Chapter 5

Michelle and Charles ate their lunch in a quick five minutes. She was determined to find out who the mystery guy is. As soon as she saw that Charles was done, she grabbed him up quickly and they rushed briskly down the hall into the high school office.
"Excuse me, Ms.King, did you see any new suspicious students today?" Michelle asked panting out of breath.
"Not that I know of, Michelle. Why?"
"How about any guys asking about information on me? Anything like that?"
"Now, that you mention it, I do remember a guy coming in asking about you. He said he was a really close friend of yours and needed to leave something in your locker?"
"Why didn't he just leave it here in the office?" Charles pondered loudly.
"Quiet, Charles! What did he look like? This is extremely important."
"He was a little taller than you like maybe 5'8 or 5'9, brown hair and eyes, and he was burly too.""Did he tell you his name?" Michelle fired questions dying for the answers."No. Not at all."
"So, let me get this straight: a random guy comes into a Christian school, asks about a particular student, you give that guy her locker number, he gives you no information about himself, and you're fine with that? I'm sorry, but I question my safety in this school." Charles blurted out his opinion.
"Charles, it's ok. I know who it is for sure. I'll just meet him later tonight and talk to him about it. No big deal. Thank you, Ms. King."Michelle couldn't wait for school to be over with and dismissed for the day. She was dying to go home, unpack her bag, and make a visit to her new found neighbors down the street. She didn't know whether to feel good about herself that she had an admirer or feel heated because she had a creep following her.She told Charles she'd call him later once she found out everything she wanted to know.
"Hey! We need to go." She told her Morgan while she was talking to her friends on the steps.
"Wait! Why? You said we had an hour. School just let out.
""Well, something important came up, and I need to check it out. So, you either get inside the car or find another way home. Your choice."
"Fine! I'll find a ride back home." Morgan crossed her arms testing her older sister.
"Fine. Good luck with that." Michelle got into her car and drove off.She drove for a while contemplating on what to do when she got to his house. How was she going to respond? How would he react? Would he be surprised? Is he even the guy? So many thought crossed through her mind at once. She was just confused.
Before actually stopping by her house like her original plan, she decided to just drop by at the grandmother's house and pay him an unexpected visit."You can do this, Elle. The worst he can do is deny it all." She coached herself as she walked up the steps to the door. She knocked two times and was greeted by the elderly woman. "Oh hi. Do you remember me from the other night?"
"Of course! Isn't you're name Miley?"
Elle couldn't help but chuckle at the silly mistaken name called out, "No, it's Michelle. Is Mark here by any chance?"
"No, he's out doing business. Would you like to wait til he comes back?"
"No, that's ok. Um, do you know when he'll be back?"
"Possibly by 9. Do you want me to tell him you stopped by?"
"No, that's alright. I want to surprise him. Thank you for your help. I'll see you soon."
Once she was done talking to the older woman, she decided to take a drive around the park, which was five minutes from where she lived. Her parents used to bring her and her sister there all the time. She loved the fall breeze and the sweet smell of the water. She loved watching children playing tag and swinging. She wish she could go back in time and not worry about anything.She spent half and hour thinking about everything going on in her life. Things ranging from graduating high school, applying and getting accepted into college, meeting new people, and enjoying life more and more. She felt amazing after spending some time by herself for herself. "Something I should do more often." She sighed to herself.
After her alone time, she finally made her way back home. She was greeted by her angry father. He was furious. His arms were crossed, his face frowning, and his foot tapping. "Where the heck have you been? Not only are you late, but I caught your sister getting out of some boy's car. My question is why was she in a guy's car to begin with?"
"I told her I had something important to do. If she wanted to come she could come with me or find her way back. She decided to catch a ride with someone else. That's not my fault." She defended herself.
"Where were you? Were you with that Mark guy that I told you not to see? What is wrong with you? You don't listen!"
"Actually, I did go by his house, but he wasn't there. Then I went to the park and spent time by myself. I need that space because every time I come here you're jumping on my case. Leave me alone!"
"You're grounded!"
"What?! Why?"
"Because you think you can talk back to me and get away with it? I think not. Therefore you are grounded for two weeks."
"You're horrible! I can't wait to leave this house. I hate you!" Michelle marched up the stairs. She was so heated that she cried herself to a deep nap. She didn't even hear Morgan walk into the room or her mother calling her name for dinner.When she did wake up around 9:30 p.m. she remembered what happened and wanted to talk to Mark still. She combed her hair and brushed her teeth and sneaked out of her window to see Mark.She made it to his house and knocked on the door softly yet hard enough for someone to hear. At first there was no response, so she knocked again. The second time, he answered the door without a shirt and only boxers.
"Oh hey! What are you doin here?" he asked.
"I have to ask you a question. Did you leave two notes in my locker? Don't lie to me either."
"Yeah, I did."
"O ok. Um...why?"
"Because I meant what I said, and I wanted you to know. I hope that's alright," he leaned in closer to her.
"Uh, yeah. No problem. Just wondering. Good night." She walked extremely fast back to her house. "I'm such an idiot. He'll never talk to me again. Stupid. What's wrong with me? I'm such an idiot. Game freaking over now!"

Chapter 4

It was Wednesday, which meant that the first week of school was almost half way over, and it was closer to the weekend. Despite getting yelled at and slapped by her father the day before, Michelle was pretty excited about today. She had no particular reason to be, but she just was. She awoke earlier than her usual 7:45 schedule. She began her morning by actually taking a jog around her neighborhood; she felt the need for speed that day. When she arrived back home around six o’clock, her household was still asleep in their rooms. She took a quick shower, put on her regular tomboyish clothes, and went back under the covers until it was closer to the time to leave for school.
It was 8:25 when Michelle woke back up; she was still just as energized as when she woke up the first time. She knocked on her sister’s door to make sure she was getting ready, so that they could leave the house in ten minutes. After doing that, she went downstairs to say her good mornings to her parents.
“You’re in a chipper mood this morning,” Elaine smiled to her daughter when she saw her skip in to the kitchen.
“Yeah, what’s gotten into you, young lady?” Ben put in his two cents while reading the paper.
“Oh nothing. I just woke up and felt super great. At first I got up around five thirty and went for a quick around the neighborhood. I didn’t realize how peaceful our community is. Then when I got back, I showered and got dressed and went back to sleep. Now, I’m awake and loving this new day.”
“Well, hopefully this will make your day a little better because your father has something he wants to tell you.” Elaine nudged her husband.
“Um, yes, uh, Elle, I, uh, wanted to, um, apologize about, uh, yesterday. I was, um, a little out of um, line and I’m, uh, sorry,’ her father struggled with getting the words out. Even all the while, he couldn’t even look at the person he was talking to. He, instead, was looking at the newspaper.
“You know what, Dad? I don’t except your apology. If you can’t even look into my eyes, instead of at your stupid paper, and say those words without stumbling over them, then I refuse to accept it. What you have to say is worthless, and I don’t care anymore. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to go to school.”
When Michelle and Morgan left for school, Ben was furious, but he also looked hurt.
“Ben, I told you she may or may not forgive you. Now you know her answer. Don’t be mad at her either. Honestly, I wouldn’t accept that apology either. You’ve never stumbled over your words ever as long as I’ve known you, yet you apologize to your own daughter and struggle each and every way possible. I just don’t get it, Ben, not at all. Now, I need to go to work. I’ll see you for dinner.”
Ben Harper was left alone at the kitchen table with nothing to say or do but look at the newspaper that suddenly didn’t matter anymore.

“He did what?” Charles freaked when his friend told him what happened after school yesterday and this morning as they were heading to their homerooms.
“Yeah, he called me into his office. He yelled at me then slapped me pretty much for no good reason. Then he decided he wanted to apologize for everything, but his apology was lame as heck. I told him in his face I didn’t accept it. He’s so fake. I just can’t trust him.”
“Yeah, that’s rough. Who hits their own daughter and treats them like that?”
“Apparently, mine does that; however, I refuse to let him bring me down today. I was so hyped up, and I’ll still continue to be hyped up no matter what. This is a great day!”
“Yeah, it won’t be so great if we’re both late for homeroom. I’ll catch ya later on our way to first period. Peace.”
Homeroom lasted about five minutes before classes officially started. Besides attendance being taken, nothing really happened in that class. To Michelle it was just another way to waste a good five minutes. When it finally let out, she met up with Charles, and they walked to their lockers. When she opened her locker, she found another note inside reading:
Dear, Michelle, sorry for not seeing you last night as you went out looking for me. I hope to see you really soon to make it up to you.
“Again?’ she whispered to herself as she reread the anonymous note again.
“Elle, what is it?” Charles looked over her shoulder.
“This note. I got one yesterday, and now I have one again this morning. I have no idea who it’s from. To be truthful, it’s kinda freaking me out.”
“That’s strange. Have you seen anyone hanging around school acting weird?”
“No. All of these lame guys here still act the same and show no interest in me. I have an idea, but I think it might be a little too far fetched.”
“Who do you think it is?”
“I think it’s Mark from down the street from me. The only thing is, I hardly talked to him at all, and I didn’t tell him what high school I go to or even which is my locker number. Also, how did he know I went out last night for a walk? I’m just really confused right now.”
“Well, maybe we can go ask the office if they know who the guy is. He had to have asked which one your locker is, unless he took a random guess. In which he’d be good. But we must not be good today, cause we keep running behind on time. And if we don’t hurry up in less than fifty seconds, we’re gonna be late for first bell. You know how these teachers are too. I’ll catch ya at lunch.”
“Ok, cool. But we’ll need to eat super-fast. I want to know who this guy is by the end of today.”