catch 22 :: m.clifford

six

Make sure you come every weekend.

    The words rung in Michael's ears as he sat next to her in silence, listening to the soft sound of breath as it passed her lips. The boy knew he had to be loyal to September, but the traffic and stress of traveling from college back to Connecticut was sure to make his hair all fall out---if it wouldn't already from the number of times he'd bleached and dyed it pink, teal, purple, lavender, and even platinum blonde. No one really liked that hair color in all honesty, not even Michael himself. No, this wouldn't mean that he would be a coward and not even attend to the commitment he made when promising Calum. But of course he'd have to figure out the logistics of the situation, as well as have a serious talk with his parents about it. The night before, they had come back from some cruise they took around the tropics-- not that Michael even bothered to ask how the trip was, constantly texting Luke about the accident and September-- but he was almost positive both his mother and his father would be okay with their son staying with them every weekend; days spent at the hospital and nights spent up in his room, tossing and turning, waking up at ungodly hours covered in sweat and heart racing from the repeat nightmares that came constantly.

"I hope it's okay if I talk to you about it." Michael gingerly intertwined his fingers around September's cold, pale hand, and proceeded to explain his nightmare, "I know it might seem crazy, y'know, like this is all a dream that we both would wake up from." He began to ramble. Michael could practically feel September beside him, like she was Mia Hall from If I Stay, but this wasn't some dumpy romantic drama. This was reality and she wasn't next to him, watching Michael hold her hand. September Rivera was in her own little world, and she wasn't planning on making a grand appearance any time soon although Michael believed with every fiber of his being that she was going to wake up soon. Whether it was her next breath, in the next hour, day, maybe it would be next weekend after his first week back from Uni and she'd be waiting for him with a smile on her face, holding the bouquet of flowers that were in the window sill, drooping slightly from the strong sunshine penetrating the glass.

Except that never happened.

"God, I wish I never went to grab that stupid shirt." Michael's eyes stung as he ran a thumb over the surface of her palm, "I wish that I could just close my eyes, wake up with amnesia, right? To forget all the stupid little things. I really miss you." Michael wasn't sure if he was waiting for her to respond or not, but he just shut his eyes tight, frowning at what his world had become. "My dream... it's the accident all over again, like a constant loop." He let out a shaky breath, "And then I open my eyes and I'm in the hospital, next to you, and they're covering a sheet of plastic over the bed, saying 'I'm so sorry for your loss' and then I hear a scream. That's when I wake up." Michael felt his chest ache and eyes sting, "And that's when I realize that the scream is my own."

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hi guys!! please make sure to vote/comment :) don't be a silent reader! (i love getting feedback and overall thoughts of this story so far !)

dedicated to willow! i love my lil peanut and need to work on our story collab :( i miss u x