Creative «m•g•c»

VI

Michael Clifford stood on the side of the curb at his school waiting for college Freshman Ashton Irwin to bail him out of jail.

His hands were placed comfortably in his faded jean jacket he had lent Juliet on her date. Michael breathed in deep, the denim still smelled like her Sunset Pink perfume she only wore on special occasions. He let out a sigh when he thought of her wrapping her arm around Calum's and tangling her fingers with his all while wearing this very jacket.

Just as Michael was getting misty eyed he saw Ashton's old beat up sorry excuse for a vehicle pull around the front of the school. The silver paint had chipped off on the bumper and the drivers side door was a completely different color; due to Ashton thinking it would be a good idea to tie a string to the door handle and pull someone on a skate board behind him, but that's a story for another time.

"Hey Mikey!" Ashton said through his thick Australian accent that Michael thought could make some good money in an Out Back Steak House commercial.

"Hey Ash" Michael replied less enthusiastic about life, but that's how they worked, night and day.

"Well hurry up before they realize you're ditching!" He motioned through the open window.

Michael stepped off the curb and walked around the car. He noticed the license plate that said "LV2DRUM" and couldn't help but giggle remembering how excited Ashton was to have it.

Finally he reached the car door and pulled it open to sit down.

"Buckle up, it's the law" Ashton said in a joking tone of voice but meaning every word that left his mouth, he's going to be a good dad one day.

Michael pulled his seatbelt over his body and clicked it in place "alright, let's go"

Ashton gave the gas a reasonable amount of pressure and they were off "where to?" He asked like a New York City taxi driver.

Michael shrugged "anywhere"

"Next stop, anywhere" Ashton said continuing out of the school parking lot and turning on to a residential road "so why'd you need me to come get you?"

"I wasn't feeling it"

Ashton let out a small laugh "real descriptive"

Michael rolled his eyes and his attention landed out the window at the houses they were passing by "Juliet Porter" he said.

"You still crushing on that girl?" Ashton asked, keeping his hands at ten and two all while focusing his eyes on the road.

"It's more than that Ashton" Michael sat up and looked over to his friend "Ashton I–I think I'm in love with her"

He slammed on the breaks making both of them jerk forward in their seats.

"Oi! What was that–"

"Love is a waste of time Michael Clifford" Ashton said harshly, facing his friend and staring intently into his eyes "in the end she's just going to get ripped away from you by reality" his eyes were tearing up and his vision blurred "life isn't in favor of love Mike, you can't trust it" he finished just in time to collect himself and look up to the roof of his car to stop the tears from falling.

Michael looked at him sympathetically. Ashton had lost his fiancé Bridgett to brain cancer only a year ago. They had been dating since freshman year of high school. Her doctor diagnosed her with a year to live when they were seniors.. so Ashton proposed, he said he'd make it the best year of her life. He did, and she used her last words to tell him that.

"I'm sorry Ashton" Michael said putting his hand on his friends back "love isn't something that life is against, it's just something that life makes harder"