❝ i'm giving you one more chance to shut the fuck up and come on. ❞

AYANE WAS FEELING PRETTY good about herself.

For starters, she was so excited to finally share with Mr. LaRusso that she had figured out his method behind the painting, waxing, and sanding.

Although she refused to tell him how she discovered this.

But the next day, Ayane was dreading school. Well, not necessarily school, but someone at school.

Miguel.

They had not talked since yesterday at the apartments, and Ayane felt a pit in her stomach when she thought about him. She regretted leaving like she did, but Ayane had just freaked out in the moment.

And she wanted to make it up to him.

So Ayane ignored the dreadful feeling in her stomach, grabbing a breakfast bar and getting in the car with Liana.

"How are your grades?" Liana asked as they were driving along.

"Fine," Ayane replied, her mouth full of food.

Liana glanced over. "Fine as in how? All A's, I hope?"

Ayane nodded curtly, drinking water from her reusable bottle. "Of course. I mean, Biology is kind of difficult but it's nothing I can't handle."

They pulled into the school parking lot, Ayane gathering her things.

"I might be home early today," she informed, "I'm not sure. I'll let you know, bye."

She got out, taking a few deep breaths.

Ayane found it rather humorous how she could handle rumors about her being a lesbian but not a single teenage boy.

Ridiculous, she thought, shaking her head and opening her locker.

"You broke Miguel."

Ayane frowned at the voice, shutting her locker. Demetri appeared behind it. She rolled her eyes.

"What the hell are you talking about?"

Demetri sighed, slowly shaking his head. "Miguel has been acting like a complete douchebag all morning, and he won't tell me why."

Ayane scoffed. "What, so you just assumed that has something to do with me?"

The boy gave her a knowing look. "You went over to his house yesterday, so I'm just connecting the dots. Wait- did you guys-"

"No, nothing happened," Ayane cut off, pulling her backpack strap over her shoulder. "How has he been acting like a douche?"

The two walked through the halls together as Demetri began to explain.

"He's called me penis breath, dickwad, and an assface all within the span of twenty minutes. And he keeps trying to flirt with every girl he sees."

Ayane quickly looked up, perhaps too quickly.

"Flirting? Miguel? I think Kyler must've hit him in the head too hard."

Demetri shrugged, then stopped and pointed. "See? Look."

Ayane whipped her head around, taking in the sight of Miguel talking to a short blonde girl. Something in her suddenly boiled up, jealousy pitting in her stomach.

Two can play at this game, she thought bitterly, grabbing Demetri's hand and pulling him closer to where Miguel stood.

She started laughing, more like giggling, saying, "Demetri, you're so... funny. And adorable. Not to mention smart."

Miguel glanced up in midsentence, furrowing his eyebrows as he watched.

Demetri squinted. "Uh, thank you-"

"And I think you know more about superheroes than any guy I know. It's crazy."

Ayane hooked her arm around him, her eyes shifting over to Miguel. He glanced away and averted her gaze, Ayane pulling Demetri around the corner.

She immediately let him go. "That was repulsing," she held a hand to her mouth. "Remind me to use Eli next time."

Demetri smiled sarcastically. "The feeling is mutual. Look," he huffed, "you obviously like Miguel and he obviously likes you. Just ask him out!"

Ayane quickly shook her head. "Um, no. Not when he's acting like an asshole for no reason."

The boy threw his hands up in exasperation.

"I give up. You guys can figure out your problems on your own."

Demetri walked away, leaving Ayane standing on the stairway. She kicked the railing, then went to class.

All she could think about was if only she had not freaked out on Miguel yesterday. They could have been walking to school hand in hand, had she stayed and they talked.

But now, Miguel wanted to make things even more difficult.

Ayane had study hall today instead of gym, with none other than her three idiot friends. She was dreading it.

First period ended too quickly for her liking. Ayane walked from Mr. Lopez's class to the library as slow as she could. She would have to face him at one time or another.

Ayane walked in, and immediately the three boys' heads quirked up.

Miguel immediately glanced back down, and Ayane looked elsewhere.

She couldn't do it. Ayane found a table on the opposite corner of the library, occupied by a small nerdy kid. He looked up as she sat down, but Ayane ignored him.

Ayane did not have any studying to do, so she got on her phone and made herself look busy. She was racking her brain, trying to think of some way to approach Miguel. But the stubborn side of her was saying 'No! Not until he stops being an ass!'

Just then, she heard familiar snickers and looked up, seeing Kyler and one of his friends walking away from Miguel, Demetri, and Eli's table.

She stood instinctively, as if Kyler just triggered her fight-or-flight, and walked over.

Kyler glanced over at her just in time, then grabbed his friend and hurried off. He was not on crutches today.

Ayane rolled her eyes. "Pussies."

She shook her head, then with horror realized that she was standing in front of the boys.

Demetri was pulling his backpack out of the garbage can, and it was covered in what appeared to be yogurt.

Ayane cleared her throat. "You- you guys have to stop letting them push you around."

"Oh, they don't mess with us when you're here. So why don't you come sit with us?" Demetri said, shrugging.

Miguel had his head fixated on his textbook. His head was bandaged and his under eye was bruised.

Ayane paused, then walked back over to her table. She gathered her things, glancing at the nerd kid and came back over, throwing her things down in the chair beside her and sitting down.

She was directly facing Miguel. It was taking everything in him not to look up, she could tell.

"What are you guys studying for?" Ayane sighed, bouncing her knee.

"French," Eli said softly, "but it's hard to conjugate verbs-"

"Do you really think Demetri knows more about superheroes than I do?" Miguel looked up, asking the question so quickly it caught Ayane off guard.

Ayane slowly smiled.

"Well, of course I do-" Demetri started, but Miguel cut him off too.

"No, I want to know if you really think that," he pointed at Ayane.

Ayane scoffed. He was seriously trying to argue with her about anything he could.

"Maybe I do, asshole. Why do you care?"

Miguel did not meet her eyes, but he did not look away from her. He had never been this frustrated with anyone.

"We can leave the nerd debates up to me," Demetri finally broke the silence, flipping a page in his book with a huff.

Miguel dropped his head down, back to his textbook.

Ayane pulled out her phone, scrolling through social media.

They were both stubborn as hell, and they both knew it.

Just as they were getting up to leave for the next class, Miguel walked up beside her and in a low voice, said, "For the record, I take back what I said yesterday. You're frustrating a-and arrogant and stubborn."

He pushed past her, Ayane stopping in her tracks for a moment. She could not believe he had said that to her. Ayane felt a sharp pain in her palm, looking down to see her making a tight fist. She took deep breaths, trying to remember what Mr. LaRusso had told her.

Ayane knew what she and Miguel would have to do before anything got better.

They would either talk it out, or fight it out.

. . . .

AT THE END OF THE DAY, Ayane waited around outside for Miguel.

It took swallowing down every ounce of pride in her, but she did.

At last, she saw him walking out of the school and straight to the school bus.

"Miguel!" she called, crossing her arms.

He paused, halfway in the door. With a sigh, Miguel turned slowly to her.

She gestured discreetly for him to come over, impatient.

Miguel sighed, reluctantly doing it. He didn't feel like arguing with her. In actuality, Miguel just wanted to kiss her. But he kept that thought in the back of his mind, because he was annoyed.

"What."

His tone was icy, and his glare was sharp.

Ayane could not even bring herself to smirk. "Come on. We're taking a walk."

Miguel scoffed. "Are you sure? Did you forget what happened on our last 'walk'-"

"Miguel, I'm giving you one more chance to shut the fuck up and come on."

He closed his eyes briefly, breathing deeply and following Ayane.

"Where are we going?" he asked, trying to sound bored.

Ayane glanced over at him. "The park."

Miguel was not smiling, and neither was Ayane. She was desperately thinking of words, just words. Anything to say.

"Why have you been acting like an ass?" she finally asked.

Miguel shot her a defensive look. "I haven't-"

"Cut the bullshit, Miguel. Please. You've been being a douche all day and you know it."

They both exchanged a look, Miguel finally giving it up.

Slightly embarrassed, he admitted, "I took advice from the first person I could think of. And I should've known that is was going to be shitty, but I was desperate, okay? I- I'm sorry."

Ayane raised her eyebrows, shocked by his last words.

"Don't tell me you asked Mr. Lawrence for advice," she laughed sarcastically, shaking her head.

Miguel threw his head back. "Again. Key word: desperate."

Ayane shrugged, dismissing it.

"Are you going to apologize, too?" he asked, looking over at her.

"Apologize? For what?"

He gave up. Miguel laughed without a smile, licking his lips. "I can't believe you."

They were on the sidewalk by the park, now. Ayane stopped walking, and Miguel did, too.

"No, tell me Miguel, what do I have to apologize for? For- for standing up for you against Kyler? Or was it for helping you learn how to defend yourself?"

Miguel grabbed his head. "Try, for being so goddamn stubborn that you refuse to admit your feelings for someone! Or, how about walling up all of your emotions and running away when anyone wants to get close to you!"

"Stubborn? You want to call someone else stubborn? Miguel, you are a poster child for stubbornness."

Ayane wanted to punch him, or someone else. Anyone at all. And at the same time, she wanted to kiss him. Her emotions were all blurring together and she didn't know what she wanted.

"What do you want, Ayane?" he finally asked quietly.

Ayane uncrossed her arms. "I want the same thing you want."

Miguel's chest arose and fell heavily.

"Why didn't you say that sooner?

Before Ayane could give a snarky reply, she was completely over the moon about what happened next.

Miguel pulled her closer by her waist and smashed his lips into hers. Ayane, though taken by surprise, slowly brought her arms around his neck and kissed him back. She had never done this before, but in that moment it just felt so right.

She could have kissed him forever, but became very aware at once that they were in public. Ayane brought her hands up to his face, forcing herself away.

Their eyes locked, but neither of them said anything.

Miguel let go of her waist, and Ayane turned and began walking down the sidewalk.

"Ayane!" he yelled, in disbelief. "You can't just walk away from me again!"

She stopped, turning with an eye roll. "I'm not, dummy. I was expecting you to walk with me."

"Oh."

Miguel scurried over to her, still buzzing from the kiss.

They were both quiet for a moment.

"So... what do we do now?" Miguel asked, scratching his head.

Ayane smiled, shrugging. "I gotta be honest, Diaz. I've never done this before, so I couldn't tell you."

Miguel laughed, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"I think now, most people go on dates."

Ayane quickly looked at him.

"A-A date?"

Miguel shrugged. "If- if you want to, of course."

She blushed, and Ayane did not even bother to hide her excitement at this point.

"Let's go on a date, then."

NOTES!
welcome back to me screaming.
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phew okay,, oh my god i know i'm biased asf because i wrote it but i'm actually OBSESSED