An incredibly bright light caused me to squint as I groggily turned over in the reclined car seat, only to fully snap my eyes open and shoot up to a sitting position when I didn't feel another body beside me.
"Michael?!" I cried. Whipping my head around to look out of every window, I couldn't see Michael anywhere amidst the glittering snow. I wrapped my blanket around my body as I stepped outside and circled the car, praying that the boy was somewhere nearby. "MICHAEL CLIFFORD?!" I tried again, but there was no answer.
Slipping back inside the car, I had to take a few breaths to calm myself down. Michael couldn't have gone very far, and even if he had, we were still relatively close to our homes that he could walk back on his own.
Inhale, exhale. Inhale, exhale.
After a few tries, I finally got my car to turn on so I could crank the heat and thaw myself out. While rapidly rubbing my hands together for warmth, I heard three quick, hard taps against the driver's side window, scaring me shitless. I let out a faint yelp as I snapped my head to the side, only to see Michael doubling over in laughter right outside the window.
I unlocked the doors as he trudged over to the passenger side of the car. "Do you really always have to scare me like that? I almost pissed my pants, you know!" I teasingly yelled at Michael as he settled back into the car.
"it's fuckin' hilarious, so yes," he said, still laughing.
I nodded. "Glad to know that somebody other than myself finds me funny."
"Not you, it's your reaction to things."
"Which is still me," I retorted,
Michael shook his head. "Whatever."
"Where the hell were you just now?"
"What, a guy can't take a piss in the woods?" he asked as if it were the dumbest question I could have possibly asked.
"Well how was I supposed to know that?" I asked, throwing my hands up. "I woke up and you were just gone! For all I know you could've been killed by one of the morning trains or a bear or something."
"You guys have bears around here?"
I sighed. "Unfortunately."
"Interesting."
"Only sometimes, though."
"Great."
"Yup."
"So can we get some breakfast or...?" Michael asked me after his stomach noisily gurgled.
"Sure thing." I laughed as I put my seatbelt on. "Is the diner okay?"
Michael's face lit up, letting me know that the diner was more than okay before he could even get a word out. "Yes!" he cried."
"Okay, okay, just put the seat up, will you?" He obliged, and then we were off.
Fifteen minutes later, we were seated at a table looking over our menus, which Michael ended up ordering half of. It was crowded, as it was a late Saturday morning, which was probably why I didn't notice the group of boys headed in our direction until Michael randomly sprang up out of his seat.
"Just sit down, mate," Luke calmly told him. Michael looked around at each of his (ex?)band members but finally sat back down, making room for Luke and Calum to slid in after him. I did the same on my side to allow Ashton and Nate in to join us.
"What are you lads doing here?" Michael huffed, crossing his arms and resting them on the tabletop.
"Obviously to get breakfast, since you weren't at your house to make us anything," Nate muttered, to which Ashton harshly forcefully elbowed him in the side. "Ow!" he cried, though it came out as more of a question.
