M&M’s

“Do you see it Mira?”

“No, I’m looking!”

“Look harder you goofball!”

Mira giggled as Michael playfully poked her butt. She had in fact seen the lone star illuminating the night sky before Michael did, but she enjoyed his teasing. 

Most guys who had liked her in the past had treated her as something too beautiful to touch. 

Michael couldn’t keep his hands away from her. 

Tiffany has said he was average looking, but to Mira he was more beautiful than anything. 

Was that weird to call a guy beautiful? Mira didn’t care. 

“You do realize Tiff said that because Mike ditched her on a first date the second you texted him?” Mira had scoffed at Antione. Michael’s best friend had a flair for drama that was bigger than his talent for fashion and crafting incredible lattes. 

For some reason she had to ask Michael at that moment if Antione was telling the truth. 

“I did ditch her.” Michael responded. A bit too blunt. 

He sensed her discomfort. 

“I tried to apologize to her by offering to pay for a lunch or dinner, but she refused.”

Of course Tiff refused. A man never ditched Tiffany. “Well I’m glad you’re alive after that.” Mira responded, snorting with laughter.

“Did you just snort?” Michael asked, incredulous. 

The two of them burst into fits of laughter, the kind that made your stomach feel like you had just completed a YouTube ab workout. 

Mira felt like that singular star in the sky kept them from being shrouded in darkness. 

“I love you,” She blurted out. Holy shit. What. 

Of course at that moment Mira couldn’t make out Michael’s expression. She was almost thankful for it. 

But was he going to say anything? Each second felt like a century. 

Michael silently handed Mira...a bag of M&M’s? 

“Damn it. I was going to wait to give you these but I guess if I had done that they would’ve melted and I would’ve wasted thirty bucks because shipping costs are exorbitant and-“

Mira wasn’t paying attention. 

Somehow the starlight was back, shining just where she needed it. She looked at each piece of candy, many emblazoned with an, “I,” or a , “LOVE,” and of course, “YOU.”

Michael grinned. 

“I mean, I technically beat you to it because I ordered these like, two weeks ago?” 

She kissed him of course. Mira simply had no choice. 

Four months later felt like nothing to Michael. He glanced at the huge bowl of M&M’s in his kitchen. Only four of the pieces had words this time. Mira would have to find them. Hopefully she’d find something else hidden in the bowl during her excavation. 

“Guard that with your life.” He asked Antione. 

Antione bowed with a flair. Michael felt like a dork for thinking it, but he’d had a dream once where he was King Arthur and Antione was Lancelot.

Somehow Mira’s best friend Sam was a knight too. Michael would never admit that he was slightly terrified of Sam. He could feel her glare everytime he took Mira away from her. 

“She’ll probably kill you in your sleep if you ever hurt Mira. Did you know her grandpa was MI6?” Antione noted cheerfully. Michael felt a shiver slither down his spine. 

Not very King Arthur-like of him. 

The only way he’d ever hurt Mira would be if he died. 

But he wasn’t planning on doing that anytime soon. 

“Suits and Saints?” Michael had asked derisively when they received the flyer from the sorority. Tiff was like the head sorority girl or something, but Michael was only going because Mira was a sorority sister too. 

Antione adjusted his suit collar, looking terribly dapper. Of course Antione had sewn together both of their suits for the party that night. 

Michael felt a bit James Bondish in his getup. He felt like he should be walking around with a gun in one hand and a martini in the other. 

They wouldn’t stay long. Michael has important things to do. If he didn’t do it tonight he might lose his nerve. 

Mira and Sam were at the door. Sam gave him her trademark suspicious glare when he wouldn’t let them inside. 

Mira simply smiled, looking angelic in her floor length white and crimson dress. 

“Hey James, can I be your Bond girl?” She asked him. 

“No,” Michael said a bit too quickly. You’re my Guinevere. 

“Geez. Harsh much?” Sam asked. How the hell did she appear out of nowhere? She was like the red-headed devil on his shoulder. 

“Don’t be silly Sam. We’ll meet you there!” Sam glared at Michael one last time and got in her car, with Antione hopping in the passenger seat. 

Mira tapped Michael’s bike. “We will use Antione’s silver suit to light our path!”

He laughed. 

“I’ll be your chauffeur tonight, milady.” 

Michael kept thinking about the bowl of M&M’s. 

Later that night he lost Mira in the throng of party-goers. It had been two hours and he was ready to head home. 

“Beer?” Tiff asked, nearly shoving the can in his face. Michael shrugged. He didn’t want to be drunk when he showed Mira the M&M’s. 

Where was she? 

“Oh dear, it appears your lady doth drank too much.” Tiff said. He hated how every word that came out of Tiff’s mouth felt drenched in poison. 

She was right though. Mira was passed out, somehow looking absurdly beautiful in her drunken state. How did Tiff know exactly what spare sorority bedroom Mira was in? Was it a psychic girl thing? 

He turned around to thank Tiff for finding Mira, but she was gone. 

“Hey Bond! Where’s your martini?” Drunk Mira snorted, struggling to get up. Michael scooped her up. He’d ask Antione to come back too, make Mira her favorite latte so she could sober up before unveiling the bowl. 

“I...can’t leave yet, Tiffany took bids on me as a party favor. Apparently I’m the big moneymaker of this hell hole!”

A party favor? What the hell? 

Where was Sam? 

“Take her home.” Sam said, appearing out of nowhere. Seriously, there must’ve been some psychic girl thing going on. 

Sam looked furious. 

“But I gotta help Tiff!” Mira yelled. 

“I’ll be the party favor Mira. Don’t worry.”

What the hell did being a party favor mean anyway? 

He could feel Sam’s glare stabbing his soul. 

“Can you tell Antione we’re heading back?” He asked Sam. She nodded. 

Michael made his way through the party, ignoring the copious boos of the boys who had bid on Mira. He’d talk to Tiff later about auctioning off his girlfriend. 

Mira felt so warm. He would always protect her no matter what. He gently placed her on his motorcycle. 

“Hold on to me tight okay?” Mira nodded, looking sleepy. 

Antione raced over to Sam, his suit disheveled. 

“Had some lady fun, huh?” She asked, smirking. Something was off. Sam had never seen Antione look so anxious. 

“Where are they? They haven’t left yet, have they?”

Sam could feel herself absorbing Antione’s nervous energy. 

“They left ten minutes ago. Michael asked me to tell you to make her a latte.”

Antione looked like part of his soul died.

He called Michael frantically as Sam tried to reach Mira. 

“FASTER!” Mira yelled, laughing. She kept poking Michael playfully. He revved up the motorcycle a bit. Why shouldn’t they have fun? 

Michael never wanted Mira to forget this night. 

“FASTER!” 

He sped up for the love of his life.

They quickly reached a curve that overlooked a grassy hill. Michael immediately put his foot on the brake. He may have felt like James Bond but he wasn’t ready for death defying stunts. 

He didn’t want to hurt his future fiancé. 

His motorcycle wasn’t slowing down. Was something wrong with the brake? It was fine when they went to the part-

Michael somehow found the strength to lift Mira off the bike and throw her at the grass. 

Mira screamed as they kept careening over the curve. She felt her head hit the grass first, and her body soon after. Ignoring the searing pain in her head, she screamed out for Michael. Why wasn’t he answering? 

Her heart stopped. 

There was Michael, bloody. Pinned under his beloved motorcycle. 

Somehow Mira found the strength to pull Michael’s bike off of him. 

Time stood still. 

“Babe. Are you okay?” 

Her talkative boyfriend didn’t open his eyes. 

Mira felt oddly calm. He would be fine. She called 911. Then Antione. Then Sam. 

Help was on the way. 

He would be fine. 

Michael wasn’t allowed to die.

She’d never forgive him. 

Mira wrapped her arms around him. She could care less about the blood. They were at the spot. 

Of course they were. 

“Look. A star.” She said simply, completely sobered up. 

Mira never heard Michael’s voice again.