No thanks to Michael we had the best project in the class. But I found myself spending more time at his house or him at mine. We didn't even have anything important to work on or talk about. We mostly watched our favorite TV shows or listened to music.

Today we're hanging out in my living room, listening to music and staring at our phones. He sits up and looks at me.

"Did you hear about this party everyone's going to tomorrow night?" he asks.

"No. Why?"

"I want to go."

"Whose party is it? I'm not going if I don't like them," I reply.

He shrugs. "Nobody really knows, but everyone's going."

"Who do you mean by 'everyone'?" He laughs. "I'm serious! It could be anybody!"

"Would you go if I went?" he asks. I stare at him for a moment, considering if I would or not.

"I don't know."

"C'mon, Makenna. Please? Don't you trust me? If anything went wrong, you'd know I'd try to keep you as safe as I possibly could."

I sigh. "Fine. I'll go, but we'll have to drag the others along."

"Good," he says, smiling widely.

Michael leans back until his head is resting in my lap. I look down at him and trace features on his face with my finger.

"Do your parents like me?" he asks.

"Yeah. They think you're great. A little crazy but great."

He laughs. "I can be insane."

"Well so can I."

"That's true too."

I play with the ends of his faded purple-maroon hair. He still hasn't dyed it for his indecisiveness. I want him to dye it dark brown or maybe something completely crazy.

"What if I brought you to band practice?" he asks.

"Are you serious?"

"Yeah. I think it'd be cool."

"I shouldn't distract you from working."

"It's not a job," he says with a laugh. "It's just something we do for fun."

"Have you considered doing something with it?"

"A little bit."

He pauses as I continue playing with his hair. He looks ready to fall asleep.

"What are your dreams, Makenna?" he says.

"I just want to get out of school and move out of here and live near my friends."

"What about kids?"

I laugh. "Why do you want to know?"

"I just want to know everything about you. I want to know where you want to be."

"I never really wanted kids, but if I had one I would love it with everything I had."

"Would you get married?"

"If it's the right person," I reply.

"What's your dream job?"

"Is it weird that I want to work with dead bodies?"

He laughs. "Not really. I've heard worse."

"I doubt it."

"You know, I was thinking the other day. You're the first girl I've ever trusted like this."

"How exactly is that?"

"I feel like I can tell you everything without having to hold back. You wouldn't get mad at everything I say."

"I trust you too, but I'm just saying that I can get mad over little things."

He looks up at me with a questioning glance, slightly cocking an eyebrow. I sigh, and he takes my hand and plays with my fingers.

"Small things can piss me off because I hold it in for a long time before I blow up, and when I do it's really bad. Ask the girls."

"I believe you," he says. "I'll be here when you get mad."

"Thanks."

"So the party?"

"We'll go."

"Are you sure?"

"As long as you'll be there."

«««««»»»»»

Michael picks me up the next night to go to the party. We talk a little as he drives to wherever the hell we're going. I'm a little nervous since nobody knows whose party it is. Plus I'm with Michael. I'm always nervous around him anyway.

We get to the house, and people are everywhere. I hear music from inside before I even open my door.

Michael comes around and grabs my hand, walking with me. "Are you ready?" he asks.

"I guess."

He puts his arm around me, pulling me closer to him. He then moves his hand to my lower back.

"Just stick with me," he says. "Everything will be okay."

I nod and follow him inside. Some people are obviously drunk, and it's dark inside. Loud music plays while people dance. Drunk, sweaty bodies grinding on each other. I smell cigarette smoke as we walk through the door.

As I hear the familiar music playing and notice who's here, I feel a little more relaxed. I recognize a few of the outsiders of our school. They're the people I talk to more than preps. I feel better about this.

"Do you want to dance with me?" Michael asks as he leans down closer to my ear. He has to shout over the music.

I shake my head. "Not really."

"A drink?"

I shake my head no again. He frowns a bit.

"What do you want to do?"

"Stay with you."

"Trust me. I'm not leaving."

I follow him through the crowds until he finds a drink for himself. He opens the beer and takes a drink. As we walk through the house, a lot of people say something to him, and he'll get really happy to see them. I never realized he knew so many people.

He sits on a couch and invites me on his lap. I give him a questioning look, and he rolls his eyes and pulls me down. He puts his arm around me and smiles.

He almost seems like a different person. It's like he gained more confidence as we walked in the door. I like the cocky attitude, but I hope it's only for the time we're here.

He takes several more drinks. I watch as his expression changes, and I can tell he's beginning to be tipsy.

I get my hopes up in hopes to see any of our friends. So far I haven't seen any of them. I doubt they're here. I know the girls don't like parties at all. I don't that much. I'd rather stay home and marathon my favorite TV shows than go out somewhere. But I didn't want Michael to go alone or not at all. So I decide I might as well live a little.

"Can we still dance?" I ask him. He smiles a little.

"Sure," he says. I stand up, and he follows me.

Michael leads me to the rest of the people dancing. He brings me close to him, and we start moving to the beat of the song. It's a deep, heavy, and fast rhythm.

He holds onto my waist, getting as close as he dares. I move even closer to the point we're touching. I practically begin grinding on him, and he closes his eyes, slightly parting his lips.

He leans his head down, placing his forehead on mine. I feel his hot breath fan across my face. He smirks at me. I like this side to him.

The song changes, and we continue moving in similar ways as before. I can see his hair sticking to his forehead, but he keeps giving me chills as he breathes on my neck.

He suddenly pushes my hair to the side, cool air hitting my neck. He places his lips there.

Suddenly he stops moving, and he moves closer to my ear. "Why don't we go somewhere else?" he asks.

I nod, and he pulls me out of the crowd and to his car. As he drives I can feel this strange kind of tension between us. It's a good tension, and a knot is forming in my stomach.

He pulls onto an unused road. Nobody would ever see us here. We move to the backseat to have more room.

Michael immediately puts his lips on mine. I put my fingers in his hair, and he hums in pleasure. His hands wander and go up my shirt. He lays me down and is now over me.

After a few minutes he pulls away to catch his breath. He looks at me with the same smirk on his swollen pink lips.

"I'm not about to lose my virginity in a car am I?" I ask. He laughs and takes a deep breath.

"No," he replies, shaking his head.

He leans down and kisses my face and neck gently.

"Thank you," he says.

"For what?"

"Everything."

He kisses my lips again. He went from really really hot and sexy to cute and cuddly, and I can't even choose which side to him I like more.

All I know is that we just made out in the back of his car, and we danced very sexually on each other. I never thought I'd like him this much.