Just Friends

Chapter 14 First Date

Calum pov

I'm still buzzing that Michael actually like me back. Part of me doesn't want to him to go back to New York I just want him to stay here. I feel someone next to me and roll over to see Michael pressed against me. " Hi." I whisper. "Hi." " We should do something but I like laying here. I have to tell my mom about us at some point. I grimace at the thought. " What do you want to do?" He asks. " Whatever you want." I say and roll over to get up and go upstairs and see my mom in the kitchen and figure not to tell her about us just yet. "Morning." I say and open the fridge. " Hi is Michael still asleep?" "No he's just chilling in my room." I say. "What are you going to do today?" " Not sure yet I think we may catch the bus downtown if your okay with that." "Where down town?" She asks looking concerned. "Well to D Bar where Ashton and I went the night of graduation? It's not that sketchy really." I say. She thinks it over. " I can take you and we can get lunch." I know what she's getting at. " I guess..." " Great I'll go get ready." I watch her go upstairs as Michael comes down looking adorable with bed hair. "My mom's taking us to get cupcakes damn I need to learn to drive." "You've caught a bus right?" " Once well twice and had an awful anxiety attack  "I get it well it will be fun right?" I nod perking up at his optimism. "You have any cereal?" " We should." I go over to the pantry that is literally filled with containers where you press a button to open, it's honestly my mom's favorite room in the house cause it's super organized. " What type of cereal?" "Um.. not the super healthy kind." He says and looks around the pantry in awe. " It's' ridiculous how organized it is in here." I joke and he laughs. We get some cereal and sit at the kitchen table. I look over at Michael and feel my cheeks getting red.

"Why are you blushing?" Michael asks. " Your just cute." I say and eat a spoonful of cereal "Your cute too." Michael says and kisses my cheek quickly before eating a spoonful of cereal. Two hours later my mom takes us down to Dbar. My mom asks Michael so many questions you would think she was interrogating him. "So what time does your dad get off work?" Michael asks after a lull of conversation. I tense and notice my mom stiffen slightly. " Did I say the wrong thing?" He asks nervously. I never told him? Shit I meant to. " He um.. I." I try to speak and can't come up with the words and never can my mom. "I'll tell you later... you want to go to the movies tonight?" I ask changing the conversation. " I'll see what's playing." Michael says picking up on my conversation change. We get home and are in my room. " Did I say something bad about your dad or something? I swear I didn't mean it if I said something." He stumbles with his words. " Your okay I never told you he died when I was in third grade." I say. The words hang in the air and he says nothing but hugs me tightly. " I'm so sorry I'm a screw-up." " No your not your fine, I never told you so how could you know." I say and shrug, but my eyes are getting hot as I pull away from Michael. I look down at the ground and sniffle. " Are you crying?" " N- no I'm fine I'm good." I say but my voice falters. " Cal pal." He says the name makes me giggle a little as I wipe away my tears briskly. " It was so long ago. " How old were you?" " Nine It was a year before I moved here." " That sucks." My phone rings and I look at it and see it's Ashton.

"Hello?" "Hey how's it going?" " Good Michael and I jut got cupcakes." I say. " You want to hang out, the three of us?" "I'll ask Michael hang on." I hold my phone away from my ear and ask Michael if he wants to hang out with Ashton and he agrees. " I'll pick you two up in like five minutes I'm by your house so." "That's fine." I say and flop down on my bed only for Michael to flop down next to me. " See you soon then." I say and hang up. "You have to tell him about well."

"I know." I say and roll over to face him and can feel his breath on my cheeks and how much my heart is racing. "K-kiss me." I stutter nervously. Michael laughs and leans forward and kisses me his hand rests behind my ear and I feel my whole body tingling I kiss back feeling my cheeks get warm. "I couldn't love you as much as I do." Michael says when he pulls away and rubs his nose against mine. I'm about to kiss him again when I hear the door bell. I sit up wipe my mouth on the back of my hand and go upstairs. " Are my cheeks still red?" I ask before I get the door. "A little." Michael says and bites his lip which is not helping. I roll my eyes and open the door. "Hey you guys ready?" Ashton asks as Michael comes upstairs. " I'm ready." He says putting on his sunglasses. I tell my mom were going out with Ashton before we get in his car."So how has your trip been Michael?" Ashton asks. "Good I love it here." Michael says. I put my sunglasses on and look over at Ashton and feel my heart twist but ignore it. "Calum talks about you all the time." He says. "Yeah?" Michael says. " I'm glad you came out." Ashton says looking in the rearview mirror. Michael raises an eyebrow.
"You know I came out?"
"Shut up not now." I say.
"Not now what?" Ashton asks confused. I look at Michael in the back seat trying to get him to shut up but he's flustered and keeps talking. "Came out as in ah I'm well.. you know Calum's gay right." "Shut it boi." I say. "He's my best friend so I know that.. I also know that he's had a crush on me." My cheeks are pink." "I- erm." I cough. " Calum you are an open book." Ashton says. I squirm in my seat and swallow audibly. "Your straight I assume?" I ask. " I am." My heart drops and Michael looks back at me. "It's okay I- I figured I mean you like that girl at school." I say quietly and feel like crying. "I've crushed on all this time." I say softly. He sighs. "I'm sorry." I look out the window turning away from him sadness settles in my gut. " It's fine I already knew that you would never want me." I say softly. We park and go in the mall neither Ashton or I speak to one another and the silence is smothering. Michael who looks guilty for saying anything. "It's not your fault you got nervous it's fine." I say. I want to hold Michae's hand right now but know I'll get looks so I decide against it as we go into Van's. " You look like your ready to cry." he says. " I'm just mad, like I knew we could never be but it still hurts." "Let's go on a first date you and me. "You sure?" I nod and wipe the tears that decided to fall and take Michaels hand and go the California pizza kitchen. I shake my head and take Michael's hand in mine. He looks down at our hands and over at me and smiles and my heart races. Maybe we we're meant to be. My phone rings and I see it's Ashton I sigh and give in and pick up. "Where are you two? I decided to go to the Apple Store to get that issue with my phone fixed sorry I didn't tell you but you looked upset so I left." He says. " We're about to go to California Pizza Kitchen." I say and walk that way. 'I'll meet you two there then." He says before he hangs up. "Is Ashton joining us then?" I nod. " Yeah we can always go somewhere tonight Mali can drop us off someplace if she's home. I say. "I'm down for whatever.' Michael says, and lets go of my hand as we reach the restaurant making my heart break a little. " Booth or table?" Michael asks shaking me out of my thoughts." Booth." "Got here just in time. Ashton says walking up next to me. The three of us cram into a booth and get drinks and I'm deep in thought about what Ashton said in the car and wondering why he never told me sooner. " You okay?" Michael asks looking over at me concerned. "Yeah um Ashton can I talk to you alone?" I ask. He nods not seeming very happy about it. "Why are you so upset?" "I've had a crush on you and finding out that you and I could never be hurts like a truck." I say. "I Cal and you seem pretty happy with Michael I.. was wrong about you two and meeting on the internet." He says. I'm quite before bursting into tears in the corner of the restaurant. I feel Ashton hugging me tightly and it takes me back to the day when my dad died and he came over and hugged me and watched movies with me for two days straight. " Everything will be fine really, let's just have lunch okay? We're still best friends, right?" I pull away and wipe my tears and nod. " We are." I say. I got in the bathroom and erase any evidence of me crying and follow Ashton back to our table.

"Have you been crying?" Michael asks. " I'm good." I say and sip my drink. "You want to go back to your place and have pizza it's been a rough day. Michael says. " I'm good." I say he smiles and squeezes my hand.  "You two see cute together so how long are you here?" Ashton asks. "Two weeks but I may beg my mom for me to stay longer." He says. "Do you have any siblings?" Ashton asks. Michael shakes his head. "Just me and my parents and my two cats." "Nice." I say. "I'm allergic to cats." Ashton says. "Oh."  Michael says.
"You think you'll ever come to New York?" Michael asks eating a slice of pizza. "I mean maybe.. my mom would never let me go alone." "I'd go with you." Ashton offers. "Thanks bro." I say Michael smiles over at me and lays on my shoulder. "What are we doing tonight?" He asks. "Movies and cuddle?" " Sounds good." Michael says and kisses my cheek making me blush.  We end up staying at the mall so long that my mom calls me asking where I am. " I'm with Ashton and Michael we'll be home soon I promise." I say and hang up. " do you need to be home?" Ashton asks. " No she was just worrying since I was out for so long." I say. " We should go do something after this." Michael says.

"Like?" I eat my last slice and think of somwhere for us to go." Ashton ideas?" I ask looking over at my best friend. "What do you want to do I mean we could go to Six Flags  and ride some roller costers if your into that.. or the zoo may be open late. You're already hopped up on sugar after that sundae you two split." He says.  "Six Flags sounds fun if it's open late enough." He says.  After we leave the mall we head to Six Flags  and  by the time Michael and I step foot in my house it's 12:01 a.m. " Calum THOMAS HOOD WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?!"  I freeze and Michael jumps at how loud my mom is. " We went to Six Flags and road some roller costers and stuff.  Sorry I would have called but I was on the mind eraser so..." I smile to try to make her be less mad at me.  She shakes her head and gives me a hug before going upstairs. " Could have been worse." Michael says  when we get to my room. " Yeah could have been." I shrug and sit down on my bed and look over at him and feel myself smiling.

"What?"

"Nothing." I say as he changes  clothes before sitting down next to me. "I really don't want to leave." He says. "I know you don't." " Have you told your mom about us?" I ask. Michael nods. "Yeah wait you mean about us dating?" "Duh.""Nope I'm scared to." "Does she know that your.." "Yes but I can't seem to bring myself to tell here I'm dating my internet friend and when I go home being away from you is going to hurt so freaking bad." He says. "I know." I frown and get up to get my lap top and log into Netflix. " You pick a movie." I say. Michael scrolls though the list before picking some romantic move making me whine but I shup up as he lays on my  shoulder. "You're the only person I've ever dated."

"Really?"

"Uh huh and if this is what love feels like... I don't want it to ever leave." I say.  " Awe Calum." He says. I let out a  deep breath and move closer to him despite my room being steaming hot due to the summer heat.  We four movies before I hear quite snoring. I turn my head and see Michael asleeping on my shoulder his arm across my stomach making it impossible for me to move. I hear the door to my room open and I panic but I can't wake him ( he looks to cute right now to do that) So I just lay here. "Did mom chew you out for coming home late? Wait are you asleep?" Mali asks. "Not yet and no only a little." I say.  " Is Michael laying on you?" She asks. " That's what boyfriends do." I say nonchalantly . I can't see her face but I know  she must look surprised right now. " Were you two always dating?"

"Not until a few days ago." I say. "Oh you think he will break your heart?"

"I hope not."

"I also admitted to Ash that I had a crush on him today." "Even I knew that and what did he say?" "That were just best friends and that's all we will ever be and it hurt I'll admit, but I have Michael." I say and hear him snore again making me giggle. "You want me to tell mom about the two of you dating?" "Not yet I should tell her." I say. "You know why she worries about you right? "Cause she doen't want to loose me too I'm guessing?" " Exactly." I say nothing and  move my other arm from under Michael as I felt it was falling asleep. "You love him I can see it when you hang out and hear it in your voice when you talk about him."  "I am and I've never felt this before." I say. " Just wait until you two have your first fight, now that hurts." She says. "Oh," I say quietly. "should probably let  you sleep night." I hear her go upstairs and shut my door as Michael moves closer to me making me sweat even more. "Calum?" He says sleepily. " Yeah?" " I really like you." " I like you too." I say and roll over trying to get some sleep.