drunk // m.c [a.u]

s e v e n

She had nothing better to do than accept Michael’s offer. “Get in.” Rose gestures to her car. “So where exactly are we going?”

            “You like food, right?” He ignores her question and asks his own instead.

            “Um, sure. Why?”

            “Just making sure.” Michael flashes her a smile while turning up the volume on the stereo blasting Green Day. “Turn in here.” He instructs. Rose flips on her blinker, turning left into the parking lot of a diner. “Isn’t this place cool?” The fifty’s style diner door slammed shut behind them. The checker pattern on the floor, the shiny deep red of the leather booths, waitresses walking around in big skirts with their hair tied up.

            “You brought me to a diner?”

            “Yep! They have the best malts ever!” She sits on a stool at a counter next to Michael.

            “Hi! What can I get you two?” An overly happy waitress asks.

            “I’ll have a strawberry malt please.” Michael speaks first.

            “Um a chocolate malt please.” The waitress jots them both down on a slip of paper and walks back into the kitchen.

            “So what should I know about Rose?”

            “Well what do you want to know?” She counters.

            “Let’s play twenty questions.”

            “Cliché but alright. You start.”

            “Ok, favorite color?”

            “Pink, duh.” She points to her brightly colored hair, laughing. “Um favorite food?”

            “Pizza. What’s your middle name?”

            “Lennon.” Rose takes a small sip of her malt that the waitress placed in front of her.

            “As in John Lennon?”

            “The one and only. My mom was sort of a The Beatles fanatic. And Shakespeare; Rose is short for Rosaline. The other women in Romeo and Juliet.”

            “Huh. Rosaline Lennon. I like it.” Michael smiles causing his green eyes to light up like bulbs on a Christmas tree. Rose couldn’t help but smile back it was contagious. “Ok, your turn.”

            “What’s your middle name?”

            “Nope. Vetoing that question.”

            “That’s not allowed! Answer the question!”

            “Fine. You have to promise not to laugh.” He stares her down until she verbally swears not to laugh. “Gordon,” he mumbles. She bites her tongue to keep from laughing. “See,” he notices. “I hate it. It’s such and old man name!”

            “It’s not that bad! At least you don’t look like an old man!” Rose giggles at his expression.

            “True. I mean you did say I was attractive,” a smirk evident on his lips.

            “I’m gonna kill Luke and his big mouth when I get home.” She shakes her head in embarrassment.

            “You live with Luke?” Michael asks, all traces of laughter gone from his voice.

            “Just temporarily. I usually live alone, but um he wanted to keep an eye on me.” Rose’s voice loses it’s usual confidence and fire, reduced to above a whisper.

            “Oh.” Michael averts his eyes and stares at his empty malt glass.

            “Um we should get going, I need to get home.” The car ride is silent, except for American Idiot playing quietly in the background. A few times Michael speaks to give directions to his apartment. “Thanks for whatever that was.” Rose says pulling into the parking lot.

            “A date.” He smiles and the awkwardness starts to melt away.

            “That was not a date,” she laughs. Michael opens the passenger side door and steps out. Leaning down sticking his head in the open window.

            “It was a date.” Rose watches him walk away and into the apartment complex.

eeeeppp. I kinda love them a little. more like a lottle. but yea classes are done! just a few finals and updating will be more or less regular!! keep voting and i love reading your comments and reactions!! :) xo -Rachel