oblivion [michael clifford]

five

When I awoke, the other half of the bed was empty. I sat up and stretched my arms to the ceiling. My room had a lonely feeling to it, as if when Michael was around he made it bright and full of life. Now it was dull. My head fell back and hit the pillow. I paused as a familiar scent found it's way to me. Michael's intoxicating smell was still on my bedding. I took in a few breaths and spread myself further onto the bed to stretch once again. I felt a little piece of paper hit the side of my hand. I looked over and smiled. It was a pink sticky note on the pillow that Michael had previously been on. I picked it up and brought it to my face. He had surprisingly good handwriting for a boy. The note read:
Thanks for not letting me leave. Michael xx
I smiled at his words. I was glad for not letting him go. I slept so soundly. He made me feel safe and secure. If I could have it my way, every night would be like that.
I find it amazing how just the other day I was just fine with being alone and now all of a sudden I want him next to me. He was very unique. So far, my favorite thing about him was the way he thought. I could tell what he was thinking even when he didn't say anything. Like last night when he had questioned me about the first song and what I had thought about it. My answer pleased him, most likely because he was thinking the same exact thing. Michael had said that he didn't know anymore songs like that when we were in his car. Had he found all of those songs for me? If he had, it was very kind of him. No one has ever connected with me over music like that. I was starting to think he had a copy of my brain inside his skull.
There was a knock at my door. My head popped up from the pillow and I waited to see who it was.
"Danielle? Are you awake?" It was my dad.
"Uhh ya." I looked around my room to see if there was any evidence of Michael's presence. When my eyes hit the window, my ladder was still hanging there. "HOLD ON! I'm... Uhh I...." My mind went through all of the possibilities of what I could be doing that he couldn't come in. "I'm getting dressed! Uhh, I'm naked, don't come in." Real smooth, Dani.
"Oh, okay. Well it's 12:00 in the afternoon. Officer Sutton had called and he will be here in 30 minutes or so to drop off your phone and purse. I suggest you get dressed soon so you can get something to eat." My dad said to me through the thin wood of the door. That was easier than expected. I thought he was going to barge into here and see the ladder.
"Alright, I'll be down soon." I heard him almost walk away, but he paused before he fully left my door.
"Oh, and by the way, you should probably pull your ladder up and return it back to it's place in the closet. Where it belongs." My eyes got wide. I thought I was off the hook. Guess not. I heard his footsteps walk towards the stairs and make the descend. I pulled the covers off of my body and got out of bed. Man, was it cold in here. The window was open all night long. When I went to go close the window, I noticed it was still raining. I hate the rain. Just my luck, huh? My parents just had to live in Washington. I don't like the people here, I don't like the schools, and I don't like the weather. They were all annoying in their own ways. Well, when I say people, I don't mean everyone. But, you know what I mean.
I pulled up the ladder from the window and shut it before anymore cold could find it's way into my room. I returned the ladder to the top shelf in my closet and while I was in there, I chose an outfit. I went with a band tee that said "You are what you love, not who loves you". I have to admit, I was a big fan of Fall Out Boy. I love their old stuff and new stuff. That's pretty unusual for me. The sleeves of the shirt were black while where the shirt rested on my torso was white. The lettering was black as well and there was a Fall Out Boy logo above it. I decided to pair the shirt with a red flannel and dark blue, ripped skinny jeans. I laid the clothes out on my bed and figured that I should take a quick shower. I really needed it.
I headed over to my bathroom and turned the water in my shower to the hottest setting. I loved taking hot showers. It relaxed me so quickly. I undressed and threw my clothes in the hamper to the side of my countertop. I took the elastic out of my hair and ran my fingers through the dark brown tangles. My hair felt so dirty, it was in dire need of cleaning. I turned around and jumped into the shower. I let the water trail onto the top of my head for awhile. It felt really nice. The water soothed my whole entire body.
Once I was all washed up, I shut the water off and grabbed a towel from the rack next to the tub. I wiped my body, ridding myself of the droplets to my best ability. I then wrapped the towel around my body and took a step out of the bathtub. I opened the door and stepped out. I paused for a second. I could hear my dad having a conversation with someone. I peeked my head around the corner so the I could see over the railing of the stairs. I couldn't believe what I was seeing.
Why was Michael talking to my dad? And why were the laughing? Michael was standing at the entry of the house with his hands in his pockets. He glanced up at me and in an instant his facial expression softened up. He shot me a little content smile and turned his stare back to my dad.
"Well, I'm sure Dani is done getting ready. If you would like to head up to her room, you're more than welcome to, Michael." My dad said to him, letting Michael enter. My eyes got wide and I ran to my room. I quickly grabbed a bra and underwear. I felt like I was getting dressed at the speed of light. I could hear his big black boots pounding up the wooden stairs. When I had got the jeans on and a tank top, there was a knock on my door.
"I hope you're dressed because I'm coming in." My door knob turned and I put my back against the door pushing it so he couldn't come in.
"No! I'm not ready, Michael." I pushed against his force. He got a hand in and he was touching my shoulder. His warm touch made me get goosebumps. It sent chills down my spine. His hand found it's way to my side and he wiggled his fingers, ticking me. I busted out in laughter and gave up. He made his way into my room and found me clutched over, hiding my sides from his touch.
"Oh, so someone's ticklish?" He gave me the biggest smirk and held a hand out to me. I shook my head fast and had to hold back the laughter trying to escape from my lungs. "I think you are." He paused for a few seconds and the picked me up and threw me over his shoulder, fireman style. I kicked my legs in the air and screamed. Michael threw me down softly onto the bed and began tickling me everywhere. I yelled out and giggled so much.
"OH MY GOSH! MIKEY STOP IT!" I tried to get away from him but he was too strong. I felt like Quinton when I tickled him. Poor Quinton.
Michael stopped tickling me and looked into my eyes. "What'd you just call me?"
"Uhh.. Mikey?" He gave me that amazing half smile and flopped himself down on the bed next to me. He laid there for a few seconds, reminiscing in the moment.
"That was cute by the way." He said to me, turning his head.
"What? When I called you Mikey?"
"Yeah, no ones ever given me names like that. I like it." He replied. Michael's eyes were glowing today. They were a bright green giving me a beautiful stare straight into my boring eyes.
"I don't know, it just slipped." I sat up and grabbed my shirt to the left of me. I slipped it over my head. I stood up and grabbed the flannel. I felt a pair of eyes on me. I paused and looked up at Michael through my eyelashes. Yep, like always. "What? What's wrong?" I asked him.
"Nothing, it's just.. Nothing." He smiled up at me as I put the flannel on. I shook my head and smiled at him. He was a dork. But in the best way.
"Why are you even here? And why were you laughing with my dad?" I questioned him.
"What? I can't come over to see you?" He chuckled. "And I introduced myself. I felt as though if I stayed the night in his house without him knowing, I might as well have the decency to say hello."
"Fair enough. What did you think of him?" I hope he didn't give Michael any trouble. Michael was a nice boy once you got to know him, but on the outside he kinda looks like a punk. A cute one though. I guess I don't really know him either though. I only know sweet, thoughtful Michael. It made me wonder though. What was he like when he got angry? Sad? Hurt? Excited? Nervous? I want to know what he's hiding underneath the surface. I didn't know any of these, but I would love to find out. To know how he acts to every situation. To know him so well. Like the back of my hand, I want to know Michael better than that even. I have a feeling that once I do, I will truly be content.
"He's a very nice man, he was a little hesitant to be kind though. He knows I dropped you off last night and I apologized for it."
"Wait, why would you need to apologize for that?" I questioned him, cutting him off.
"Because, he was probably mad that some boy dropped you off super late. I explained that I couldn't let you walk home alone, with no protection. He said that he appreciated it and then he warmed up to me." He grinned at me, he must've been pretty proud of himself. I nodded my head at him, silently telling him that I understood. "But, another reason I came over was because I wanted to see if you wanted to go do something today?"
"Like what?" I smiled down at him, then I took a seat next to him. He put his arm around my waist and his warmth made my stomach fill with butterflies. The corners of my lips couldn't help but turn up into a huge smile. I looked down at my lap to avoid Michael's hard stare. I knew he was giving me that look again. But if I saw it, I probably would melt even more than I am now.
"Whatever you want to, Danielle Moore." He squeezed me against him.
"Hmm.. I wish it was hotter so we could go swimming. That sounds fun." Going to the lake was the only thing I had to drag my friends to. They hated going to the lake, but I loved it. Like I went to everything they wanted to. So they could at least go to the lake with me. I loved swimming so much. I was on the swim team in my first year of high school. What made me quit? The girls on there. You would think that the swim team would be a great group of young ladies. No. They were rude and gossiped all of the time. You would turn your back for one second and they would start talking bad about you to their friends. So the next year, I left. The coach was so sad when I didn't tryout. I was the only girl she had respect for. I still keep in touch with Ms. Vaughn on Facebook. She was the closest thing I've ever had to a mom. Mine was gone so fast.
"Well, we can still go swimming." Michael shrugged his shoulders.
"What do you mean? Have you seen the weather outside? Like they say in the songs, it's frightful." I scoffed at him.
"But the fire is so delightful." Michael sang to me. I giggled. His voice went very deep and he smirked at me.
"And since we've no place to go." I sang back to him. He gave me the biggest grin ever possible.
"Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow." We harmonized in unison. Our voices matched very well together. I pulled myself closer to him and smiled up at him. He looked down at me and into my eyes. His were a light green, happy as ever. I don't know how long we sat there, just enjoying the moment. Was it odd for us to be doing this? I don't think so. It felt wonderful. It felt magical. Like we were the only people in the world. All of the things around us went blurry. Just me and him. Just then my arms were wrapped around him, bringing him into a huge hug. He seemed surprised because he didn't automatically hug me back at first. But then his arms snaked around my back and squeezed me a bit.
"Thank you, Mikey." I whispered.
He giggled softly. "For what, darling?"
I thought about what I was going to say next for a bit, but I figured I had nothing to hide from him. I liked him. A lot. I liked everything about him. The way he looked at me. The way he compliments me in unique ways. The way he loves music just as much as I do. Not to mention his features. But that's only a plus. He could be a monster, and I could still feel the same way about him. "For changing my mind about people. For realizing that I have to give someone a chance if I want to feel this way."
He stopped breathing for a second and I could feel his heart almost skip a beat, then the drum inside of it thumped a speed faster.
"And.. how do you feel?" He pulled away from the hug, his hands lowered and were around my waist. Mine were rested on his shoulders.
"I'm not sure, but I like it." He smiled at me and blushed.
"I know I like you, Danielle. I've liked you ever since the first time I saw you." He admitted. Him saying that made my insides automatically turn to mush.
"Was that the first time you talked to me? When you realized you liked me?"
"No, I noticed you before, but then I got to handout skates that night. It's actually quite funny because I tried to do my hair as perfect as I could get it that night. I totally failed and had to go with my hair looking stupid." He said to me and he looked down at his lap.
"I always think your hair looks nice." I said to him. I ruffled up his hair and giggled. He joined in with me on the soft laughter.
"Thank you. But seriously." And just like that, we were put back into reality. "I have an indoor pool at my parents house. I don't think they're home yet so we can go over there and swim for a bit?" He suggested.
"Sure, that sounds like fun." It did really sound like fun. But what I really wanted to see was Michael. Now I usually don't think like this, but to see him semi naked would be an intriguing sight. There was no doubt he was very attractive.
"Okay, I'll go down and ask your dad if I can take you, you pack a bag of everything you need. Pack an extra pair of clothes too." Michael said, breaking our half embrace and standing up to walk out my door. I nodded my head and grinned up at him. He walked out of my room and went downstairs. I grabbed a backpack from my closet and put a black t-shirt, dark blue skinny jeans, red Vans, and my black two piece bathing suit. The bathing suit wasn't very fancy. Just a plain black one. The top tied in the back and around my neck. The bottoms had strings at the sides that you tied as well. I also packed a pair of pink underwear and a white bra. My undergarment collection wasn't very bright. Mostly boring. But hey, if it did it's job then I was fine with it. I had no one to show it to anyways. I went to my bathroom and added a hairbrush and my makeup bag to the backpack. I wasn't sure if I would be needing the makeup, but you never know. Once I had everything I needed I made my way back to my room and put on some socks and my black boots. I slung the purple Jansport backpack over my shoulder and went downstairs to find my dad and Michael standing in the living room shaking hands. I smiled at the sight and came up to the two of them.
"Oh, Danielle. While you guys were upstairs, Officer Sutton stopped by and gave me these." He handed me my phone and purse.
"Thanks dad." I said to him.
"You two have fun, and you better be safe, Clifford." My dad jokes with him and led us to the door.
"Of course, Mr. Moore. I'll bring her back in one piece. I promise." My dad gave a deep chuckle at Michael's bad and old joke. Just then I felt a small hand grab the bottom of my flannel. I looked behind me and found Quinton looking up at me.
"Where are you going, sister?" He asked me.
"I'm just gonna go hangout with Mikey. I'll be back later tonight. I swear. Then you can sleep in my bed and hangout with me in the morning. Okay?" I got on one knee to look at my little brother face to face.
"Okay. Pinky swear?" He held out his tiny pinky. I grabbed it with mine and twisted it around his.
"I pinky swear." He smiled at me and watched me stand up. Michael took a step closer to us and waved to Quinton.
"Hey, little man. I'm Michael." I grinned at the sight of Michael being polite and introducing himself. Quinton glared at him.
"You're taking my sissy away from me, and you stink like B.O." Michael lifted his arm up, pretending to sniff his armpits. He gave a confused look. Quinton turned away and left to his room upstairs.
"Nice to meet you too." Michael scoffed and smirked.
"He'll warm up to you. He just really loves Dani." My dad laughed.
Me and Michael walked out of the door after we said our goodbyes to my dad and got into his car. Now that I could see it in the daylight, it was a very nice and new car. It was silver and the seats inside were a black leather. Instantly, Michael turned on the CD he had made me. The guitar strummed through the whole car and I smiled in content.
"Ready?" He asked me, looking me in the eyes and giving me that beautiful semi smile of his.
"I'm more than ready."
I hope y'all are ready for the next chapter, it's about to get a little steamy in here. But not too steamy, because Dani is not like that of course. She's a good girl. I do plan on adding some smut in this story though. So if you can't handle it, I would just say stop here. I'm sorry, but being dirty makes things more exciting. Am I right or am I right? Love you guys, keep voting + commenting, don't be ghosts. xxjordanxx (btw, the next goal is 15+ votes, so share this & pls get this story noticed. it would mean the world to me) <3