A single bullet // M.C ✔️

16

"I will say, Nicky, I can see why Dave kept you around, even if you are annoying as shit."

"Why, thank you, Luke." I smirked, crossing my legs and leaning back.

"Now, I know I said one more article, and you get Wednesday off—"

"I don't—," he held his hand up to stop me from interrupting him again.

"I need another three. He deadpanned, making me freeze.

"Come again?"

"I need another three. And then you can have the day off," he straightened some papers off the desk before locking his hands together, looking down at me.

"Again, what?" I couldn't believe what I heard. "Why!" My voice rose. "Yes, there's no funeral, so I don't need the day off; but it would be nice.

"I need three articles, Nicky, to the standard you have already shown and sent. Can you not understand that?" He raised a brow, making me sink down some more.

"I think you're blackmailing me," I forced myself to sit up more. "I spoke to everyone in the office no one is off Wednesday like you said." I had done my own research, not believing people had just all booked off a random Wednesday for no reason.

"You're going against me then, aren't you? Just not going to turn up for work."

"You know me so well. I'll put it under a mental health day," I waved a hand at him, smiling.  "Luke?" The mood shifted as I remembered something, remembered how weird Michael went when I mentioned a Luke.

"Hmm?" He hummed, looking at his computer screen, hardly giving me any attention.

"Do you know a Michael?" There, it's out to the world.

"I know plenty of Michael's, Nicky. It's a popular name," he scoffed, rolling his eyes.

"An Australian Michael?" I pushed further, leaning forward.

"I don't know what you're getting at, Nicky. Interested in my life now?"

"Getting to know my boss." I shrugged. "Do you know Kensie?" If he knows Kensie, he knows Michael.

"Your mate Kensie. Yeah, I know her. Did a few drawings for me, then became friends through that." Same reason as Michael.

"And you don't know the Michael that knows Kensie for the same reason you do!" I couldn't stop my voice rising as I was getting slightly annoyed he weren't just telling me yes. Asshole, just tell me what I want to know. "There's something going on with you, and I will figure out what it is, Luke." I promised, standing up, seeing he weren't going to talk anymore.

"Calum," I yelled into Margaret's café, knowing she's off today, which usually means I found out, Calum ransacks the food and place. "Get out here now! Stop avoiding me." Hate to say it, I was missing the Australian.

"Ok calm it down." He walked out the back, glaring slightly. "I thought I locked the door." I held a key up Margaret had given me.

"A gift so I can get my favourite food whenever I want, and it's shut. Know the alarm code and everything.

"What even I don't know that!" Shock came onto his face as he shut the back door, hiding that room from me.

"Yeah, weirdly enough, it's my birthday anyway..." I sat down, placing the keys safely in my pocket. "Do you know a Michael?"

"The fuck? If you're going to be odd, you can fuck right back out that door."

"You look nice, hoodies a nice apple shade," I sidetracked, looking him up and down. "Suits your skin tone. Anyway, back to why I'm here,"

"Apple shade. Just say red, Nicky."

"No, you don't understand. It's like an apple that's just not red. Are you kidding?" I couldn't believe it. "It's lighter than red."

"I'm not fucking wearing pink-"

"No, cause, asshole, if you were, I would have said pink, not apple. Stop interrupting me! Do you know a Michael?"

"I know plenty of Michael's." I groaned, annoyed at his answer.

"For fucks sake."

"Whoa, I answered your question," he raised a brow at me, sitting opposite me as I had perched myself in a comfy wooden chair.

"The same way Luke did. You two are hiding something. Let me guess. If I went to do you know Kensie, it would be yeah, she did some drawings for me, became friends through that." I scoffed.

"Actually, I would have said I spilled my drink down her, paid for her to get a new outfit, and then became friends,"

"Oh wow, you do have a heart."

"It was stuff from a charity shop, Nicky. I wasn't spending a lot on her," he laughed. That's the Calums I've come to know.

"Not even shocked, Calum," I sighed, not even a step closer to knowing who Michael is and why everyone's avoiding him. "Do you— do you know an Ashton?" I don't know what made me ask that question. I hadn't even thought about Ashton since bumping into him in the library.

"He's my friend. He's actually the person I was looking for in the library who took so long." He pulled his phone out of his pocket and pulled up a photo of them both flipping off the camera.

"Does that mean you were who he was looking for Twilight for?" I smirked, leaning forward on the table.

"The fuck?"

"Yeah, he was looking for a Twilight book for his mate, and I mean you were waiting for him. Connected the dots. I wouldn't take you as a Twilight fan."

"Tell anyone, and you're dead," he threatened, pointing his finger at me.

"What an empty threat. Anyway, you didn't give me the answer I'm after. Who the fuck is Michael? " So I'll leave you and whoever you're doing behind that door!" And with that, I ran out the door, letting the bell announce my departure as Calum yelled my name after me.

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