Corrupt Me

Did I actually just say that out loud? Oh no! I think I actually did. Angel is standing in front of me right now with an enormous smile on his face. I must have said it.

“…So that I can call you to find out your address…” I finished my sentence quickly, so it didn’t seem like I was hitting on him when I asked him for his number, even though I actually was. Still, I went bright red anyway. Why am I so awkward around him?

Somehow Angel’s smile became even larger. “Oh my God. Did you just use a pick-up line on me?” he said, sounding somewhat incredulous.

I just smiled and nodded. I couldn’t speak; I could only stand there being red.

“That’s adorable,” he said and suddenly his face became more serious, “Well, okay, I’ll give it to you, but, well…when I saw you from across the classroom on your first day here; I passed out cold and hit my head. I’m going to need your number for insurance reasons.” A smile began to peek out from his serious face, and I laughed with him.

I reached into my bag and grabbed a piece of paper and a pen so that we could exchange numbers.
When that was all taken care of and Angel had given me a piece of paper with his name, number and a love heart written on it, he said, “Thanks, babe. Anyways, I should be going. My minions will be missing me. Enjoy the rest of your lunch.” He made sure to say goodbye to Isabelle, who looked like she was about to explode, and went off to find his friends.

I did NOT watch his butt as he went.

Okay, so I did…

When I finally realised what I was doing, I shook my head and turned to Isabelle, who was obviously fuming.
“Um…Izzy?” I said nervously.
“What?”
She was really angry. I’m not even really sure why.
“Nothing,” I replied quickly, and dove into my bag to retrieve a bottle of water.
I took a big gulp, and choked. It was only while I was coughing and spluttering that I realised why Isabelle was so mad.

I just used a pick-up line on Angel. In front of the girl who is my girlfriend. No wonder she’s pisse peed off.

I had just opened my mouth to apologise and explain when I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket.
It was a text from a number that wasn’t programmed into my phone. I checked the paper that Angel had just given me and the numbers matched.
I opened the message on my phone, trying to suppress the smile that was threatening to spread across my face.

Hey babe, cutting class this afternoon. Getting drunk with Drew instead. See you Sunday; I’ll text you my address later on. <3 Angel

I blushed slightly at the love heart at the end of his message but I tried not to let it show. I didn’t want Isabelle getting angrier at me.
I quickly sent Angel a reply and then turned back to Isabelle.

“Izzy… I’m sorry. I didn’t really think through what I was saying.”
She just grumbled and looked away.

“Isabelle, please? I’m sorry, I really am…” I gave her my best “innocent” expression, letting my lips pout out slightly to make me look incredibly pathetic. It always works on my sisters and my mother, and it worked on Isabelle, too.

She sighed, and then nodded. “Alright, I forgive you.”
“Thank you,” I said, happily. I hate having people mad at me.

Thankfully, Isabelle doesn’t seem to be the type to hold grudges, because after she told me she forgave me, she went back to normal, chattering away and laughing and all that. She talked a lot about the dinner that was happening at my house that night. She was excited to meet my parents and my sisters properly and was especially excited that we were having a Mexican night, with tacos, burritos and enchiladas. Mexican night is my mother’s specialty; we often have it when we have guests over. Every time my best friend from my old school, James, comes over, my mother makes Mexican food because she knows James loves it and she loves James. She’d probably adopt him if she could.

Thinking about James kind of made me miss my old school, and my old friends. I hardly ever see or hear from them because we all have a lot of school and after school commitments. He and a couple of my other friends are in a Christian rock band called Ecc 4:11 (meaning Ecclesiastes 4:11, a quote from the Bible. I can’t actually remember what the quote is but it’s kind of ironic because it’s got something to do with lying next to another person…or something like that) and they get a lot of gigs and stuff at the churches around where we live. When I get the chance to, I like to go to them. I might invite my friends at my new school to come to one sometime. I think they’d like them. Maybe not Angel though, he’d probably hate it.

Isabelle was still chatting away while I was thinking about all of this, but stopped suddenly when she realised I wasn’t all there.
“You okay?” she questioned. I lifted my head and nodded.
“Yeah,” I replied, “Just thinking.”
“About?”
“Nothing much really.”
“Angel?”
“What? No!” I said, way too defensively. He was the last thing I was thinking of, but she wasn’t going to find that out. Isabelle gave me a look that showed me she didn’t believe what I was saying, but she dropped the subject anyway.
“So, what are we going to do tonight?” she asked, stepping closer to me.
I unconsciously took a step back before answering, “Having dinner…aren’t we?”
“I mean, after dinner. Watch a movie? Hang out in your room? Go out somewhere?”
“Uh…I don’t know. I haven’t planned anything…” I mumbled, “We can watch a movie or something, I guess. My sister has some movies you’d probably like.”
“Okay!” she said happily. She started chattering away again as the bell rang for the afternoon classes. I sighed, and began walking to my Art class, feeling a bit upset that Angel wouldn’t be there. Isabelle followed, still talking about whatever it was that she was talking about. I admit I wasn’t listening at all.

***

Art and Math classes were boring, and dragged on forever, but finally the day was finished and I got to go home and relax for a couple of hours until Isabelle arrived at my house.

When I got in the door, I could smell the Mexican spices wafting from the kitchen and breathed in deeply. I love that smell.

“I’m home!” I yelled to my mother and whoever else was home; probably nobody, as Elise is always out and Georgie and Sara usually have things on in the afternoons.
“Hello, Micah! Come and taste this for me please Darling,” my mother replied. I shuddered at the nickname, but went to the kitchen anyway.

Mom had an apron on and was standing by the stove holding a wooden spoon with a steaming piece of chicken on it. I took the meat, nearly scalding my fingers, and blew on it before sticking it in my mouth.

“Is there enough spice on it?” my mother asked. Still chewing, I nodded.
“Yeah, I think so. I don’t know if Isabelle likes spicy food or not.”
“Okay, now Micah; go upstairs and have a shower. And then tidy your room; you don’t want to make a bad impression by having mess all over the place.”
“Yeah, yeah,” I muttered under my breath, and then started at my attitude. I’ve never been like that before. I always do as I’m told, usually without complaint. It shocked me how normal it felt.

I had stood in the kitchen just staring into space for a few seconds before remembering the instructions my mother had given me.

I slowly went down the hall to my room and stood in front of my open closet, wondering what I should wear. I didn’t want to dress up too much since we weren’t going out anywhere, but I knew Mom would have a fit if I wasn’t decently dressed.

I chose a pair of black jeans and a red button-up shirt with rolled up sleeves. I decided that would do. It wasn’t my best outfit but it was nice.

I made my way into the bathroom and stripped, before turning on the shower and stepping under the warm water. I stood unmoving in the shower for a while until I remembered that I needed to actually wash myself and my hair before the hot water ran out. With six people in my family, it does almost every day. I did what I needed to do, and turned the water off. I stood in the shower for a minute more before stepping into the steamy bathroom and grabbing my towel. After making sure to dry myself thoroughly, I wrapped my towel around me and made my way back to my room, where I dressed right away.

Then I looked in the mirror. I really couldn’t be bothered to dry and straighten my hair. It dries straight anyway but using the flat iron makes it look even straighter and neater. But as I said, I couldn’t be bothered turning on the hair straightener, so I didn’t. I just picked my towel off the floor where I’d discarded it and worked it over my hair until it was dry enough so that it didn’t drip on my clothes. Using my fingers, I found my fringe and smoothed my hair down a bit so that I didn’t look electrocuted, and then turned to scrutinise my bedroom.

It wasn’t even that messy!

There were no clothes on the floor like in Elise and Sara’s room, no massive piles of books on my desk like in Georgia’s room. My bed was unmade, but that was about it. I rolled my eyes, and then, instead of making my bed, sat down on the messed up covers.

I picked up my phone from my bedside table and began to mindlessly scroll through it. I ended up looking at the message from Angel, and then at what I’d sent back.

I’d put an “x” and an “o” at the end of the message. A kiss and a hug! Oh God. Now he’s going to be even worse than usual. Kisses and hugs at the end of messages usually mean you like someone. Shi- Crap. Oh my gosh, was I about to swear? I have never done that before… Damn Angel…

***

I was still sitting on my bed, staring at my phone in horror at what I’d done when Isabelle arrived. I wandered out of my room with my head down, really not in the mood to entertain anybody.

“Hi, Micah!” Izzy exclaimed, sounding incredibly excited.

I looked up. She was wearing a pretty blue dress and black semi-high heels. Her hair was curled and she had makeup on. She looked really nice.

“Hey, Izzy,” I said back, forcing a smile.

She made her way over to me and planted a kiss on my cheek, making me blush slightly. I’m not sure I was comfortable with her public displays of affection in front of my family.
While I was in my room, my sisters and my father must have come home, because they, along with my mother, were all there for the big greeting. My mother and Elise and Sara were all beaming, Georgia looked slightly confused and my father was looking awkward.
I sighed, and took Isabelle’s hand to make her and Mom happy, and then began to introduce her to each member of my family.

I don’t actually remember much else of what happened that night. It was all a big blur, to tell the truth. I know we ate dinner and watched a movie, but I couldn’t tell you what the movie was or what I was shoving in my mouth. I was still horrified and scared by what those two letters at the end of my message to Angel could mean to him and to me. I hadn’t even consciously put them in!

But I had put them in, and that made me extremely worried.
Oh man, what have I done?