Right Place, Right Time {Michael Clifford}

10. Girl Repellent

-Michael-

Promo, promo and more promo is all I can explain for the past week. With the new tour coming around the corner, and the writing process of a new album, our heads haven't been properly screwed on for an entire week. Promo, nap, then promo again. I haven't had a full night of sleep or a full meal in what seems like forever.

I haven't told the guys about my conversation or kiss with Cylan. Luke and Calum kept on asking but I simply shrugged them off. And honestly, there's not much to tell. We kissed and she just got up and ran out of the house. No calls, messages, nothing since our kiss. Hell, I thought the kiss was amazing but I knew something was off. Not that she didn't want to kiss me, she definitely kissed back, I have no idea what made her run off and not call. I haven't had any time to even send a small text asking how she is, that's how busy we are.

"So how are you guys with the ladies?" Some radio host winks. I have no clue what radio station I'm at, I just know it's obviously somewhere in Los Angeles. We haven't left the city, most of the interviews have their people coming to us.

"Oh god, we are terrible," Luke laughs, scratching his freshly shaved chin. "I'm not kidding, the second we got in the band, it was almost like a girl repellent. We don't understand it."

The guy scoffs in response, not believing a word we say. "C'mon, Mike you must have a hidden girl, hiding in some secret area." He jokes.

"I like to keep my relationships hidden but I'd be too giddy to hide it. It's always me liking the girl, but receiving no like back." I confess, giving off a shrug.

This host truly doesn't believe a word we say, he just continues to roll his eyes and scoff. If he only knew the amount of shit I'm going through to get a simple yet complex girl.

~

We pull into our driveway around eleven o'clock, completely exhausted. "Thank god, I need food and my bed." Ashton exclaims, running into the kitchen. We all follow him in pursuit as Liz grabs the laptop and starts doing some online work. "American interviewers are so tiring, they are always so energetic it makes me tired!"

I don't feel like speaking so I grab a bag of crisps and head out into the living room. I plop down onto the couch and turn on some random cartoon channel and settle with that. I think it's called The Amazing World of Gumball. I've never seen it before but the show seems hilarious. In the middle of the show, my phone lights up with a Twitter notification.

"@the_legendary_ : so this week has been boring... how has everyone's week been? Cylan xx"

My blood begins to rise as I start to think about how she is avoiding me. Don't ask why I have her Twitter notifications on okay? And there isn't a good reason to be! I just don't understand. I don't want to be the first to breakdown and text but it's killing me, not knowing why she is acting the way she is. "You look stressed, what's on ya mind?" I glance up from my phone to see Luke standing at the edge of the couch.

So I tell him everything. From the second I saw Cylan at the festival to the minute after she darted from my grasp. "That's," he quickly pauses. "a load of bullshit. I like Cylan but it doesn't make any sense why she left."

I simply nod, too exhausted and hurt to even reply. Luke notices my discomfort so he lays down on my lap and wraps himself around me. "Thanks for listening mate." I softly sigh. I can feel Luke nod against my neck as we both slowly fell asleep, intertwined.

~

"My neck feels like it was trying to break in my sleep." Luke complains, stretching his neck in every direction. We didn't even wake up after we fell asleep together on the couch. I figured I would wake up and get into bed but nope, Luke and I stayed in our spot and woke up just now.

I carefully grab my phone off the table next to us and check my notifications. Most of it was Twitter but the one on the bottom of the list was a text message. Cylan.

"I know I have no excuse but I'm sorry. We need to talk."

Once again, I feel my blood begin to boil as I read the text message back over to Luke. "I do have the right to be pissed, right?" I mutter, setting my phone on my lap. Hearing silence, I look down to see Luke, back asleep on my shoulder. If I knew he wouldn't be a dickhead, I'd wake him back up but I know he would so I just let him sleep. I take a few deep breaths before I pick my phone back up to reply.

"Seems like that's all we ever need to do. I'll come over in ten?"

I feel pretty damn good about my text, so I cautiously move Luke off me and do a quick run over my appearance. I don't look as bad as I initially thought I would, but I just quickly slide a SnapBack over my bed head. I don't know how this is going to go, but I don't want to lose her. If I even had her in the first place.

Luke slightly stirs in his sleep as I run back in the living room to put on my Converse. I have to be in the studio around eleven so I can't stay at Cylan's very long.

~

"Oh hey there. Cylan is getting dressed if you just want to wait on the couch." Geordie smiles, opening the door for me. I say a quick thank you, dart towards the maroon leather couch and sit down. I don't see the other girls but Geordie, she eventually walks out of the apartment and down the stairs. Uncomfortably, I sit here and look around at their place. I only have an hour and a half till I have writing sessions so I hope she hurries.

"I'm sorry. For being late and well, everything I guess." I turn my head to see Cy standing in the living room doorway. Each step she takes towards me, makes my skin crawl. Not in a gross or negative way; more in an anxious and nervous way. "You've been nothing but nice to me and I've treated you like shit."

Finally, she is standing right in front of me, and the longer she stands there, the harder it gets to breathe. "I just want to know one thing. Why'd you run away? You know how shitty that made me feel," I pause to catch a deep breath. "I thought I did something wrong. I thought we had something."

Cylan's face softens as realization hits her hard. She slowly sits down on my lap, and wraps her arms around my neck for support. I don't move my arms, they hang loosely by my side as my temptation rises. "You mean so much to me, as a friend and more."

"I think we need to remain friends for the time being." The second the words spilled from my mouth, I already regret them. That's sure as hell not what I mean but it's what I need to do. This is my secret separation for tour that we both need. No new relationship can last while I start a brand new nine month tour. "Our bands need us fully committed so maybe within a few months we can reconsider it." I slowly explain, trying to avoid the mention of tour.

Cylan's grip on me tightens and she gently rests her head on top of mine. "I totally agree with you. It doesn't mean that we can't still be best friends right?" She smiles. Her hair falls in front of my face so I quickly push it back behind her neck.

"We'll be best friends till the end Workman." I stick my chubby pinky out in front of her hand that is laying on her lap. Cylan lifts her hand up to meet my large hand and lightly wraps her tiny pinky around mine. "Stamp it." I hold my thumb straight up and touch the pads of our thumbs together. "Now seal it." I lean forward and press a simple kiss to my thumb.

"Well we are definitely friends for life, Clifford."