Rise & Rise Again

It's been seventeen days since Victoria has spoken to me. She won't even look at me without her face twisting into an expression filled with hurt. It would probably be easier if she didn't come over and hang out with Vic all the time. Which only makes it worse because she's constantly here. The only thing I feel is anger. I'm angry all the time. I'm angry at Vic for keeping her around, I'm angry at Marilese for just everything. I'm just angry in general.

I groaned and slammed my forehead down onto my desk in my Englih class after looking at the clock and realizing I only had four minutes until last period. My last period class was Spanish, where I was permanently seated next to Victoria.

"I'm sorry Mr. Fuentes, am I boring you with the works of William Shakespeare?"

"No," I answered, leaving my head down.

"Well then pick your head up off the desk and-"

As soon as I heard the bell ring, I shot up out of my seat, rushed out of the classroom, and to my locker, conveniently placed next to my next period.

"Hi baby," I heard a voice come from behind me. After shoving my books into my locker, I turned to face the blonde who was speaking to me.

"Hey," the smile on my lips couldn't possibly get anymore fake as Marilese snaked her arms up my chest and over my shoulders before smirking. "What?"

"Nothing..."

"No. What's with the smirk Mari?"

"That poor girl, just froze up in front of the entire class." Someone muttered while they walked past us.

"I heard she ran out and threw up in the hallway. No ones seen her after that."

"Did you think I wouldn't notice if she wasn't in class?" I hissed and pushed Marilese away from me. "Hey!" My voice echoed down the nearly empty hallway as I called to the two girls who we're talking near me before. "Did you hear what way the girl went?"

"Hey Mike," one girl laughed and elbowed the other, who then smacked her shoulder lightly.

"Stop it Hayley," the other blushed furiously "Someone said she went to the girls bathroom by the gym, the one nobody really uses, ya know? I heard that she went out by the baseball field too though."

"Thanks," I smiled at the two quickly before running down the hall towards the bathroom they were talking about. I slammed the door open without thinking of knocking and ran in. "Victoria?"

"Mikey?" She managed to choke out in between her sobs.

"Where the hell are yo-"

"Behind you, idiot."

I turned around to where I heard her voice coming from and found her sitting against the wall with her knees pulled up to her chest. Her hair was disheveled and she had streaks of mascara covering her cheeks. I caught a glimpse of the soft brown eyes I knew so well but they were somehow different. The only thing I saw in them was panic and fear.

"Baby what happened..." I whispered and kneeled beside her before pulling her body to mine.

"Don't," she cried, pushing me away "don't touch me! I hate you!"

"I know baby and I am so so sorry-"

"No! I don't care! You just-you-" she cut herself off with a violent sob and curled into me. "I need you Mikey. No one helps me like this. I tried to do that project in front of the class today but she knew. Marilese knew I couldn't handle it if someone laughed or whispered or something. I don't know how she knew but she did and she kept doing it and I just panicked and-"

"I know Victoria. I know." I pressed my lips against the side of her head before whispering, "I love you"

Victoria nodded before holding me tighter and letting herself cry a little more. I scooped her up into my arms and stood up, pushing the bathroom door open with my shoulder. She climbed around me so I was giving her a piggy back ride and nuzzled her face into my neck. mumbling to me that her car keys were in her locker. Nodding, I headed down the hall and stopped before the old blue locker, putting in the combination and grabbing her keys. Her small arms were wrapped around my shoulders as tightly as possible while I carried her out the front doors and to her car. I let her drop down from my back and she got in the passenger seat, letting me drive. The ride home was silent, Victoria stared out her window the entire time and I kept my eyes on the road.

I parked the car in her driveway and got out, going around to the other side and picking the small girl up out of the car before carrying her up the driveway and to the front door, balancing her weight on the railing as I opened the door. She had stopped sobbing, only letting a few tears slide down her cheeks so I placed her on the couch before going into the kitchen and grabbing a few things for her. I stood in front of the counter and peeled the orange skin off of the grapefruit in my hands until I was just holding the center of it. Wrapping it in a paper towel, I grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and carried both things into the living room. I sat down on the coffee table in front of Victoria and handed her the fruit, placing the water on the end table beside the couch. She pulled each piece off and ate it slowly. Four pieces in she stopped and looked up at me, picking at what she had in her hands.

"I'm still mad at you," Victoria mumbled.

"Good."

"Wha-"

"I don't want you to forgive me for that. I don't deserve to be forgiven. What I said was awful and I don't ever want you to let me forget how it hurt you. Victoria I-"

She leaned forward and wrapped her arms around my torso, pulling me into a hug.

"Shut the hell up, okay?"

"Yeah," I grinned "Okay."

~

Waking up next to Victoria was something I felt like I would never get used to, even though this was about the millionth time she'd slept at my house. It was different from waking up next to Marilese, I just felt happy to see her face first thing in the morning. I stretched my arms up and felt the headboard against my knuckles. Feeling her move, I realized that Victoria was already awake.

"Goodmorning bub" I smiled at her.

"Morning, your breath smells like butt" Victoria grinned at me from the spot on my chest that her head was resting on.

"Wow I was expecting more of a Morning sweetheart, Pancakes are on the table and how about some wake up sex?" A laugh escaped my lips and I moved a piece of hair from her face as I spoke

"How about we go to waffle house and then I'll drive you to Marilese's" Victoria groaned getting up and stretching.

"Yes to waffle house, no to the wicked witch" I wrinkled up my nose, feeling only resentment towards Marilese.

"Deal" She laughed. "Gimme sweats and a shirt to wear and lets go, after you brush your teeth of course."

"Where you grew from you bacteria troll" I laughed and laid back down on my bed

"This shirt is mine!" Victoria said holding up an Atreyu t-shirt with the sleeves cut off of it.

"Yeah I liked it so I stole it. And I think you have a pair of shorts in there you left here, I'm not too sure though."

"Thank god now I don't have to wear sweats in this damn heat." A laugh came out of my mouth as she spoke, "Listen, being in New Jersey is so different. It's hot all year here!"

" I know I know" I laughed at her and made my way to the bathroom to get ready

I washed my face and brushed my teeth as soon as I got in the bathroom, spending a little bit of time making sure my hair wasn't sticking out in fifty different directions before throwing a beanie on my head anyway. When I finished, I walked back to my bedroom where Victoria was standing dressed in whatever she had found in the pile of laundry on my bedroom floor.

"Okay let's go get some Waffle House!" I said as I stood in the doorway rubbing my hands together and smiling.

I followed Victoria down the stairs of my house and into the kitchen where she asked my mother if her and my dad wanted anything from Waffle House.

"mmmmmm Get me an egg and cheese sandwich and get your father eggs and waffles. He's still asleep but he'll want some when he gets up " She answered, pushing her glasses up into her blonde hair.

My mom thanked us for grabbing them breakfast while we were out, kissed our cheeks, and sent us on our way.

"What the hell are you doing?" Victoria was squirming in her seat beside me as I threw the car into park.

" I love Waffle House so much and we didn't have any in New Jersey so I never get to eat at one unless I went to visit my cousin in North Carolina I'm really excited don't judge me I'm sorry" she started screaming and running to the door. I ran up behind her and grabbed her around the waist, pulling her into the air. "Mikey no I want hashbrowns so bad stop it!"

"We have to wait for Vic, Jaime, and Tony!" I laughed lightly.

"Well why didn't they just come with us!" She huffed, throwing her hands into the air and leaning against the car.

"I forgot to ask them. I texted them on the way here" I answered, wrapping my arms around Victoria's waist.

"Buttface. I'm still tired" She mumbled and held onto my body tightly.

"WHERE'S MY PADME" I heard Tony's voice coming from the other end of the parking lot.

"Anakin!" Victoria let go of me and threw herself into Tony's open arms, causing me to roll my eyes.

"You're very hyper for someone who's still tired" He laughed while squeezing me tight.

We all walked towards the building and took a seat when we got inside. I ended up seated on the end with Victoria beside me and Tony on the other side of her. I looked over to Tony and nodded towards the small girl next to us.

"Seriously!" Victoria yelled from between us as we both pushed on her from our sides "Your gonna make my head pop off and all I wanna do is finish this picture!"

"What's it of bub?" I said trying to sneak a peak of what she was working on.

"Me and Tony" She grinned "I'm drawing me and you next"

"AW LEMME SEE IT!" Tony screamed reaching for the paper, receiving several glares from the people seated around us.

"No I'm not done!" She cried out. Tony covered his eyes and Victoria slammed the crayon down on the
table when she was done. "Finished!"

He took the paper from my best friends hand and stared at it. I craned my neck over Victoria's shoulder to try and catch a glimpse of what she had drawn for him but it was no use.

"Aw I love it! You're so cute Victoria!" He said hugging her before he folded the picture and put it in his pocket.

Just then, the waitress came over and asked if we were ready to order.

"Uhm yeah I'll have a bacon egg and cheese sandwich with extra bacon and a side of hashbrowns." I said handing her the menu.

"How about you dear?" She said looking towards Victoria. I felt her nudging me with her elbow lightly.

"She'll have an egg and cheese sandwich but can you toast the bread? and a side of hashbrowns, smothered, covered, and capped." I answered for her. The waitress left after getting everyone else's orders..

"What was that about?" Jaime laughed

"I don't like ordering" Victoria replied while drawing a few hearts on her paper.

"Why not?" Tony said with a puzzled look on his face.

" I dunno really. I just hate it" she answered and held her tongue between her lips as she concentrated on the drawing in front of her.

" Aww I love you too bubby" I smiled and kissed the cheek she held out for me. The picture I had gotten from Victoria looked just like the one that Vic had taken of us and was currently placed on my dresser. We were walking down the side walk, on our way home from the beach. Our hands were woven together in the space between us.

"No one else gets a picture?" Vic said wiping a fake tear from his cheek.

"You've got more pictures drawn by me then my dad does!" She giggled as the waitress placed everyone's food down in front of them. Well, everyone except Victoria. "OH COME ON" she yelled.

"Oh look how good they are oh my goddddd" I groaned in pleasure and waved a fork full of hashbrowns in her face.

"Michael you are the most mean person I have ever met Tony is my new best friend when I get home he's coming with me and we're cuddling and watching Star Wars together" she pouted her pink lips and turned to face Tony.

"Baaaaabe I'm sorryyyy " I whined and placed my chin on her shoulder.

"She'll never forgive you she's mine forever" Tony said, staring at Victoria's brown eyes. My jaw went hard and I felt my entire body stiffen with jealousy.

Tony likes her. Tony likes what I wanted to call mine. I just wish I realized I wanted her before now.

Notes