"What do you want?" I asked in a hostile tone.
Chris nodded his head as he looked at me.
"I deserved that. I'm sorry I didn't tell you about the double date."
"How could you? We're supposed to be best friends, so why would you double date with my ex and her new boyfriend?"
"What should I have done, Mike? Ashley and Charlie are best friends, so of course they wanted to go to their proms together. I didn't mean to offend you but I have to think about my girlfriend and her feelings. It's not fair for her or me to be in this crossfire between you and Charlie. You two need to stop this constant battle before someone gets hurt."
"Whatever man. I think I've had about enough drama to last me a lifetime, so believe me, I don't need any more."
"I hope you're right, because it's getting out of hand."
Chris is right,
I thought as I looked over at Charlie. She was talking to Ashley when a couple of girls starting to give her dirty looks. My heart went out to Charlie. She didn't deserve to be shut out because of what happen with me.
I turned around to look at Chris.
"I thought you told me Charlie wanted to get back with me? It didn't look that way when she came up in here dangling on Derrick."
"That's because she saw you with Danielle. Wise up Michael. You two are playing a dangerous game and eventually something bad is going to happen. What you two need to do is talk out your problems. Maybe you two will come up with a solution."
"How am I going to do that when Marberry is all over Charlie every second?"
Chris smiled. "Leave that to Ash and me. We'll get Derrick away from Charlie."
"Fine, I'll talk to her."
Chris slapped me on the back as he got up from the table.
"Go out to the hotel terrace in about five minutes. We should have Charlie out there then."
I smiled as I watched Chris leave the table to tell Ashley what was going on.
I hope this worked.
Charlie
As Jason DeRulo's "The Other Side" was playing full blast in the reception hall, my mind started to race at a thousand miles a minute. I couldn't believe I was back at the Marriott. I thought this would be mine and Michael's place, but it's not. It seems like every song I hear or every place I go, it makes me think of Michael. Now I'm at my prom trying to have the time of my life, but I can't. Not only because I'm not with Michael, but practically the entire senior class hated me. I had gotten everything from vicious looks to middle fingers pointed at me since I arrived at the prom. To make matters worse, Derrick wants to fight every guy who had something smart to say about me. Maybe he's feeling like that because of what happened earlier with Michael. I still can't believe Michael came to my defense. But why should I be surprised? He still cared about me. He just believed I'd moved on with Derrick. If I can get just one minute to talk to him, I can make him see that I'm not in love with Derrick. I never stopped caring for Michael. And I know I never will. I could tell Derrick was looking at me. I looked over and sure enough, he was staring at me.
"What are you thinking about?" Derrick asked.
"That both of our proms are tonight and after that it's graduation. I can't believe we're going to be on our own in a matter of weeks."
Derrick smile. "I know. I can't believe I'm going to Texas A&M on a full scholarship."
I put an arm around Derrick and smiled. "I'm really proud of you Derrick."
"Thanks. You know I will be down on weekends, so maybe you and I can hang out."
I smiled. "I would like that."
"Even if you're with Collier?"
I nodded my head. "Even if I'm with Michael. Derrick, you're one of my good friends and that will never change. Even though we're not together, I do want you to be a part of my life."
"What about Michael? You know he's not going want that if you two get back together."
"That's something we have to face when that time comes," I said as I looked over at Michael. It seemed like he was having an intense conversation with Chris.
"You want to dance?" Derrick asked as he was about to get up.
"Sure," I said as I took his hand.
As we were about to walk out to the dance floor, Ashley and Chris walked over to us with huge grins on their faces. Since those two started dating, they became really goofy together.
"What's up guys?"
"Derrick is there any way we can take your beautiful date away for a second?" Ashley said in a sugary tone.
I looked at the two with a 'something- is-going-on look.' I know because Ashley usually used her sugary voice to get what she wanted.
Derrick looked at Ashley and Chris, and then at me.
"Okay," he said as he went over to the refreshment table.
I looked at the two as they took both of my hands and pushed me toward the hotel terrace.
"What's going on?" I asked as we were heading outside.
"We thought you might like to watch the view of Houston from the terrace. We know you like that sappy, romantic stuff so what better place to see the entire city than on the terrace," said Chris.
"I have been on the hotel terrace before and the view is not that exciting," I said.
"You'll love it this time around," Ashley said as she put me outside.
"What the..." I said as I turned around. When I did, Ashley and Chris were nowhere to be found. I sighed as I went to the door. I tried to open it, but it wouldn't open.
"I know they didn't," I said as I tried to open the door. Ashley and Chris must have locked me out on the terrace.
"Great," I said as I kicked the steel door. The effect of the door hit me with a vengeance as my foot started to throb.
"Damn it!" I said as I started to hop around on my foot.
"That looked like it hurt," someone said as I heard footsteps coming my way.
I looked up and noticed it was Michael walking up to me.
I looked at him as he handed me a single red rose.
Just looking at Michael in his tux made me forget all about the pain in my foot.
"What's going on?" I asked as I looked at Michael.
"You'll see," he said in a sexy tone as he put his hand behind my neck and pulled me close to him. We looked at each other with a passionate stare as he put his lips to mine. I started to melt into Michael's arms as we stood on the terrace in a warm embrace. Just his touch on me made me wish that things between us were back to normal. As he lowered his lips to my neck, I wanted so bad to throw him against the brick wall and have my way with him. But even if we made love right then, nothing would change the fact that things would never be the same as before. Before I lose control, I pulled myself away from Michael.
"We can't do this Michael. As much as I want to, we can't."
"I know you still have feelings for me Char, so why are you fighting them."
"I'm not Michael. It just that one minute we're upset with each other and then the next we're all over each other. We can't keep doing this."
"I agree. That's why I got Ashley and Chris to get you up here so we could talk."
I looked at Michael and shook my head.
"I should have known. They were too happy for a reason."
Michael walked up to me and took my hand.
"Charlie, I need to know what is going on with us. This constant tug of war with our feelings is getting out of hand, so I need to know where we stand."
I looked into Michael's brown eyes with a puzzled look.
"To be honest Michael, I don't know where things stand. I want to be with you and I know you want to be with me, but every time we try to talk about our feelings, there always seem to be some sort of miscommunication."
"Well, we're both together now, so whatever you want to say you can say it now."
I smiled as I put a hand on Michael's shoulder.
"First, I want to apologize for all the pain I've caused you. I feel bad about that and I will never forgive myself for it."
"Charlie, it not your fault why we broke up. We both had our share of lies and betrayal. If we are going to work things out, we have to try to get over our past mistakes and move on."
"I know Michael, but I can't forgive myself for not telling you about Derrick. If I didn't become so wrapped in the past, then me and you would have been at the prom together instead of going with people we didn't want to go with."
"So what are you saying is that you never cared about Derrick?"
"I think I was still living in the past. When I saw Derrick, I thought about all the memories we had at Parker and it made me want to go back there. I know it sounds crazy, but my past at Parker was like a comfort zone for me. There I was the popular girl who got along with everyone."
Michael laughed after my last comment. "Don't you mean the majority?"
I smiled as I playfully hit Michael on his shoulder.
"Yeah, yeah. Anyway, I had everything going for me there. I guess I wanted to relive that moment when Derrick came back in the picture."
"But you knew that would have cause problems in our relationship. Why risk doing that when you were in love with me?"
I shook my head and sighed. "That's the question that's being bogging my mind ever since. To be honest, I don't have an answer to it. But what I do know is that it has always been you. You have been the one I want to be with and I never stopped loving you."
Michael smiled as he looked into my eyes. He reached up and swept a fallen curl from my eye.
"Have you stopped loving me?" I asked as I looked at Michael.
He laughed softly as he pulled in closer to me. "What do you think? Charlie, I have never stopped loving you. I love everything about you, from your soulful brown eyes to your beautiful heart. You're all I think about each and every day. You made me happy while we were together and I am miserable when we were apart..."
I put a finger up to Michael's lips as Justin Timberlake "Mirrors" came on from inside. As we were listening to the music, I smiled as I pulled my hand towards Michael's.
"Care to dance?"
Michael smile as he took my hand. "Of course,"
As we were dancing to the music, everything that I was thinking about earlier was a distant memory. Just being in Michael's arms was all I needed.
"I missed you so much," I said into Michael's ear.
"I missed you too, and later I will show you how much."
I couldn't believe this moment was actually happening. Michael and I were back together. Nothing could break us apart now. Or so I thought. Just saying the next few words caused everything I'd been praying for to fall down around me.
"What about our dates? We should tell them that we back together."
"What does it matter? They will know in time when we disappear from here."
I smiled as the music changed and another song started to play.
As we pulled apart, I went over to the railing and looked out onto the stars.
"This is the perfect ending to a beautiful night."
"Who says the night is over? It just the beginning for us,"
"Yeah, it is."
As Michael was about to reach in for another kiss, I gently pull him away so he could look at me.
"What's wrong?"
"There's something I need to tell you."
"Alright,"
"What I'm about to say you might not like, but I need you to understand that whatever decision I make is up to me and that you have to accept it."
Michael looked at me with a concern expression.
"What's going on Char?"
"Well in order for us to be together, you have to accept who I decide to be friends with, and even though Derrick is not one of your favorite people, I think you need to get to know him a little better. "
Michael looked at me as if I'd lost my mind. He started to walk over to the other side of the terrace with an impatient glance.
"You're not telling me what I think you telling me. You want me to accept Marberry as your friend? Are you crazy?"
"Please hear me out. You already know that I don't have feelings for Derrick, so it shouldn't be a problem that we are friends."
"Charlie, the guy is your ex. Why would I accept the fact that you want to be friends with him, especially since you two had such a history."
"I know Mike, but you have to realize that Derrick has been there for me when we broke up. He has comforted me when I was down about you. He kind of lifted me up. That's why I feel like he should be a part of my life. He was there when you weren't."
"Yeah, but I'm here now. You don't need Marberry in your life anymore. He's where he should be, and that's in the past."
"I understand that your feelings for Derrick is not going to change, and I accept that, but in order for us to be honest with each other, I have to tell you that Derrick will be a part of my life, whether you like it or not."
Michael started to laugh as he was walking toward the door. He turned around and looked at me with an angry grin.
"How would you feel if I decided to be friends with Danielle? What if I told you that you have to accept her in my life no matter what? Char, why do you want to do this? Why do you want to be friends with someone who you had feelings for? People who were together don't become friends."
"Michael, just understand where I'm coming from."
"I understand exactly where you're coming from. You're doing the same thing you were doing before, but this time it's not going to work," Michael said as he pulled open the door and went back inside.
As I watched Michael go inside, my heart was slowly leaving me. I couldn't believe after we found our way back together, the few words that I'd just uttered caused us to break up again. This time, I didn't think we could find our way back. And the only person to blame for that was me.
Michael
I can't believe Charlie played me again! As I walked back into the ballroom, Chris and Ashley were by the door with all smiles. Their expressions changed as I walked right pass them without saying a word.
"What happened Mike?" Chris asked.
"Did you talked to Charlie?" asked Ashley.
But I just kept walking. I really didn't want to talk to anyone at this point. All I wanted to do was find the closest liquor store.