'Till There Was You

Chapter Two: To Be So Lonely

"Care for breakfast?" He asked as he started the engine, turning and smiling brightly at me.

"That sounds good... but I'd mostly care for an explanation of why you scare the living daylights out of our principle?" I asked, eyeing him suspiciously. He let out a loud laugh, his eyes sparkling with amusement.

"My dad is the head of the education board, and that guys a fucking prick. My dad trusts me, and he has a zero tolerance policy against bullying going on. That idiot in there knows that one call from me to my dad would send him flying to the unemployment offices."

I nodded slowly, taking in the new information.

"And Janine? She seems nice." I said, because after three full years here I'd never spoken to her at all.

"She's great. I used to babysit her kids, and she's friends with my mum."

I nodded again, somewhat understanding now why he's scary to the principal and friendly with the receptionist.

"Why'd you move here, Mikey?" I asked as I let my curiosity continue to drive the conversation as he drove us to get breakfast.

"My mum got the job she really wanted, and they wanted her living here so here we are." He said with a small shrug of his shoulders.

"Do they know about what happened?" I muttered, only somewhat hoping he heard.

"Yeah, love they do. I guess there was some discussion at the board meeting since it was such big news. Mum nearly cried when she read about it, and I know it's dumb to ask, but are you doing okay?"

It is kind of dumb to ask if someone who had suffered a massive tragedy and loss if they're 'okay'. The thing is though, coming from him I knew it was being asked with genuine care rather than pity.

"I'm alright I guess. I live with my aunt and it's kind of odd, and obviously people kind of hate me and are awful sometimes..." I said as I stared down at my hands in my lap. I sort of wish he didn't know about it, because I didn't want him to be another person to perceive my tragedy.

"What about your friends... do they not stick up for you?" He asked with genuine curiosity, but it caused my breath to catch in my throat.

"They uh, well... I don't really have friends anymore." I forced the words out quietly, feeling them sour as they hit the stale air.

"You've got me now." He said reaching out his hand, taking one of mine from my lap and squeezing it tightly.

I looked over at him, and he glanced away from the road for a moment to smile down at me. I smiled back softly, liking the way he looked at me, and the way his hand felt in my own.

We rode in silence after that, and I reveled in the fact that I've earned a friend somehow. Not just any friend, one of the kindest I've known in all of my seventeen years. He makes my skin feel like television static, and my heart beat just a little bit faster.

He didn't let go of my hand until we pulled into the diner and he shut the car off. Before I could get my door open he jogged to my side of the car and opened it for me.

We walked into the diner and I noticed a boy with shaggy light brown hair perk up from behind the counter.

"Shouldn't you be in school?" He asked looking directly at Michael.

"Technically yes, Ash we should be. This is Joey, and Joey this is one of my idiot best friends, Ashton." I smiled and sent him a small wave.

"So now you're kidnapping innocent girls and making them skip school? You're worse than I thought Clifford." The boy I now know as Ashton let out what could only be considered a giggle after he spoke. I bit back a laugh of my own as Michael retorted and the boys started to playfully insult each other.