wicked games // michael clifford [au]

// chapter three //

<<michael's pov>>

I can tell just by the way Luke grips the steering wheel that he's beyond pissed. He zips out of the driveway, skidding across the road as if he were blind with rage. With him, you're never quite sure either. 

Unable to help myself, I sneak one final glance out the window at the ancient house that always seems to have new people moving in every year. It's the biggest god damn mystery this town has seen and now there's another mystery living under it's roof.

rory.

Just like after we parted from her yesterday, I can't get the damn girl out of my mind. 

Though I know I'm not entirely alone in that matter, for Luke was the one who dragged us to her school, saying we should welcome new people in our town. I tried asking him what he wants with her - whether it be a hook-up or something else, I don't think she's interested in him at all - but he just got pissed and changed the subject. 

"That little bitch," He spits out angrily as he runs through a stop light, causing nearby cars to honk their horns loudly at us, flipping us their fingers. 

Feeling my heart pounding in my chest, I clutch the seatbelt resting against my chest tightly, digging my nails into it's threaded contents. Though Luke's never been a great driver, I've never felt so unsafe in his car before. Perhaps it's the pure rage pulsing behind those eyes of his. 

The others see it too, for Ashton actually puts on his seatbelt, flashing an incredibly confused look in Luke's direction. Calum continues to stare at him, waiting for some sort of explanation for his behavior today. 

"Luke, I don't get it man," Calum says, shaking his head as he turns his body to face Luke, "She's not even that hot," He snorts, obviously jumping to the same conclusions as I had. 

Luke snaps his head to glare at Calum, not finding him amusing in the slightest. Then out of nowhere, Luke slams on his breaks, causing all of us to go flying forward against our seatbelts. I smash my face against Luke's seat, instantly feeling a headache forming in the pit of my skull. 

I look up to see our car parked on the side of some random street, not a place I recognize as well. We're only a few minutes away from Rory's house. I can feel my heart pounding once again in my chest, so loud that I wouldn't be surprised if the other guys could hear it as well. 

Without another word, Luke shuts off the car and throws his door open, getting out and stomping away from us all. Exchanging a nervous glance, we struggle to get ourselves out of the car to catch up with him. 

Luke takes long strides through some random yard, walking right in between two suburban houses. I look up to see the dark forest looming ahead of us. Chills run down my spine as I wrap my sweatshirt closer to my body. 

The four of us enter the dark forest, a place that even gives me the creeps. Luke leads the way as he navigates through the trees and over the stumps, as if he actually knew where he was going. 

"She thinks she can just come here and walk around as if she were the goddamn queen, does she?" He spits out angrily, saliva actually spewing with each word he releases. 

"What the fuck are you talking about?" Ashton speaks up, his voice trembling ever-so-slightly. 

My mind wanders back to Rory, who as I watch Luke take heavy, angry strides seems so innocent and fragile. She's in her house, sitting there without a single idea of what she's done. It causes me to feel sick to my stomach. 

Yet I don't do a single thing to stop him, not making me much better than him at all. 

"Here," Luke reaches his arm into his sweatshirt pocket, pulling out what looks to be four pairs of ski masks. I can feel my lunch coming up through my throat, forcing me to swallow it down, "We'll show that little saint what happens when you mess with us," He smirks, throwing us all a mask and slipping one over his own head.