Complicated You; Sophisticated Me

“You guys are back together again!” Brad slung an arm around Dylan’s shoulders. “Atta boy!”

“No girl can resist Dylan’s magical words after all,” Lyndon cut in.

Morons, Dylan sighed. He noticed that Mitch wasn't with them. "Where's Mitch?"

"Being a busybody again, as usual."

"Oh."

“Amor!” Kip exclaimed cheerfully.

“You guys…”

Earl smiled. “At least you’re not gloomy anymore.”

“What are you guys doing here anyway? Get back to your own classrooms,” Dylan scowled at the idiots he considered his friends.

“We live to annoy! Bwahaha!” Brad bellowed a laugh.

“Maybe we should have a party or something, to officially celebrate Dylan and his girlfriend’s make-up, and besides, we haven’t greeted her very well the first time,” Kip suggested.

Dylan raised an eyebrow. “Uh, I don’t think she’ll—“

The others ignored him.

“Where should we celebrate?” Brad asked excitedly.

“Maybe at Dennis’ place?” Lyndon said.

Dennis didn’t even look up from his PSP, and the sound effects of gunshots from his game made it harder to communicate with him.

“Dennis’ place then,” Kip stated.

“Hey, don’t just go deciding for yourselves!” Dylan snorted. “Mika wouldn’t come with us anyway.”

Brad, Earl, Lyndon and Kip exchanged glances—the way they usually did when they come to an agreement—before they shot him a hopeful gaze.

“You’ll have to convince her,” Brad grinned widely.

Dylan gulped.

Convincing Mika would be the most challenging part of this day.

~

Mika sat on her desk and ate lunch, alone, as usual.

The girls who’d tried to mess with her backed-off, but still threw her death glares every now and then.

“Mika!”

She looked up and saw Dylan, smiling a ridiculously awkward grin from outside her classroom. Mika lazily shuffled towards him, and she had the icky feeling that eyes were on her.

“What now?” she asked tersely.

“Well—“ Dylan started rubbing the back of his neck and slightly pursing his lips. “—the guys are planning something this Friday and they wanted me to invite you.”

Mika looked at him blankly before she spoke, “Why?”

“Just a little get-together,” he said.

Mika turned away, “No thanks. “

Dylan pressed his palms together in a pleading gesture, and made bambi-eyes at her.

“Please? It’s just a little get-together at my friend’s place. I promise I will not do anything stupid to you!”

He had picked her up and brought her burgers last Saturday, after all.

I’m getting carried away by his stupidity lately, she sighed. “Fine.”

A wide, flippant grin lightened his face, “Really?”

“As long as you guys don’t do anything stupid.”

“I’ll be good; I promise. Thank you, thank you!”

Dylan swooped down and planted a quick kiss on Mika’s cheek.

“Don’t just do that at school, you fag.”

He raised an eyebrow, his grin fading into a seductive smirk, “Do you mean I could do it if we’re outside the school?”

Mika rolled her eyes, “Try, buddy, and I’ll feed you to hobos.”

Dylan laughed, “Hobos?”

The bell rang and signaled the end of lunch break, cutting their conversation off. Dylan waved his goodbye before he walked back to his class.

Mika’s hand slowly found its way to the cheek he’d just kissed, and then fell down shortly to her chest.

Something pulsated in there—in a weird way.

As soon as she sauntered back to her seat, she looked up at the blue sky, and felt out of it for the entire day.

~

The following days went by normally.

During Wednesdays like today, Mika worked at a little café called The Venue, and Dylan always picked her up after her night shift.

This time, he brought her a cup of strawberry ice cream—her ultimate weakness when it came to food.

They sat on a vacant table inside the café. She plunged into the sweet taste of strawberry cream goodness, ignoring the world around her. Dylan watched her amusedly as he licked his chocolate Popsicle.

“You like that, huh?” he pointed out, catching Mika off guard.

She looked at him as blankly as she could manage at the moment, “No.”

Dylan whistled teasingly, “Yeah right. I can see through those boring blue eyes of yours.”

Mika ignored him again and focused on getting the heavenly taste into her mouth. After emptying the cup of ice cream, she looked at Dylan.

“Thank you,” she said.

Saying those words felt weird for her, but Dylan deserved to hear those words from her. Even though he was stupid and idiotic and insane, he still tried his best to stay with her, when he could be with someone better.

He had the looks, anyway. Plus, he attracted girls liked blood attracted mosquitoes. He had a nice fashion style, and his eyes were a beautiful pair of smoky grays.

Mika wondered why someone like him would try so hard to keep up with her.

“You know, you have issues,” she muttered, looking down at her black Converse shoes.

Dylan tilted his head and laughed, “You’re pretty messed up, too.”

“I guess that’s not a bad thing—your issues. It makes you extremely stubborn most of the time, and makes you act like a faggot on drugs but…” Mika bit her lip.

She was spilling way too much again. Dylan had this effect on her—making her lower her barriers. He was good at that, she had to admit.

“…but I think you’re wasting yourself on me.”

His eyes widened.

“There are better people out there who deserve your effort. You’re trying your best to open yourself to me…but I can’t do the same for you.”

I hate this, Mika thought. The more I stay with him, the more I—

Dylan broke into laughter again, reeling Mika back from her thoughts. She shot him a glare, feeling like an idiot.

“You’re a really weird girl,” he chuckled amusedly.

“Why are you—“

He looked straight into her eyes, almost as if they could see inside of her. He gave her a warm smile as he spoke, “I don’t think I want anyone else besides you."