Chapter 17
To put your foot down
To say very firmly that someone must do something or must stop doing something.
• o 🦋 o •
I longed to hold his hands as we walked across the terrain of the soccer club but there were many people around so I could only walk as closely to Mica as possible.
“What was his name again?” Mica asked.
“Old Man Waylon. He’s usually pretty nice.. when you get to know him.”
“He sounds nice. ‘Old Man Waylon’. Maybe he was just having a bad day last time.”
“He better be nice cause if I hear one more person scream at you today…” I was seriously pissed at the idea.
Mica laughed.
“It’s not funny. I’m serious. I might just knock him out.”
Mica couldn’t help but laugh. “So you’re my overprotective boyfriend.” He seemed to find real amusement in the idea. “You hate blood, remember?”
“I’ll just close my eyes. If it comes to that anyway.”
“You’re sweet. Thanks, James.” Mica smiled at me. It put me at ease.
I wanted to hold his hand, only for a second but someone walked by us.
I sighed and led the way to Waylon’s office.
It was at the back of the little cafe on campus. I knocked and went on in. It was dark and dusty in here. I felt bad for Mica, he’d probably never seen a place this small and dirty.
“Jay. Good to see you.” Waylon said.
“Hey. Um, this is my… friend. Mica. And we’re here on very important business.”
“It’s nice to meet you.” Mica said reaching for Waylon’s hand.
“Waylon.” He said. He looked cautious. “And what business might that be?”
“Riley’s birthday party-”
“No.”
“Just listen!” I insisted.
“No! We have a junior practice that day.”
“We only need one field, though. They can have their competitions as long as they take a moment to acknowledge Riley’s Birthday.” Mica said.
“‘Acknowledge Riley’s birthday’? That sounds an awful lot like special treatment. In this soccer club everyone is equal.”
“I understand that but…” Mica thought for a moment. “Didn’t she coach the junior league for two summers in a row?”
Old Man Waylon had nothing to say to that.
“And she did that for free, just to help out even though it saved you a lot of costs. Don’t you think it’s fair to honor her for that?”
Damn. Mica could be pretty firm if the wanted to. I reminded myself never to get in a fight with him because… well, obviously he’d win.
Old Man Waylon was taken aback too. He recovered quickly.
“We bought her half a cake, thank you very much.”
Mica sighed. “Waylon, it won’t cost you anything.”
His eyes were stuck on Waylon’s face. If Mica looked at me like that I would’ve fainted and given him whatever he wanted after. Even if he wanted my wallet, hell, my house!
“You think because you have money you can say what’s going on around here? Well, think again. I run this place and I say no.”
“Come on! That is so unfair!” I stepped in. “It’s not Mica’s fault he’s rich! And shouldn’t we be applauding him for using his money for something as selfless as throwing his friend a birthday party? Why are you being such an asswipe!”
“I will not be bought!”
“No one’s buying you anything!”
“James, it’s okay. We’ll just-”
“No! I’m not tolerating this!” I insisted. “Waylon, you’re going to let us celebrate Riley’s birthday here and you’re going to make it special. I don’t care if I have to call every single parent from the Junior league to convince them.”
“I said-”
I stepped forward. “Riley and Mica are the most beautiful, kind, selfless people I know. For you to say no to a great idea out of sheer pride just shows how terrible of a person you really are. I never thought you were like this. You were always there to help us, what’s changed?”
Waylon looked out of the window.
“Did you stop caring?”
“No! Of course not! I just..” Waylon looked at us, his eyes lingered on Mica who was staring at the ground. He looked so disappointed. That was the last thing I wanted. I knew things were hard for him. He just wanted to do something nice and I was there to make sure that that happened. No matter what. I would die if he was let down again.
Waylon’s look softened and he sighed. “I’m a spit-wad.” Waylon got up and came over to Mica.
“I’m sorry.” He held Mica by his shoulders. “I’m so sorry for being so doggone stubborn. Sometimes my pride gets the better of me. I can tell you’re a good kid.”
Waylon smacked my arm. “Especially if you’re hanging out with this one over here.”
Mica smiled. “So, does that mean..?”
“Yes. Of course you can throw Riley’s birthday party here. In fact! I’ll make sure the entire Junior team sings her a song about team spirit! And! We’ll have her birthday announced every hour!”
Mica and I laughed at Waylon’s enthusiasm.
• o 🦋 o •
Waylon and I were the only ones in the cafe. We were drinking root beer and Mica was making a phone call outside. He was ordering a bouncy-house.
I chuckled at him. He would do anything in his power to make this Riley’s best birthday ever.
“What a sweet kid.” Waylon said before taking a sip from his drink.
“Yeah, he is. I gotta say you looked pretty stupid in there. Fighting him like that.” I laughed.
“Yeah, alright! I apologized! Geez. I’ve been in a bad mood lately. Things at home- whatever.” Waylon sighed and took another drink. He looked outside. “I’m sure he’s popular with the ladies. Nothing not to like.”
“Is it that clear?”
Waylon laughed. “Come on! He’s a prince on a white horse.”
I wondered how many people agreed. Well, I guess I didn’t wonder. I feared.
I took a big sip of my drink.
“Yeah, he’s a great catch. Good job.” Waylon said, patting my arm.
I choked on my drink and coughed heavily.
“Well, don’t choke!” Waylon got up.
God, I totally heard that wrong.
“I’ll get you some water.” He said.
“No, it’s okay.” I said when I caught my breath again. “I though you said ‘He’s a great catch’.” I chuckled.
Old man Waylon laughed. Then he said: “I did.”
“What?!”
“Keep him close.” He winked.
I was so shocked. How obvious was it that I loved him?!
Mica came back in looking more than pleased. “It’s entirely yellow! Riley’s favorite color!”
I smiled at him. Waylon watched him with delight.
• o 🦋 o •
There were only a few people still at the club including Mica and I. We were strolling around just chatting. I was still preoccupied with the fact I’d let yet another person in on our relationship, without saying anything! I knew this would happen. I suck at secrets.
“What’s on your mind?” Mica asked.
I sighed. “Just that.. Look, I don’t want you to worry but.. I’m not exactly great at keeping secrets. Even when I don’t say anything, people, like my family just seem to read it off my face.” I glanced at Mica. “I obviously won’t tell anyone but.. How long do you want to keep this a secret?”
“Um..” Mica rubbed his hands together.
The sun was setting and the entire campus was golden in its light. We were walking by a little pond nearby..
“I guess I hadn’t really thought about.. How this would be for you. I’m sorry.”
“That’s not what I’m getting at, I’ll wait forever if you want me to.. I just need to know what your plan is.”
Mica sat in the grass and peered at the pond. I joined him.
He looked so distressed. This was the last thing I wanted for him.
“I don’t know.”
“I mean.. we’re not telling anyone because of your dad, right? …What would he do if he found out about us?”
Mica didn’t say anything. He just wore that same face of worry.
After a while he met my eyes.
“Do you want to break up?” He looked so sad.
“No! Of course not!” I held his hands. “I’m just saying.. I just think you should have a plan, is all.”
Mica sighed and leaned on my shoulder. I kept holding his hand and wrapped my other arm around him. I could feel him relax in my arms.
“You know.. If your dad kicks you out or does anything to hurt you, you can always stay with us.”
Mica chuckled. “Absolutely not. You would grow tired of me in a week.”
“I could never grow tired of you.”
“You haven’t seen my morning routine yet. You wouldn’t get any rest.”
“What’s your morning routine then?” I smirked.
“I wake up at five-”
“YOU WAKE UP AT FIVE?!”
Mica began to laugh.
“How are you not burnt out yet?”
“Well, ballet is fun so.. that’s kind of like my break.”
His work is his break?
“Anyway, then I drink a glass of water, do some stretching and get ready for the day. I have a quick breakfast and then I do a simple ballet class before school-”
“A ‘simple’ ballet class?” Why did I feel like his idea of simple was doing strenuous dancing?
“It’s not intense or anything. It’s actually really calm and relaxing.”
“Right.”
“And then I go to school.”
“And when you get home you get what.. two hours to do your homework and then it’s more ballet?”
“Pretty much.”
“And you do that every day.”
“Yeah.”
“Well, that sounds exhausting but ignoring that, how would that drive me crazy?”
“Well, my alarm going off so early, I would constantly be in everybody’s way dancing and playing music obnoxiously, I always have a smoothie for breakfast and that would make a lot of noise-”
“No one cares about any of that, though. Mica, my sister used to wake up at three in the morning screaming when she was a baby. And annoying as it was, it didn’t really matter because we loved her and we knew she had to go through that so she could evolve.”
“Well, your sister has her adorableness to make up for it.”
“That’s not the point, you’re way cuter by the way,”
Mica scoffed.
“My family loves you, and so do I.. And you’re not half as bothersome as you think you are.”
What the frick?! DID I JUST I SAY I LOVE HIM?
I froze in place.
See? I can’t lie. And now Mica was probably going to freak out..
I felt his soft lips on my cheek. I looked at him surprised.
“Thanks for being so kind and patient.” Mica took a breath.
I was relieved he didn’t think anything of me saying I love him.
“I really mean it. You can always come to us. You don’t have to stay with him if he treats you bad.”
“He’s all I have.” Mica said. “I just don’t want things to change.”
So.. he wanted to stay with his dad? Of course I could understand that to some degree but.. George seemed so scary. And what happened at the ballet and Mica never getting a break were things I just couldn’t ignore.
I was about to tell him that when Mica stood up. He was smiling all happily like nothing was wrong.
“Why don’t you try riding on the back this time?” His eyes were sparkling.
I scoffed. “Are you sure? I’m pretty heavy.”
“I’m pretty strong.” Mica smirked.
Oh gosh. Butterflies.
Mica held out his hand. I gladly took it and he lifted me up.
He began walking toward my bike.
I looked around and found us alone.
“Wait,” I took Mica’s hand and pulled him close. His hands rested against my chest. He looked surprised and soon he began to blush.
“We’re alone now.” I said.
Mica nodded and shyly glanced at the ground.
I lifted his chin up and kissed him. Mica made a quiet little squeal that I was never going to be able to forget.
He tasted like strawberries. His lips were soft and angelic. Kissing him was heavenly. I wish every second of every day was this sweet.