Water Tower

Chapter 21

"Michael?" 

This can't be. I'm seeing things. 

"Happy birthday, Amanda. I told you I would send you a birthday gift." He says, walking over towards me. 

"Michael?" I ask again, still not believing this is really happening.

"Yes Mandy, it's really me." He says, wrapping his arms around me. I don't know what to do. I stand there stiff, not wrapping my arms around him. "Come on Mandy, I know you've missed me." I still silent. He moves back and grabs my chin. "Look at me. I promise, I'm back and I'm better." I look him in the eyes and see his eyes are brighter.

"Where were you Michael?" I asked, wrapping my arms around him and burying my face in his chest.

"Let's all go inside and I'll tell you." Michael says, pulling away, but wrapping his arm around my shoulder. We all walk inside and sit down.

"Michael, where in the hell have you been?" Kaitlyn asked.

"Well, she cusses." Michael laughs.

"Not much." She says, looking down.

"I went to rehab." Michael says. I look up at him.

"Rehab? You went?" I asked.

"Yeah, after Luke took you to work, he came back and he and I had a talk." Michael says, looking over to Luke, "I made him promise to not tell anyone. He gave me some money to live off of for a little while and I promised him I would pay him back, which I did." 

"Are you better?" I asked.

"Yes. When I sent you that last letter, they told me I only had a few days left until I got to leave. It wasn't that bad there, actually." He says.

"I'm so proud of you, Michael, but I was worried to death! I had no way to see if you were okay." I say, looking at my hands.

"Mandy, I promise you, I'm fine now. I did this for you and I." He says, grabbing my hands. "I didn't want you to be scared of me or hate me. I had to get better, for us, for our relationship." He says, looking me in the eyes. 

"Michael." I say. 

"I know. Nothing right now, but maybe later on." He says, smiling. 

"Maybe." I say, smiling as well.

"Okay, enough of this mushy shit. LETS GET WASTED!" Lauren shouts.

"Okay, okay!" I say, standing up, but being pulled back down.

"Happy birthday Mandy Candy." Michael says, hugging me and kissing me on the cheek.

"Thank you." I smile. I stand back up and go over to Lauren.

"Mike, you want anything?" Lauren yells into the living room.

"No thank you, Lauren. May I have a water tho?" He asked.

"Yes, of course." Lauren says. She grabs a bottle of water and hands it to me. "Can you take this to him?" She asks.

"Yeah, sure." I say, grabbing the water bottle and walking into the living room, handing it to Michael.

"Here you go." I say.

"Thank you." He says. I sit down next to him and he looks at me weird. "What?"

"Why aren't you going in there and taking a drink? It's your 21st birthday." He says.

"I don't want you to feel weird not drinking. I'm helping you." I say, smiling.

"I'll be fine. Calum's not drink, Kaitlyn's not. I'll be fine. I want you to have fun." He says, rubbing my back.

"Are you sure?" I asked.

"Yes, I'm sure, Mandy." He laughs.

"Okay." I say, getting up and going back into the kitchen.

"Let's do this!" Lauren says, handing me a cup.

"Let's do it!" I say. We all raise our cups and cheer. 

----------------------

"Mikey." I yell from the kitchen.

"What are you doing?" Lauren asks me, laughing.

"Yelling for Michael." I say, sliding down the counter and sitting in the floor.

"Mandy, are you okay?" Michael asks, coming into the kitchen and looking at me worriedly.

"I'm fineeee." I slur, wrapping my arm around his neck. "Help me up." He wraps his arms around me and pulls me up. "Thanks."

"Anytime." He laughs. "Do you need anything else?" He asks.

"Sleep. I'm very sleepyyyy." I say, laying my head on his shoulder. He helps me into the living room.

"Kaitlyn." Michael says. Kaitlyn is sitting on the couch, with Luke's head in her lap, asleep.

"Yeah?" She asks.

"Where can I take her? She wants to sleep." He says.

"Yeah, I'm very sleepy for some reason. Just like Luke." I say, pointing at him.

"Um, down the hall, first door on the left." She says.

"Thanks." Michael says.

"GOODNIGHT EVERYONE!" I yell as Michael walks me through the hallway.

"Mandy, you've got to be quite." Michael whispers.

"Goodnight everyone." I whisper, which cause Michael to laugh.

"You're something else when you're drunk." He laughs as he opens the door. He walks me in and helps me onto the bed.

"Wow, it's soft." I say, bouncing on it. 

"Yeah, it will feel much softer if you lay on it." Michael says. I lay down on the bed and run my arms over it.

"OH MY GOD MICHAEL! YOU'RE RIGHT!" I yell in amazement.

"Mandy, you have to be quite." He says.

"Sorry." I say, pulling the covers over me. 

"If you need me, I'll be out here." He says, walking towards the door.

"Michael! Wait!" I say.

"What is it, Mandy?" He say, turning around.

"Will you take my shoes off?" I asked.

Michael laughs, "Of course." He says, coming over to the bed and taking my shoes off. "Anything else?"

"I think I may need some water and medicine in the morning." I say.

"Yeah, you probably will. I'll go get you some." He says, walking out the door. 

I feel my eyes become heavy. Soon, Michael comes back into the room and sits the glass and medicine on the table. I reach over and grab his hand.

"Do you need something?" He asked.

"Yeah." I say.

"What is it?"

"Stay."