Cynical Romantics (Completed)

Chapter Fifteen

After going through two episodes and a half episodes of Modern Family, Michael shows up at my door. Karen rushes to get it, mostly to talk to him before I leave.

"Hey Michael how are you?" she asks. She's really good at pulling the mother and best friend card, something I hope I can do when I'm a mom.

"I'm great. You?" he asks, being the gentleman every mom wants for their daughter, or every legal guardian wants for the kid they're responsible of.

"I'm good. Remember not to come too late, you guys have school tomorrow" she reminds us, as if we didn't know.

"Ok thanks Karen! I'll see you later" I say, leaving the house.

"You look cute" Michael says, repeating what Karen said when she saw me.

"Thanks. Hey can I ask you a question?" I say, obviously making my question more awkward.

"Shoot" he replies as he starts the car and drives.

"What do you consider us? Like we're friends, but you kiss me and stuff" I say, sounding more upfront and bitchy than awkward and confused now.

"Well I don't know. That's up to you. I like you obviously, but I can tell you don't really share the exact same feelings, which is why I avoided this question" he admits.

"Oh. Well to be honest, I don't really know what it feels like to like someone in that way. I've avioded it for so long" I manage to say, not really thinking of anything else. I bet he regrets liking a girl so emotionally broken and confused.

"Well for starters do you like hanging out with me" he asks with a chuckle.

"Ummm, not really" I say sarcastically.

"Shit!" he yells as we pull up to the restaurant. It was nice, it wasn't too fancy but it also wasn't super casual, so I'm glad I dressed better than usual. "Okay, well do you feel anything when I kiss you compared to the other boys you've kissed?" he asks as we take the seats the waiter ushered us to.

The only other boy I've kissed is Calum. "There actually is this guy, but I'm not even sure if I like him. But I can tell him anything and yeah" I say, not finding the correct words to describe how I feel around Calum.

"Is he in this part of Australia?" Michael asks, most likely surprised since I basically only hang out with him and his band.

"Yeah, but as I said I don't even know if I like him" I remind him, making him focus on the important question.

"Well you always kind of stiffen up when I hold you and I can tell you felt uncomfortable, which is why I tried to stop, besides the times I was too tired to think about it" he confesses.

"Yeah, I'm not used to physical contact so sorry about that-"

"Hi my name is Brooke I'll be you're waiter are you two ready to order?" she asks, inturrupting what I was about to say.

"Sure I'll have an eggplant paramasean" I order.

"I'll have the chicken ravioli" Michael says after me.

"Ok, we'll have those come out as soon as possible" she says in the stereotypical waitress voice.

"So how do you feel when this guy holds your hand and stuff?" he asks. I find it funny how so many people here actually care about my well being, even when it comes down to something so silly like a boy. Back at my other homes they didn't even care how bad my depression and anxiety were getting.

"It actually feels good and like natural, if that's the right word" I say with a giggle, this is so cliché.

"Is this boy Calum?" he asks, taking me by surprise and causing me to almost spit out my drink.

"How did you know I didn't even describe him yet!" I say between laughs.

"Have you guys not seen the way you act towards each other?" he retorts.

"But you thought I hated him" I say, thinking back to all the fights Calum and I had in front of him.

"Yeah like the first day, but after that it was so obvious that you two liked each other and were in denial, so I took things in my own hands and asked you out. Calum was super jelous" Michael confesses.

"No way! Calum always looked fine when you kissed me in front of him!" I tell him.

"That's what you think! After he went all ape shit at me and told me how "inappropriate" that is to do at band practice" Michael explains while laughing.

"Imagine what would happen if you slept with me!" I state, trying to imagine how mad Cal would be.

"I'm pretty sure he'd literally kill me" Michal says.

"Why it's not like he's been in love with me for years" I remind him.

"Yeah but Calum's never had a serious relationship, or has ever wanted one. He doesn't believe in love" he explains.

"But it's not like Calum wants a serious relationship with me" I say, even though that's basically what he implied.

"If he didn't, he'd already of made a bunch of moves on you. But I can tell he's being careful considering how easily you get pissed off" he says, probably remembering the countless times I yelled at Calum for such little things: like when his music was so loud I could hear it from my room, or the time we were walking to school and he suddenly bumped into me on accident, or the time he said lions were pointless animals.

"Well now what should I do?" I ask as the waitress brings over our food.

"Eat" he simply says, making me laugh again.

"No! About Calum dumbass!" I fake yell at him.

"Be honest with him, that's something you both like" he mentions as he pigs out.

"Okay, but what if something goes wrong?" I ask.

"Like what?" he replies.

"What I fall for him!"

"Oh that would be a disaster!" Michael says sarcastically.

"It is! He'll break my heart right?" I say seriously, not finding the amusement Michael's having with this.

"That's a risk we all have to take, but trust me, Calum won't break your heart. You'll probably break his" he says with a chuckle.

"Hopefully we don't break any hearts" I add. "So this whole time you only pretended to like me so that Calum got jealous?"

"No. The first time I asked you to hang out with me was because I liked you. I do like you, but you like Cal and Cal likes you. I don't want to get in between that" he explains.

"There's not even anything to get between. I think" I tell him.

"Well either way, I'll be okay. There's always other fish in the sea, but Calum's your Nemo. I'll find someone" he assures me.

"I'm sure you will" I reply, remembering how much Lola liked him and how he returned those feelings.

Looks like we all just might be okay.