Musically Problematic

Chapter 20: Wrapped Around Your Finger

We both redress ourselves and stand up.

Michael's POV:

"I really have to get home...it's dark so my parents will be home soon. What are you doing? Am I taking you home?"

"No...I'm not going back home. At least not tonight. Can I stay at your place again?"

"But..."

"Please Michael. I don't feel safe at home. I never have. When my mum and siblings aren't home my dad gets violent with me. He has physically abused me before. That's why I wanted that job so bad...mum takes Bryce and Anna to their extra-curricular activities after picking me up from school and till 6pm most afternoons...leaving me home alone with dad. I'm terrified of being left alone with him. I knew if I didn't leave today he would have bashed me."

"Oh my god! Sophie...please tell me you're joking... This can't be true."

"Unfortunately...it's true. Please, please help me Michael. You're the first person I've felt comfortable enough to tell this to. I haven't even told mum, she wouldn't believe me anyway...she may seem nice and she is. She just doesn't see how anyone can do anything wrong."

"I'm so sorry for you Sophie. Of course you can stay with me."

"Thank you so much Michael. I l...love you so much."

"I love you too...lets go."

I wrap my arm around her shoulders as we walk out of the forest and back to the dirt path so we can go to my house.

"I just remembered...you won't be staying in my room tonight. It won't be like last time. I want to introduce you to my parents properly and then they will...hopefully...they'll make you stay in our guestroom. But it is the middle of the week so they may send you home...I hope they don't though."

"Thank you Michael...for everything. Why did I hate you so much?"

"I was doing everything wrong to get to you...I was very blunt and rude. I realised that, when you lost your job that day...I knew that was my chance to change my approach."

"Apparently your new approach worked."

"Apparently..."

She rests her head on my shoulder, we're almost at my house...I can see it as we walk down my street.

"You know, Calum asked me out...that was the day of my car incident. Sh¡t! That's why Calum is so mad at me."

"What?"

"Calum asked me on a date for the day after he met me...it was a friendly date. But I got in the car crash thing...I was better but couldn't have made it because I was grounded...still am. But what makes it worse is that I asked him for your number after telling him I couldn't show up that night...that was the night I slept over at your place the first time."

"He didn't know you were with me though. He thought you stayed home because you were grounded."

"Maybe not, but wouldn't you rather know that the person at least tried to get to the date. I got grounded because I was with Luke...and Calum got punished. He didn't know I was with you, but he knew I was with Luke."

"Then why isn't he taking anything out on Luke?"

"He's taking it out on me because I'm coming between you guys. Bros before hoes...and all that Sh¡t. He's trying to make me feel uncomfortable around you guys so I don't take you away from him...the way Penny took Luke."

"Ok...I get it...that's stupid."

My parents cars aren't in the driveway so we just walk inside. I lead her to the lounge and we sit on the couch.

"What are you going to do about clothes...school tomorrow and sleeping?"

"Can I borrow a shirt for tonight? I'll work on school clothes in the morning...dad has work tomorrow morning so I'll go home after he's started."

"Of course you can. I hope this all works out."

"How long do you think your parents would let me stay?"

"Let me put it this way, you'll be lucky if they let you stay tonight."

"Oh...ok."

"If I told them about your dad they would do anything for you though."

"No Michael. You can't! No one else can know about that."

"Something has to be done though...you can't live in fear that he's going to do something to you. You need to know that you're safe, you deserve that. I'll go with you...I'll do anything except leave things the way they are. I'm going to help you tell someone."

"This is exactly why I didn't want to tell anyone. I knew you would do this...overreact."

"If I'm overreacting so much, go home now be at home with your dad."

"Michael no. Don't do this."

"I won't, if you let me help you, by telling someone."

The door opens and mum walks in.

"Hello Michael. How was school?"

I hear mum talking to me from the kitchen, so I grab Sophie's hand and we walk back into the kitchen to greet my mum.

"Hey mum. School was good. This is my gi...friend, Sophie."

Mum turns around and I let go of Sophie's hand so mum can shake it.

"Nice to see you again Sophie. Are you staying for dinner?"

"Well..."

"She was hoping she could stay the night...she's having some...issues at home and needs somewhere to stay. Please mum, just one night."

"Alright, I'll let your father decide when he gets home with dinner."

"Ok, thank you."

We walk up stairs to my room. I lay down on my bed and Sophie sits beside me. I grab her hand and pull her down so that she's laying on her side facing me, my arm around her. I kiss the top of her head, I'm so happy right now.

"I feel so safe when I'm with you Michael. Please never leave me."

"I promise I won't. I don't think I could if I wanted to. You've got me wrapped around your finger."

She smiles up at me at places a kiss on the base of my neck.