Only Child - m.c & l.h

2. Swans

28th July 2013

It’s been 2 days since Michael’s party. I sit by my window sill every morning looking at him going out with his friends and the girls; minus Nicole. I haven’t seen her since the red dress and traffic light comment. Normally when I do this I never care about the fact he is going out with his friends but since that night I sort of just assumed that we were friends again but obviously he and his friends had other ideas. Perhaps they were just being nice to me that night because they didn’t want to leave me on their own, or worse with the adults. My mind continued to think of every explanation possible when I heard my doorbell ring loudly through the empty house; my parents were at work even though it was Sunday. Years ago it was never empty; he used to have friends round all the time, they would watch football or play basketball. I pushed the memories out of my head and pulled open the door without looking through the peep hole like I normally would,

“Hey,” Michael said smiling and walking past me,

“Hi,” I said shutting the door and following him closely. He walked into the kitchen and sat on a stool,

“Shouldn’t you be with your friends?” I asked him,

“They’re coming round later,”

“Oh. So why are you here?”

“I thought we could hang out like old times,” He offered,

“Did your mum put you up to this?”

“No my mum and dad are on a business trip they left yesterday. I’m surprised you didn’t see them leave considering you practically live on your window sill,” He joked. I frowned and he laughed,

“Relax it’s not like it bothers me that you like staring at me. If I was you I would stare at me too,”

“I don’t stare at you,” I said sitting down in front of him,

“Oh really? Then what are you looking at?”

“Whatever is behind you,” I joked. He laughed loudly and I smiled. I now really was staring at him, his head was thrown back and he was laughing loudly. You could tell by the way he was positioned that he was desperately trying to not fall flat on his face or his ass.

“Get dressed,” He said wiping his eyes,

“What?” I asked snapping out of my daydream,

“Get dressed. I told you, we’re going out,”

“You were serious?”

“I’m always serious, most of the time,” He said,

“You just contradicted yourself,”

“Shut up I’m done with school, go get dressed!”

“Fine! Wait here,” I said jumping off the stool and running up the stairs quickly. I fell on one of the steps but quickly pulled myself together and continued the trek up the stairs. I ran into my wardrobe and grabbed shorts and a tank top. I pulled my vans on and applied mascara, I didn’t feel like putting my face on today because I was covered in it yesterday, my skin needs to breathe.

“Michael?” I called when I saw that he wasn’t in the kitchen,

“Here!” He shouted from the garage. I walked into the room and watched as Michael looked at ‘His’ old car.

“I remember when he got this,” Michael said,

“Me too,”

“He took us for a drive in it when were 9,” He said,

“With the roof down,”

“Your hair kept blowing in my face,”

“Yes! You kept complaining which made him laugh and he nearly crashed into a tree which made us both shut up,” I said, the laughter faded as I realised what I said.