catch 22 :: m.clifford

two

"I want to do something," September had said as she hung off the side of the armchair that night, her hair skimming the wood floor of his living room.

"Like what?" Michael replied, barely looking up from his phone, eyes transfixed on the small rectangular screen.

"I dunno." She sniffed, then promptly sneezed due to her pollen allergy. Springtime in Connecticut brought pollen and mud after horrendous rain storms that occurred every week or so. "Something fun. Nothing's really fun anymore, Michael."

"I thought I was fun." He pouted, glancing up from his phone for only a partial second, then continuing to stare at the addicting device.

"You are! But remember during the summer, when we'd go out to the lake, like really late at night, and just do whatever. Then we'd drive back, super early in the morning. We never got caught."

"That's only because I helped you climb back up the side of your house to your window. You're too short, September." Michael snorted, letting out a small laugh, challenging his best friend for something better in return.

"But it was so... so FUN." She sighed, sitting up, but almost too fast, the blood all rushing from her face leaving it pale for a moment as she wobbled back and forth, gripping the armrests, then becoming lost in a fit of laughter after she'd fallen off the back of the chair. Michael's cheer soon followed, and they both ended up clutching their sides for breath and wiping away the tears that leaked out of their eyes.

It was sort of a best friends thing.

"Yeah?" Michael wheezed, and shoved his phone into his back pocket, standing up, and giving her a hand, assisting September back on her feet. "Why don't we do it then?"

"Really?" September's eyes lit up, and she smiled, showing her straight teeth. She'd gotten her second set of braces off the month before during mid-winter break, and still was ecstatic about her metal-free mouth.

"Sure. I mean, that's fun right?"

"Race you to the car." The last sentence he heard before she was out the door, a warm breeze blowing into her house-- sure to attract the pollen.

The following night was the most fun Michael had had in over half a year. Parties definitely weren't his thing. Too many bodies in one place, not even fresh air. In his second semester of college, he'd only hoped that it could get less stressful going into spring break, but not even spending a weekend with his childhood best friend could loosen his grip on the steering wheel, smooth out the crease in his furrowed brow, or even unclench his teeth from gnawing on the inside of his cheek.

September hadn't exactly been having the best year either. She'd gone off to college in Boston to become a neurologist, and when working as an intern in Michael's father's hospital, she'd hoped that college would come a little easier to her after minimal experience. But it happened to be the opposite of what she'd expected. "I can't believe you fell in!" September shrieked, legs shaky from sprinting around in the woods after Michael had chased her for a 'hug,' insisting she really needed one although he was drenched in the murky water of the lake.

"I was trying to balance, and you distracted me." Michael shot back, shoving her lightly by the shoulder. September's clothes were slowly starting to become wet from the huge rain drops showering down as both figures walked up the muddy path to Michael's car.

"With my beauty, I bet."

"If you count pushing me backwards as beauty, then sure, sure."

On the drive back, Michael was high on adrenaline and September was punch drunk, laughing at the sound of the wind and the crackling from the small radio which wasn't getting much signal.

"Will you pass me my shirt?" Michael asked, one hand on the steering wheel, the other reaching out across the seat of the car. He had turned the windshield wipers on as high as they would go, hoping to make the rain easier to navigate through. His black 'Ramones' tank was muddy and cold against his skin.

"NO!" September burst into laughter, tapping her feet against the car floor as she tried to regain her posture.

"C'mon," Michael rolled his eyes. Yeah it was fun, but it was a long stretch to reach his black and red flannel. "Jesus." He leaned all the way down to snatch the fabric from the floor of the car.

"Michael!" she yelped, and he raised his head just in time to see a set of headlights in front of his car, the loud honk of a horn coming from the truck.

That's when he yanked the steering wheel, swerving the car off the side of the road, and everything went black.

-

dedicated to grace because she rlly influenced the style of this story x for some reason it wouldn't let my dedicate it to u so vvinterfell this one's for u!!