The Meaning of Passion

Chapter 2

“One day that bitch is going to get what’s coming to her.” I look over at Brett as we walk down the hall towards 2nd hour.

“You did start it.” I reply.

“So what, now you’re on her side?”

I shake my head. “No, I’m just pointing out the facts.”

“Man whatever. Since the bitch’s mom died you’ve grown soft.”

I grind my teeth. “Excuse me for giving her time to greave. Besides it all seems pointless now. We’re seniors now, and in a few months that’s it, were out of here. So what’s the point in all this high school, teenage drama?”

“God there you go again, guess what, we’re still teenagers. And besides she’s had a year to greave. And it’s not pointless.”

“You just remember that if anything ever happens to your mom.” Besides, I know she’s not over it. Last night proved that.

“Whatever man.” Brett sighs and walks ahead.

If I hadn’t known him my whole life, I swear he was a dick. But I have known him, and am the only one in this town that knows what it is he’s hiding from everyone.

He enters the gym locker room first and I follow.

Brett’s not the only one thinking I’d gone soft. I’ve heard the rumors. But like I told Brett, I don’t see the point any more. But that doesn’t mean I’m nice. I still hand out acid comments now and then, just to remind her and everyone else how things stand.

And the fact that our parents married? Changes nothing. It’s nothing against her. Or maybe it is. When I first saw her four and a half years ago I wanted her.

Black, baggy clothing, purple hair, chains every were, pale skin. I wanted the freak.

It didn’t sit well with me, still doesn’t. Michel Benton isn’t supposed to want the freak. And it seemed to me that it was all one sided. She felt nothing for me.

I should count my lucky stars. Cause if there had been any shared attraction I would have fucked her, many times. And then when word got out I would have had to explain my self.

That isn’t something Michel Benton does. The senior star quarter back didn’t explain shit to anyone.

How would I explain it any way. Every time I see her I just want to pull her aside, out of the way, and fuck her. She isn’t by far the prettiest girl, but she has something most girls around here don’t.

And it was that something that caused me to cover it all up. All the pranks, the rumors, all of it was to make sure no one ever figured it out.

But now I live with her. Every day, knowing she is just a few rooms away. True I’m always busy and so is she, but just knowing she is a room away at night keeps me awake with a hard on long into the night.

“I’ll meet you out there man.” I nod my head and come back to the present as Brett leaves the locker room.

After I’ve changed I throw my stuff into my locker and close the door.

I walk out of the locker room and scan the gym.

With the new schedule all my classes have been changed. Same classes, just different times. ‘Thanks dad, always doing your best to fuck me over.’

I see a couple of guys from the track team and head over to them. As I walk I notice that again, I share another class with Sydney.

***

“Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god. Look who just walked in.” I hear Becky squeal. She jumps up and down and points behind me.

I turn around and see Michel. “Oh god.” I say, so not as excited as Becky.

“I know right, wow, and Brett too, how did we get so lucky?” she grabs my arm.

“Um, more like how did we get so unlucky.” I say as I softly pull my arm back. Got to love Becky, so nice but not so smart.

“Oh come on girl, you know he’s hot.” She says as she stands there checking him out.

I turn and look at him again.

Looking at him you would understand why he thinks he’s gods gift to women. If looks are all you’re looking for then Michel is your man.

Thick, wavy, midnight black hair, cut just long enough to cover his ears. His face is very angular, sharp nose, check bones, and chin. And his lips are, yes I will admit it, very thick and kissable. His eyes are a dark green that have the longest black lashes. A guy shouldn’t have lashes like his, but he is more than able to pull them off.

The rest of his body is just as noticeable. He’s 6 foot 4 of sex on a stick. Lean, toned body, tanned skin, and an ass any girl would love to get a hold of. He’s captain of most of the boys’ team sports, but even without that fact, he would still be built like a god.

And damn him, even I’m not immune to him. Even with all the angst between us, I can’t lie and say I would hate it, the sexual part at least. I’m human, and to error is human. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

I look up at his face again and find him looking right back at me. I blush and turn away.

“See, told you. His hold is just as strong on you as it is every other girl in this town.”

I roll my eyes as Mr. Cannell walks into the gym. Mr. Cannell is pretty much the only couch the school has, so of course he is the gym teacher as well.

“Alright, we have some new students, so teams are switched up. I’ve posted them up on the north wall. Find your new partner and pick a court. We’re doing tennis today.” With that he walks off towards his make shift desk of bleachers.

“Oh goody, maybe I get Mic or Brett.” Becky says.

I shake my head. “Oh yeah, goody.”

We look down the list and find our names.

“Damn, I’m with neither, and I’m not even with you any more, I’m stuck with Lee.” She frowns and looks over to were Lee is standing. To put it nicely, he isn’t the most physically active person in our class.

“Look at it this way, your grade will go up, any one teamed with him gets a break.” I try to make her feel better.

“What ever, so who did you get.”

I run my finger down the list to my name.

“Uh, looky there, looks like some ones out to get us.”

I stiffen at the sound of his voice right behind me.

“That or this is some ones sick idea of a joke.”

The name next to mine is Michel Benton.

***

I smile at her comment.

“Well lets just make the best of it shall we?”

She turns and looks up at me. Like I said she isn’t gorgeous, but there is just that something. It’s got to be her eyes. Their a sharp and clear, blazing gray. Her lashes are thin, and barley visible. Her red hair is pulled back in a pony tail, but when it’s down it reaches the middle of her back, enough to grab and hold on to. Her face is heart shaped and small, although her height is 5’5. Her lips are full and bow shaped, perfect for kissing. Her body is curvy and in some places she still has some baby fat.

She’s right between me and the wall. All I’d have to do is lean forward and our bodies would touch from thighs to chests. I step back.

“What ever. Good thing your Mr. Cannell’s golden boy. My grade should be okay.”

She steps around me and heads to a court, ignoring me.

This should be good.

She’s not to bad, in fact we win four out of 5 games. She works hard and gives her all.

She ignores me for the most part and even with that we worked well together.

The class ends and she still ignores me. I feel a hand land on my shoulder and look up to see Brett.

“So how was it playing with the freak?”

“Her right swing is weak and her aim sucks.” Liar.

“Can’t win them all. Jessica sure as hell was hot. In fact she’s having a party this weekend and of course she asked if we’d be there. I told her I’d have to talk to you about it, see if it was worth it.”

Brett knows I’ve been wanting to get with Jessica for a while.

“We’ll see what happens on Friday.” I reply smiling.

***

By the time fourth hour came along I was ready to bust.

“So I hear you have gym with Mr. Hotness, as well as math. How did you pull that off?” Mandy asks as I throw my backpack down on the floor next to my desk.

“Oh please, don’t even go there. English was hell, he sits right behind me, RIGHT behind me, and gym, guess what, he’s my freaking partner for the rest of the year. And math, oh my god, your never going to guess, I am now also his tutor. Mrs. Powel found out we live together and now expects me to help him get his grade up high enough so if Mr. Perfect decides to apply to a college, he can do so with good grades. I swear this day can not get any worse.” I slump down into my chair.

“Well now is Spanish, and I’m here. It’s getting better already.” She smiles at me and wiggles her fingers at me.

I smile and shake my head at her. “Whatever.”

I pull out last nights homework to turn in. I look over the class as the bell rings and almost jump out of my seat with happiness when I see that I finally have a class free of him.

“Everyone go ahead and turn in your assignment and after that we’re done for the day. I have a meeting in five minutes and Mrs. Wendy will sit in while you guys have a free day. Remember behave or there will be hell to pay.”

Everyone just smiles. Mrs. Ace is the nicest teacher in the school, but cross her and there really will be hell to pay. After everyone turns in their assignments, and Mrs. Wendy comes in, she leaves. Mrs. Wendy isn’t to bad, she’s quiet and reads a lot, so not someone to worry about.

“So tell me bout last night.” Mandy turns to me.

I lick my lips and look down at my book.

“Oh no girly, spill. This has to be good if you won’t look at me.” she moves to the desk in font of me and straddles the chair.

I know I’ll tell her every thing, she’s my best friend and I know I can trust her.

“You can not tell any one, not even Paul. Promise?” I look at her.

“Oh yeah, most defiantly good if I can’t tell Paul.”

I sit up straighter. “I’m serious. Promise me.”

“Ok, ok, I won’t say anything to Pauly. So what’s up.”

I look around to make sure no ones paying any attention to us.

“My dad decided to play happy family last night and have all of us sit down and eat dinner. I pulled out a bottle of wine for my self and needless to say I got a little wasted. It was the only way I was going to survive it. It was pure hell. My dad kept smiling trying to start a conversation. Janet tried to get him to stop pushing, and Michel was obviously wanting to be some where else. Can’t say I blame him on that one.

“I finally couldn’t take it any more so me and my new friend red wine made it out side to the back deck. I was finishing it up-“

“Damn girl, a whole bottle by your self? You know better.” Mandy scolds.

“Trust me I know, I was still feeling it this morning. Any way, Michel finds me out there and for the life of me I can’t remember what happened,” I look around again and lean in, “but I ended up in his arms, kissing him.”

Mandy loudly gasps and snaps back. Her eyes are huge. “Oh hell girl.”

“Shhhh, keep it down Mandy.” I whisper. I look around again, no ones paying any attention to us, thank god.

“Oh come on Syd, how can you expect me to just let that go? Him? I knew it.” she looks at me and the look on her face confuses me.

“Knew what?” I ask.

“That there was more between you two.”

“Oh no, that was a one time thing, and I was drunk Mandy, you know what happens to me when I drink red wine, and an entire bottle by my self, no way in hell can I be held accountable for what I did. Besides he started it.”

I lean back in my chair.

“Right, and of course you didn’t enjoy it, drunk or not.” She looks at me.

I blush and look away. I can’t lie to her, so I just won’t answer, although I might as well have confessed.

“Oh. My. God. You enjoyed it, didn’t you.” She leans in and whispers.

My face gets redder and I still don’t look at her.

“Wow Syd.” Her voice is almost in awe.

I close my eyes as I feel tears start.

“Hey, it’s okay hon.”

“No it’s not. How could I have liked it Mandy? I don’t even like him as a person.” I look at her, my eyes a little wet.

“Well all it was was a kiss, right?” she asks.

I lick my lips. “I was drunk.” Is all I say.

She licks her lips. “So there was more?”

I nod.

“How much more?”

If any one else was asking me this I would be so defensive and mean. But it’s Mandy and I know where she’s coming from.

“There was tongue, hands, legs and…movement.” My face blazes as I say the last.

“Damn girl, even drunk you never let it get…that far.”

I close my eyes and lean my head back. “I know.”

“Is that why you don’t want Paul to know?”

My head snaps back up. “What?”

“You don’t want Paul to know how much you liked it, and by how your doing with me, it wouldn’t take him long to figure it out either.”

I lick my lips. “It really doesn’t matter.”

“Right, and you and Paul are just friends.” She turns her head to the side.

“We are. Paul and I talked about this, and we both agreed that being friends is better. We care about each other to much to take the chance of it ending badly if we did decide to take it to the next step. If it ended badly, it would never be the same between us, and the three of us would no longer be the three of us. It just messes everything up.”

“Right so you both play pretend and tip toe around each other. And now we add Michel to the equation.”

“Michel is not a part of this equation. Never has been and never will be.”

“Yeah Syd, keep telling your self that, and maybe some day you’ll believe it too.” She’s quiet for a moment and then asks me a question. “Paul doesn’t know you’re a virgin does he.”

“It’s never come up before, so I didn’t see a reason to say anything about it.”

I look at her, and deep down in me, a part I don’t want to look at, I know she’s right. A part of me wants Michel. A part of me wants to forget everything and just be with him.

“What am I going to do Mandy?” I whisper.

She takes my hands and squeezes them. “What ever it is, I will always be here for you, no matter what it is you do.”

I squeeze her hands back and feel a little bit better.