Every Mistake That I Make

Dallas sped up as fast as she could until she located Mikey with Frank on the teacher’s smoking bench.

“Mikey, we need to talk. Now,” she spat quickly, ignoring the rain that was falling onto her and messing up her hair.

“What about?” Mikey drawled annoyingly, and Frank stood up.

“I’ll go,” he offered, and sped off.

Dallas sat quickly on the dry patch he’d left on the bench, and turned to Mikey with what she hoped was an urgent look in her eyes.

“I was in the toilets with Anya and we heard Rachael talking to her friends,” she said hurriedly. “She’s – oh, Mikey...She’s only with Gerard because of you! She’s using him to get to you!”

Mikey looked away from Dallas’ face and leant back on the bench, over the playing field. Dallas watched him. Rain was dripping down his face, but he didn’t seem to notice it. Dallas wiped agitatedly at her own face and ran her fingers through her now tangled hair, anxiously waiting for his reaction.

“Why didn’t she just ask me out?” Mikey wondered aloud. It was as if Dallas wasn’t there. “I would have said yes...”

“Mikey!” Dallas cried. “That’s not the point! You said you didn’t want him to get hurt and that’s exactly what she’s going to do!”

Mikey stared at her. “And?”

“Mikey! Just because you’re arguing with Gerard now doesn’t mean you can go and hurt Gerard! You just can’t!”

“Rachael’s going to do it sooner or later.”

“Mikey, I had no idea you could be like this!” Dallas snapped, quickly losing her temper. “Rachael hurting him – that’s one thing – you ... that’s just another, completely different thing...He’ll never get over his own brother –”

“He’ll get over it sooner or later.”

Dallas stared at him, her mouth hanging open. “That’s...that’s not the poi...” Dallas trailed off, sighing heavily. “I don’t get it.”

“What’s there not to get? I’m going to...well. Y’know...”

“Yes, yes I know! I just don’t see why – or what the point is – any pain that Rachael would...Mikey, I was expecting you to be with me on this! I thought you were going to help me tell Gerard!”

“You can still tell Gerard, Dallas, without me. It won’t stop me doing anything...” Mikey stood as the bell went for the next lesson. He began to walk away, and Dallas was embarrassed to feel tears threaten.

“Michael! Were you even listening to anything I said?” Dallas yelled after him, her voice reaching a scream.

Mikey barely turned his head. “I heard you, loud and clear...”

Dallas felt like punching something. She stood up and walked in the opposite direction of Mikey, hurrying to her next class. However, Dallas had never felt more inclined to skip class.

The next lesson was torture. She was soaking wet, thus making the lesson very uncomfortable to sit through; Anya kept on shooting her curious looks, as did Frank, while Mikey just ignored her altogether. When the bell for dinner went, Dallas had no appetite and felt like speaking to a brick wall rather than any of her friends. Matters were only made worse when Rachael came swaggering up to their table to take Gerard away again (which upset Dallas all the more when she saw Mikey’s eyes bulging out of his skull at the tightness of Rachael’s sweater.)

Anya eventually dragged Dallas outside. The rain had stopped, and it was just windy and cold now. They found a nearly dry bench on the yard and sat there.

“What’s up?” Anya asked gently. “You’ve been upset ever since you rushed off before.”

Dallas sighed. “Don’t wanna talk ’bout it,” she muttered.

“What did Mikey do?” Anya demanded angrily.

“Nothing! Don’t be mad! He...Well...” Dallas explained to Anya what had happened in a gloomy voice.

“Oh! Oh. He wasn’t serious, was he?” Anya gasped. “He can’t do that to his brother! He can’t split them up!”

“He can and he will. You know it.”

“That’s just horrible.” Anya’s mouth was set into a thin line.

Dallas sighed. “Yeah. I know. I wish my brain would connect to how nasty he’s being right now,” she muttered.

“Maybe you should talk to him?” Anya suggested. “Calmly...Maybe point out what a bastard he’d be if he did split them up.”

“I could try, but you know Mikey won’t...won’t listen.”

“Since when did that ever stop you?” Anya demanded. “Dall! If anyone can get through to him, it’s you. You’re the only person that’s as stubborn as Mikey, not to mention that you’re the only woman that’ll stand up to him that’s not his mom or his grandmother!”

“And yourself...”

“No, not really. When we argue I back down, if you haven’t noticed. His policy is ‘who shouts the loudest wins’...Whereas I’m more about peace. Anyway! That’s not the point.” Anya rubbed Dallas’ arm. “You just try and talk to him?”

Dallas shrugged. “I’ll try. I’m not making any promises though...”

Anya grinned at her. “I never expected you to...”