Learning To Fall

twenty seven

The first time I visited Michael's house, it was welcoming and astonishing. Now, it was cold and seemed to take up too much space. After turning off my car, I slowly make my way up the path to the front porch. This was where it all started. The place I decided that maybe letting Michael into my life wouldn't be so terrible. But boy, was I wrong. Everything was a mess now. It was too late to leave and I wasn't turning back. The least I deserved was some answers. So, I ring the doorbell. Now it was too late to turn back.

"Hello?" A middle aged, blonde woman answers the door. Her eyes matched Michael's almost identically, and they had the same face shape. Immediately I could tell that this was Michael's mother.

"Is Michael here?" I ask, finally finding my voice. Her eyes soften at the mention of her only child, and a small smile finds its way onto her face.

"He's just upstairs. Come in, I'll go get him for you," I oblige, stepping into the hallway. "I'm assuming you're Andy? Michael hasn't stopped talking about you." The woman smiles at me. "I'm Karen, Michael's mother. It's nice to meet you."

"You, too. Do you mind if I go up instead?" I ask, and she nods. After smiling again, I make my way upstairs and to Michael's room. When I get there, I don't bother knocking. In hopes that he was decent, I open the door and step in.

"Mom, what the- Andy?" Michael gawks. I close the door behind me, taking in his injuries. Split knuckles, a bruise below his eye, a split lip. Nothing compared to Luke's injuries.

"What the fuck is wrong with you, Michael?" I insist, refraining from yelling too loud. Karen seemed like a good person, and I didn't want to hurt her. How did someone so good raise someone so terrible?

"What?" He asks, as if it isn't obvious.

"You can't just go beating everyone up. And you have no right to when you're the one who's at fault here, you're the one who pretended and lied the whole time. You pretended to hate Cecily and Luke, when in reality they're your best friends. Or, Cecily is. I mean, you're willing to hurt someone you barely know for her. And you wanna know the sad part? You actually convinced me. There Michael, you got what you wanted. You won the bet." I finish, blinking to keep myself from crying. I would not cry in front of him. "But tell me this. Why?"

He considers this for a while. The boy looks everywhere in the room but my eyes. Finally, after he runs a hand through his hair, he sighs. I purse my lips and wait for more lies to spill from his mouth.

"I'm a terrible person, Andy." Is his simple response. I scoff.

"No. You do not get to do that. I want answers and I want them now." I demand, folding my arms.

"Fine. You wanna know why? Because I'm selfish. I saw you at one of my parties a year and I half ago and I could've swore you were an angel. And then I kept seeing you at other parties, connected to Luke or Calum's side. It was easy to charm Cecily into telling me about you. And once I knew about you, I wanted to know you personally. But it was too late, you were too in love with Luke to even spare another guy a second look. So what do I do? I get close to Luke. Then I get the news that my mom and her millionth boyfriend had broken up, and we were moving here. And it was perfect, because you and Luke had been broken up for a while. So, Cecily gives me the bet, and I take it. Because I'm intrigued by you, Andy. At first, I was in it for the satisfaction. But then I got to know you more, and I don't know- something happened. I changed. I used to be this guy who took advantage of being able to get anyone I wanted. You changed me. I only want you. And I'm sorry, okay? You don't deserve this. But I will tell you this; not one minute was I pretending." The green haired boy explains, and my heart flutters. I ignore it, shaking my head.