Learning To Fall

thirteen

One minute I'm beating Michael at Mario Kart, and the next minute all of the lights go out.

"Shit." Is all I hear before Michael's phone flashlight is on me. I have to look away to avoid being blinded, but laugh at the flustered boy in front of me.

"Someone afraid of the dark?" I tease, turning on my flashlight and blinding him.

"No, it's just," He sighs. "We don't have any candles and it takes a while for the generator to kick in."

"Then I guess we're gonna have to do what people did when they didn't have electric,"

"What?" He asks, quirking an eyebrow. I laugh.

"Talk to each other." I reply in mock horror. I don't see him do it, but I know Michael is rolling his eyes. "I know, it's terrible." I continue.

"Shut up and ask me questions, he says, facing me and sitting his phone so it illuminates both of our faces in the darkness. I do the same, and it's almost like the power wasn't out.

"What were your friends like at your old school?" I question. Were they better than me?

"Easy. They were the outcasts. Tattoos, dyed hair, piercings. We'd sneak out to our cars and smoke. If possible, I was the outcast in a group of outcasts." He sighs, and I tilt my head.

"Why do you say that?"

"Have you ever met a punk with mostly AP classes? They'd always tease me and say that I was the one that was gonna go anywhere in our little group of friends. And go somewhere I did. I left them in the middle of summer." Michael snaps. He regrets leaving them. My eyes trail down to my hands and I realize that I'm wringing them, a habit I should really quit. How little did I know about him? And here I was, on a date with this guy I barely knew. Maybe Calum was right.

"I'm sorry, Andy. I didn't mean to lash out like that. It's a possibility that I'm still upset with my mom for just moving us across the world without a notice. But I'm not sorry about meeting you and Calum," He speaks up, and I find myself looking at him in amazement. Michael may of been an outcast in his own circle, but this time he would fit in. I'd make sure of it.

"So what happened with your mom?" Michael suddenly questions, catching me off guard. That was the last thing I expected to come up. I guess it was time to explain.

"She left when I was five. I guess the spark just wasn't there anymore. All I remember is being really confused, and my dad saying that she wouldn't be around for a while. Elliot was the smarter one, though. He told me that they'd gotten a divorce, and we'd never see her again. At first I didn't want to believe it, and lived in denial. Until three years after, when Lillian first appeared. At first it was only small appearances, but then one day my dad pulled Elliot and I aside and told us that we'd be getting a new mommy. I was ecstatic. Then, we realized that it was Lillian. Needless to say, I was a lot less excited." I state, and Michael chuckles. "I guess I could see the horns even at a young age."

"Is the pitchfork optional, or does she only use that at work?" Michael fires back, sending us both into laughing fits. He stops laughing all of a sudden.

"Do you ever miss Luke?" Is his next question, and my breath hitches.

"What?"

"Do you ever miss him?" Did I?

"No. No, I don't think so. Sometimes I see him and think about what could've been, and how we would've ended up if things weren't so fucked. I miss what he was, sure. But I don't miss the person he became." I answer, Michael nods.

"So, back home. Any girls?" I ask, partially to get to know him, and partially out of curiosity. If there was, what would I say? 'It must suck to be away from her, even though we're on a date.'