After (UNEDITED)

Chapter 15

Michelle's POV.

It's Monday morning and I get up out of bed. I hear noise in the kitchen and it concerns me as my mum should be at work.
I get out of bed as creep towards the kitchen.
I see my mum sitting there drinking a cup of coffee while reading the newspaper.
"Mum?" I question.
"Ah, Michelle" she says looking up.
"Why're you home. Shouldn't you be at work?" I ask.
"They let me go in later. I need to talk to you"
"If this is about James and Eldon, I don't care what you have to say" I don't want to deal with my mum. She'll make me dump James and go back, well beg Eldon back for her own sake.
"Hear me out. You have no clue what you're doing"
"Really?"
"Yes Michelle. Eldon was perfect for you and-"
"Perfect for me or for you?" I ask.
"Michelle, James just doesn't seem fit for you"
"Fit for me? You know nothing about him. Did you see the way he treated me last night? He's actually here to take care of me unlike Eldon"
"I know exactly what he's like though"
"How? You've never met him"
"Michelle, please"
"Mum, Eldon wants nothing to do with me. He made it pretty obvious that he doesn't"
"He was just angry and-"
"MUM. No. I'm happy , so happy with James. He actually makes me smile and feel loved and wanted. There's nothing you can do about it!" I yell. My mum and I always get into arguments. It's just, they could go either way and are very unpredictable. Especially ones like this.
"Michelle-"
"No. Mum I'm happy with James. Okay?"
"No. Not okay. You've been going to parties every weekend. Coming home very late and-"
"And how would you know? Your never home to even take care of me"
I storm out of the kitchen to get ready.
When I'm finished my my still there staring at the table.
As I start to leave my mum mumbles.
"Excuse me?" I ask.
"I want you to stop seeing that boy"
"No. You can't make me"
"Michelle, please"
"Mum" I say. There's silence so I leave to start my walk to school. I decide to take the long way so I can think.

When I get there I see James in his crew.
West, Hunter, that blonde Emily chick and Riley. Both girls eye up James like a meal. I get twisted knots in my stomach. I pretend I don't see him as quickly run into the building.

I take my normal seat in bio and open my messages with Eldon.
"Michelle" I look up and see James standing above me.
"Hey" I half whisper.
"Hey, why didn't you come see me this morning?" He asks.
"Oh I um. Didn't know where you were" I lie.
"Michelle, you walked straight past me"
"Really?!" I half laugh.
"What's wrong?" He asks. He can see straight through me. I take in a deep breath.
"My mum. She wants me to stop seeing you. She thinks your a bad influence and wants us to break up" I glance away. I can't bear to look at him. He's silence. For a minute I think he's left but when I glance over I see he's still there.
"Well then, I guess I'll just have to convince her that I'm the best thing that's ever happened to you" I look up and see he has the biggest grin on his face. It makes me smile.
"Now stand up and give me a kiss"
People start filing into the room and I get subconscious.
"Are you ashamed to kiss your own boyfriend?" He says pretending to be offended. I roll my eyes an get ready to stand up. Instead he walks away and takes the seat next to me.
"Now that's not your normal seat" I joke.
"Don't you want me to sit next to you?" He asks. I shake my head and laugh.

Class finishes and James an I walk out hand in hand.
"Now, why didn't you come see me this morning?" He asks as we get to our lockers.
"I dunno. I guess cause you were with all your friends and I didn't want to intrude" I say. He stares at me with a blank expression. I furrow my eyebrows and tilt my head. He's eye rake up and down my face before his kisses me on the nose.
"Your so cute, you know?"
He takes my hand and we walk to the cafeteria. He sees his mates an quickly releases my hand and walks over to them. A shot of pain punches me in the chest and a lump in my throat forms.
I leave the room and practically run to the bathroom.
What if my mum was right?

James POV.
I see the crew sitting at our regular spot in the cafeteria. I'm not embarrassed of Michelle but I know what they'll say if they find out that I'm dating her. When I get the the table I turn back an can't find Michelle anywhere.
"Who you looking for?" West asks.
"No one" I lie.
"Cut the bullshit James. I know about you and Michelle" Hunter smirks.
"What?" I question.
"We all know your a couple" he says.
"Yea so. What's it to ya?"
"Oh nothing. Just that are you gonna let her ruin your reputation?"
"Or are you gonna use her to make it a thousand times better?" West and Hunter ask
"What are you talking about?" I ask
"We've come up with a wager. You, go out with her, lead her on make her love you and make her believe you actually love her"
"Then when it's the end of year ball, go with another girl dump the blonde bitches ass and tell her you've never loved her and it was all apart of a game"
"What the fuck? Why the hell would I do that?"
"If you don't you have to owe us 10 grand"
"10 fucking grand? What if she dumps me before that?"
"Then you'll have to make sure she doesn't mate"
"What the actual fuck"
"Unless of course you actually do have feelings for her and you want to ruin your reputation and your role on the football team"
I sigh. I don't want to do this. I don't want to pay them. I can't loose my spot on the team.
"Fine"