the propinquity effect

27

+ 27 +

Vibrations could be felt all over my body. My hands a trembling mess as I kept on feeling my phone vibrating in my back-pocket. Thinking it was just probably Zara wanting me to pick her up because she was too drunk to even drive so I ignored it. I reached down to my pocket and looked at it, squinting a bit to see who was calling me. It showed "12:05" on the clock and I rolled my eyes. Wanting to throw my phone out of my room and just get over it but I could not. It could have been an emergency.

"Hello?" I spatted, reaching to my bed side table to put on my glasses. My room was illuminated dimly with the moonlight and I kept on rubbing my eyes, trying to focus them although I was already wearing my glasses.

"Alexa is that you?" A voice I recognized was Michael's asked. I climbed out of my bed and landed on my floor with a small thud. Earning a low grunt and a bruise that was going to form on my right arm. "You okay, there?"

"I'm fine." I told him as I fumbled with my blanket. I kicked it farther than I expected and it hit my bookshelf. I flinched from the sound as I walked to my window, opening the curtains to see if Michael was in his room or not. I could see his shadow, he only turned on one of his lights as I stared. "What happened? Are you hurt? Oh my God, you are aren't yo-"

"No, Al. I'm fine, I just, I got a nightmare. I just had the urge to call you. I'm sorry, it's so stupid. I don't know what to do." There were sobs heard from the other line and I quickly went into my closet. Leaving my phone on my floor as I picked up a hoodie and put it on.

At least the hoodie could protect me from the upcoming cold weather outside. I tightened the strings and walked outside of my room. Tiptoeing down the hall after closing my room door slowly behind me so I would not need to wake both my mom and sister. I walked down the stairs, jumping the last step and landing on the floor with a thud.

My cat scurried out of the way as I ran to the front-door, a bit out of breath as I had never ran that fast and that long. I bit my lip and turned the lock, unlocking the door and stepping out of the house, shutting the wooden door behind me as I walked towards Michael's house. Mom said that Karen was still in the hospital and that Michelle was in her cousin's house, Michael was home alone and I was afraid he could do something drastic.

He did not lock his front door because I completely barged in and climbed up the stairs, two steps at a time and I almost fell over. Anxious, afraid, sad and love at the same time rushed all over my body. It was weird, I had never experienced things like that before. As if I actually had to take care of Michael since I was the only thing closest to him.

I walked in his room and saw him in his blanket, like he was in a cocoon and I did not know what to do. Sobs still could be heard from where I was standing as I approached him slowly. Putting my hand on his shoulder and he got up within seconds.

Without anything and any warning he wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me into his chest. I did not hug back for a few seconds because I was shocked. But after some sense got into me, I hugged him back and patted his back. Nuzzling my face into the crook of his neck, his hair smelled like hair dye and shampoo. He kept on hugging me as he cried on my shoulder, wetting the hoodie I had on.

"It's fine, Mike. You're okay." I squeezed him lightly and he nodded on my shoulder. I could feel myself close to tears because I could hear him crying, it tore me apart to feel him sad and crying. All I could do was hug him, I was not a mother and I did not know what I should do.

"I'm not okay." Michael replied silently, his voice cracking at the end and he kept on holding onto me. His hands clutching the fabric on my back and I kept on patting him. What should I do? I was so lost.