Senior Year, Biscuits & The Fuentes Family As Told By Nelissa Brown

I took Mike back to my house and my mom ran out of the kitchen. She looked at me like I'd just told her I'd won the lottery. "Hello Mike! How are you? Would you like a drink? Or just go upstairs with Nelissa. On second thoughts you should probably go upstairs. Do whatever! I'll close the sitting room door. I'm half deaf, I won't hear anything. Go ahead." Mom rushed. I sighed and put my head in my hands. At least now I know where I get the lack of filter between my brain and mouth thing from.
"Um that's okay, thanks." Mike said awkwardly.
"It's better than okay, it's-"
"Mom." I sighed.
"Right, okay. Have fun." Mom said and hurried out of the room. I looked back at Mike guiltily.
"Your mom is . . . cool." Mike said.
"Want to swap?" I asked hopefully.
"No thanks." he grinned.
"It was worth a try." I muttered.
We went upstairs and into my room. Mike went to sit on my bed and I started looking through my books. I know it's here. I pulled out the book and went over to Mike. I handed it to him and he raised his eyebrows at me.
"What's this?" Mike asked.
"A book."
"Really?" he mocked.
"B made it for me." I explained.
"Then how will it help me?" Mike frowned.
"It's not just about you!" I huffed.
"I thought-"
"Shut up Mike." I stuck my tongue out at him.
"Nel, please. I really want to know all this." Mike said.
I thought back to my sessions with Grumble. "How does that make you feel?" I asked gently.
"What?" Mike frowned. "How does what make me feel?"
"Wanting to know it all."
"Well, it makes me angry!" Mike exclaimed.
"Why is that, Michael?"
"Did you just call me Michael?"
"Maybe." I shrugged.
"I just want to remember. I don't know if I will. You've got hurt. Vic's got hurt. So have my parents. Not to mention Jaime and Tony and Cassie and Becky."
"But I'm telling you."
"Yeah, you're filling me in. But that doesn't mean I'll remember. I'll just be informed on my own life. This is so messed up." Mike sighed tiredly. I put my hand on his arm because that's what to do in situations such as these. Mike smiled and put his hand on top of mine. I wasn't expecting this. I don't know what to do next. Think like Grumble, Nel. Think like Grumble.
"You're doing very well." I told him.
"Thanks." Mike smiled. Phew! It worked. "So?" Mike urged.
"Right," I smiled. "Once upon a time there was a girl. She had blonde hair so huge there were entire continents inside it. There was a boy too. He used to pretend he wasn't crazy, but really he was just as insane as her," I explained. "One day there was a pen threw at his head. They bonded over biscuits and how much she fell down. They got really close too. The girl was even on the boys bike when it crashed."
"You were on the bike?" Mike rushed. Did no one tell him anything?
"Yeah." I nodded.
"I'm so sorry, if I-"
"I'm kinda over it." I shrugged.
"What's this?" Mike asked looking at the book.
"For Christmas B made me a scrapbook. You happen to be in it a lot." I explained.
Mike opened it up and started flicking through the pages. I saw him frown but he kept looking and reading. I sat there for a while. I never know what do when people are reading. You're not supposed to disturb them.
"We look so happy." Mike said.
"We do." I agreed.
"So we never went out?"
"Nope." I shook my head.
"Then why are my arms around you? Why am I hugging you? Why am I kissing you on the cheek?" Mike asked me.
"We used to do that stuff. . ." I trailed away.
"But why didn't we go out? Did I like you?"
"How am I supposed to know that?" I said like he was stupid.
"Well, did you ever like me?"
"Stop asking stupid questions!" I whined.
"All of this," he flicked through the pages. "I can't believe it." he breathed. "Why did I never ask you out?"
"You couldn't." I muttered.
"But why? All of this book says that I was really into you. If I'm into someone then I ask them out."
"Vic." I said simply.
"What?"
"You didn't want Vic to get hurt."
"Vic, but-"
"He really liked me for some reason," I'm still unsure on why. "You didn't want to hurt him. You didn't want me to go back to him if we got together too."
"I said that?" Mike asked.
"Not to me, but yeah." I nodded.
"Is that why Vic and I aren't as close?" Mike asked.
"Maybe." I shrugged. "I don't know."
"Nel, look," Mike said and sighed. He scratched the back of his neck and looked at me. "I'm sorry." he told me sincerely.
"For what?" I asked.
"For forgetting."
"It's not your fault." I rushed.
"But I hurt you. That's why I'm sorry."
I gave him a small smile and nudged him. "It's okay." I said. And it was okay. I actually believed it this time.
"I just-"
"What?" I asked.
"I really wished I remember. I really want to. But I'm looking through all this and you're telling me all this stuff and I just can't remember. I wish I did, but nothing is coming back." Mike sighed angrily.
"Everything will be okay in the end," I said easily. "Because everything starts getting good near the end and of it isn't it means it's not the end yet."
"Have you never seen Titanic?" Mike raised his eyebrows at me.
"That's different!" I sighed. "I'm talking about Disney. We're like a Disney film. I'm that princess that falls over a lot."
"Who am I?" Mike teased.
"I don't know." I frowned. "I'm a princess, that's the only important thing." I shrugged.
Mike was frowning and looking down. I pulled him into a hug to hopefully make him smile. That's what I've learnt, always hug. Life is too short to not hug. Unless they're on the register then you definitely shouldn't hug them because you might be sent to therapy for a year or two. But if Grumble is anything to go by therapy isn't as scary as everyone makes it out to be.
Then Mike pulled away. He looked at me and I smiled. I kissed him on the tip of his nose and Mike wrinkled his face up. I smoothed it out with my hands and Mike laughed. "Can I kiss you?" Mike asked me gently.
"Wow, you really can't remember." I mocked.
Then Mike closed to gap between us and our lips met. I kissed him back and he pulled me closer to him. I wrapped my arms around his neck and Mike's hand went to my hair. If he runs it through my hair he'll lose it. But that didn't matter. All that mattered was I was kissing Mike and Mike was kissing me. Everything was okay.

Notes

Hey! What did you think? The winners of my Eye Opener Contest have been announced. Here's the link and all of the entries are there too. I loved reading them all! I'll be doing another contest in November so please keep your eyes open for that. Are Mike and Nel a thing? Will everything go smoothly? The next chapter will be fun hopefully! Favourite line?

Also I've been getting a lot of messages off people asking for writing tips and how I've developed and progressed as a writer. I hate to sound arrogant and I'm in now way ungrateful but I seem to be typing the same thing to a lot of people. Would you be interested in reading a something where I post tips basically? I could take requests for the kind of thing you want me to discuss in each chapter. I know someone of you tell me you struggle with humour and want tips with that. Is this something you'd like? Let me know in the comments loves! xo