REJECTS\\M.C.

-15-

-mikey-

"Mike you need to make a sizable piece to catch up," Mr. Barton says at Mikey follows his around the shop with his perfectly polished wooden box.

"When am I supposed to find time to make something like that?" Mikey asks, feeling defeated.

"You can request your free hour to be here, or even zero hour. You can be here after school too, you're eighteen and can use the equipment without me."

"I'm already tutoring to catch up on my other classes," Mikey grumbles.

"Listen, Mike," Mr. Barton turns to face Mikey, compassion in his eyes, "I know you're not going to become a carpenter or get into trade work. I know this isn't your passion. You have a different dream and I remember being in your shoes once. So that's why I am only requiring this one thing from you. Make me an entertainment center or a computer desk, or a table, two night stands for your room. A dresser. I don't care, just make me a furniture piece."

"I'll think of something," Mikey gives in and walks back to his bench where Hannah is sanding her wooden box.

"What did he say?" She asks gently, inspecting her finish with her fingertips.

"He wants me to make furniture. I don't know what to make," he sighs and lays his finished box next to hers.

"What about some new nightstands for your room? Do your parents want a coffee table?" She thinks aloud as she continues to swipe at a section on her box. "How did you get yours so smooth?" She asks, running her hand over the top of his.

"You've gotta do circle with a finer grit," he tells her, stepping away to grab a new sheet.

He passes it to her and then lightly grabs her hand, guiding it to the lid of her box. His fingers press into hers before his palm covers the top of her hand to apply pressure to the paper. She lets him control the movement of her hand before he feels her tendons tense up as she does it herself and he pulls away.

"Thank you," she says quietly and a smile curls on her lips.

He thinks she is so beautiful; the way the corner of her mouth sinks into her cheek and small dimples form around it. He kissed just above that spot today and his lips still wish he had kissed those pretty red lips. But her seemingly fear of intimacy, which he can only conclude to be innocence, has him making sure not to push or rush her. So he will endure his mouth salivating as he stares at those delectable lips instead.

"What?" She looks at him with a smirk on those same pretty lips and he smiles, enjoying her sass.

"Nothing," he feels his cheeks flush and he turns away.

"Mike!" Mr. Barton hollers as he walks by their bench, "Stop flirting and make me a blueprint of your project!"

"Yeah, yeah!" Mikey waves his hand and notices Hannah's cheeks flush.

He pinches her cheek which makes her giggle and then grabs a piece of paper, his pencil hovering until the bell rings.

"Can't decide?" Hannah asks when she sees his blank page.

"I just don't know," he groans.

"We can run through ideas tonight," she offers as she grabs her backpack.

He just sighs and grabs his own backpack, following her out. His mind processes his options, going through his home and thinking of things he could make for his parents, coming up with nothing. Then he pictures his room, thinking he could make a new nightstand or tv stand. Maybe a guitar stand? Maybe he could make a table for the studio?