I sent Mike home after we got back so I could spend time with Danny before we all went to a party being thrown for the graduating class at Casey's house.

"Okay, here's the deal" Danny said as he poured the candy bars onto my bed "I haven't talked to you about everything in so long. We need this"

I just nodded my head, knowing he was right. We were b oth so busy with getting all our finals done and graduating that we just didn't have time for it. We used to sit on the roof of my house eating chocolate at least twice a week. Here's the deal. For every piece of choclate we ate, we had to say something on our minds. We usually only went though one chocolate bar, but since we hadn't had this in so long, I could tell we'd be usuing every piece of chocolate he brought.

"Roof?" I offered.

He just gave me a look and I went over to open the window that faced Mike's bedroom. This is going to be interesting. Danny climbed out first, helping me out afterwards. We sat in front of each other with our legs crossed while he opened the first chocolate bar. He broke a square off and popped it into his mouth.

"I cried the night you left. And every night after that for two weeks" He said quietly.

"I still cry sometimes" I said placing a piece of the candy on my tongue.

"Everyone misses you at school. Emely was heartbroken " He said.

"I really don't like anyone here but the boys"

"I don't know what to do without my partner in crime everyday"

"I wish my mom never left"

"I got arrested seven times this year"

"I've been worried about you since I left"

"I can't believe you're actually gone"

"I miss walking down the hallways holding hands" I felt tears running down my cheeks now.

"I love you"

"I love you too Danny"

I started crying hysterically now. I hated how I had to leave him. I didn't know how I made it through the past nin months without him. I couldn't believe I was waking up to Mike every morning instead of him. Danny wrapped his arms around me and I felt his tears falling onto my chest. He was hurting as much as I was. I needed him. I needed him more then anyone. More then Collin. More then Franky. More then my dad. I needed him more then Mike. He's been my best friend for five years. Nothing will ever compare to that. He was just as much my brother as Collin and Franky were. I didn't realize how much it hurt leaving him behind.

"Move here" I mumbled against his chest "Move here, you always said you wanted to get as far from home as you could."

"It's not that easy Victoria" He said letting me go "I've got my entire family there, I can't leave my mom. I can't leave Emely. How does Mike even feel about us"

"He knows about it. He gets it. It's what happened with him and I, just backwards." I took a deep breath and calmed myself down "We were together, we fell out of love, still needed each other, and we've been best friends ever since. He doesn't care"

"I still can't leave my mom"

"I know" I sighed."Let's go meet the boys huh?" I grinned at him. He smiled back, he was excited to
meet them all.

~

Danny and I walked into the house where the party was being held. I could tell he was nervous already. He didn't like being in uncomfortable situations and this was exactly that. I felt a pair of arms wrap around my waist as we walked through the crowd of people towards the kitchen. Mike said something incomprehensible into my neck as the three of us searched for the alcohol. Mike was already drunk. Great. Whiskey was that boys best friend I swear to god.

"Mike where's the drinks" I shouted over the music. He just stared at me becauase he didn;t know what I said. I made a drinking motion with my hand.

"Ohhhhhhh it's all in the kitchen baby" He slurred, pointing in the direction of it.

"Does your drunk ass need anything else" I rolled my eyes at him

"Nope I'm all good sweetheart" He gave me a sloppy kiss and walked towards the back door to go out to
smoke I guess.

"What a charmer" Danny joked once we made it to the kitchen.

"Yeah clearly" I laughed "Casey my bug!" I screamed as he mixed a drink for the girl standing next to him. He handed the girl her drink and turned his attention over to me.

"Vicky my wonderful girl what can I get you" He smiled

"Well, first of all, this is Danny, Danny this is Casey, one of my good friends" They shook hands and exchanged hellos. "Also give me something strong that doesn't taste like shit" He nodded and looked at
Danny to see what he wanted.

"Do you have Jäger?" Danny asked. I scrunched my nose up in disgust. "Don't give me that face you used to love it!"

"No, correction, I love Jäger Bombs. Completely different." I defended myself. Danny looked to Casey.
"I can arrange that" Casey laughed.

By the end of the night, most of the people had gone home after dancing and drinking themselves retarded. Mike and Tony were passed out and cuddled up together on the couch while Danny and I took the loveseat. I had never been so hungover in my life as I was the morning after that dumb party.

~

Five years. That's how long it's been. Five years since Michael Christopher Fuentes asked me to be his. In those five years, the boys released their first Pierce the Veil album called A Flair For the Dramatic. Chemical Kids and Mechanical Brides was the first song on the album. It was amazing and a lot of kids liked it, quickly shooting the boys into fame. I rolled over in my bed and put some clothes on before walking through the rest of my apartment. Who knew who showed up drunk in the middle of the night. Once I got dressed in a pair of Pierce the Veil shorts and a big sweater I walked down the hallway of my San Diego apartment. Mike was in the kitchen, eating a bowl of cereal at the table.

"That was you last night?" I groaned going over to the cabinet that held the bottle of Jack Daniels. I grabbed it and poured some into the glass the was on the counter.

"Jesus you're starting already" He complained

"The quickest way to curing a hang over is more alcohol Michael " I said quoting him. I wasn't very nice when I woke up after a night of partying. "Why are you in my apartment"

"I was going to hang out with my girlfriend before I left on tour in two days" He said putting his bowl in the dishwasher "Just let me know when she gets here"

He walked into the living room and sat on the couch to watch tv. I downed my drink and slammed the glass back onto the counter before stomping down the hall and into the bathroom. I turned on the shower and peeled my clothes off before stepping in. I washed my hair and my face, stopping to think about everything before I washed my body. I spent the past five years with Mike, we still didn't live together but that was because we were sure we'd kill each other if we did. We always fought. Always. Nothing huge, we would make up in about five minutes but it would probably be worse if we had to deal with each other every second. The high school puppy love was over. We grew out of that bullshit. I don't care what anyone says, that never lasts. Not for anyone. I reached for the body wash and finished my shower. I turned it off and wrapped the towel around myself before walking across the hall to my bedroom then used it to dry my hair a little after separating the braid behind my ear. I dropped it onto the floor and put on my bra and panties. I searched my closet for something to wear and settled on shorts and a braided Confide t shirt. Picking up the towel and throwing it in the hamper, I walked out of the bedroom and down the hall to the kitchen to make myself green tea. Once I had it, I added sugar and honey and mixed it around. I carried my tea out to the living room and placed it on the table before I sat down next to Mike on the couch and cuddled up to him.

"I'm sorry baby" I mumbled into his neck.

"It's okay" He said smiling down at me and giving me a peck on the lips "You deal with my hungover ass more then I deal with yours. What do you want to do today?"

"I dunno it doesn't matter to me" I answered taking a sip of my tea.

"Beach?" Mike asked. I sat up and played with the hem of my shirt. Beach meant bathing suits. He noticed me doing it "Babe, you look wonderful" He shook his head and turned my face so I was looking
at him.

"Mikey I don't-"

"The pink one. Wear the pink one. It's my favorite"

"The pink one is the worst" I groaned getting up and heading towards my bedroom with Mike following me.

"Piiiiiiiiiink" He whined slamming his body onto the bed.

"I'll try it on and see if I like how I look. Okay?" He grumbled something into the blankets on my bed as I pulled the bathing suit from my dresser. I pulled off my clothes and threw them onto the bed next to Mike. I slipped on the pink, sequin covered bottom and held the top over where it belonged on my breasts. "Baby tie it for me?" I felt his hands fumbling with the strings behind my neck and on my back.

"Beautiful" He whispered wrapping his arms around me as I watched in the mirror. He kissed my cheek and we stayed just like that for a few minutes. I started poking at my hips and stomach. Then I traced all the scars on my side.

"Mikey I can't..." I started to say with a shaky voice. He placed his hand ontop of the scars.

"People are going to stare. They always do. I know it's hard babe, but it only shows that you've
overcome it. They're scars, everyone has them whether they're visible or not." He said to me softly.
I turned around to face him and snaked my arms around his neck, staring.

"I love you Michael" I said giving a small smile.

"You said it" He had a huge grin on his face "You finally said it" He picked me up and twirled me around the room. He then placed me down, cupped my face in his hands, and pressed his lips to mine. " I love
you so much" He managed to say afterwards.

I bet you thought he would be the one to have a hard time saying it. He told me he loved me two years ago and I couldn't answer him. He knew I did, I just couldn't bring myself to say it for some reason, no matter how badly I wanted to. It's not like I'd ever suffered some horrible traumatic experience that made me scared, it just wouldn't happen. That's why he was so excited.

As we drove to the beach, I held his hand in mine over the cup holders. I traced the second date under my name and smiled. He had our date added to the list on our second anniversary.

"Mike what am I going to do while you're gone for two months" I laughed. I was serious though. It wasn't like we spend every waking second with each other, but he's really my everything. "And Casey's your drum tech! Who do I hang out with!"I threw my hands into the air and sighed.

"Maybe you can go visit your mom?" He suggested.

"I don't know about that." I said biting my lip "I'll probably just hang out with Collin"

"Babe you can't hang out with a nine year old for the next two months." He rolled his eyes as he parked his car on the street next to the beach.

We got out of the car and walked towards the sand with our fingers laced together. We were half way to the water when Mike picked me up and started running towards the ocean.

"No no no no don't do this again oh my god please Mikey no" I screamed holding onto him for dear life.

He held onto me as he ran, waist deep into the cold water. The salt water splashed up onto my body and I started shivering.

"You get cold too easily" Mike said placing me into the water. It came up right underneath my boobs.

"I'm gonna drown I'm too short to be out here" I frowned hitting the water. A wave came in and hit my
chest, making the fresh dermal piercing between my breasts burn. I made a face and wrapped my arms
around Mike's waist. "I dont want you to leave" I mumbled into his chest.

"I know but I have to baby. They need me, and I love what I do"

He kissed the top of my head and pulled me closer to him. I looked up at him and smiled. The setting sun glistened off of the labret on his bottom lip that I pierced for him. My fingers traced over chest piece I'd done almost a month ago whiled I stared out into the ocean again.

"I know" I sighed "I'd never ask you to stop, ever. I love what you do too" I smiled up at him as I said the last part. Mike bent down and pressed his lips to my forehead and I started to shiver again.

"Wanna go lay in what's left of the sun?" I just nodded against his chest and we began making our way back to the sandy beach. Every few feet, a wave would come and knock me over, but leave Mike standing since he was taller then the wave.

"It's not funny" I grumbled getting up off the sand and walking towards the towel he had already layed down on. I threw myself onto the towel and rolled closer to him. We stayed and watched the sunset on the horizon and left around midnight. The whole way home I was felt like these were going to be a bad two months.
‹ Chapter 7 Chapter 9 ›