The Road to Acceptance

"I don't get what your problem is?"

"You're going to the dance with Billie! That's my problem!"

It was lunch time at school and Mike had Adrienne cornered against a random set of lockers. The halls were deserted except for a few stragglers making their way to the cafeteria every now and then. To the unknowing eye it looked like brother and sister were having a normal conversation. But given the piece of information that he had just received, Mike was less than happy with Adrienne.

"Well I can't go with you can I? How weird would we look? Brother and sister being each others' dates!"

"But it's going to be like that for real one day. What're you going to do then? Phone Billie up to be your date every time we go somewhere?!"

"But you know how mean high school kids can be. I just don't want my last formal ruined by some prick making their mouth about us."

"Let them say what they want. I don't give a shit and neither should you. Like I keep telling you, we're going to get shit for our whole lives if we want to be together---now's the time to get used to the brunt of it."

"But I don't want to get used to it. Not yet. I'm only eighteen for chrissakes."

"Well it's not going to get any better as you get older. Believe me."

"Look Mike---going with Billie is just easier. If I knew that the world would accept our relationship then yes, you know you'd be the first person I'd go with. But its not that simple. If we went together, like a couple, then too much shit would come from it. People will talk. And I don't need shit like that right now---not with my finals coming up."

Mike stood still, scuffing the ground with his feet. It was all just so unfair. The only thing he wanted was to go on a formal date with the person he loved. But once again society, and more to the point, Billie Joe, had gotten in the way of that. Listening to Adrienne's reasoning had brought him back down to earth with a crash.

"And anyway, we're all going to be together so technically, it will kinda be like I'm your date coz we'll be with each other all night."

"But it pains me that I won't be the one dancing with you and whispering in your ear about how beautiful you look. And if you think for one second that you and Billie are only going as friends then you're wrong. I know how Billie's mind works and I would think that you would know by now too---he's going to make a play for you and I won't be able to stop it because he's your date."

Adrienne sighed exasperatedly. It angered her that Mike doubted her so much.

"So what if Billie makes a play? Who says I'm going to return it? We've been down this road before Mike. I thought you knew where Billie stood with me?"

"I do know---"

"No you don't or else you wouldn't be having this hissy fit right now!"

"It's not a hissy fit. And for fucks sake don't talk to me like that. I'm only trying to voice to you my concerns---there's no need for you to give me all that attitude."

"Yeah well what do you expect? I'm sick and tired of having to prove to you that Billie Joe is just my friend. I thought that you finally realised that when I chose you over him. But it's just not getting through to you is it?"

It wasn't very often that Adrienne lost her temper with Mike. So it was needless to say that her outburst shocked both of them. They stood in silence, Mike avoiding looking in Adrienne's deep brown eyes, but yet he sensed that they were burning right into the top of his head. He almost breathed a sigh of relief when the bell rang for start of the afternoon session. But Adrienne made no attempt to move, as and Mike went to pick up his bag to head to registration, she caught his arm and pulled him right back into the moment.

"But---registration," he started.

"I don't give a shit. Don't use it as an excuse to leave this. I want an apology Mike and I want one now."

"Can't we do this when we're at home? People are looking."

Adrienne was infuriated. He had just spent the last ten minutes lecturing about how not to give a shit about what people think, but yet, here he was backing down because those very people had noticed their heated conversation.

"You hypocrite," she hissed. "How dare you use that as an excuse when this sort of thing is the very thing that you've just been telling me to forget about. Well you know what Mike---fuck this shit. I can't be bothered any more. No relationship is worth this much hassle. Not to mention that you've just proven that you still don't trust me with Billie Joe---I'll see you at home."

Forcefully pushing past him, she headed off to her classroom. Mike remained rooted to the spot. It felt like his whole world had crashed around him in just a few seconds. Numb, he picked up his bag again and sauntered towards his form classroom. Not paying attention to the cries when he absentmindedly walked into people. He felt like he didn't care about anything anymore. He only wanted her.

Hot, angry tears stained Adrienne's pillow that night, and every night after that for a week in fact. Communication between her and Mike was scarce. Until finally, the day of the Spring Formal arrived and the trepidation in the air thickened so much so that Adrienne felt choked by her anxiety.

'I am not in the wrong,' she thought to herself as she pulled on her citrus dress. 'Mike is the one making tonight awkward. I'm going to have a good night and not let him win.' She smoothed the silk corset against her body and fixed the soft curls that fell around her blushed cheeks. Then through the mirror she saw that someone was lingering in her doorway.

"Wow," Billie murmured as she turned to smile at him. "You looking stunning." He edged his way into the room, looking quite like he didn't know what to do with himself as Adrienne stood beaming at him.

Gingerly he held out the white rose corsage to her.

"You're supposed to put that on me---"

"Umm---right---yeah."

With trembling hands he went to slide the delicate flower over her wrist---

"Oh my word! Look at you two all grown up!" Ms Pritchard squealed from the door. "You look like the perfect couple!"

Billie blushed. Adrienne half smiled. And Mike, who stood concealed behind his mother felt his heart break.

"Come on now everyone, let's get you downstairs so I can take some photographs."

Billie quickly slipped the corsage onto Adrienne and then held her hand in his own for a second before smiling and pulling her out of the room to follow her mother and Mike downstairs for photo's.

Mike sat on the bottom stair scowling as Billie and Adrienne posed happily. There was a never a moment until now that he hated being Adrienne's brother. 'That should be me,' he thought as he watched them giggle together as his mother took yet another photograph.

"You're being a real face ache tonight Michael," his mother almost sang to him, deepening his misery. "Come and have you're photo taken with Adrienne."

"I don't want my photo taken."

"Now don't be stupid Michael Ryan. This is your formal too. And I want a picture of my two babies together all dressed up!"

Reluctantly, he rose from his well of pity and shuffled over to Adrienne. Tentatively, he wrapped his arm around the bottom on her back. His body tightened as he felt her do the same to him; her thumb ever-so-slightly rubbing his back through the material of his shirt.

"I can't believe my two children look so smart," Sheryl's voice was cracking as she resumed with the camera.

Adrienne laughed at her emotion and broke away from Mike to give her mother a hug. Mike had been holding his breath without realising it, and at her absence, he took the chance to go into the kitchen.

He was stood with his head in his hands by the sink, when he felt another presence enter the kitchen. Assuming it to be his mother getting another film, he didn't acknowledge her entrance. That was until her smelt the scent of Adrienne's perfume and looked round to see her stood holding the door closed. She was frowning, but in those deep brown eyes, Mike saw sadness.

"Please let's just get through tonight without it being awkward."

"You haven't spoken to me in a week Adie---how can it not be awkward."

"I'm not going to pretend that I'm not mad at you. Coz I am. But I want us both to enjoy tonight. You've got the gig to play after all."

She came to him and put both hands on his shoulders.

"You look real hot tonight," she grinned, squeezing him slightly through his shirt.

A tiny smile formed on his lips, then flitted quickly away.

"I swear I won't leave you tonight. We'll all be together." She leant forwards and kissed his cheek. "You're the person I'm wishing I was with."

"Mike, Adie, limo's here!" they both heard Billie cry suddenly.

"Let's go," she took Mike by the hand and pulled him to go out of the kitchen.

Just before they got to the door, he pulled her back into him and into a hug.

"I do love you, you know," he whispered, stepping back to look into her face whilst stroking her cheek with his thumb.

"I know. You too."

With his eyes darting from the door to Adrienne, hastily he took her face and captured her lips in his for a soft kiss. As he pulled away, both of them wearing identical soft smiles, the door flew open with Billie making an entrance, the hastily jumped apart.

With a querying expression on his face, Billie looked between the two of them.

"What's going on?"

"Nothing. I was just giving Mike a hug to see if I could cheer him up." Adrienne raced forwards and grabbed Billie by the sleeve and dragged him to the front door. Mike followed solemnly behind them.

"Have a good night!" Mr and Mrs Pritchard called after the three youths, in which they were met by enthusiastic waves from Billie and Adie and a nod from Mike.

Tre was already in the limo with his date and greeted the three of them with glasses of champagne.

"Can you believe that the old woman in the corner store actually sold me this coz I told her that I needed it for a science project?!" he laughed manically.

Excitement bubbled in the limo, just like bubbles in the delicate flute glasses. Billie noticed that even Mike now had a smile on his face. He also noticed the long, tender stares he was throwing at Adrienne every now and then.

Billie wasn't sure what it was, but he sensed that the episode in the kitchen was a little more than what Adrienne had made it out to be.

'Mike and Adrienne together?' he argued inwardly. 'They can't be.'

At that moment, out of the corner of his eye, he saw Adrienne's little finger on her free hand, gently rub Mike's outer thigh.

His breath caught in his chest. 'No way.'