CHAPTER THREE
MELA DIDN'T GET THE JOB.
she spent about an hour at home on the couch, watching Ali in her play pen, cradling a glass of water like it was vodka, letting it sink it. she deserved it. she worked so hard to get her degree in fashion journalism. so, so, so fucking hard.
she sighed. watching the fuzzy head of Ali was putting her to sleep and she needed to update her blog, do a recap of her favourite outfits worn by celebrities. the blog- and Ali- were keeping her going.
Michael had been texting her on and off ever since they'd left for tour. it was infruiating, how he acted like it was all fine. like he was all fine. it made her so upset to think that- he was ok and she was really not fine at all.
MICHAELS LAST DAY BEFORE TOUR BREAK WENT ON FOREVER.
forever. and ever. and ever. they had interviews in the morning, then they had a concert at night, and then they were going to board their plane and whizz back to Australia. back home. during the interviews in the morning he'd been agitated, unable to sit still and fiddling with his jacket until Luke glared his way pointedly and murmured for him to relax.
"you have someone special waiting for you at home." the interviewer said to him and he startled a little before putting on a big smile and shrugging.
"yeah, uh, i'm excited to see Alice and Mela." he repeated what his manager instructed him to say.
"so you and Mela are on good terms?" the interviewer said. Michael thought he was ging to start sweating soon.
"um, yeah. she's, uh, she's great."
"and what about your current girlfriend, Sophie?" the interviewer asked and Michael's heart dropped to the soles of his shoes.
"she's amazing." he said truthfully. amazing. great. terrific. Sophie was all those things. but Michael didn't know what to say about their relationship, if he was being honest. last week when they'd hung out she'd yelled at him for being to invested in Mela. she's picked up his thrown and chucked it at a brick wall, screamed and pulled her hair out because he never seemed to listen. "you still love her." she'd yelled at michael. and he felt bed because he didn't know what to say, other then lies. whenever they were together she would scream at him and he'd laugh and they'd kiss, angry, mad. their relationship was fuelled by their seperate, shitty lives. girlfriend was probably less apt then 'angst buddy'.
"thats great." the interviewer smiled before turning to grill one of the other boys.
Michael was barely there for the rest of the interview. after it was over and they went to the concert venue for warmups the boys all left him alone and Sophie messaged him saying that she was coming to the venue to see him before the show. Michael didn't really want her too but he didn't say anything, just practised his guitar and warmed up his voice a bit.
when she arrived she walked straight towards him.
"your in trouble." calum intoned jokingly, grinning.
"shut up." Michael groaned. Sophie stormed towards him and he stood from his seat on an amp, letting her drag him away and shooting one last, longing look at the boys. they all laughed and Luke said "whipped" just audibly.
they'd met at an awards show where Sophie was clinging to the arm of a different celebrity. she had a bad reputation. everyone seemed to have a bone to pick with her and she knew it. when they'd been introduced she'd made a comment about his hair and Michael had liked how mean she was to him. how mean she was in general. she treated everyone like crap and it made Michael feel normal, not special.
Sophie drags him all the way into a dressing room and then shuts the door, pushing him against it and kissing his harshly, dragging his lip in her teeth. this was them. kissing, angry, mean, cruel. who could hit the hardest, who got the last blow. the most dysfunctional crap ever. Michael knew it. Sophie probably did it too.
"asshole." she mumbled affectionately. then she stepped back, lips pink from Michaels kisses. "you didn't reply to any of my messages." she said, lightly slapping his chest. "jerk."
Michael laughed, loud and long. first time in forever. he rarely managed smiles that weren't for press, let alone such a brash sounding chuckle. "sorry, babe." he smiled, leaning closer. Sophie pulled away, rolling her eyes.
"horn bag." she said, checking a nail. she turned and walked to the couches in the middle of the room, sinking into one of them and pulling out her phone. "your leaving after the concert, right?" she said, and Michael thought that, for the first time in forever, he could hear a little worry in her voice.
"yep." he told her. "right after."
"ok. and i'll come visit you three weeks into your home visit?" she clarified. Michael nodded. "i'm not meeting your parents or anything though, right?" she said, and Michael noted the hint of fear in her voice.
"Nah." he said. Sophie had told him a hundred times that they're relationship was dumb and bound to end and he didn't see the point in telling his family, though they'd probably already know as a result of the press. if he took Sopohie home he could just imagine the carnage. Sophie was an upperclass girl through and through. one look at the worn in vibe of his families small house and she'd be gone in a second.
"ok." she shrugged and they fell into an uncomfortable silence. unless they were insulting each other they never seemed to have much to say. Sophie sighed loudly and stood up. "seriously, what is wrong with you Michael?" she asked, walking closer. "do you know how to use a comb?" she said, reaching out to pulling his hair through her fingers and push it around into something that resembled a hair style. Michael grinned, grabbing her wrists and pulling her down so she was sitting on his lap. he kissed her lightly, hoping for something more, but she pulled away fast.
Michael knew that Sophie knew about Mela. he knew Sophie was just waiting for him to say he wanted to break up with her and go home, go back to the life he'd had before tour. but Michael never knew what to say, how to say it. him and Sophie were the messiest relationship he'd had, and he knew their fallout would be equally as destructive.
"god, you never do anything with me besides fuck." she said. Michael always thought she was so pretty when she swore. he could feel a rant coming on and he sat back as she started in on him about his habits, his hair, his horny-ness. there was something so familiar in her torrent of bickering.
"and," Sophie said, just before she had to leave because of the concerts start time, "you better not forget to call while your off screwing kangaroos."
and then they'd kissed. and then she'd left.
****
this was so long wtf
i know sophie is a lil poop ok but pls understand thats kinda their relationship? idk man i just feel bad for her because michael is all hung up on Mela still and she reallyprobably likes him but he's in love with this past thing and it would be so frustrating.
but that part where she was like 'do u no what a comb is' like srsly i relate do any of the boys know what a brush does??
anyway i hope y'all are getting a feel for this story. sorry its kinda slooow- most fanfics i read have like a heap of dialogue and it feels weird writing so much internal stuff but once he;s home it'll change setup a lil probs maybe idk
halloween was amazing omg i love lollies except i live in australia and everyone is bitter because its so american lololol what did y'all go as???!!!!
xx
