Secret, Secret I've Got A Secret[Mack]

[Mikaela Stone]

Mikaela missed home. Mostly she missed her dad but it’s not like she was ever going to be able to see him again. Fiddling with the bracelet she never took off, Mikaela looked over the selection of food. Wrinkling her nose, her stomach turned over. With her nerves lately she had trouble eating most greasy foods. So she opted for a large salad, some water and an apple. Some healthy that wouldn’t over turn her stomach.

After charging it all to her account, she made her way over to a table. One thing her mother had been smart in setting up was an account through the school so she could pay everything off when she got paid. Ever since her aunt and uncle had moved into the house, money problems had eased up. Plus her father’s will was going to be read soon so hopefully that’d help them out even more. They had put it off because it was too hard. But it needed to be read soon or else everything would be null and void.

Picking out a piece of lettuce between her two fingers, she threw the whole thing into her mouth-dressing and all. Chewing it slowly, she pulled out her notebook with lyrics in them. She’d fit them all to music later on, just right now as words came she wrote them down. Though some days she struggled, others she was fine. It depended on her mood and who she had met that day. Like the cute guy form the art department. Dane or something like that. He was cute and really funny.

Smiling to herself, she picked up her fork and dug into her salad. Maybe she’d write a letter to her mom. And another to her old band mates. Just to see how the gigs were going. If she got some quiet time.

[Reese Mackenzie]

Would there be a remedy against stupidity? When you had been going out partying the other night with your friends and had ended up making out with your brothers worse enemy in the common room of the dance department? The guy you also happened to crush on but knew you shouldn’t cause he would probably break your heart instead of being gentle with it? Life. Sucked. It so did. Although besides the terrible hangover she had this morning the make out time she had been having with Tony had been really nice.

Upon entering the cafeteria it was somewhere round noon and it was time for some food. It was a good thing she had her own apartment outside of the school unlike others who lived in the school itself. At least no one would give you a rude awakening in the morning besides your alarm clock. Eventually Reese decided a fruit salad would have to do, considering it was the only thing she could afford right now. Healthy food was a great invention but it was expensive as well.

She smiled when she noticed her best friend sitting not far from her at an empty table. It had been a day or two since she had seen Mickey and it was time to do some catching up. A moment later Reese plopped down on the seat across from the blonde. “Hey best friend. What are you doing?” she asked, opening her salad and bringing a strawberry to her mouth a second later.

[Mikaela Stone]

Mikaela had decided she was going to write a song for her father. There was an Army dinner coming up for New Year’s and they had asked Mikaela to play something. At first she had been standoffish and reluctant to do anything besides just go. But now she was considering that she could write a song for him and give him a nice tribute. To show that he mattered when he was around.

Hearing familiar footsteps, Mikaela looked up and smiled at her best girlie. Miss Mack. Setting aside her pen, Mikaela washed away the food in her mouth with some water before it got too dry. “Hey there. Just scribbling out some words. Musician stuff.” Reaching over, she grabbed a bit of melon off her friends plate. Not a huge piece, just something small. Dancers did need to eat after all. Who was Mikaela to deny her bestie food?

“What have you been up to? And who with?” There was a juicy rumor that Mack may have a new man in her life, but Mikaela wanted to hear it form her first-not any of the airheads who thought they had talent.

[Reese Mackenzie]

Reese smiled, nodding when Mickey told her she was doing musician stuff. It was what the girl always did. But hey, dancers danced all the time and musicians were busy with musician stuff all the time. It was just the way it was. Running a hand through her hair she chewed slowly on her strawberry, being glad Mickey did not steal one of those of her plate. Strawberries and pine apples were holy to Reese Mackenzie, she loved them more than any other kind of food.

However she almost choked on the little red fruit when Mickey decided to make her relive
last night. She coughed, shaking her head while reaching out for Mickey’s water. Taking a few sips to make the strawberry go down the right pipe she placed the bottle of water back on the table soon after. “Nothing. I mean nothing important. Really.” If Graham would find out she would be so screwed.

“What makes you think that anyway?” she asked innocently. Reese wouldn’t lie to her best friend and she hadn’t up and till this point either. However Mickey would probably want to know everything, they didn’t really have secrets for one another. Avoiding Mickey’s eyes she picked up her fork and attacked her fruit with it.

[Mikaela Stone]

Mikaela’s eyes widened when Mack started to choke. Unscrewing the top of her water, she handed it over, not minding in sharing it with. It’s not like she was going to back wash and neither did Michaela. It was gross. So she didn’t mind sharing things with her or Graham. Just seemed all right in her mind.

Snorting, her eyes rose as she stabbed her fork into her salad, picking up a bunch of pieces. “Ok and I’m the Queen of England.” Biting into the forkful she had, Michaela glanced around to see if the cute artist had by any chance come around for some food. Swallowing, she smiled widely.

“Well, I think I would think it when I hear a rumor form the other dancers that there’s a new man in your life. So dish.” Holding her hand up boy scout fashion, she couldn’t help but giggle. “I promise not to tell your non-blood enemy turned bro alien your dirty little secret. Nor indescrepencies. Nor whipped cream stories. Nor wet t-shirt contests. Nor any club stories.” It was a dumb little ritual Mikaela went through whenever trying to get something out of her best friend. It’s not like she told each sibling the other’s secrets. It would probably set of a new world war with each secret. And then there’d be no school left for her to go to.

Smiling, Mikaela took a slow bite of her food before chewing and swallowing. “Plus, you tell me about your boy and I’ll tell you about the one I met today. But you first.”

[Reese Mackenzie]

She shouldn’t have picked such curious friends, or stubborn friends for that matter. Mickey wasn’t going to drop the subject was she? Ah man, that was so not fair! Everything was still fuzzy in her own head about what had happened, let alone how talking about it would be.

Still couching a little Reese brought a piece of apple to her mouth, chewing it slowly she tried to buy some time. Maybe she could think of something that would change the girls interest in the matter. Like jumping subjects! Although right now her mind pretty much blanket so apparently this so called rumour was going to be discussed.

Reese shrugged swallowing the apple, but still smirked a little when the whipped cream thing and the wet t-shirt contest was brought up. She actually had told Mickey a few of those stories –which Graham did not know about, thank God! “It’s no big deal and I don’t have a new man in my life Mick. I just sort of made out with someone last night.”

Pointing her fork at her friend, Reese rose a brow. “You met a guy?” but then she got told she needed to tell first. “Ah come on! That’s so childish, making me tell first befor I get to hear your little guy thing.” She rolled her eyes but still smiled. Mick and a guy? Now that was defenitly interesting.

“Alright fine. I made out with Tony Hoult but my brother hates him and I sort of like him. So if you tell him he’s going to kick my ass which only means I will end up kicking yours. So you can’t tell him or anyone else alright?” She knew Mickey wouldn’t though. “Now spill, what cute guy?”

[Mikaela Stone]

Mikaela knew that Reese was seriously trying to stall. But she would not by any means let this go. This was something that had to be discussed and rationalized out. Not just mentioned and tossed aside. No, Mikaela would pick apart the girls brain until she got what she wanted. Even if that meant following her around after her classes in order to find out what was going on.

Mikaela ate her salad silently until her friend answered. She would offer no information about her own meeting of a guy. Nope, not until Reese had. Smiling softly as she chewed and swallowed, chewed and swallowed, she gazed to try and read her friend’s facial expressions. She was unmoving, not wanting to give up that bit of information at all. But Mikaela was ruthless. Got until she had only a few bits of her salad left.

Dropping her fork in an emphiany she went “Ah ha! But there still is a guy involved! Even if you aren’t steadily dating, there is still a man involved and a part of your life in some form. You can not and shall not deny that.” Sticking out her tongue, she laughed before her own blush crept up to her cheeks. Wow her friend really knew how to riel her up. And Mack was the only one who could. Gray usually would help her wind down to a calm manner. The two siblings were like a balance.

Finally getting her answer, she leaned forward as her ears perked up. “oh my oh my. He is a cute one. We will have to stop this rumor before in manifests and he finds out then.” If Gray found out and knew that Mikaela hadn’t told him, then it was like the world was going to end. He could deal-maybe. But Mikaela could not let her sanity rest upon if this rumor spread or not.

Finally letting the topic change to her, Mikaela perked up, moving her tray slightly. “Ok his name is Dane something or other. And I accidentally ran in to him while trying to get familiar with the school. He’s really, really cute and I want to see him again. Just not so sure how I will be able to see him again. He’s cute and artistic-of course. But also not real self centered. He’s down to Earth.” Mikaela picked up her fork and was playing with her fork dreamily. Her problem? She saw a cute guy and she liked him for awhile. She falls way too fast.

[Reese Mackenzie]

Friends. They were great, they really were. But they, as in Mickey, also had the nasty habit of knowing you. Which meant they could tell when something was up or when you were trying to stall. And when they noticed, you were screwed. Cause that meant they would not stop asking of pushing till they knew exactly everything there was to know. Yep. Long live best friends!

Reese rolled her eyes and set her fork aside when she got greeted by her friends tongue. Sticking her tongue right back out to the girl she then shrugged. “Tony either will brag and tell the school, or be a jerk when I tell him not to tell and he will or he will be a good boy and keep his mouth shut. Although I really don’t see that last thing happening.” Graham would find out anyway, it was just a matter of time. No secret could be kept around this school, it was truly insane how fast rumours travelled. But it was better if she told her brother about it all herself. Which she would…well maybe.

Leaning back in her chair Reese ran hand through her hair. Her thoughts wandering off towards Tony for a moment. She bit her lip, remembering how much fun last night had been. Something she knew couldn’t happen again unless Tony would suddenly wanted to date her and love her and all. Not that he would, she wasn’t a little girl with a foolish dream. Reese knew she had to get Tony out of her head, it was just so hard.

‘His name is Dane something or other.’

Reese got jerked back to reality when she heard one very familiar name. She blinked but an immediate smirk made it up to her face. “ Yeah, he’s pretty cute ain’t he? Well, if you’re into the whole muscled body, cute smirk and brooding attitude thing. “ Not to mention him being a great kisser, although admitting such a thing right now didn’t seem such a good thing to do. That was a total different story, but that did not needed to be shared at this very moment.

“I don’t think seeing him again will be that much of a problem considering he’s like my best guy friend.” She continued, winking at Mickey while deciding it was time to continue eating her fruit salad. Dane and Mickey. Yeah, they would be so cute together!

[Mikaela Stone]

Mikaela raised her eyebrows up as she finished up her salad. It was savory in her mouth. Since she had to live at this place she had to learn to love it’s quirks-including the food. It was far from the greatest thing ever, but it was better then eating from fast food restaurants all the time. Or her mom’s place. It was easy to get heavy off Italian food.

Wiping her mouth, she pushed her tray aside before leaning back in her chair. Tossing her apple from hand to hand in thought. “The thing is, if this hurts your rep at all he’s automatically going to die at my hands so either way, he’s dead. Second, if he does actually shut up about it I’ll be surprised if he shuts up about tit.” Guys usually have a big ego and will boast about most anything if they were given the chance to.

Mikaela narrowed her eyes a bit. She was pretty much sure that Mack probably had a past with the guy. Whether it be they had a fling, had a relationship, or she just thought he was cute. Putting a guard up, she took a small bite of her apple. “If you two have or had a thing going, just let me know. And I will totally back of.” Mikaela didn’t like moving in on people her friends liked or liked or once liked.

Smiling softly, Mikaela chuckled. “Wow that would have been nice to know before I made a complete moron of myself when I first met him.”

[Reese Mackenzie]

Reese shook her head, it wasn’t about her reputation. She didn’t care about that at all. “I just don’t want my brother to find out about it unless I tell him. But I don’t want to tell him either cause he will get upset and make it so much more than it really is. Or was. Well whatever.” People talked and thought anything they wanted about you anyway. Besides the only opinions that mattered were the ones of the people she actually cared about.

“So either way I’m screwed just cause of one kiss that doesn’t mean anything to him anyway.” It just sucked that it did mean something to her. She sighed rubbing her hands over her face, this was just too complicated. It was a good thing she had dance practice soon and had to teach at the dance studio till eleven to distract herself from all this drama for a bit.

“Don’t be stupid, he’s perfect for you.”, she said smiling at her best girly friend. Dane was a good guy and Mickey deserved a good guy, ergo he would be perfect. “I’m sure it can’t be worse than tripping over your own feet, falling on top of him while he is holding a bucket of pink paint that is send flying through the air and ends up turning both people pink the first time you meet him.” At least that is how she had met Dane a few years ago. Pink ended up not being his colour.

[Mikaela Stone]

Mikaela let an eyebrow raise yet again. Laughing it all off, she shook her head in confusion. “It’s still a reputation. The reputation with your brother which he thinks you have.” Everything was about reputation. Her mother expected one reputation of Mikaela though the reality was completely different. If only she knew about the band and hard liquor-not enough to get wasted, but enough to get confused. If a guy had come along things would have been bad.

Watching her best friend, Mikaela was saddened. Leaning forward, she sighed. “It may have meant something. He just could be scared because you’ve an intimidating woman. You could probably take any guy down if you tried hard enough. And that scares a lot of guys because they think they have to be the big and tough ones while girls are dainty and withdraw.” A lot of guys were intimidated by powerful woman like Reese. So that is probably what it was all about.

Mickey tugged on a blond strand biting her lip. Her apple was now forgotten. “He may be perfect for me, but I’m not perfect for him. You know about my father and what not. Plus, a past has a way of coming back upon you.” Like if her old band mate/old fling came around then she’d be dead. Or if someone else came in and messed things up. “Plus we just met. Not like it’s a big deal. I just said I met a cute guy.” Now she was trying to brush it all off and act nonchalant. Like she hadn’t been the one bringing it up.

[Reese Mackenzie]

Reese shrugged, ”People will always talk Mick. It doesn’t matter how hard you try to hide something or pretend to be someone else. Rumours get started in a second and can be a pain in the ass for weeks. I stopped caring about reputations and all that years ago.” She had learned that wasn’t important the hard way. When other kids had been having all the new toys Graham and Reese had to play with old ones or broken ones. The other kids laughing at them for not being ‘normal’ like them. “It’s not worth all the energy.” Instead she had put that in dancing and it had paid off fairly well.

She blinked, sighing right after that. “Great, so cause I’m independent I scare guys off?” Now call that irony! “I don’t know Mick, apparently people just want to have fun. Maybe that is the new trend and is dating someone cause you love them getting old.” She shook her head, not wanting to talk about it anymore. Tony didn’t want her, just like everyone else. Reese was there for fun, that much was clear.

Well at least some guys were decent enough like Dane. Although Reese knew that she and Dane didn’t work well together. Which was fine, he was a great friend and she didn’t it to be any other way. “Mick you are perfect for him. Period.” Ah man, she wasn’t going to act like Graham now was she? Both of them should be so happy about having someone they liked, a decent person who might like them back –or liked them back already- and could make them happy. “Yeah well, keeping yourself stuck in the past will mess up your future.”

Reese knew Mickey had it tough with her dad, she would never deny the girl didn’t have just that. And course Reese wouldn’t hook Dane and Mickey up just like that. But she did not want her best friend to say she wasn’t good enough. That was 100% bullshit.