End Up Here (Michael Clifford a.u.)

Chapter 17

After our encounter with Brooke at the mall, she's been giving me more death looks than usual. As funny as it is to see her hating me, it's really annoying.

I greet Michael at our lunch table by kissing his cheek. I say a quick hi to Luke and Claire before going to the bathroom.

It's pretty empty when I get in there which is surprising. As I go to wash my hands, more girls enter and quickly leave. They're all laughing and talking about people, but I'm not that interested.

I wipe my hands off on my jeans, hoping to dry them off. As I turn to leave, I almost bump into Brooke. She sneers at me with her heavily made up face twisted into a frown.

"Sorry," I mumble. I move to get out of her way, but she stands in front of me.

"Stay out of the way," she says.

"Um, what?" I ask in total confusion. "I was trying to-"

"Shut up," she snaps. "I want you to stay away from Michael."

I scoff. "Why would I stay away from my boyfriend?

"Just break up with him. You're no good for him. I'm so much better."

"You're kidding right?"

She steps forward in attempt to back me up into the wall. I stand my ground, and she stares straight at me. Her eyebrows furrow impossibly further.

"You know, I talk to Michael a lot. He doesn't like you like he says he does."

"You're so full of your own bullshit, Brooke," I tell her. "You actually think I believe you?"

"He talks to other girls behind your back," she continues. "Including me. It's even better when I get him alone."

"Michael doesn't do those things. He doesn't sleep around like you."

"Michael deserves someone a lot better than you," she says, ignoring me. "Stay away from him or I will beat the shit out of you, Makenna."

I laugh. "I'd like to see you try."

She storms out of the bathroom and down the hall. I shake my head and go back to the lunch table. I'm insanely furious over her words. What the hell does she mean? Why does she even like Michael? He's not even her type. A cheerleader liking a supposed outcast? I'm completely confused.

"What's wrong?" Michael asks as I sit down. I shake my head.

"We'll talk later," I reply quietly.

And throughout the rest of the day, I replay her words in my head. Why the hell would she even attempt to fight me? I'm so much stronger than her and she knows it. Everyone knows it. She's all talk anyway. But I wouldn't put it past her.

I walk to Michael's car after school. I get in and slam the door, refusing to talk during the entire ride to my house. Each time I think about it, I get more and more angry.

Michael follows me inside my house and to my room. I sit down on the edge of my bed and sigh heavily, closing my eyes and burying my face in my hands. He shuts the door.

"Now do you want to tell me what's wrong?" he asks.

"Brooke is such a bitch!" I yell, looking back to Michael. His eyes widen.

"Whoa, Makenna, what happened?"

"She said if I don't stay away from you or break up with you, she'd beat the shit out of me, and then she kept saying all these lies about you." I sniffle and wipe a tear from my face.

"What kind of lies?"

"Something about you talking to other girls behind my back and not liking me like you say you do. And an implied secret relationship with her."

"Did you believe her?"

"Of course not."

"Good. Because none if it's true."

I groan in frustration. "She's going to ruin everything! She could pin so much shit on me, and people would believe it."

Michael gets down on his knees in front of me. He cups my face in his hands and makes me look at him. "She's not ruining anything."

"Michael, you're not hearing me," I plead. "She's going to ruin my life because she's such a bitch."

"Listen to me. If she fights you, kick her ass. Nothing will ruin us. We're not going to let her get in our way like last time." He pulls me closer and kisses me gently. "I love you and only you. No one else."

"Thank you, Mikey," I mumble.

He kisses my forehead before sitting beside me on my bed. He lays back on my pillow, stretching out his legs. He tugs on my belt loop, encouraging me to lay with him. Michael rolls me on top of him, my chest on his torso and my head resting on his chest. He wraps his arms around my, occasionally touching my ass as he usually does.

"Your heartbeat is like music," I mumble.

He laughs quietly. "Really?" I nod.

"You realize we're graduating next year?" I ask.

"I know. It's crazy."

"And I want to leave."

"We can leave together," he suggests.

"Where would we go?"

"We can always follow our friends. Or we can go wherever you want to go. I'll always be home with you."

"You're cheesy."

"I know," he says with a laugh.

"So what are we gonna do?"

"We can move in together as soon as we graduate because I already know I want to marry you."

"Really?" I ask, propping myself up. I look down at him.

"Really." I lay back down, pressing my ear to his chest to listen to his heartbeat again.

"And when we get married we can have kids," he continues.

"When and if we live together and whatever, we're getting a dog before having kids. It's good practice. Plus, I really want a dog."

He chuckles. "We'll get a dog."

As we lay together, Michael talks about the future he wants with me. Nobody has ever talked to me like this. Nobody has ever been this close with me. And I know I'm in love with this crazy boy. I'm in love with everything he is and does. I'm in love with Michael Clifford.