I'm Not Fine At All 》Michael Clifford

Epilogue

Riley's POV:

Ten minutes.

Ten minutes until midnight.

Ten minutes until New Year's.

Ten minutes until I got to start a new chapter of my life.

Ten minutes until everything was going to change.

"Let's sit here," Michael pointed to an empty spot on the sand, kind of away from everyone else, where we were off on our own. I nodded and sat down with him and sat my guitar case next to me, watching the water roll up onto the sand and crash down with a loud splash. It was so peaceful, by ourselves and away from the crowd. The beach was beautiful in the moonlight, and the water reflecting the light of the surrounding stars.

Michael put his arm around my waist and pulled me closer, while I rested my head on his shoulder. We stared out at the water, without a word, just enjoyed being with one another.

After a moment or two, he started humming a familiar tune, and I soon joined him with my own voice. He finally decided to start singing, so I just stopped and listened to his soft voice in my ear.

What day is it?
And in what month?
This clock never seemed so alive.

You And Me was such a cliché song to sing, but it was sweet, the way he sang it to me. The way he spoke through the lyrics to me. The way he held my hand and leaned his forehead against mine when I turned to look at him. The way he stood up, pulling me with him, and began to dance slowly in the sand with me. I closed my eyes and stood on my tippy toes as I wrapped my arms around his neck, resting my forehead on his, and smiled. It was just like when we got caught in the rain back at the park in town. The only difference, was that Ashley wasn't there to ruin the day - or night, I guess - for us.

We inched ever closer to the water as he sang on, his voice dropping the closer he got to the end of the song, until eventually, it faded out. Right as he stopped singing, I opened my eyes and saw his already trained on mine. Then, a loud voice sounded behind us.

"Thirty seconds!"

"What's your New Year's Resolution?" I whispered to him.

"I don't really have one... yours?" He whispered back.

"Twenty seconds!"

"To be happier when it comes to things in my life... in my past... you know..." He nodded in understanding.

"Just always remember, I'm here for you. I'll never leave you." I smiled.

"Ten seconds! Nine... eight... seven... six..."

I joined the crowd behind me.

"... five..."

Michael smiled and began counting too, bringing his face closer to mine with every number.

"... four... three... two..."

I stopped counting and closed my eyes, when he closed his and whispered, "... one..." He brought his lips to mine, and kissed me gently, but still with such passion that I didn't know he was capable of showing. I returned it with as much love and affection as I could, this kiss lasting even longer than our first one.

When he finally pulled back, he had a look of pure joy in his green eyes, and I couldn't help but smile.

"Happy New Year, Riley." He whispered. We were whispering a lot lately, but I didn't care.

"Happy New Year, Michael." I replied. He smiled and kissed me again, but this one was short and soft. He then pulled back and picked me up, and started carrying me toward the water. When I realized this, I panicked and started thrashing around in his arms trying to get free, but it was hopeless. I stopped flopping around and looked at him with my best sad face. "Please put me down?" I asked sadly like a little kid. He grinned.

"As you wish," I screamed as he dropped me into the waist-deep water, and came back up to see him laughing like an idiot.

"I hate you!" I yelled, but I didn't mean it of course.

"Love you too, babe!" He shouted. I glared at him, but splashed him in the face with the seawater while he wasn't looking. He stopped laughing and looked at me. "Challenge accepted." He said seriously, and lunged forward at me as I tried to run away. We were soon joined by Luke, Calum, and Ashton, who all took Michael's side in the little battle, practically trying to drown me.

But I didn't care. Why? Because everything about us, about that night, about that moment, was just perfect, and nothing in the world could have ruined it for the five of us.

Michael changed my life, for the better. They all did. They showed me that it's okay to be broken, and that it's alright to cry once in a while.

They showed me that I'm worth something.

They showed me that it's not always true, and that I'm Not Fine At All.