11: It's you!

Connie.

"Its you?!"

I looked up at him. The all too familiar black hair, only a bit messier casually rested on his forehead. He had no shirt on... Which made me wonder if this might maybe be a friend thing between him and Casey... Wait a minute... Wrong

question

and

definitely

at the wrong

time.

"Mike." I remembered his mame from last night when Brian called him, "What are you doing here?"

"I live here?" he chuckled, weirdly finding this hilarious.

"You're Casey's friend?"

"Mike Schovichi. The one and only,"he smiled down at me, offering me his hand to shake, somehow getting the impression that I'd take his hand... Especially after what he did.

"Are you kidding me? "

"Not that I'm aware ?" he even had the audacity to chuckle, which made me mad. Was he laughing at me? Laughing because he thought that what he did yesterday was somehow funny?" look princess I don't want any trouble I just want to talk" and there it was again that annoying nickname. Was he intentionally doing it to spite me? Cause if that's the case then it's working. I hate being called princess! Something about that nickname just never seemed right to me.

" We have nothing to talk about," I said, making an effort to put some space between the two of us.  But of course the guy wouldn't exactly have it. When I took a step back, he took one forward towards me. He was making my anxiety level to rise.

"Listen princess___"

"Don't call me that! "

"I'm trying to explain to you the reason I did what I did___"

"There's a reasonable explanation to what you did? " I couldn't help but scoff.

"Look princess____"

"Not my name,"

"What happened yesterday between you and I___"

"Nothing happened yesterday between you and I!"

"I was drank and confused___"

"You just let your rapist instincts take control? "

"Yeah!...wait  what? No! That's not it! Alcohol just has a way of confusing someone,"

"Don't do that," I could see it clearly. Blaming the alcohol for his stupid actions. It was getting on my nerves. I'd be less pissed at him if he stopped giving me excuses and just admitted that what he did was wrong.

It only took him three strides for him to appear exactly in front of me ,and no. I still didn't like him!

"I know what I did was wrong, okay," he began, and I honestly thought that he had finally stopped giving excuses and began admitting his mistakes... But that will remain to be nothing more than just my thoughts! He had to simply ruin the moment, "Just see it from my perspective. Understand my situation. I was drank, you came along all hot and sexy and I simply followed my instincts! "

I couldn't help but scoff. I  seriously could not believe that he has just said that out loud... I was still making an effort to register his words.

"The only thing I understand is that you are nothing more than a perverted liar. A perverted liar with ridiculous excuses for screwing up! "

" I'm trying to make amends here. What happened was only a joke___"

"And which part of the joke was I supposed to be laughing to? "

"I___"

" I'd really appreciate it if you were to stop talking, cause you're seriously not making things any better,"

He kept quiet for a while, studying me, seemingly trying to read my mind... And unlike yesterday night, today the guy seemed relaxed, dare i say he even looked somewhat remorseful. No ego,  no anger, no sign of violence like yesterday. I actually almost felt somewhat sorry for the guy... Almost!

"I found your phone earlier, " he said, reaching into his pocket and taking out a phone... My

phone! And he stretched it towards me.

"I hope you don't expect me to thank you... You are, after all, the one who threw it in the first place," I took the phone from him, which was miraculously still in one peace.

" I'd understand perfectly if you chose not to, " he smiled rather anxiously, " I just couldn't help but notice your screen saver,"

"So?"

"Well..." he chuckled nervously again. And I have to admit that this side of Mike made him look somehow innocent, almost harmless! " It's a photo of you and Casey, the mayor and his wife___"

"You mean my parents?"

"I had no idea who your parents___"

" Would it have made a difference? "

"If I'd have known who you are, I wouldn't have done what I did!"

" So what, you only take advantage of people who don't come from prominent families? You realize how that sounds right? "

" I just... Did you happen to tell Casey about what happened? Or your parents? Does Casey know? " he asked, clearly nervous. And I found it weird that he seemed more scared of Casey finding out about what happened than my parents?

Maybe

he

doesn't

want

to

loose

a

friend

like

Casey?

But still... Maybe the whole reason he's acting all nice and sweet was because he doesn't want me to tell on him... Which I have to admit, made him seem like an even bigger jerk!

" This entire 'making amends' crap was just an excuse to get me to not tell my family what you did?"

" Not entirely! "

" So it partly was___"

" I regret what I did, and I'm honestly seeking your forgiveness here. I've spent the entire morning picking out the right words to tell you... To get you to forgive me. Please just don't mention this to Casey?"  Mike trapped me in between himself and the wall, not really giving me space to run to... And I honestly couldn't believe that I was letting this happen again. My fear of him was crippling me, so much to the point that I couldn't gather the courage to push him away, even though that is what every fiber of my being was telling me to do!

"I don't hide anything from him," I told him, which was completely true. This is like the very first time I'm withholding information from Casey, and it's making me feel somewhat guilty.

"Casey is going to kill me when he finds out___"

" When I find out what?" the guy appeared, literally out of nowhere. This being one of those 'speak-of-the-devil-and-the-devil-appears' kind of situation.

Mike was obviously startled to say the least. He definitely got more tense. And I couldn't help buy notice the suffocating tension that was in the air the very minute Casey came in.

Mike took a step away from me. I was grateful for Casey's presence. It may have increased the tension in the room, sure, but it got Mike to back away from me which is what i needed more.

"Larson, what's up! I didn't expect to see you here this early in the morning !" he chuckled nervously, making Casey raise his brow, a clear indication that Mike was probably getting under his skin.

" Did I miss something?"

" Like what man?" Mike stepped towards the fridge. Keeping a safe distance from both Casey and I.

" I don't know, a make out session between you and my cousin? "

" That's not___"

" Its not what it looks like Cee," I defended myself... Even though I didn't have to. I mean come on, what's the worst that could happen? Casey may have some sort of influence over his friends and other people out there, but not me. But still, the last thing I needed was for him to build crazy images of me and his friend in his head... which is wrong, disturbing, and most of all, disgusting!

Mike on the other hand, wasn't as cocky and confident as he was yesterday. And he was definitely not laughing anymore.

"I was just... she had something on her face," was the best that idiot could come up with," I was helping her take it out,"

"And you had to pin her against the wall to do so?"

"I wasn't___"

"Nothing happened... nothing has happened... nothing was ever going to happen Casey. Your friend isn't even my type," I told him. It was the easiest way I could think of to simply shrug him off. With Casey, when you show him that you don't care, then he won't care either.

"Are you sure about that?" he said, stepping closer, and throwing a denim jacket on the counter... my denim jacket! "At this point, I don't exactly think I can believe that,"

I could almost hear my heart beat in my ears. Was it fear? Anxiety? I have no idea. All I know is that I'm out of excuses to give. Lying to Casey is a bit of a challenge... most especially when he has some sort of proof that I'm lying to him.

"What is your jacket doing in Mike's room?" he asked me. Of course it took quite a while to come up with a logical explanation to give. It had to be something he'd at least consider believing...

"There's a logical explanation for this___" Mike defended. And I'm pretty sure he didn't really have a 'logical' explanation. I could tell by the look on his face.

"Which is?"

"She uh... she left it in my room," told you so.

"That part was obvious... What I'd like to know is how___"

"It was hot," was what I could come up with, "I took off my jacket cause it was hot. I must have forgotten it when I was in a hurry to find you. But thank you for finding___"

"It has blood on the collar Connie,"

"I know," I said snatching the jacket from him, "I told you I had cut myself, remember?"

"While trimming your hair apparently... which is why this entire thing doesn't exactly make any sense. You came here last night to pick me up. And then wandered into Mike's room, and simply decided to trim your hair there?" I hated the tone in which he said it. He made it sound extremely pathetic. Which I guess he didn't at all believe.

"Yes?"

"Stop bullshitting me Connie!" even though his voice sounded even, I could tell by the way his jaw clenched that he was loosing his patience. I was stretching out the little patience he usually has.

"Well I'm not___" I was cut short by my phone ringing.

Natalya!

I have honestly never been this pleased to receive a call from Nat before. She might as well have saved mine and Mike's neck... and I appreciated it.

"He was the one who had your phone as well?" it was more or less a question. He wasn't asking me if Mike had my phone... he was telling me that he had it!

Ignoring him, I excused myself and walked to the furthest corner of the room to answer the phone... hoping that by the time I'm done with this phone call, he'd have forgotten all about this. But even I was aware of how unlikely that was.

Mike.

"Nat, what's up?" Connie answered her phone, walking a bit further from us, far enough for us to only hear whispers of her conversation. 

I tried to keep myself with the punch... maybe the alcohol might help me clear my head... come up with a good explanation I can give Casey. He hasn't stopped staring at me since Connie took that phone call. The look was as sharp as it was uncomfortable. I didn't appreciate it and I definitely didn't like it. It's the look he gives people right before he flips out and beats them up.

"Since Connie is clearly not going to tell me shit, maybe you'd like to explain the situation," he sat down on the counter. Seemingly getting comfortable to hear the lies I was trying to come up with.

"But I___"

"Maybe you'd like to start with what you were doing right before I walked in,"

"We weren't___"

"Or why her jacket was in your room,"

"Casey___"

"Or even better, maybe you could explain to me what you were doing with her phone. That would be a good start,"

"She left them here,"

"I know she did," he sounded a bit irritated. And I have no idea when or how, but he was up from the counter. And just as suddenly, he had his hand around my throat, "I want a better more reasonable___"

"She must have  dropped it or something,"

"Or something!" his grip tightened. And I could genuinely feel the oxygen getting cut off, "I won't ask you again__"

"Nat can you relax a bit," the minute he heard Connie's voice, he instantly loosened his grip... just as Connie briefly turned around to face us. She gave us a small smile, one that Casey reciprocated... acting like he wasn't just about to end my life me a second ago, "I can't understand a single thing you're saying when your shouting in my ear ," 

Her conversation temporarily seemed to draw attention from me. And Casey stared at Connie instead.

"...What do you mean..." she said, and the smile that was on her face only a second ago gradually faded, "Wait a minute.... what do you mean fire?... What fire?... Just... just stay there Nat, I'm on my way!"