MICHELLE
OCTOBER 11TH, 2004

I HATE MONDAYS, BUT I HATE MAEVE MORE. For the past three hours that we've been at school she wouldn't leave me alone. I missed valuable Gerard time because she kept appearing out of nowhere and ruining the moment.

"Johnny is very pushy when it comes to rugby, but I don't really mind." Gerard shrugged, following me out of the classroom.

"He's really good isn't he? I mean, everyone is always talking about it." I asked, brushing my hair out of my eyes so I could see his face.

"Yeah," he nodded, moving to walk by my side "he's in the academy and everything. He really wants to 'go pro', it's like his life long dream."

I looked down the hall to make sure I wasn't about to run into anyone before looking back up at him "I've never actually seen him play, I've only heard the girls in gym gossiping about the 'hot future famous number 13' and how much they want to 'ride him'."

Gerard snorted at the information while lightly pushing some random kid who was standing in the middle of the hallway out of his way.

"I'm guessing rugby here is what football is over in the U.S." my eyes caught a glimpse of red hair pushing through the crowd of people in the hallway and I almost groaned.

Gerard shrugged "I wouldn't know."

"Mickey." The high pitched voice called out, pushing the people in front of her to the side. "Glad I caught you."

"Why." I finally groaned "why do you keep following me."

Maeve glared over at Gerard who was now awkwardly scratching his chin.

"I need to talk to you."

I rolled my eyes "again? Is it at least something important this time?"

Last time she pulled me out of my leisure stroll with Gerard she asked me if she would look better with darker hair, or highlights. I told her if she dyed her hair it would be the biggest mistake she's ever made.

She had such pretty and soft bright red hair. It made her stick out among crowds of people and I knew she loved to stick out.

Plus, she looked like mom.

"Where are you heading?" She pulled my arm and dragged me away from the blond I had recently been in a conversation with.

I spun back "I'll see you in history!" I called back to Gerard, who sent me a big smile and a wave.

I love his smile.

"You're heading to history?" Maeve asked, wrapping her arm around mine.

"No." I said, pulling my arm out of her grasp "I'm heading to my locker, then I'm heading to lunch."

Maeve narrowed her eyes "Then why won't you see him at lunch."

Because I'm too scared of his friends to talk to him. I mean, they're all over six feet tall and extremely muscular. It makes me feel small and I hate feeling small.

"Because we don't sit together."

"Why not?"

"Because I don't want to, Maeve."

We arrived at my locker and Maeve went quiet long enough for me to open it. Her eyes narrowed on everyone who walked passed as if she was waiting for one of them to turn into an octopus. Then once most of the people in the hallway disappeared she turned to me, a questioning look in her eyes.

I immediately knew she was about to cross boundaries.

"Have you guys fucked yet?" She asked as if it was the most normal question in the world.

"Maeve!" My voice cracked from embarrassment. "No! Why would you even ask that?"

She shrugged "because everyone wants to bone you."

I visibly recoiled "one, don't say 'bone' in that context ever again, especially about me. Second, the fuck are you talking about?"

Maeve rolled to her side so that she was now facing me. "You haven't heard? Everyone is taking about the new American girl with long tan legs and perfect tits."

I nearly gagged "I did not need to know that."

"You're like every guys dirty dream right now."

This time I did gag "Maeve, seriously. I could've gone my entire life without that kind of information."

I slammed my locker shut and began my walk to the lunch room, Maeve practically skipping after me.

"I'm the one who has to hear about it in class. I feel bad for the things Finn probably hears in the locker room." Maeve wrapped her arm around mine again. "You want to sit with me at lunch today."

Strange Segway? "No." My voice trailed off as I glared at the girl beside me.

What is she up to?

"Why not?"

"Because you're annoying and I'm betting your friends are annoying too."

"Hey! They didn't do anything to you."

She wasn't wrong, but I've seen Maeve and her friends skipping down the hallways every now and then and they look like the group of girls I would activity try to avoid.

"Maybe not, but I don't care. I don't ever want to talk to them." I hummed as we entered the lunch room.

"Please, Michelle." She began to actually beg me. I knew something was off because she would never actually willingly want to hang out with me.

"What's the catch?"

"What catch? There's no catch?" She looked offended that I even asked.

"There's always a catch with you." I hummed, pushing her lightly with my shoulder as she led me towers a table filled with a bunch of thirteen year old girls.

"Not this time."

"I don't believe you." I pulled my arm from her grasp again. "Tell me."

She lightly pushed my shoulder "I told you no catch."

I glared at her as she grabbed my hand, leading me between two tables.

I pulled my hands from hers "stop touching me." I mumbled, lightly pushing her. "You're not telling me something and I want to know what it is."

"I'll stop touching you if I stop pushing me." Maeve growled, pushing me back.

"I'll stop pushing you if you tell me why you suddenly want to hang out with me." I pushed her again.

"I just want to hang out with you." She pushed me and I stumbled back slightly.

"No you don't." I glared at the girl. "The other day you literally told me to go back to America because nobody here liked me." I pushed her and this time she stumbled back.

She immediately pushed me again and this time I went stumbling back, catching myself on the chair behind me. "Yeah, well, I wasn't wrong."

I didn't push her back this time. "I'm not sitting at that table until you tell me why you I want me to."

Maeve slapped a hand over her face. "Fine." She groaned, stepping in front of me so that she could whisper whatever she was about to say. "You're like super liked right now and if I bring you to my table then I'll be even cooler."

I laughed. It was short, but honestly genuine. "You're using me for popularity?" That could either be an insult or a compliment coming from her. In order to make myself feel better, I'm assuming it's a compliment.

"Ugh, don't make me say it again. It was embarrassing enough the first time." She ran her hands through her hair. "Just sit with me."

Her eyes went soft and it looked like she was about to cry. As an older sister I hated seeing that look on her face, it made me want to cry. Even though for the past month that I've been here she's been a bitch, she was still my baby sister.

Maybe I would have actually sat down at the table and endured thirty minutes of teenage girls gossiping, but someone else happened to join our conversation.

"Michelle?"

Both Maeve and I turned to see who was talking to me. My heart nearly fell out of my asshole when my eyes landed on the silvery-grey that I had grown so fond of.

"Gerard?"

My stomach immediately began to spin in circles as I looked down at the boy sitting in the chair I had crashed into a minute ago.

"Hi." We said in sync. A small smile grew on his lips as a mirroring one formed on mine.

I just saw him less than ten minutes ago and somehow looking at him now felt like the first time again.

"What are you doing over here?" He asked. His eyes flickered over to Maeve's and I noticed the small glare that replaced the smile when his eyes landed on her.

"Maeve." I pointed back at my sister, whose sad eyes had morphed into an annoyed pair.

Then I looked around at the rest of the people all staring at us and my heart dropped even further.

There were almost twenty other guys, all being a very large sized, at this table. Thankfully only the three on Gerard's end seemed to be interested in what was going on. The only thing that calmed my nerves was the brunette boy I recognized from our multiple run-ins and the little ginger girl sitting beside one of the boys.

"Hey Mikey." Johnny smiled, waving at me.

I waved back stiffly, still glancing around at the other two strange boys skeptically. It's like a part of me was expecting them to jump up and turn into dinosaurs and eat me.

Thankfully the small red head seemed to notice the awkwardness and stood up. "Hey!" Her voice was super sweat and very calming "I'm Katie, you must be Michelle."

How did she know my name?

She held out her hand waiting for me to shake it. I did, "you can call me Mikey." I mumbled.

She only smiled brighter "you want to join us?"

Do I want to join them?

Not really.

They were starting to scare me.

I mean, why were they looking at me like that?

I couldn't say no though. That would probably offend them and then they would hate me and attempt to shove me in a locker. Only I'm too big to fit in a locker so they would probably break my arms and legs in the process.

I turned back to Maeve, hoping she would help me out of this mess.

News flash! she didn't.

AUTHOR TALKS!!
I'm not exactly sure it ever mentions how Johnny hurt his leg in binding 13 or when. I know he mentions he had surgery for it but I don't remember if he said October or December, but I'm assuming some time mid-December because one of the biggest problems was caused because he hadn't healed properly because he didn't stop playing.