439Chapter 2
~~Michelle's POV~~
I walked through the glass doors of school, thinking I'd only do that a few more times. It was the middle of April, another two more months of school and summer vacation would here. April, the time when spring had sprung and everything was new again. I forced the thought of months away, and fingered the shoulder strap of my backpack as I strode purposefully to my locker.
My locker opened after I entered the combination and I took my books out.
"Hey," I heard behind me, and felt a pair of strong arms circle my waist.
I grinned and looked up into angel's face. "Hey you."
Desmond let go of me and leaned against the locker. A flash of recognition appeared in my mind-just a month ago Casey was doing this with me. Not Desmond. I shook off the notion and focused on him. "How are you?"
"Pretty good, now that I've seen your face." His smile was lopsided and I loved it all the same.
"That's good." I shut my locker once I had all my things. Turning towards him again, I saw that he looked...rejuvenated. Like someone had washed him inside and out and had enjoyed it. His eyes were considerate, his expression happy, and he looked super cute. He was wearing a pair of cargo shorts and a navy t-shirt. His short sleeves hinted at his fully formed biceps and his shirt was snug fitting so it suggested he had a toned chest. Which I knew for a fact he did.
"Thanks."
Startled, I brought my eyes up to his. Did I just say all that out loud?
"Yep, you did." The smirk on his features made me want to smack myself. What else had I said out loud but hadn't realized it?
At that moment, a group of kids near my locker caught my eye. They were mostly popular, and kept glancing over at Desmond and I. Leaning towards Desmond, I asked, "What are they talking about?"
He looked over at the group then back at me. "I dunno, just ignore it. Probably stupid stuff."
I nodded my head and tried to ignore them as Desmond and I chatted. But I just couldn't. Their eyes flickered over to us constantly, it almost seemed like they had a system. One person would glance at us, while the others pretended to whisper. And then they would switch. It made me feel self-conscious, and it wasn't a good feeling.
What could be so interesting about us?
Before I could answer myself, the group shuffled past us. I thought they were going to continue down the hallway, but they didn't. Instead, they stopped right before us. The devil of them all stepped out of the center of the circle, and strutted over to my boyfriend and I. The populars whispered: Weakling, sickling, diseased and others.
Megan snapped her gum impatiently. "Hey guys," She gave me a dirty look while Desmond received a flirtatious one. "Listen, Desmond, I heard you got cancer, I'm like so sorry."
She said it as if you could catch cancer like a cold. Yeah right.
She stood closer to Desmond and his look was something of surprise. "What?"
"Yeah, I heard you have cancer." She repeated.
How in the world did she hear he had cancer? Did he tell her when they dated? Surely he didn't if he kept it from me for years. (Which I'm still mad about, by the way.)
"Who did you hear that from?" I asked, not wanting this to pinned on Desmond.
Megan's gray eyes rolled. "Here, there, look does it really matter? What I just don't understand is why you're here at school Desmond. Shouldn't you be like puking your guts out or something? You're a weakling with a disease, look at you, you're going soft." She pinched his arm, which was the pure definition of muscled.
Desmond's hazel eyes narrowed and he jerked his arm away.
I stepped between the ex's and said forcefully, "No, he shouldn't be puking, that's not what cancer is. Second of all, Megan, you of all people should be barfing, considering you're most likely pregnant. And he's the opposite of a weakling-he could take on Arnold Schwarzenegger any day. So you better back off Megan, before I make you. Wouldn't want another trip to the hospital, now would we?" I smirked, crossing my arms over my chest.
Her glare would've scared away little children, but it didn't even phase me. "You guys don't even know. Michelle, you're just jealous I have Casey, is all."
I laughed out loud. "Jealous my foot. You can have that skunk bag all to yourself. I wouldn't date that guy if he was the last on Earth."
She cocked a perfectly plucked eyebrow. "Oh really?"
"Really."
"That's not what Casey tells me."
Tells her? What has Casey told Megan?
Megan rolled her eyes and flipped her brown hair over her shoulder. She tried to shove Desmond out of the way and said, "See ya weakling." She tossed a cackle over her shoulder as she and her cronies waltzed away.
The populars gave us looks of disgust as they filed past us.
Desmond still stood there next to me, quiet. "Are you okay?" I asked softly. I took his hand in mine.
He gave me a slow nod, but didn't raise his eyes. He walked away from me, leaving me empty handed.
-Desmond's POV-
I'm not really that much of an emotional guy.
But when Megan called me a weakling, she struck a nerve. Something that I hadn't realized was there. She hadn't even really cared that I had cancer, and didn't seem to think much of it. Just another person who didn't care about my existence. But I wouldn't really consider her a person though, more like a demon.
Anyways, Michelle asked me if I was alright, and I just couldn't answer. It made me reflect on how many times she had asked me that already. Would she always be asking how I was? I often appreciated it, but other times it was just plain annoying. I knew she was only caring about me, but I didn't want her to dwell on that. I just wanted to live in the present. The now. I just wanted to be thankful for her and everything I had before me.
I had told Michelle I was fine, when I was far from it.
How did Megan find out I had cancer? And what was she talking about when she said what Casey had told her? What had gone on between Michelle and Casey that I didn't know about? I thought about it for a minute, then put a hand up to my forehead. Oh dear God, please tell me she didn't sleep with him.
I nervously chuckled at the idea. Of course she wouldn't do that, she wasn't that type of person. And who was I to distrust her like that? I had known her forever, of course I could trust that she didn't do that. No matter how much I tried to convince myself of this, the thought was still there.
I made an effort to focus during class, but it was useless. I found myself zoning out as the teacher droned on about the mitochondria, the nucleus...and other parts of cells.
Thankfully, my seat was in the back of the class near the window, so I could gaze outside. I noticed the swaying palm trees and the bright sun beaming down on everything. 19 years old, I thought to myself, I'll be almost 19 years old when I die. Was that a terrible way to be thinking? I knew it was, but really. Did I live a good life, even though it'll be short? Wasn't your life judged on how you lived it, versus how long it is? I recalled the years of childhood Michelle and I had lived through. Was my life a waste since I had spent the majority of it just teasing the one I loved the most? So did that mean my little sister had outlived me in life, even though she had been gone for a while? The idea was scary, it made me shift around in my seat.
"Mr. Leyre, it looks like you may have the answer. Can you tell me what the vacuoles do in a cell?" My teacher asked.
I snapped back to the classroom. "They store food and waste."
"Very good. I'm glad the palm trees outside told you the correct answer." She gave me a you-better-pay-attention look, and returned writing on the board. I looked around the classroom, finding most of the other students not even remotely paying attention. Well, they weren't paying attention to the teacher. Most of them were looking at me with a combination of...fascination and sympathy. How could one be both fascinated and sympathetic? Some of them whispered to one another, causing me to feel uncomfortable. Had the truth about me spread that quickly? That I really did have cancer? Michelle caught my eye across the room, her eyes full of thoughtfulness. She looked like she was about to cry. Why would she be crying? She wasn't the one who was getting teased about having a horrible disease. I brought my eyes back down to my red binder, and willed away the world.
~~Michelle's POV~~
Seeing Desmond out of it during science class bothered me somewhat. Well, it did and it didn't. It did, because it made me wonder what was wrong. Was he depressed? Was there something I could do for him, or help him with? Or maybe he just wanted to chat? I didn't know. And it also didn't worry me because I knew he had a right to be this way. He had a lot going on, and I didn't blame him for being this way. He remained distant for the remainder of class, so I just decided to give him some space.
The end of the day rolled around, and I found myself getting my belongings at my locker again. I made sure I had all my things and when I did, I shut my locker. I looked around, hoping to see Desmond. He hadn't come by, like he normally did. Sadness sunk into my heart, realizing I hadn't even got to ask him face-to-face what was up. I sighed, the small whoosh of air not making me feel any different. I walked down the almost empty hallways, the clacking of my flip-flops the only signal of my presence.
I pushed through the double doors that led outside. Standing at the top of the grand concrete stairs that led up to the school, I could see a figure sitting on the bottom step. An idea formulating in my head, I hurried down the stairs as fast as I could without tripping. Desmond didn't even look up when I grabbed his hand and dragged him to his car. I wove between the cars of the parking lot, trying to spot his silver car. I found it and took him around the side of it to the passenger side. I opened the door for him and hopped into the driver's seat. He gave me a questioning look as I pulled the seat belt across my chest.
"You'll see." I told him as I half turned, trying to pull out of the lot. I think he knew where we were once I parked his car on the cliff.
"The beach?" He asked, just like I had a few months ago on prom night.
"Well, yeah. It sometimes calms me down." I replied, and he smiled at me. "C'mon." I told him as I got out of the car. I had already stripped to my swim suit by the time my feet touched the sand. I watched as he took off his shirt, showing the world his muscles and their glory. I almost moaned in love, but stopped myself. Desmond took my hand in his and pulled me into the ocean water. It was slightly warm and was a glittering blue at this time of day.
His grin was wicked as he splashed the salty water at me. I shrieked in protest and proceeded to splash him back. But Desmond was better at it, considering his strong arms were able to push the water harder than I could. I was giggling after the splashing got more serious and he seized me around the waist. He tossed me over his shoulder and I tried to loosen his grip. I was all smiles as he took me back onto the light brown shore. He gingerly put me on my feet and as I noticed the sand between my toes, I got another brilliant plan.
"Okay, time for me to bury you." Once the words were out of my mouth, I heard how awful they sounded. Horrified, I tried to cover it up. "I mean, bury you in the sand."
He nodded, and helped me dig out the beginning of the trench. After a few minutes, it was mostly done, so he got inside.
"Are you sure you want to do this?" I asked him.
"Are you kidding? I've never been buried before, you gotta do it!" He chuckled and I pushed some sand into the pit. It covered up his shorts and his ripped chest, and I repeated it over and over again. Eventually, all you could see of Desmond was the tips of his shoulders and his head. He resembled a floating head, almost.
I started laughing when I thought about that.
"What's so funny?" He asked me, turning his hovering head at me.
This action caused me to giggle harder, and I clutched my stomach. "You-You look like a floating head!" I gasped between my chuckles. My explanation made him smile and send some chortles through his body too. I managed to compose myself after a while, and finished covering up his shoulders. I wiped my hands on my legs.
"There!" I told him.
He tilted his head down, to find that he couldn't see his body anymore. "Awesome!"
"Okay, picture time!" I declared. I rushed to my things and grabbed my cell phone. I laid beside him, our heads touching each other.
"Say cheese!" I told him as I held the camera in front of us.
"I am not going to say cheese. How about something we love?" He inquired, his hazel eyes searching mine.
"Alright, something we love it is." We both situated ourselves again and smiled dazzlingly at the cell phone.
"On three. One...Two...Three!"
"I love you."
"I love you."
* Click! *
I'm sorry this update took a while, I blame school. :/
Anyways, did you like it? I have planned out the next few chapters, so hopefully they flow nicely since I have them all written out. :)
And thank you to those who reviewed the last chapter! I got 20 reviews on just the first chapter of this story, which is INSANE! :D
Thanks guys!
-Curlsquirt95 :)