| PART 10 During the drive to Isabel and Michael's house, Isabel and I decide that when we finish closing we're going to the club. Of course, I'm excited. I love going out and partying. I haven't been to the club for three days. I need to have fun and unwind. We tried to convince Michael to come along, but he refused. I'll try again later. All I need is a few minutes alone with him. I can be very persuasive. We arrive at their house. Isabel and I feel it will be more convenient if she spends the night at my place. That way I can show her how to have fun my way without the risk of breaking curfew. After we ask Isabel's mom if she can stay at my house, we head upstairs to her room. She packs an overnight bag. She's trying to decide which outfit to wear to the club. Out of nowhere she asks, "Do you think Alex would come along?" I smile at her and nod my head. I know Alex is coming along if she's going. I look at the door and tell Isabel, "I'll be right back." She smiles at me and nods her head. Just as I'm about to close the door behind me, she tells me, "Michael's room is to the right and down the hall." I close the door. I hear her laughing. I head for Michael's room thinking this would be the perfect time to convince him to come along, especially if Alex is going. I refuse to have Kyle hanging around me. I softly tap on the door and wait for a few seconds. When I don't hear anything I knock again a little louder. I still hear no answer. I look around before I open the door and peek my head in. I don't see Michael anywhere so I open the door wide enough for me to enter. I'm tempted to look around, but I don't. I walk farther into the room and see drawings on his dresser. I slowly walk over to them and hesitantly look at them. I feel like I'm invading his privacy. I see one that catches my eye. It's so beautiful. It's of a park. I'm so engrossed in his artwork that I don't hear the sound of a door opening and then closing. "What are you doing?" Michael yells. I turn around at the sound of his voice and see a half naked Michael. My God, I didn't think anyone could be that sexy. I stare at him. I can't help it. He must work out. I look him up and down and notice that the towel is to small. It only covers the essential parts. I wonder how he looks without the towel. What am I thinking? Realizing what I'm doing, I face away from him, blushing profusely. "I'm sorry. I knocked, but ... I just ... I wanted … I didn't mean to..." I stammer. I can't string words together. My mind's so fuzzy. I take a deep breath trying to calm my body down. It feels like it’s on fire. All I want to do is go to him and take that towel off. With that thought, I blush more. When my head finally clears up I say, "I'm sorry. I knocked first, but you didn’t answer so I let myself in. I just wanted to talk to you and ask you a question. I wasn't snooping. One of your drawings caught my eye." Great, first you stutter and now, you're blabbering. Get it together, Liz. "I'll leave so you can get dressed. I'm sorry," I say while I'm heading for the door. I open the door and head for Isabel's room as fast I as can. ************************************************************************ The drive home is quiet, except for the chatting between Isabel and Liz. I don't mind it because their voices are soothing. I look out the window and I smile, remembering the hard time I gave Liz about getting in the car with her behind the wheel. She started arguing with me. She'd mentioned something about not driving off a cliff today, only because it wouldn't be right with a guy in the car. I think she was referring to that movie staring Geena Davis and Susan Sarandon. Thelma and Louise, I think it was called. Isabel was laughing at the two of us. I had tried hard not to laugh, but for some reason Liz always seems to make me forget about my problems and my past. She makes me feel comfortable, like I don't need to have my defenses up around her. They decide to go to the club tonight. They keep trying to convince me to go. Since I can't dance, I decline the offer. After about five minutes, they finally gave up. Liz gives me a look that says “I'll let it go for now, but I'm not finish with you yet.” I face the window and just listen to them chatter. We arrive at my house where I get out and head for my room. Liz and Isabel head for the kitchen, I'm guessing so Isabel can ask mom if she can stay over at Liz's. Once I'm in my room, I head for my bathroom where I undress to take a shower. For the first time in my life, I'm considering going to a club. Only to see Liz dressed up and dancing. But I don't want to embarrass myself in front of her. I have two left feet. No matter how much Isabel tries to teach me, I just can’t dance. I turn off the shower and reach for my towel. I put it on and realize I grabbed the wrong one. It's too small. I unconsciously shrug my shoulders and head to my room to get dressed. The last person I expected to see is standing in my room looking at my drawings. "What are you doing?" I yell. She looks like she's stooping. She jumps around and stares at me. I feel uncomfortable under her gaze. I should've gotten the bigger towel. Then she turns away from me. She starts stuttering and I can't catch anything she’s saying. She takes a deep breath and starts blurting words out fast. I smile and notice her blushing. Then she quickly leaves. I quickly get dressed and head for Isabel's room. I knock on the door. "It's open," Isabel says. I open the door and see a smiling Isabel looking at Liz. Liz looks up and quickly looks away. This time Isabel is laughing. "What's so funny?" I ask. Isabel looks at Liz then back at me and says, "It's a girl think, Michael. Nothing you'd understand." I shrug my shoulders and say, "Whatever." "Now, if you two will excuse me while I change. I really don't want an audience," Isabel says while opening the door for us to leave. ************************************************************************ After I leave Michael's room I barge into Isabel's still blushing. She looks up at me. "What happened?" she asks me. I look at her and roll my eyes. I’m afraid of the ridicule I'm going to get from her. I debate whether I should tell her or not. "You might as well spit it out, because you're blushing for some reason," she says. I sigh and say, "I saw Michael in nothing but a towel. I didn't expect that, so I'm a little embarrassed." She smiles, then giggles and says, "What were you more embarrassed about, seeing him or your thoughts?" My mouth drops open. How did she know that? "H..h..ow did you know that?" I stutter. She gives me this knowing smile and shrugs her shoulders. I go over to sit on her bed, trying to get more out of her. There’s a knock the door. Upon Isabel's invite, the door opens to reveal Michael. I immediately look down. When I look at him all I see is him in that skimpy little towel. God, get over it. I hear Isabel laugh and I look up at her. I risk a quick glance at Michael and look away. All of a sudden, Isabel is kicking us out of her room and Michael and I are in the hallway together. I feel a little uncomfortable. Now is not the time for me to be alone with him. Think of something else. I look over at Michael to start up a conversation. I open my mouth in hopes something intelligent coming out, but the only thing that comes to my mind is how sexy his chest looks, and those firm abs. I quickly close my mouth, afraid I might voice that. I hear him clear his throat and say, "You and Isabel still going to the club?" I can handle that question. "Yeah," I say. I see him nod his head. "Are you sure you don't want to come along?" I ask feeling a little more relaxed. Again I see him nod. With my confidence finally back I turn towards him and say, "Why don't you want to go? What's so frightening about having fun?" "I'm not scared of fun. Why do you think that every time I don't want to do something? You think I'm scared. Maybe it's just because I don't want to go and I don't like clubs," he states. ************************************************************************ That came out a little to rude, but I had to. I don't want to go to some stupid club. Why can't she just leave it alone? I look her in her eyes, waiting for her comeback, but she says something I didn't expect. "Why don't you like me? I'm trying to be friends with you, but it seems like you don't want to. All I wanted was for you to go someplace I enjoy going. You know, share it with friends. If you don't want to be around me, then why don't you just say that, instead of just pretending like you do," she says turning her back to me, taking a shaky breath. I do want to be friends with her. I enjoy being around her. I don't want to make her feel unwanted, especially by me. So I say the only thing that I hope will make her feel better. I say, "I'll go." She turns around to hug me and says, "You promise?" I nod my head. Excitedly she says, "You won't regret it. You'll have fun. I'll make sure of it." When we disentangle ourselves, I look at her and she has a wicked look in her eyes. I gently push her and say, "You think you're a good actress, don't you? I can't believe you played me like that. I'm not going." She sticks her lower lip out while she gives me these puppy dog eyes and says, "But you promised." I sigh. I shake my head and say, "Fine, I'll go. If you do that again, it won't be pretty." Isabel comes out of her room and says, "I'm ready. Is Michael coming?" Liz nods her head. "I'm going to change, I'll be right back," I say while heading for my room. A hand stops me, and Liz says, "We don't have time. I have to be at the store in 20 minutes and it takes 30 minutes from here." I can't believe she's gonna let me go like this. I have on a pair of sweatpants and a sleeveless t-shirt on. She must have noticed my doubtful look and says, "Don't worry about your outfit. I've got you covered." I shrug my shoulders and we head for Liz’s parents' store. The time passes quickly and I have fun. Liz picks out an outfit for me from the store. It’s definitely flattering. She also finds an outfit for herself. When she comes out from the back, I can't believe how sexy she looks. I know the guys are going to try to hit on her when we get to the club. I'm gonna have to mark my territory. What am I thinking? She's not mine to claim. We head over to Liz's place. Her house is beautiful. It’s smaller than mine, but definitely cozy. Alex comes down the stairs followed by Kyle. I notice Liz roll her eyes. I guess he's not her favorite person. ************************************************************************ When we arrive at my house, we wait for Alex to come downstairs so we can leave for the club. I took a shower and found an outfit to wear at the store. I found the most sexy and revealing outfit. I was trying to get a reaction out of Michael, but I didn't. I also found an outfit for Michael that made him look sexy then he already was. I almost wanted him to keep on his sweats, because I know there's going to be a bunch of women trying to get with him. I'll just have to stake my claim when I get there. What am I thinking? He's not mine. I don't care. I don't want anyone touching him, especially after I've seen what he has to offer. Alex finally comes downstairs followed by Kyle. I roll my eyes. Doesn't this kid ever have anything else to do? He makes a beeline to me and puts his arm around my shoulders. He tries to pull me closer and whispers, "You're saving me a slow dance, right?" I take his arm off my shoulder and disgustedly say, "If you think I'm going to dance with you, you must be on something." I walk towards Michael and put my ID and some money in his pocket. He gives me a confused look. I smile and say matter-of-factly, "I don't have any pockets, so you have to hold them for me." He just shrugs his shoulders. We finally arrive at the club. We get in, and I was right. Girls are eyeing Michael. I subtly place my ID in his back pocket and notice that that got the girls’ attention. I interlock my arm in his and ask him, "Do you want anything to drink?" as I lead him to the bar. The evening goes by fast. I dance with Isabel most of the time. I’mhaving fun. Since Alex really isn't the dancing type, he and Michael hold up the walls. I try to get Michael to dance with me, but he turns me down. At first, I feel disappointed, but when I notice he’s turning everyone down, I feel better. My favorite slow song comes on and I'm on my way over to Michael to make him dance with me, but some guy grabs my arm and pulls me to the dance floor. "I don't want to dance with you," I yell over the music. "You'll dance with me if you like it or not," the guy tells me. I try to pull away from him, but his grip tightens. He started to roam his hands all over me. I yell, "Get off me!!!" That only makes him more aggressive. He starts to guide me to the club's exit and says, "I'm tired of dancing. I say we go to my car." I try to pull harder, but the harder I pull the tighter his grip on me gets. We are near the exit and suddenly I feel someone separate me from the guy. I look up to see who it is, and it’s an angry looking Michael. He pushes the guy away from me. I notice the bouncer coming towards us. I don't want Michael to be involved in any kind of trouble. I sense he’s about to punch the guy. I grab his arm just before he makes contact and won’t let go. He keeps his eyes on the guy while he tries to shake me off. The bouncer, who is standing behind the guy says, "Is there a problem?" He directs the question to me. "He literally mauled me and wouldn't let go when I told him," I say pointing at the guy in question. I feel Michael's arm relax so I loosen my grip, but I don't let go. The bouncer takes the guy and escorts him out of the club. That's when I relax and Michael's arms go around me. My body starts to shake. I try so hard to calm it down, but I didn't realize how scared I was. I can feel Michael's embrace tighten. I start to relax because I feel safe in his arms. ************************************************************************ I'm standing by the wall listening to Alex talk to me. The only thing that is occupying my mind is watching Liz dance. She and Isabel are dancing together. I've never seen Isabel look that happy. I’m content with just watching them. A slow song comes on and I see Isabel and Liz start in our direction. I turn away pretending like I've been talking to Alex the whole time. Isabel is the first to approach. "Would you like to dance with me?" I hear Isabel ask Alex. Alex smiles and says, "Of course." He looks over her shoulder and ask, "Where's Liz, wasn't she with you?" Isabel looks behind her and says, "She was right behind me." She looks up at me. I start to look around the crowd. I finally spot her being dragged towards the exit by some guy. I notice her trying to fight him off with no luck. The one time I look away and she's in trouble. I'm pissed, not only at the guy but also at myself. I walk fast over in their direction and yank Liz away from the guy. I push the guy and get ready to punch him, but I feel Liz's hand grab my arm. I try to shake her off, because I really want to hit this guy. I don't want to pull away too hard because I'm afraid I might hurt Liz. The bouncer comes and takes the guy out of the club, that's when my arm relaxes. I put my arm around Liz and I feel her body shaking. I hug her tightly against me until I feel her relax. It feels so good to have her in my arms. I don't want to let go, because I’m afraid I’ll never get to hold her like this again. She pulls away from me enough to look me in the eyes and say, "Thank you." I see tears glistening in her eyes and I hug her again. This time she holds me tight. I feel her body shaking again and hear quiet sobs. I pick her up and take her outside. I know she doesn't want to cry in a public place like this. I continue to hold her, stroking her hair, trying to calm her down. When the shaking stops she pulls away a little while keeping her head down. Quietly she says, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to break down in front of you like this." I lift her chin up so she is looking at me. I wipe her tears away with my thumb and say, "You don't have to apologize." She gives me a small smile. She rises up and kisses me. It’s a small gesture. Her lips feel so soft and warm. I want to increase the pressure, but don't feel like it’s a good idea, so I start to pull away. She places her hand behind my head and traces her tongue lightly against my lips, asking for access. I slowly give her permission. She slowly teases my mouth with her tongue. She wraps one arm around my shoulders to help her have the height to increase the pressure. Her other hand caresses the hair at the nape of my neck. I don't think she knows that she’s driving me crazy My mind is fuzzy with passion. I wrap my arms around her petite waist and bring her closer. She feels so good. Her skin feels so soft. Her lips are so sweet. She smells so good. Our tongues fight for control. I lift her up so I can get full access to her mouth. I hear a moan. I'm not sure who it came from. All I know is that this feels so good. For the first time I feel like I'm home. With that feeling, I pull away because I don't deserve to feel like that. She deserves much better than me. I could never make her happy. She's a very special person and I'm only some screw up. I have to get control of myself. I look at her and her eyes are searching mine. I turn away, but she grabs my arm to force me to look at her. I see tears in her eyes and she asks, "What's wrong with me? Why don't you want me?" My mind is still fuzzy and I can't believe she thinks I don't want her; that something's wrong with her. During my hesitation, I see a tear slip down her cheek. I grab her face in my hands and say, "It's not you. Don't ever think it's you. You are the most beautiful person I've ever met, Liz. It's just you deserve someone better than me." I drop my hands from her face and head back to the club to get Isabel and Alex. I think it's time to go home. |