Monster Among Men ➵ Michael Clifford a.u.

Chapter 9

chapter 9; the dinner party pt. 2
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SATURDAY
8:30PM

"Mikey you look great!" Ainsley shrieks as she opens the door.

Somehow she talked me into wearing a tux. don't ask.

"yeah yeah yeah, okay." I sigh. I hate tuxes. they remind me solely of bad memories. again, don't ask.

"well, come in!" she says, reaching her hand out and grabbing my wrist gently, pulling me inside.

we enter Ainsley's house and the aroma of roasted vegetables and freshly baked bread fills the air.

"wow, your mom went all out, huh? where are they anyway?" i joke, earning a small laugh from Ainsley.

"i know right, and i actually don't know. they're around here somewhere"

Candles flicker on the dinner table, creating a warm and inviting ambiance. I take a deep breath, trying to calm my nerves.
Calum is already here, which isn't surprising, he always was so punctual when we were younger.

"hey, where's your mom and dad, I should really go say"- i begin to speak, but she quickly cuts me off

"uh uh." Ainsley gives me a reassuring smile and leads me into the living room where Calum is standing by the fireplace.

Our eyes meet, and for a moment, we just stare at each other. It's feels like it's been years since we've been in the same room, when really it's been days.

it's not like we don't see each other everyday at school, but i could feel the tension in the air.

"Hey, Mikey," Calum says, his voice dripping with a mix of warmth and awkwardness.

I nod, trying to appear nonchalant, and take a seat next to Ainsley on the couch.

She starts conversation, asking us about how we met, Calum's hobbies, skillfully steering us away from sensitive topics.

"hey, Mikey," Calum says suddenly, his voice laced with emotion. "can I talk to you about something?"

I nod, sensing the weight of his words.

"I'm so sorry, man," he begins, his eyes welling up.

"I'm sorry for not being there for you when your step brother passed away. I should've been there, supporting you."

My throat tightens, remembering the pain and isolation I felt during that time.

"And I'm also sorry for not sticking up for you when people were talking shit about you when you were taking a break from school," Calum continues. "I knew what you were going through, but I didn't have the courage to stand up to them."

His words hit me like a punch to the gut. I hadn't realized how much I needed to hear this apology.

"Calum, I...," I start, my voice shaking. "I needed you back then. I needed my best friend."

"I know, Mikey. I failed you. My parents were freaked out by all the accidents and kept me away from you, but that's no excuse. I should've found a way to be there for you."

We sit in silence for a moment, as i recall all the little 'accidents' when we were kids.

I remember it so well.
It started with Calum mysteriously breaking his arm, then it just got worse until his parents started getting suspicious. I mean, i get it, their kid got hurt anytime he spent time with me.

I take a deep breath, letting Calum's apology sink in.

"Thank you, Calum," I say finally. "thank you, seriously. It means a lot to me."

Calum nods, his eyes still shiny with tears, and I feel a long-overdue healing taking place between us.

-
AUTHOR'S NOTE:

oh geez. i don't really even know if anyone reads this silly story but i got an itch to write and decided to continue where i left off here :)

so here's a cutie little malum chapter for you guys!!

ps, i don't proof read anything so if there's any mistakes i am sorryyy, i know i can be pretty inconsistent.

this is a story i started writing in HIGH SCHOOL??? and never got around to finishing, so who knows, maybe ill make it my 2024 goal🫶