Fragments of Memories

[Megami*]

((Lauren and Michael ontinued from Life is a Crowded Hallway))

The doors to the school building swung open with a light whoosh, and just as the cool breeze of the air conditioner had been beating across his body for some time now, it was suddenly gone, and gave way to the warm glow of the sunlight outside. Michael Hardy's eyes scanned the area around the school courtyard. He wasn't surprised that the area was completely devoid of anybody. Everyone was supposed to be in class right now, after all. Michael let out an exasperated sigh and rubbed the back of his aching head lightly. He was still in mild shock over the entire scenario that had just unfolded in the middle of the hallway. How had it all gone so wrong, so fast? How had he almost managed to lose a fight to someone like Blood Boy, of all people? It had been a blow to his pride and ego more than anything, but reliving the events left Michael cringing regardless. He let out a light yawn and moved over to the shade of one of the many trees scattered throughout the courtyard.

"Fuck," he uttered quietly, closing his eyes as he leaned against the rough bark of the tall tree.

What the hell happened back there anyway? I should've been in control. I hadn't expected that little fucker to lunge out at me... shit, I hadn't even expected him to fight back. It just caught me so offguard.

Michael's thoughts were thoroughly interrupted as the sound of the school doors opening echoed out once again. His eyes shot open and fixated on the doors, and for a moment, he wondered if it was Blood Boy, back to finish the bout they'd started. Either way, he'd gotten the upper hand toward the end of the fight -- thanks in part to a little inadvertant help from Adwin, but still -- so if he was looking to finish things, Michael was all for it. He didn't find Blood Boy standing on the small concrete patio that lead out into the courtyard. Instead, he found a much more familiar face, and one he could definitely say he was happier to see. A light smirk graced his lips as he thought that, perhaps, she had followed him out here after the incident in the hallway. Then again, maybe that was just what he'd wanted to happen.

Lauren Van Asche froze as she exited the school building only to spot the person she had been purposely trying to avoid leaning up against one of the courtyard trees only about thirty feet away from her. For a moment, she contemplated turning around and going back inside, but her feet seemed like they were slated to the ground. Her eyes stared vacantly past Michael, and she deliberated whether or not to even address him as she walked by. She wouldn't have to worry about striking up another conversation, because Michael had already initiated it before she had time to decide for herself whether she wanted to speak to him at all.

"Are you stalking me?" he inquired with a smug grin.

Her eyes narrowed lightly and she shook her head, but couldn't help but allow the playful smile that was sliding its way across her face to show through, "You wish."

"Maybe," he responded amorously, catching her somewhat offguard.

She decided not to dignify his answer with a response. She didn't really know what to say to that, anyway. Instead, she wandered over to the tree he was leaning on.

"For me being such a 'bad guy' and a bully, you're sure not keeping your distance," he mused.

"Should I be?" she inquired.

Michael shrugged nonchalantly and rubbed the back of his head once again. He couldn't quite figure out why, but he kept getting this stinging sensation somewhere near his temple that just wouldn't seem to go away. His blue eyes locked with her sea green ones for just a moment, but Lauren quickly looked at the ground.

"What happened back there anyway?" she responded quickly, as if trying to change the subject from a potentially awkward situation.

"You heard Adwin," Michael responded with another shrug, "I'm the bad guy. I randomly decided to pick on the freakshow and he tried to kick my ass for it."

The large grin that was forming on his features belied the fact that what he was saying was the absolute truth.

"I'm telling you, she's hit one too many bongs in her day. If you really wanna know what happened, she plowed into him in the hallway and I just happened to walk by at the time. I kicked his mask on accident and picked it up to give it back to him, and before I could, he was at my throat about returning it and trying to gouge my eyes out. But, you can believe whichever version you want."

He was smiling as he said it, as though it didn't really matter to him what Lauren believed. She didn't respond at all. It was true that virtually everybody at Southridge High School knew that Adwin was a bit -- no, a lot -- of a pothead, and marijuana can do some crazy things to you at times. There was really no way of knowing if Adwin had been late for class because she was standing outside getting high just beforehand, just like there was no way of knowing if Blood Boy had instigated the entire thing or if Michael had, in fact, been the culprit. Lauren just sighed quietly. She supposed it didn't really matter to her anyway, because regardless, it didn't affect her at all. At least, that was what she kept telling herself. When she looked back up at Michael, she noticed the dark crimson substance trickling down the side of his face, and reflexively reached up to wipe the substance away. This caught Michael offguard, and he turned to look at her curiously.

"You're... you're bleeding," she stammered out quickly, holding up the index and middle finger that were painted a light pink in color from his blood.

"So I am," he replied, "Guess he got me a little harder than I thought."

He cracked a light smile before rubbing his bleeding ear. Lauren responded with a half-hearted smile of her own, although her eyes seemed to remain on the ground. Maybe she felt awkward standing here, worrying about something that had happened to her ex-boyfriend. He thought that perhaps he should've felt guilty. He was the one who had broken up with her, after all. A faint frown crossed his lips as he thought about the entire incident and how resigned she seemed to have been when he told her he didn't think they should see one another anymore. Now, though, he was the one who couldn't help but wonder if he'd made a huge mistake, and Lauren seemed completely content with the way things were. Part of him resented her for it a little bit, but he wouldn't let it show.

"I'm up here," he mused after a moment, using his hand to glide her chin up until his face was in her line of vision, "There's nothing interesting on the ground."

"I should go," she responded quickly, pulling away from him just a little, "I've gotta meet Zack... tutoring."

"Hm..." he frowned as she quickly turned away and vanished back into the school building.

I'll never understand that girl...

He watched as the building's doors swung closed once again before quickly rubbing the small trail of blood away from his ear again. He leaned back up against the bark of the tree and closed his eyes. It didn't take long before thoughts of his distant past vanished from his mind and returned to what had happened immediately prior. He couldn't help but think that this thing with Blood Boy was far from over. He owed him a rematch, or, at the very least, a very painful form of payback. He could already hear Adwin's voice chastising him again, and more importantly, Lauren's, but he simply shrugged it off. He didn't like being made out to be a fool, and right now, that oversized ego and male pride of his were stinging something fierce.

((Lauren continued in A Single Piano))
((Michael continued in Party Hardy, Rock and Roll))