Never Ending (sighmike)

day 4

7:35 Friday May 10

I climbed up the bus stairs and directed my eyes to the seat michael and i have been sitting in, hoping i would see a smiling boy wearing a blue shirt and black jeans, with long brown hair, missing his hat because i had taken it from him the day before. but i did not. he was not on the bus. i thought for a second as i sat in the seat where we have talked multiple times before today. where was he? did he catch a cold? or have a fever? was he alright? i continued to worry all the way until we made it to the school, and i then walked down the bus stairs and to my first block class. on my way entering the doors, the person in front of me held the door open and i looked up, and there he was. with a big smile on his face.

"After you, Claire," he said to me, and gently put his arm on my back and moved me into the school. he followed behind me until he started to walk beside me. "So, i didn't get any text messages from anyone last night, did you?" he smugly said to me as we walked down the hall in the crowd of people. i turned my head to see a small smirk emerging on his face and laughed, "well doucherandy did not do anything to me, so i did not have to," i looked up at him again, and he pretended to be hurt by me saying that. "why, i thought i was more than a savior for you little claire," he moved his hand back to his side and laughed. i laughed with him, and noticed that the crowd in the hallway was starting to grow smaller. i looked to my right and saw that we were almost at my classroom. i stopped in front of it, and he stopped with me. "is this your class?" he asked me. i nodded my head, and bite my lip. he moved a strand hair out of my face, and was inches from me. he quickly moved away from my face and smiled the smile that has been running through my mind these past days. he backed away then quietly said, "laters baby," and flicked his hand in a small wave goodbye to me. i let my lips form a smile on my face, and i felt heat rush to my cheeks. i shook my head and walked into the classroom to see erin at our usual table and her almost falling out of her chair.

"What the hell was that!" she screamed whispered to me as i sat next to her, "he called you baby!" she empathized the word "baby" and made a weird moaning noise afterward, "god girl, you have a lot to tell me tomorrow when we hang out." i shrugged my shoulders at her and the bell rung, signalling the start of class. or for me, the start of daydreaming of michael.

-

The final bell of the week rung through the building, and i rushed into the hallway and headed straight to the bus. i met up with erin halfway, and she told me she would text me about our plans for tomorrow. as i was about to go onto the bus, i heard someone calling my name from behind me. i looked behind, and saw a smiling michael standing on the grass between the buses and the school parking lot. i walked over to him, "this better be fast i can't miss the bus michael," he smiled at me and took my hand, and started walking over to a small silver car, "it's cool, the bus can leave without you, i can give you a ride," he said as he unlocked the doors to the car. "why do you have a car, but rode the bus to school?" i asked him as i opened the door. he looked at me over the roof of the car, and raised his eyebrows at me. "i should be asking you that," then climbed into the car. i shrugged my shoulders at him and laughed, then got into the car myself.

We drove for a while in his car until i asked him if he knew where he was going. he smiled at me, but did not take his eyes off the road, "yeah of course i do, ive lived in this town my whole life," i nodded my head and looked out the window again. the soft sound of music came on the radio. michael hummed to the unfamiliar song, the soft vibrations made the song even better. i watched him drive and nod his head to the song, and his fingers tapping on the steering wheel to the quiet beat in the back round of the singers voice. he stopped humming, and pulled into a parking lot that i have drove past many times since living in this town. it was a small diner called Charlies and it seemed to have the vibe of an 80's diner that had girls in poodle skirts in it. "and we are here," michael said as he parked and turned off the car. i took off my seat belt, and stayed in my seat, "I've never been here before," i said to him with interest. he unbuckled his belt as well and laughed, "how have you ever been here before?" he asked with amusement. he unlocked the doors and got out of the car, and ran around to my door and opened it before i had the chance to open it myself. he held my hand and walked me through the doors of the diner.

"Michael!" a man behind the counter called michaels name, "who do you have here? is that your girlfriend?" i let go of michaels hand and brushed a piece of hair behind my ear. i felt the coldness from my cheeks leave, and i knew that my face had turned red. michael looked over at me, and held my hand again and smiled at the man, "no no Danny we are just friends," he brought me over to a booth in the corner and a waitress came over to our table. she placed the menus on the table, then asked michael if he wanted his regular. he politely said yes, and the waitress asked what i wanted. i said i would have the same as michael, and as i was ordering i could feel michael smiling across the table at me. i could feel his eyes on me, and my heart was beating quickly. the waitress walked away and said she would be back soon with our drinks.

"i hope you like chicken," michael crossed his hands on the table and continued to smile at me, "and french fries," he looked down at his hand and cracked his knuckles, "and strawberry shakes." i relaxed my shoulders as he said what his regular order was, and then began to giggle at the fact that he orders a strawberry shake every time he comes here, "you're such a man," i jokingly said to him, he shook his head and ran his hand through his hair, and the waitress came over with our shakes. "here you are, hope you enjoy and danny will bring your wraps out soon," she walked back into the kitchen, and i pulled my shake closer to me and drank some of it out of the straw. michael did the same across the table, and he stared at me while i was doing so. i stopped and moved my shake back where it had been before, and michael stopped drinking his as well. he kept it in front of him and said, "best strawberry shake you've ever had, right?" i laughed and nodded my head at him and put my hands on the table. michael put his hand out to mine, and intertwined our fingers together. the warmness of his hand shivered up my arm and made me smile. his large hands covered mine with no effort, and i loved it.

The waitress came a few minutes later, and michael and i made small talk while eating our chicken wraps and french fries. while in the middle of our meal many people came into the diner, and it began to get busy for dinner. we finished our meal, and payed. i argued to michael that i could at least pay for the shakes, but he pushed my money back to me whenever i placed it on the table. we left the diner after michael talked to danny for a minute, then went back to michaels car. he drove me home and walked me to my door. he held my hand on the way up my driveway, and we talked on my front porch for little.

"I like the way you brush your hair out of your face," michael pointed out to me, and brushed some more of it behind my ear, "it looks good when its not covering your face," he said to me in a whisper. he held my hand close to his chest, and i could feel his heart beat. it started to quicken when i smiled at him, and i could feel my own speed up as well, with his. he leaned in and kissed my cheek, then let go of my hand and walked down the steps. i opened the screen door and the front door, and looked back at michael getting into his car. he waved before getting in, and i heard a quiet "laters baby," come from him as i walked through my door.

That's the day i knew.