Hey Mickie, Hey Mickie - Episode 30 "Best Friends Forever"

Written by: TVM (mrtvm@mrtvm.com)

Archive: www.asstr.org/~TheVertManArchive/Stories/Mickie/Index.html

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                                               ><> (: ~ :) <>< LANEY'S 'point of view' ><> (: ~ :) <><

"Are you seriously moving to Cleveland?" I asked Grandpa Hal as he spun me around and pulled me down on his lap and hugged me.

"I sure am," he said as I laid back against him and smiled. "You mean this is good news?"

"Great news, me and Taylor both miss you big time," I said as he grinned and kissed my cheek. "When do you think you can make the move? Please say soon."

"Looking at listings on the internet today if Michael comes by," Grandpa said. Michael Seaver that is, Grandpa's real estate friend. "I'm assuming you want me somewhere near your girlfriend upstairs?"

"Not funny," I said as he laughed and I got up and walked off as he laughed harder. "We both have girlfriends and as a matter of fact Taylor has two."

"But you're the only one that matters Laney," Grandpa Hal said in a calm voice. No laughter just his kind tempered voice as he looked me dead in the eye. "You can deny it with every breath and maybe it won't cause trouble, but if you ever give in you're both gonna..."

"Best friends forever, that's all," I said firmly as he shrugged and thankfully said nothing more about it. "And yes I do want you near Taylor's house. That way we can hang out without having to take the bus around town."

"Well after we get settled in Cleveland we'll just have to go car shopping," Grandpa said as I smiled. "You seem to forget that I'm filthy stinkin rich."

"And I don't like it when you throw money around," I said as he shook his head. "How do you think Taylor feels?"

"Well you care most of all about how she feels now don't you?" Grandpa Hal commented.

"Will you drop it?" I asked.

"My office I'll say as I please!"

"Whatever Gramps," I said as I walked out and stormed off down the hall. What the hell was that all about I asked myself as I turned to head up the steps and tried to figure out why several people (Sammi actually) in the last few weeks had commented on me and Taylor being more than friends. It's a stupid suggestion, OK? Well not stupid, stupid, but I don't think it would ever happen. Especially not right now with all the craziness surrounding the whole Taylor/Mickie/Raegan triangle that's jumping off.

"Hey we going walking later?" Taylor asked as she stuck her head out of her bedroom door. She looks so adorable, I thought for a moment before I was able to push it out my mind. "Hello?"

"Yeah just come and get me," I said as she smiled and ducked back inside her room. That's when the 'breaking news' scroller began to run in my mind and I stopped at the door to my bedroom and realized that I had to tell Taylor. One way or the other. Thinking for a long moment I kinda realized that she wasn't gonna believe me about Raegan cheating (it was third hand gossip after all) and it would come off as me being a serious troublemaker because it's kinda obvious that I can't stand Raegan. "What the fuck am I gonna do now?"

"HEY MICKIE, HEY MICKIE, YOU'RE SO FINE, YOU'RE SO FINE," I heard and walked the few feet to the bathroom and was shocked when I saw Taylor's phone laying on the sink. I picked it up to check the ID and figuring it was Mickie but found out it wasn't. It read, "Raegan Kirkpatrick."

"Cheating slut," I said as I glared at the phone and it rung again before stopping. Realizing then that I should have confronted her and just ask her point blank about what Mickie had heard. "I wish you would call back. Hell, if you do I will ask you."

"HEY MICKIE, HEY MICKIE, YOU'RE SO FINE, YOU'RE SO FINE," The tone sounded again and made my heart drop into my stomach. It was Raegan and this time with shaky hands I opened the phone and closed the bathroom door and said, "Hello?"

"Hey," Raegan said. "Hello?"

"UMMMMM Hey," I replied in my best Taylor-like voice.

"This isn't Taylor is it?"

"No it's not, this is Laney her best friend," I said.

"OK, and I'm guessing Taylor's not around?"

"She is, she left her phone in her room and if you answer the questions I got you can talk to her," I said with what I wanted to be nerves of steel.

"Huh? Look what the hell is going on?" Raegan asked. "I'll just call back later."

"Did you cheat on your EX?" I blurted out and heard her gasp for breath in shock.

"Cheat... what... the fuck?" She stammered. "How the hell did you find out?"

"I just did and you just confirmed it," I said coldly.

"But... who the hell told you?" She asked but before I could reply she went on, "It was Bruce wasn't it? My slime ball of an EX? He told you?"

"Yeah... he called and told me..."

"You or Taylor?" She asked in confusion. "What the hell would he call you and tell you anything about me?"

"I had Taylor's phone and when he called..." I lied.

"You're a pathetic liar," She said as I laughed. "So you were lying?"

"Yeah and who's Bruce?"

"My EX boyfriend," She admitted. "The one I cheated on."

"Yowzers," I said. "Taylor doesn't know."

"No, but I just bet you're gonna tell her," Raegan said in a bitter tone. "I knew you didn't like me after that scene on the porch when all I was doing was kissing her."

"SHE HAS A GIRLFRIEND!" I screamed in anger. Then putting it back to my ear and going on, "You don't screw with people like that. Mickie never did anything to you and you purposely tried to break her heart."

"Nooooo I did not, that is so unfair," Raegan said as she started to cry. "I made..."

"You've probably already cheated on Taylor huh?" I asked.

"FUCK YOU!" She screamed into the phone. Then saying something that stopped my anger cold. "I've never been in love like this."

"You're in love with her?"

"Screw you," Raegan shot back. "I love that girl so much it hurts and do you think I'm not well aware of Mickie? I never wanted to hurt her, I saw her today and you have no idea how bad it hurt me when she looked at me and then talked to me and I realized what kind of damage I've done."

"You talked to Mickie?"

"I did," Raegan said. "She's nice and she deserves to be with Taylor and not me. I don't deserve someone like Taylor."

"No one's saying that," I replied. Surprising myself that it had come out of my mouth. "It's just... Taylor and Mickie are meant to be."

"So how did find out?" Raegan asked after a moments silence.

"Mickie heard you talking on the phone and she told Jessie, my girlfriend, and I overheard!"

"He cheated on me first, Bruce, Bruce Pickford I mean, my EX and then he was treating me like crap and the only way to get rid of him was to cheat on him," she said. "So I did. It worked. He dumped me the next day."

"I didn't need to know that," I commented. "I think I'm gonna go."

"Yeh go run and tell Taylor."

"And why the hell shouldn't I?"

"Like you never made a mistake?" Raegan asked. "You're so damn perfect! Perfect Laney, Taylor's protector."

"I never said I was..."

"You know if I had half a brain I'd pack up and just move to California with my Dad the way he wants," Raegan said.

"California?"

"Yeh, sunshine, beaches and no Taylor Raynewater," Raegan said. "That way everything would be perfect again. Huh Laney..."

"I don't know... hello?" I asked as the phone went to a bizarre sounding busy signal and then went dead totally. "What the fuck?"

                                               ><> (: ~ :) <>< TAYLOR'S 'point of view' ><> (: ~ :) <><

"That is the best news ever," I said as I hugged Grandpa Hal as he smiled. Just having told me about his plans to move to Cleveland so he could be closer to Laney and Me. Sooo good. "Does Laney know?"

"Yes she does and I'm surprised she didn't run right up here and tell her girlfriend," Grandpa Hal said with a smirk.

"Well she wouldn't have to run upstairs to call Jessie on the phone, now would she?" I asked as I reached for my cell phone to show him, thinking it was in my pocket but finding it missing. "Where's my phone?"

"Probably the last place you left it," Grandpa said as I grinned and had to laugh.

"TAY...lor," Laney said as she appeared at the door to my room with her hand in the air ready to knock on the door and her voice dropping from a scream to a whisper as I grinned. "Oh hey!"

"How did you get my phone?" I asked as I saw it in Laney's hand and saw her flinch and had the weirdest feeling that something had happened that she wasn't telling me.

"UMMMMMM you left it in the bathroom my girl," She said as she handed it to me.

"I don't know what I'd do without you," I said as she half-smiled.

"Be very lonely," Grandpa said as we both looked at him. "You two already fight like me and wifey did before she passed on."

"I think I speak for Taylor when I say this, shut up," Laney said as Grandpa Hal enjoyed a laugh and knew he was pushing his Granddaughters buttons. "I'm gonna go and call Jessie back."

"Oh yeah that Becky Sue Martin called and wants you two to pay her a visit," Grandpa Hal said. "Since when are you friendly with her?"

"Since we saw her at the airport and visited her once already," I said as Grandpa Hal nodded as Laney stopped at the door. Hal leaving a few moments later as he went to make lunch for us. I then noticed Laney seemed awfully nervous. A very unusual feeling. "Something wrong?"

"Nooo," She said all too quickly as I met her by the door.

"What is it?" I asked. "You might as well just tell me straight out."

"UMMMMMMMM..." Laney said and sure seemed to be struggling as to whether she wanted to tell me something or not. Kinda gets me worried when she does that.
"It's nothing."

"Right," I said in a mocking voice. "What... is... it?"

"It's... ummmmmm..." She stammered and then blurted it out as if it was the first thing that came to her mind, "You wanna go to the lake tonight?"

"Yeh sure," I said, but being positive that wasn't what she wanted to originally say or ask.

"Oh there you is," Purvis said as he came down the hall looking for us and stopped by my door. "Mister Hal said you might wanna get all packed cause he's gonna send you two on ahead to Cleveland. He thinks tonight is as good night as any to depart."

"Has to send Purvis to give us the bad news," Laney said as she bumped her shoulder against Purvis' as he smiled. "When we leaving?"

"Late night tonight Hal says," Purvis said.

"The old man is nuts," Laney said as I laughed. Not looking forward to returning to life in Cleveland.

"Are you making the big move with us Purvy my boy?" Laney asked.

"I sure intend to," he said as I smiled.

"That means Purvis will be giving us a ride to school every day," I said as he smiled and nodded his head. "We gonna get you a woman to Purvy, get you married and all."

"I don't think any woman would be interested in this ole dog," Purvis said.

"You'd be surprised," I said as he shrugged and turned to leave a few moments later. Laney showing me her phone as she disappeared to and signaling she was about to call Jessie back. "I wonder if I missed any calls?"

"Dad, Mickie, Raegan?" I asked as I saw her name at the top of the list and found it was only minutes ago. About the same time that Laney had been in the bathroom with my phone. I clicked on Raegan's number and got the oddest feeling as it dialed out to her number. "I'll just bet her and Laney already talked and are making plans for marriage."

"The person you are calling is not available at this time, please leave a message," the voice recording said as my call went straight to voice mail. "That's odd."

My phone ringing a moment later as I looked at it and hoped that it was Raegan but found it was my Dad. "Hey Daddy!"

"How's life you world traveler?" Dad asked as I grinned.

"I'm fine and oh yeah guess who is moving to Cleveland?" I asked excitedly and went on to explain to Dad about the whole Grandpa Hal moving to the big city story and about how we'd be home late that very night and asking if he could meet us at the airport.

                                               ><> (: ~ :) <>< MICKIE'S 'point of view' ><> (: ~ :) <><

"Damn it Taylor, pick up the phone please?" I whined to myself as I sat on the bench just inside the skate park with my phone in hand and finding Taylor was not answering my calls. Every call was going straight to voicemail. I'm beginning to think that whole 'I love you' thing was just a mirage that I imagined. So as the minutes passed I became more and more depressed.

Even while I was watching my goofy friends (Darcy and Sammi) playing on Darcy's skate board just a few feet away. The laughing and squealing was hilarious as Darcy tried in vain to show Sammi how to ride the board but poor Sammi is hopeless. She won't give up though. I finally got up to join them and laughed despite my mood as Darcy tried to catch Sammi and both tumbled to the ground.

"OWWWWWWW that hurt, I give up," Sammi said as she now lay in the grass after her 20th consecutive fall. "Your board is mean Darcy."

"You are the most uncoordinated girl I know Sammi McNamara," Darcy said as she sat up onto her knees. "I used to think I could teach anybody to skateboard, not anymore."

"Unfair I'm trying my best," Sammi said as she sat up. "You're mean!"

"Not trying to be, I was just kidding," Darcy said with her dorky dimpled smile.

"Don't let it happen it again," Sammi said as Darcy grinned.

"Yeh leave the cute blond alone," I said as Sammi looked up at me and smiled as she held her hands up for me to pull her up and I did. Me losing a few moments when I made eye contact with Sammi and saw how beautiful her ocean blue eyes were. I snapped my head away as soon as my mind clicked back online and looked down at my phone as it began to ring. I almost wet my pants as Taylor's name popped up along with her picture. "Hello?"

"Mickie?"

"Of course!"

"Thank god, I can't get anyone on the phone the last hour," Taylor commented. "You're the first person I've talked to, what's wrong with the phones?"

"Was trying to call you too," I said, and then my heart taking over and saying what it wanted. "Was scared you didn't wanna talk to me."

"A product of my actions," Taylor said. "You know I'm sorry for all of this?"

"Me too," I said. "So when you coming back?"

"Tonight."

"Seriously?" I asked as a thrill ran through me.

"Flight 214 from Little Rock to Cleveland-Hopkins International Airport," Taylor said. "Can we... Hello? Mickie?"

"Yeh I'm here," I said.

"You're breaking up," She said.

"Let me move," I said as I walked out from under the big tree that hung heavy over the area we where standing in. Darcy and Sammi now sitting on the skate ramp and chatting like old friends. "Can you hear me now?"

"You sound like the Verizon guy," Taylor giggled as I laughed.

"I am no guy," I said.

"MMMMMMM baby don't I know," she said in a sultry voice.

"Maybe when you get back I'll meet you at the airport and show how you much of a guy I'm not," I said.

"I wish things weren't so screwed up," Taylor said. "Marty the little snake caused all of this."

"Huh? Have you forgotten about your other girlfriend in Raegan?"

"Mickie she didn't do anything," Taylor said as my mood turned in a second of listening to her defend Raegan. "It was me, she just wanted someone to be friends with."

"That's what she said when I talked to her," I blurted out.

"When did you talk to her? What did you say?" Taylor asked.

"I bumped into her this morning and I didn't say anything."

"OK," she said as a long silence developed that felt more horrible by the moment. I watched Darcy and Sammi play fight as they wrestled now on the grass as the giggling and laughing filled my ears and I smiled at what I thought was young love blossoming as I saw the two lost in each other in their own way. Sammi jumping up and running as Darcy chased after her and tackled her back onto the grass. I think what happened in that moment is I wanted so desperately for something to fix me and Taylor that I would have probably said almost anything. So I said the first thing that came to my mind and maybe it wasn't the smartest thing on earth to say, but... well, it got said when I blurted out, "She cheated on her EX-boyfriend."

"Huh? Who did?"

"Raegan!"

                                               ><> (: ~ :) <>< TAYLOR'S 'point of view' ><> (: ~ :) <><

I sat there for a long moment and felt literally numb with my heart in my stomach at the shocking comments Mickie had just dropped on me. I thought seriously about just hanging up on her and how she was just trying to make me not feel what I was for Raegan. Because fact is if the accusation were true I'd be crushed, I know that. Crushed to the point of not ever wanting to see her anymore (Raegan that is!). Tell me how you'd feel if you found out that the girl you were falling for had a history of cheating on the people she supposedly loved.

What kept me from hanging up was the simple fact that Mickie has always been as straight as an Oklahoma highway with me. Knowing that I just had to know where and when she heard this.

Then it hit me and I mean HIT me with the most horrible feeling of my life, this somehow involved the way Laney was acting this morning. She had my phone in the bathroom and Raegan had called during that same time period and now that I study on it I might have even heard her talking to someone. Could have been Jessie I reasoned.

"Who told you this?" I asked finally after probably a minute of silence. "And don't you dare tell me you can't say!"

"Raegan," she said as my bottom lip dropped opened and I was torn between calling her a liar and just hanging up. Fortunately for her though she went on and explained it, "I was coming into school this morning and some shit happened with Sammi and Marty and anyway, ummmmmmmm..."

"Sammi and Marty?" Taylor asked. "Never mind, explain it later, what happened with Raegan?"

"She was talking to her Dad on her cell just inside the parking lot entrance and she just blurted out about how she cheated on her boyfriend," she said as my stomach grew to knots. "Her Dad is wanting her to move to California or something..."

"You better not be lying to me Mikala James," I said in a demanding voice.

"I love you so much," Mickie said as I smiled despite myself. "Please believe me I've never lied to you once, ever."

"Mickie..."

"I love you so much it hurts," Mickie said as my heart beat faster. "I'll take you back even if you slept with her."

"Just kissing," I said softly. "You going for a home run huh? Trying anything to get me back?"

"Saying what I feel," Mickie said. "It's ok if you don't feel like that anymore."

"But I do," I said as a warm addictive feeling flushed my body and I knew something was again changing in me. The memories of all the good times we'd had came flooding back to me in an instant. Our first kiss in the cafeteria, the second kiss by her car before the dance, her comedy routine about the football team at the dance itself. The moments at the Marvel's place as Mickie played games with Alex and I brought her soda or a sandwich and basically acted like the wife. I absolutely cherish those moments. I ran my fingers through my hair and smiled as I closed my eyes and soaked in the feelings that stormed my body now. "If you're not lying to me...you just won my heart back."

"Holy shit!" Mickie said in shock as I laughed but what she said next made me laugh for an hour afterwards, "Go me!"

"Will you meet me at the airport tonight?" I asked.

"Yeh and then you're gonna find out how much I love you!"

"I'm taking you with me to see Raegan and I'm gonna ask her," I said.

                                               ><> (: ~ :) <>< MICKIE'S 'point of view' ><> (: ~ :) <><

"What?" I asked as my heart almost stopped beating. "Why?"

"I said if you're not lying to me," Taylor said.

"UMMMMMMM, ok," I said. "And if Raegan says it's not true?"

"I love you," Taylor said as my smile returned. "We'll figure this out in a few hours ok?"

"I love you too," I said and hung up the phone with a case of numbness washing over me.

for a complete archive, please visit: www.asstr.org/~TheVertManArchive/Stories/Mickie/Index.html