Where Are You Now?

The Unexpected

Chapter 15

Song

The Fighter by Ella Mae Bowen

Michelle's P.O.V

"None of it matters." He says with no emotions in his eyes while the tears stream down my face. "It was nothing." He tells me still with no emotions in his eyes only coldness. He starts to fade away and I try to scream his name but no voice comes out.

"Josh... Josh." I wake up screaming and breathe abnormally as I feel the warm tears on my cheeks.

I try to swallow but my throat hurts so bad since I've cried myself to sleep last night. I look at the time next to me and there's half an hour left before the alarm rings. I decide to turn it off because I'm not feeling alright, cover myself with my bed's mattress and get back to sleep.

...

"Michelle?" I hear a voice calling as it wakes me. "Michelle, wake up. You've missed school." My mother calls.

I open my eyes and turn to face her. "Are you alright?" She asks once she enters the room. "I have a strong sore throat." I manage to say. "You look very ill. I'll make you a hot soup." She says and I watch her as she leaves the room.

It's still early and I'm having a nightmare after a nightmare about him yet I want to go back to sleep. It doesn't feel like a nightmare even though I'm crying in most of them as he walks away.

It takes my mother ten minutes before she comes back with the soup in her hand. "Here, you will feel better." She says giving it to me and sits on bed next to me.

"One of my old friends just called me and I invited her to come to visit us today." She tells me as I take a sip. "I only need from you to wear something lovely." She continues and I nod.

Usually my mom's friends are too fancy as they care about the simplest details and something lovely means fancy.

"They're coming here for dinner." She says. "Okay." I nod in a barely heard voice.

"I need to call your principal." She says standing once I finish the soup. "Okay, I'm going back to sleep." I tell her and watch as she leaves before I go back to sleep.

...

I decided to wear a simple lace nude dress with sleeves and it reaches to my knees which my mother got for such occasions. I manage to curl my hair instead of straightening it and put on some make up.

"Michelle." I hear my mother's voice calling. I immediately put on a mid-height nude heels and struggle to go downstairs.

"They'll be here in a few minutes." She says checking what I'm wearing and nods in agreement. It's nothing comparing to her red tight lace dress. But I'm proud of myself for getting out of bed today.

The doorbell rings and she gently walks to open the door. "Oh, Tamara." She says kissing the woman with the red hair.

She's wearing a classic short sleeve black dress which matches her body perfectly.

"Hello Robert." My mother greets the boy who's with her friend and he hands her a bouquet of roses.

He's probably the same age as I am. And has a dark brown hair which perfectly matches his hazel eyes as he's wearing a fancy white shirt with black pants and fancy black shoes.

"You must be Michelle." Tamara says kissing me. "It's nice to meet you." I tell her smiling. "I remember you when you were five or six..?" She asks turning to my mother. "Yes, six" My mother says and she turns back to me smiling.

"Hello, I'm Robert." The boy gently introduces himself as he shakes my hand. "I'm Michelle." I say with a small smile and my voice cracks at the end.

We sit in the fancy guest room that my mom made for occasions like these and listen to them as they talk about random topics.

"So, you're a senior." Robert says while sitting close to where I am. "Yes. What about you?" I ask him trying to stand the pain in my throat.

"I go to university. I'm a second-year student." He answers me with a charming smile and I nod smiling.

"What are you studying?" I ask him after a few seconds. "Well, I am studying to become a doctor." He tells me and I nod in amazement.

It really suits him to become a doctor.

"What are you planning on doing after you leave school?" He asks me.

"Literature and Writing." I answer him coughing a bit and he nods.

I spend the next half an hour listening to what my mother and Tamara are talking about and I would rather to be in a history class than to be here listening to them; though Robert seems to be enjoying their conversation since he kept laughing every now and then.

"The dinner is ready." My mother says half an hour later once she comes back from the kitchen. Tamara sits in front of my mother next to her son as I sit next to my mother in front of him.

"It looks really delicious. Thank you Mrs. Sumpter." Robert politely says once she puts the cooked chicken on the table. "You're welcome." She says with a big smile on her face.

I take the small spoon as everyone starts eating the soup the first. And I'm grateful it's still hot; the only thing I can think about now is how painful it is to swallow.

I take a sip before the door rings and my mother looks at me so that I'd open it. I stand up as everyone is still eating and open the door after the second ring to find Josh standing at the door.

He's wearing an entirely black outfit while his eyes are focused on mine for a few seconds that I forget how chilly it is outside as I'm standing at the door.

"Hey." He says keeping his eyes on mine. "Michelle, don't stay outside." My mother calls and I close the door behind me ignoring her. "Hey." I say as he stands still in front of me.

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