Loved || mgc

● 4 ●

Sitting in the car, I waited for Michael to speak.

"Did you used to have a small doll with a mini closet?"

I looked at him in utter confusion. He had a tiny smile tugging at his lips.

"How-"

"And that super huge purple unicorn?"

"Her name is Laila."

"And those broken Superman walkie-talkies?"

"I've lost one of those now."

"Do you remember a big castle you made with cardboard?"

"I made that with Lily actually." I said.

"Someone else made it with you."

I strained my brain into remembering. My eyes widened with realisation.

"Yeah! Our neighbor, I can't quite remember his name now-"

"Did it happen to be Michael?"

I stopped as realization hit me stone hard in the head. I slowly turned my head towards him.

"Are you Michael Clifford."

I was sort of hoping that his face would wrinkle in confusion, but instead a gentle smile was plastered onto it and his head nodded a 'yes'.

"I was your neighbor," he said, "and our families were amazing friends."

"Then what happened? Did you guys move house?" I asked. I was only five back then so I don't remember a lot.

He gently shook his head. "Mr and Mrs Clifford died in a car accident."

My eyes widened in surprise. Mrs Clifford used to make me my favourite trifle for my birthday, and she made me an enormous rainbow cake for my 5th birthday. Mr Clifford brought me a huge dollhouse which lies dustily in my attic even today.

"Oh my God, I'm so sorry."

He shook his head and waved his hand in dismissal. "Nah, it's okay."

"So did you move in with us then? I don't remember-"

"Well I desperately wanted to," he said, "but apparently my parents had written on their stupid will that I'd live with my uncle and aunt."

"And how was that?"

"Hell." Michael said bluntly, "My cousins were older than me, and they were the worst thing a seven-year-old could ever wish for. All together they made my life a living hell hole."

I looked down, not really sure what to say.

"Anyway," he sighed, "I went to school and made friends with Luke, Ashton and Calum."

"Did you move in with them?"

"If I had the option to move out, I'd come straight to your house." He stated.

"Well of course you'd have moved over with us on your eighteenth birthday, but you didn't." I said questioningly.

"As soon as I turned 18, I went to Luke's place."

I nodded. "Um... but why not us?" I said.

He paused.

"You know, I'm kind of sick with this constant hesitation of yours. Like, I'm going to learn everything one way or another, so why not just get on with it?" I said, rather agitated.

"When I moved into uncle's house, I was seven. I wanted to keep in direct contact, but my uncle didn't want that. Lily and I used to secretly write letters to each other.