Fan Fiction |
by Hibiscus
Mike missed Ariel. Horribly. He also bugged Rainie and Ethan about her. And they in turn refused to talk about her at all.
Ariel spent each day mentally preparing herself for the onslaught of media fervor that the release of the pictures would bring. She could handle this. It would be difficult but she could handle this.
“I don’t think Ariel can handle this.” Mike said to his potted plant one evening. Ethan had gone over his house to keep him company, that is, to escape Rainie who wanted to go shopping.
“Are you talking to the plant?” Ethan gave Mike a crooked look.
“I’d talk to you but you don’t want to listen.” Mike said dryly.
“Of course I do.” Ethan got up and focused his attention on Mike.
Ariel figured that she’d just play it cool.
“Ariel will freak out.” Mike said to Ethan.
“I’ll just tell them that it’s none of their business.” Ariel thought to herself as she prepared her bath at her home.
“She’s going to say nothing and they’ll take it as an admission to her guilt.” Mike nodded slowly.
“I have to do something.” Mike got up and looked determined.
“I’ll do nothing and let it blow over.” Ariel solemnly told the shampoo bottle and settled into the bath.
***********************************************************
“He’s going to do what?” Rainie shrieked. “Is he out of his mind?”
“Yeah, in fact he has told us many times that he is insane.” Ethan said softly.
“He’s serious?” Rainie couldn’t believe it.
“Very.” Ethan affirmed.
“I have to tell Ariel.” Rainie hung on Ethan.
***********************************************************
“I’m in the bath.” Ariel said into the phone.
“Wait till you hear what Mike has thought up.” Rainie said.
“Why do I have a horrible sinking feeling?” Ariel made a face.
Rainie told her.
Ariel felt the world stumble on its axis.
“Why is he doing this?” Ariel asked in a whisper.
“It’s Mike. When does he ever do things that make logical sense?” Rainie said drolly. “Hey, I’ll call you back. Ethan’s calling me.”
***********************************************************
“Should we tell Joe?” Ethan asked Rainie.
“Yeah, he might be able to talk him out of it.” Rainie replied.
“Okay, I’ll call you back later.” Ethan hung up and dialed Joe’s number.
***********************************************************
“He wants to have a press conference?” Joe said to Ethan.
“Yep.”
“And announce his relationship to Serena??” Joe said disbelievingly.
“Yep.”
“He’s insane.”
“Can you come talk to him?” Ethan asked.
“Yeah. I’ll be there in about ten.”
“See you then.”
“Yeah.”
**********************************************************
Joe walked into Mike’s place without knocking. He walked from the foyer to the living room. Ethan was sitting on the couch looking at Mike who had both his hands in his front pockets and was pacing back and forth. He raised an eyebrow at Ethan who shrugged and continued watching Mike pace.
“Hey.” Joe said.
Mike looked up, saw Joe, nodded and resumed pacing.
“I heard.”
“I know.” Mike replied.
“So?”
“You know I’m going to do it.”
“Why?”
“Cuz she’s already been hurt once by me, man. I don’t want to mess up her life again.”
“It’s not you, it’s Belinda.”
“Yeah, whatever. Same difference.”
“So you are just going to tell the world you and Serena are an item?”
“Pretty much.”
“Can you do it?”
“Without gagging? I dunno.”
“Why don’t you just go out with her for real?” Joe said.
Mike stopped pacing for a minute. “You are kidding, right? She doesn’t want me.”
“Have you asked her?”
“Are you crazy?”
“How can you know if you haven’t asked her?”
“I asked her during the filming of Love Contract.”
“That was five years ago. Her feelings may have changed.”
“No, I promised her I wouldn’t treat her as anything more than a friend. I told her that. I can’t go back on my word.”
“But Serena?”
“She wants fame. She’ll do it.”
“But…her?”
Mike shrugged.
“Why don’t you t speak to Ariel just once?”
“We have to act like strangers until this thing blows over. And it will blow over after I tell the world my real girlfriend is Serena. At least then, I will be able to speak to Ariel, hear her laugh…just stop listening to me, man. I’m so friggen mushy I sicken myself.”
“If you love her so much-“
“I love her this much. That’s why I’m doing this.”
“You’re insane.”
“Yeah, I’ve pretty much accepted that.” Mike said quietly.
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