why you're hanging out with me?"
Stupid. Don't insult him!
He shut his eyes and shook his head, "No." He said.
"Sorry..." I started.
"It's okay." He said. "You were so amazing in theater." His tone was genuine.
I loved singing so, so much, but ever since middle school when my voice had barely dropped I had become self-conscious about it. People teased me because I sounded like a girl. I didn't want to bring that to choir.
"My voice is high." I said quietly. I felt so exposed to this boy that I was just getting to know again. We never had talks about this when we were younger.
"So what? I mean you'd probably be a tenor but that's no big deal." He took a sip from the water bottle sitting on his desk. "In choir that's considered beautiful."
I stared at him, mouth agape as he turned back to his computer to change the music. He turned on Daft Punk and laughed to himself. "Remember how obsessed we were with them in middle school?" He smiled over at me and I flashed back to when we were younger and used to stay up late watching their music videos. We were so mesmerized by the animation and the music that we became completely obsessed.
I felt my cheeks still blushing, but I answered anyway. "I'm still obsessed with them, honestly." I said.
He smiled again.
"So how long have you and Anna been together?"
WOW.
He suddenly seemed uncomfortable. "A couple months. Since July." He said dryly.
"Sorry. I didn't mean to be nosy." I said.
He shrugged it off. "No problem." There was an awkward silence before he spoke up again. "So Ally's brother really likes you, huh?"
I shut my eyes in pure annoyance. "Don't even get me started!" I yelled. He started laughing hysterically. "I can't fucking stand him!" I yelled more, making him laugh harder.
"You seemed to like him at the party!" He said, making me throw my hands over my face in embarrassment.
"THE BEER LIKED HIM, NOT ME!" I defended. We both fell into hysterics.
"So you've never had a boyfriend?" He pushed.
"Such personal questions, eh, Scott?" I teased him and giggled. He giggled back and his cheeks turned pink.
I made him blush. I MADE HIM BLUSH!
"But no, no boyfriend." I said.
He nodded, "Don't bother. Relationships are too much work." He looked stressed and ran a hand through his styled hair.
"They seem it." I wanted to know so much about him. "You're not happy, are you?" I asked.
He looked at me like I had looked right through him. I waited patiently for an answer as he rocked back and forth in his computer chair. "No, I'm not." He finally said.
"That's not fair to you." I said.
You sound so wise for someone who doesn't know anything.
He nodded. "Don't tell anyone this..." He started, his voice becoming sweeter and higher. "I'm only dating her because our Dads are in a business deal."
My jaw dropped. "Oh, wow." I said. "You're stuck?"
He nodded. "Yeah, I'm stuck with her."
"But you're not happy."
"I know, but if I break up with her my Dad might lose the deal." He looked sad all of a sudden. I moved forward on the bed so I was only a couple feet away from him. "He'd be so angry at me..."
"Scott that doesn't mean you should be miserable. That's not fair to you." I repeated.
He shrugged again and rested his head on his hand. "We'll see what happens, I guess." He sighed. "Sorry, I don't mean to unload onto you."
"It's fine." I shrugged. "I really don't mind."
His eyes lit up and he suggested we watch Daft Punk videos like we used to. We watched YouTube videos for a couple of hours and laughed together. I laid down on my stomach on his bed and when we finally decided to watch a movie he laid down next to me in a similar fashion. I couldn't stop staring at him when he was sitting across from me, and while I welcomed the close contact, I was upset I couldn't keep sneaking a peek at him since he was so close now. I felt my heart start racing in my chest.
We watched The Grudge, which we had both already seen, but we had nothing else better to do, plus it was a horror movie. I could possibly grasp onto his muscular arm for protection if it got too scary. No, that movie isn't scary, but it was an excuse, right?
I couldn't even fake being scared and we ended up turning the movie off halfway through. "I should bring you home. It's getting late. My parents will be mad if you're over here late." He said.
My heart broke and I nodded, "Okay." I said.
The drive home was quiet. We just listened to music and I stared out the window at the rain. Once we were in front of my house I sighed. I didn't want to leave Scott. He made me feel so wonderful without really trying. I loved being around him and looking at him and listening to him share his feelings. I wanted to stay with him. I had to be closer to him.
"I'm going to try out for choir." I announced.
His face lit up with a smile. "Mitch!!" He got excited and shook my shoulder. I laughed and ran a hand through my bangs.
"Maybe it won't be so bad with you and Kirstie there." I said.
He smiled, "That's the spirit." He shot another smile at me and my heart melted inside of me.
I am in love with this boy.
You're 15 years old. You are NOT in love with this boy.
My heart's telling me otherwise.
"Good night, Scott." I said and held my arms out for a hug like he had at the party. He leaned forward and gave me a long hug, ending it with a quick squeeze.
"Good night, Mitch." He said as I opened the door to get out. "See you tomorrow." He tilted his head to say sweetly.
"See you then." I said and shut the door, biting my bottom lip. "OH MY GOD!" I mouthed when I turned around and started towards my house. I walked into the house and shut the door behind me before letting a huge smile form on my face. I rested my hand on my chest and tried to catch my breath.
I am in love with Scott Hoying.