Rules on Relationships

News spread that something happened between Michael and I, and it was a nuisance handling the nosy ones who just wouldn't leave me alone whenever I was spotted in Campus. At one point, I had to wear some sort of disguise in order to get into class without anyone asking me what happened, or why my eyes were red, or why they hadn't seen me anywhere around Michael since he returned from Baltimore with the few other swimmers from the team.
How was I supposed to answer them when I didn't even know how I could start a conversation with Michael when we happened to see each other on Campus?
We resorted to mere nods and false smiles before turning back around to where we originally wanted to go, and close friends found it a pain in the ass when they found out that we were having time off from our relationship. It wasn't a crime to be apart for a limited amount of time, it was a way to see how important the other person really was. I missed Michael, a lot, and when I did, I stared through the photos in my phone or his name or read through the sweet messages that he sent me that I saved. When I missed him, I would hold on to my necklace, it was always there and I never took it off; I would sit in class and reminisce of the times we spent together, especially the firsts experiences that we went through; I would cuddly with the large teddy bear that he won at the carnival on our first date and pretend that he was the one I had wrapped my arms around; I would stare at my phone on the night stand, hoping that it would vibrate and his name would be there.
To be honest, it drove me crazy to be away from him, but I had to suck it in and remind myself that this was a time for me to make sure that I was making the right decision in being in a relationship with him.

The 'Pros and Cons' List.

Michael Phelps was a 20 year old Swimmer from Baltimore, Maryland, and people instantly thought of him as a God when he won those medals in Athens.

As his girlfriend for nearly seven to eight months, I have also picked up a few nuisance things that I noticed about him. Like how he would always grind his teeth when he was in deep thought, the way he would forget that I was there and ignore me when someone of greater interest came along, and when he occasionally took me to parties where his group of friends were well known Swimmers and some were complete strangers to me and he would leave me on my own to figure out what to do with myself. His house was always in a mess as well as his bedroom, and one time, I swear I paper bag with some half-eaten rotten food and it reeked so bad that I begged him if we could sleep in the guest bedroom. There were times when we were alone in either his home or mine, and the television was on while we were locking lips, he managed to ruin it by suddenly putting all his attention to whatever he found interesting on the television.
And I'm serious when I say that I could probably list more than what I've just mentioned, but I guess it was those negatives that reminded me that he was still human - and a MAN. But it was those little things that made him attractive and lovable. I never thought those little things mattered!

On the other hand, when Michael decided that he wanted to become my boyfriend nearly seven to eight months ago, he has been nothing more than a sweet, gentle and caring man, who placed me before other things in his life - except swimming. I knew I couldn't part him from that, and I grew to accept him because of it, but the fact that we were hardly together had driven me away.
Anyway, the positive thing about him was that he was so considerate. He would help others and thought of others when they were in need. He actually took our relationship one step at a time and made me feel very important to him when he risked all those times he snuck away from training just to drive twenty minutes to the Ice Cream Parlor just to see me. He made an effort to see me, and Kenneth never did that for me. He would often buy me things that I didn't need and explained that no matter how much he spent on me, I would still be priceless.
His kisses were like fireworks that blew up my mind. He made my heart pound against my chest and melt whenever his lips opened to say something so sweet, and the way he called me, Sweet Cheeks. He kept me happy with the jokes he made, and the topics he turned awkward.
I suppose it was right to say that the time we spent altogether was well worth it.

Wait... What was I doing? I shouldn't have been away from him.

I realized right then and there that I needed Michael. I wanted him and took him for granted. If I had seen myself in person, I would've slapped myself silly for realizing how I really felt about Michael.
"Anne, where the hell do you think you're going?" Lia asked in confusion as she barged into the back room with the empty tray and a frustrated face. Since the Ice Cream Parlor expanded to a full-fledged family diner, we were stuck with too many things to do that scoop up ice cream.
I untied and roughly pulled off my apron and folded it neatly before placing it on the silver counter, the two new cooks stared at me the entire time that I was in there contemplating, and one of them shook his head towards Lia and explained, "I think she's realized something that's been bothering her for a long time."
"If you leave now, I'm going to kill you when you get home," My best friend threatened me as I wrapped my arms around her and pecked her cheek. A smile on my face as I whispered, "You can kill me after I do this."
A sigh escaped her lips. "Okay," She said in defeat. "Whatever you're doing, make sure it's the right thing to do and make it count. I hope you stop being stupid and realized that this break thing was a stupid idea." She couldn't help but emphasize the stupidity of my decision to part from Michael.
The two cooks agreed as I prepared to face the worst. I waved towards them while making my exit.
I didn't drive that day and the numerous amounts of cabs on the streets that day decided not to pay attention to me, so all I could do was run. It was a twenty minute drive to the Swimming facility where Michael would be, and how did I knew that I would find him there? Well, everyone's been telling me that he's has been constantly training and occupied himself at the pool since he and I were apart, and I suppose I've been over-working myself since then too.

"It felt like I was part of some chick flick while I was running!"

It's been more than a week since we last spoke. When the actual time came for when we were supposed to contact each other, it managed to get delayed due to rumors that claimed we weren't meant to be, and I made-up some bad scenarios into my head when I over thought the statement.
Actually, I just didn't pick up his phone call.
Yes, I know... Stupid right?
I arrived at Campus with my shoes in my hands. I practically ran some sort of marathon, and being unfit, I managed to hail a free ride from a student to the Campus halfway. With my lungs fully emptied, I slightly struggled just to get to the doors of the facility. I released a heavy exhale as I pushed the door open and found it...
"Empty," I groaned as I dropped my shoes to the side in frustration and slapped my hands right over my face. My head tossed back as a few mumbles here and there about my bad decisions were blurted out of my mouth. I paced back and forth before I bumped into something that randomly popped out of nowhere, but then, that foreign object held onto me and kept me balanced.
"Uh, hey?" I stuttered as his eyebrow cocked up. I eyed Michael up and down to see if there were new things on his exterior, and when I returned to his face, he seemed exhausted, he looked over-worked and had clearly been under a lot of stress. I stared right into his brown eyes to find some sort of way to become confident in facing him, it was a while before I could speak, to which I then asked, "Can we talk?"
"Sure," He faintly replied as he tossed his towel over his shoulder, his brown hair slightly damped and spiked up all over the place. I noticed that he still wore that necklace I bought him, and it relieved me to see that he still thought of me. He took a seat on one of the side benches and his eyes focused on me while I took a seat beside him, but his gaze didn't stay onto me for too long as his eyes then turned away to the calm water of the empty pool just a few steps away from us. I could only look down in shame.
"Why are you still in your uniform?" Michael broke the silence that took pursuit a few minutes later.
"I came from work."
"You don't finish until 6," He pointed it out. I was surprised he remembered my schedule.
"I left early," I confessed. "I ran a couple of blocks here that's why my shoes are off but someone from my class saw me and gave me a ride on her way to the North Campus. I'm a bit sweaty with my hair is all over the place and my make up slightly rubbed off because of my sweat and I probably smell." I explained in one go that I had forgotten to breathe, I was out of breath by the end of the sentence and I felt quite exhausted. But his lips curved though, it was a sign he was amused. Therefore I then added, "I ran most of the way here to see you. Michael, I missed you."
A nerve-racking silence lingered.
"You know what I realized when we were on break?" He questioned while turning his head to me with the towel lazily tossed over his head. I looked at him waiting for him to continue. He smirked at first and his teeth slightly flashed as he leaned his head back and stared at the ceiling. "Well, Roxanne, you nag too much, you have a problem with dirty things and always want things you say done in an instant after telling you to wait. When you drink, you're crazy, and I have to make sure that you don't do something stupid like at Stefanie's party. I still don't understand why you always have to get out of bed so early just so you could brush your teeth and make yourself pretty before I wake up, but guess what? I've seen you before you get up, and I don't care about morning breath either. You tend to cry when something emotional or overwhelming happens, and you get angry or frustrated easily when things don't go your way, and you sometimes do or say things without thinking about it first." He listed down my negatives. My jaws dropped throughout the whole time. I figured I had a few, but didn't know that I had so many and could only cover my face to hide from humiliation as he continued, "I can actually go on and on, but all of those things, they don't matter. I don't care. I realized that those little things make you, well, you, and I accept them, Sweet Cheeks."
I narrowed my eyes and quickly faced him, and our lips instantly locked without another word.
"Michael, I-" I sniffed and slightly leaped to embrace him. I could feel his damp body press through my uniform. "-I'm sorry," I whispered into his ear. "I shouldn't have decided to be away from you. It drove me crazy not having you around! I missed your random texts during the day, the phone calls you make in the middle of the night when you're not in town, and the daring escapes you make just to come visit me."
"I have to tell you something that I also found out while we were on break." Michael cleared his throat. His arms slowly unwrapped from around my body and grabbed onto my shoulders, he sat me back down and stared me right in the eyes. His cheeks began to tint a light pink as he looked away for a brief moment, and a smile crept onto his lips before facing me once more and slowly said, "I realized that I love you, Roxanne Miller."
I could feel myself turn into a tomato, my fingers were starting to sweat as I fiddled with them, my eyes widened, my lips parted and my voice stammered as I asked in reassurance, "Do you really?"
He could only nod as he released his hold on my shoulders, spun his whole body away to concentrate back at the pool and began to fidget with the towel that dangled around his neck, he was probably pretending to wipe himself to distract himself, and I noticed that he was constantly nibbling at his bottom lip. I guess he was nervous.
It was so cute to watch, but I shouldn't have tortured him like that.
I reached over and placed one hand on each side of his cheek, I turned his head back to me and smiled, I deeply inhaled and said, "You know, I realized that I love you too, Michael Phelps."

Love, what a really complicated way to show yourself.