second chances // l.h

one

The stench of the bleach was still soaked into the sheets of my bed but it wasn't as dominant of a smell as it had been at first.

My room finally had a door and Margret had painted the walls a bright yellow. The curtain that had replaced my door for most of my life was now flowing lively in the window frame due to the parted glass doors.

I picked up my duffel, staring ruefully at the teared fake rose from Romeo and Juliet, at the shattered snow globe, at the paint chipped dresser.

I swiveled on my feet when I heard footsteps behind me, smiling when I saw that it was only Micah.

He put his hands on my shoulders as we both stared at room that was as awful as it was beautiful.

"Ready?" Micah asked, and I nodded, sliding my hand down to the inside of his wrists, rubbing my thumb over the bandages there before slipping my hand into his.

He grabs my bag, throwing it over his shoulder as I pick up my purse from the desk and together we make our way downstairs. Margret stands from the couch, a small smile on her face.

She's wearing less make-up, and her hair is pulled back from face in a loose ponytail, and I can see her roots. She looks paler and more relaxed.

Logan was sitting on the couch, asleep with his head leaning back.

Margret catches my glance and says, "It's good that you're leaving when he's sleeping. I'll tell him you said good bye."

"I guess. I was hoping Liam would drop by." I say, walking towards the front door. "Oh, you know he wishes he could be here to see you off. He said he'd call you as soon as he gets off."

"Give him a big hug for me, yeah?" I ask, tucking hair behind my ear. "Of course."

Micah closes the trunk, our bags secured. I open the passenger door. "Well, I guess this is good bye." Margret says. "See ya," I reply, ducking under the roof and sliding into the passenger seat, closing the door after me.

I see Micah give my mom a hug and she slips money into his coat pocket.

Micah walks around and gets into his side of the car and starts the engine, waving to my mom before pulling out of the driveway.

"You could've said good bye to her," he pointed out after a couple minutes of silence on the road.

"No. She doesn't deserve it. I said "see ya". That's enough." I divulged.

Micah sighed and stared out at the road ahead of him and I pushed the power button on the stereo.

The car was filled with the quiet waves of The Smiths, who Micah was so characteristically obsessed with, and I leaned my head against the window, looking out the windshield, before deciding that the window was far too uncomfortable to lie my head against.

I met Micah in ICU. He was brought into the emergency room only seconds after they started pumping my stomach. The doctors cleared the bed next to me so fast it was a blur of white and squeaking Keds. I could see the blood through my half-closed eyes.

I blacked out soon after that, only to wake up to a boy staring at me. His wrists were heavily taped and I could tell he had already been trying to pick through the bandages. He looked older, maybe nineteen and I couldn't concentrate on anything else because then the medicine kicked in and I was out again.

When I woke up again, I saw my grandma crying in the corner and Logan holding my mother in his lap, his face pressed into her back. "Grandma...." I had croaked and everyone rushed to my bed, my grandma stroking my face over and over again before she started screaming at Logan and Margret so loudly they had to be escorted out of the room.

"They're something." Micah had said, catching the ball he had been tossing up in both palms. "He hit me." I had replied before turning over and falling asleep again.

Micah then hit a bump in the road and I woke up from an unexpected nap. I groggily opened my eyes, staring at the barren desert before us. Micah's prized '70 Impala stopped in a pot-holed filled parking lot.

"Who knew they made McDonald's way out west?" he laughed, getting out and waiting for me. I squinted, shading my eyes with my hand. "Where are we?" I asked.

"A couple hours outside of Las Vegas. We'll stay there tonight and then keep heading West, okay?" He recited the plan and I nodded, before taking his hand and walking into the cold air of the McDonald's.

It was Micah's idea to head out to California. It's where he was born and where most of his family, aside from immediate, lived. The Smaldones were letting us live in one of the many condos along the shores; there's was situated in Malibu.

After a delicious lunch of Big Macs and fries, we were back on the road, where I situated myself in the driver's seat.

I drove most of the afternoon and into the night. We stopped along the highway at night, to stare at the stars on the hood of Micah's car, a few kisses exchanged.

In the morning, we rose from Motel 6 and drove on to Los Angeles.

It was mid afternoon when we entered the city, the palm trees casting shadows over the car. I smiled, the soft ocean breeze coming in through the window and the music blaring from the speakers, just as if we were in a movie.

The west coast was truly made for me.

I wasn't until we were reached the prime heart of the city and his face was plastered high up on a billboard for all to see, that I remembered the last couple months, which I had managed through therapy and time, to forget. The emotions rushed all over me in such an indescribable manner, I had to bite my lip to keep from alerting Micah of the sob threatening to escape.

He drove his way through the populated streets but I didn't see any of it. My eyes were closed, afraid of spotting him among the various celebrities in the crowd. We made it to house at dusk and got to witness the sunset fall over the ocean.

"C'mon," Micah said, reaching for my hand in tugging me into the house.

When he laid me down on the bed and placed his hands on my waist, and kissed me, it wasn't him who I saw over me. But the famous rock star printed on a Los Angeles billboard for the whole world to see.

When Micah finished, he placed a kiss on my temple before standing up and heading to the bathroom. I rolled over, facing the balcony and closed my eyes, pretending to be asleep when Micah came back.

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a/n

so here's the first chapter

updates will be coming in faster amounts

please tell me what you think in the comments below

also the whole bleach thing and stomach pumping thing will be explained

((-: