Funny You Should Ask

1

HELLO THERE. So between school and sleep and work I have been writing this story a few times a month (which is kind of sad because I do enjoy this story and I started it mid-march ). Anyway, my mom and I are OBSESSED with the show The Middle, and I really enjoy thinking about Charlie Mcdermott and his curls, and also how much I just love the Hecks. There were't too many Middle stories out there and I find them comforting, so I thought I would write my own. It has no real plot yet...And it lacks a title, so suggestions are welcome! Note that I am probably not going to put too much time into this because this is something to do in my spare time which is something I seem to only have occasionally. So anyway, read away my friends...

1

He was always late to class. This was a fact that everyone knew. Or so he thought.  It was because of this fact and because of his assumption that Professor Hotchkiss called him out for being 30 minutes late to her lecture on the French Revolution.

"Mr. Heck," the old lady started but Axl threw out an exasperated sigh as he sat down in a desk next to some brunette. After flashing his million watt smile at the annoyed girl next to him he turned back to Hotchkissmyass (something he loved to call her).

"Mildred..." He said.

"I've said this many times before, Mr. Heck, Mildred is not my name. Professor Hotchkiss will do. You are late once again. I'm afraid I will have to take points off your grade, which is bad as it is. Perhaps you should find yourself a tutor for the second time you take my class after you flunk?" She smiled as the class snickered and Axl's face grew red. So she wanted to humiliate him? No problem he could recover smoothly. He was a Heck after all. Actually, not just any Heck, the Axeman. Mildred Hotchkissmyass would just have to suffer with him the second time around.

This exchange prompted another exchange. Axl turned to the girl beside him and whispered "Hey, you're always on time and you look smart too! You wanna tutor the Axeman?"

The girl turned a little to face him and he studied her as she gave him a look of disgust. She had brown hair that laid on her shoulders in unruly waves. A few freckles dotted her face, which was pretty cute in that annoyed expression. His smile fell when  she uttered the words "Bite me." Her tone was quite venomous in nature, which shocked Axl, who normally was a hit among the girls.

Axl recovered quickly and put a smile back on his face as he leaned a bit closer to her. Wiping a curl of his hair out of his face he murmured "Oh, I will, darling." Right after this, however, Axl's foot started throbbing. This girl had dropped, or rather, thrown, her book on his foot.

"Oops," she said in a happy voice. Axl frowned when he realized she was going to be a challenge, but he liked a challenge.

"Miss Smith, are you alright?" Hotchkiss asked the girl.

After aiming a grin of pride towards Axl, the girl turned towards the professor and said, "Oh everything is fine now." Hotchkiss nodded in agreement, probably understanding the girls grin at Axl. Hell, Hotchkiss might have been just like this girl in her day. Axl shuddered at this thought and opened his notebook, which by the way, he had never written in before. He was feeling as though flunking was not an option. He might actually have to learn and not just party and flirt and play football. 'Oh my god!', he thought. 'This is so unfair!'.

--------

Maybe he was overreacting. This is what Shaun said when they spoke on the phone.

"Look, Axl, you're just reeling from Cassidy. In fact this is really normal. It's refreshing to see you being human and not a total asshole," Shaun had said. Axl had banged his head against the wall in protest. Shaun had been taking a number of Psych classes and thought he understood everyone's emotions and actions. When Axl asked what he thought about Brick he didn't answer, so to Axl, it was obvious he didn't know anything.

"I am NOT 'reeling' from Cassidy. We just grew apart, that's all. And anyway, we've always known that long distance things don't work. Especially with hot babes like Mindy Waynes going to the same school."

Shaun momentarily forgot his goal of counseling Axl and said "No way, man. MINDY WAYNE GOES TO YOUR...hang on. We're talking about you." To which Axl grimaced. "You are hurt, Axl. This professor obviously is just a bitch who gets off on targeting the weak."

"Shaun, I'm not fucking weak. Have you seen my pecs? God! You can be so lame sometimes!" Shaun made some comment about having homework and needing to get off the phone.

"But Axl? Take care, man. Maybe apologize to this girl, yeah?"

When they hung up Axl felt lonely. He missed Shaun. Hell, he missed Darrin. And if he was being really honest, like maybe if he was wasted, he would admit that he was homesick. He missed Orsen. He missed his ugly, dirty house in the middle. He missed his couch full of snacks and a microwave that needed a hairdryer blasted at it to work. He missed Brick's soft breathing at night in their shared bedroom. He missed Sue's bracey smile. He missed his Dad's company during Colts games. But most of all, he missed his mom. So fucking much. It was hard not having her nagging him all of the time. He'd grown so used to it during his 18 years at home, and God did he miss it.