"Cause honey your soul,
Could never grow old, it's evergreen."
— Thinking Out Loud
Ed Sheeran

(My all time fav lines...I just can write the lyrics on and on)

*******

For next two days, Brittney kept calling him as often as she could. He did not pick up, of course. She was not even expecting him to.

In the third morning, she sent a voicemail:

"What is it, man? Come on! Fine, we don't meet. But at least pick up that fu— okay, I won't swear, but pick up that phone of yours, please. If you have reasons not to meet, I understand. I won't push you. I regret having proposed that idea in the first place."

On the evening, he finally called back.

"Hey, I am sorry. I am really sorry. Okay?"

She smiled. Though she felt a little bit attention would be nice. So she made a fake pissed tone and said, "Do you have any idea how badly I wanna knock your head off and hit you against a willow tree or a bullet train?"

"Uh— well yeah, your description quite says it all."

She laughed. "I am pissed off, Michael. I mean, what is your problem? You don't want us to meet? Fine. You can tell me that. Like, politely. No need to hyperventilate," she said in a rather high tone.

"Well I had problems. I mean, I still have very good reasons for us not to meet."

With a pause he added, "Look, I know you care about me. Sometimes I feel like more than a lot of people I know in real life," He reasoned. "And I care about you too. My attitude may speak otherwise but Brittney, I do. I care that you might not be okay as well. The very first day you called me to say 'I love you' to someone else, your voice wasn't the same. It was different. I know you may have a past with that boy. And I know that past might not be ecstatic as well."

"How d-d'you know?" She stuttered. Her face became pale.

"It's evident. Hey, I know everyone has problems. You too are no exception. But look, I am not in a good shape. I am a wreck. Mess. You don't want to waste your time or friendship on me."

"Hold on. Hold on, there. You think I'd consider you a waste of time if I meet you and find you are not the perfect prince I dreamt of? Man, I know a little bit of who you are. And when a friend is in problem, do we back off? For it'd be a waste of time? How mean! Seriously."

"It's not what it looks like."

"I am not pushing you for us to meet!"

"Brittney, I just don't think this friendship is right."

"So you want me to stop talking to you?"

"This friendship is not right. I mean, why should you even care about someone you don't even know?"

"Ouch. Was that aimed at me? You don't wanna care about me? Fine. I never even asked for it!"

"Okay, since you won't drop this, let us not be assholes. I just don't want you to take a step, find out who I really am, and then regret your decisions."

"Are you a murderer or a rapist?"

"What?"

"You are sounding exactly like that." Then mocking his tone, she said, "Oh, I am a trouble.. Oh, I am a mess..Holy Jesus, what is this innocent virgin of 13th century trapping herself into?"

His laughter wouldn't stop for the next few minutes. And in between her own occasional chuckles, she enjoyed listening to his laughter— loud, contagious and devoid of any sadness or pain.

"Are you a virgin, though?"

"That'd be a personal question and the answer would be no."

"No?"

"Why, because every girl in the story has to be a virgin? As if you are a virgin!"

"No to both."

"Michael, the guy I lost my virginity to is the same guy I was intending to call that day."

Suddenly there was a silence in both the ends. Brittney continued to speak:

"He used me. I don't love him anymore, if you are wondering. But it's a past. A haunting one; that you can never let go, no matter how hard you try. Especially when you have to see him in school almost everyday for two years after that kinda blunder."

"Hey —why didn't you kick his ass? God, do you realize it's a crime, Brittney?"

"I loved him. Adams, sorry, Michael, I loved him a lot to not forgive him. And yeah, now you know my problem with your name."

"Then I must say you are awesome. My respect for you grew more from today. It's not easy to forgive."

For seconds, they both lived in kind of an awestruck situation. Later he spoke up.

"You know, I had a girlfriend. Nothing serious, but it lasted six months. She broke up after my mom's death. I was heavily depressed then, more than now. And she said it's impossible to handle someone like me." His voice became heavy and hoarse. "I am kind of afraid what if the same happens to you? She was a bit*h anyway, was already cheating on me by the time we broke up. But you are different. You are the first one in the longest time I've come this close to. You make me wanna become good again."

He went on. "You push me, never let go. You wake up a part in me I didn't know existed." He whispered, "It's hope. But I cannot ruin it. Or I cannot see you get negative influence either."

"Michael, you are not a negative influence. At least that's something I know for sure."

"But I am."

"Stop feeling so low about yourself. God, look at you. You are doing engineering from California Institute of Technology. The hell, I've hardly seen someone with so much humor and I love spending time with you."

"And, Mr. Adams, I am not giving up on you. Now, dump me if you want. You know what happens already."

********

Vote, comment and share.  Add it to your awesome reading lists!!

I have decided one shot will be held on or after chapter 20. So if anyone's interested, and still did not tell me they are (interested), it'd be nice to know I'd have enough participants. Because it'd be embarrassing to organize a contest and see no one participate.

Also, tell me what do you guys think would be the juiciest for a one shot? Poems, covers, a short chapter (my idea), or those ten word poems or stories?

On another note, who wants to help me pick up a young and hot enough cast for the so-called Michael Haywood? Blonde, young, attitude, and a wannabe bad boy? XD

P.S.— I am still on hiatus.