Damn, You're Cute (Michael Clifford)

Chapter 16

I stretched my arms, immediately hitting something hard. I slowly opened my eyes, feeling a huge pain in my head. I groaned. What the-?

Once my vision focused, my eyes landed on a sleeping Michael beside me. His legs were tangled with mine, but his arms were clutched to his chest. I looked around, realizing we were on the floor. That describes my back pain, but my head was pounding even worse.

What the hell happened?

I thought back to the party and how Michael insisted on me driving him home. Then we...we played that game and I slowly remembered the countless bottles. I clutched my forehead as if that could stop my hangover. 

My eyes swept the basement for anything like Advil, but I spotted my phone. I sleepily removed my legs from Michael's, standing up. I trudged over to my phone on the mini bar counter. I had over twenty missed calls. I furrowed my eyebrows until I realized the time. 10 am.

"Fuck!" I shouted, quickly dialing Caroline's number. My parents were going to kill me! I told them I'd be with Caroline but not for the whole night! They're probably worried sick.

Caroline answered on the second ring.

"Leah!" she breathed. I winced at the loud sound, my head aching.

"Hey, um, I have a problem." I began but she cut me off.

"I know! I barely saw you at the party at all! What-" 

"I went home with Michael. Well, to, like, Michael's house." I explained and I heard Caroline gasp. I waited for her response.

"You had sex with Michael Clifford!?" she practically yelled and held the phone away from my ear. My head can't take this right now.

"No!" I said angrily. "I drove him home and then, I kind of fell asleep here."

"So you didn't have sex?" Caroline asked sadly and if it weren't such a serious situation I would have laughed at her disappointment.

"No, Caroline, I did not have sex with Michael Clifford!" I raised my voice before realizing I might wake up Michael. I heard rustling behind me. Shit. Too much is happening right now.

"If you wanted to, you should have just asked." A raspy, still sleepy voice said. I turned to look at Michael with a scowl. His purple hair was the messiest I've ever seen and his face showed he was feeling the same pain I was.

"Shut up," I hissed, returning to my conversation with Caroline. "Will you do me a favor?"

"Cover for you?" she guessed, making me smile.

"You're a life saver if you can." I crossed my fingers, hoping she'd help.

"Fine, yes. You stayed at my house last night because you went to a party."

"They don't know that!" I reminded her, feeling a pang of guilt. I don't like lying to my parents. It isn't like me.

"You have to be convincingly honest. They'd be more angry if they knew you stayed the night with Michael." she added. "But anyway, the cover story. I got drunk and you needed to make sure I was okay, so you spent the night at my house."

"Oh my god, I love you so much. I owe you!" I told her, saying my goodbye before hanging up. When I glanced back at Michael, he was sitting up on the floor, staring at me. "Your hair looks ridiculous." 

"I could say the same to you, princess." he said sarcastically. I rolled my eyes, crossing my arms. "So who assumed, incorrectly, may I add, that we had sex? "

"Caroline," I muttered and Michael grinned, his tired features still visible. 

"I knew I liked her," he teased me, but his voice was still deep and raspy from just waking up. He let out a yawn, stretching his arms behind his head. "I don't like this fucking hangover though," 

"Do you have Advil?" I asked, slipping my phone into my pocket. I'd call my parents in a little. I was honestly terrified of facing them. I don't get in trouble. I'm never bad like this.

"Upstairs," Michael said, his eyes slowly shutting with each blink. He was still exhausted, I could tell. "I'll get it in a second. Just gimme a minute to just hmmm," he sighed, lying back down. As much as I wanted the Advil, he looked extremely adorable when he's tired. 

I spotted a pillow on the couch, purely for decoration, but I grabbed it. Just so he wouldn't think I cared too much, because I didn't, I chucked it at him. The pillow hit him in the stomach. He wrapped his arms around it before placing it under his purple hair. 

"Thanks," he mumbled, snuggling into it. After a moment, small snores could be heard. I chuckled, sliding off my jacket from the party and setting over his torso. I didn't see any blankets, so this would have to do. I owed him for stopping Damien last night. I somehow knew that Michael would tease me about this later, about staying at his house for the night, but I didn't care right now.

"Thanks, Michael," I whispered even though I knew he was asleep. I saw no reason to stay and sit with a horrible head ache so I quietly made my way upstairs and out the front door. I shut the door softly behind me, walking down his drive way when I realized I drove his car last night. I let out a frustrated yell, placing my head in my hands. I just wanted to get home and make my head stop pounding.

I angrily clutched my phone, dialing Caroline. I asked her to pick me up from Michael's house, giving her his address. I decided to just sit outside and wait, letting Michael sleep.

                                                                                ***

 "Where have you been!?" My mother shouted the moment I stepped through the door. I didn't have the guts to call them, so I turned off my phone.

"I'm so sorry, I was at Caroline's!" I lied through my teeth, watching my parents stare at me. "I went to her house and...well, we went to a party." I admitted and my father raised his eyebrows.

"You went to a party without telling us? Leah, that's so irresponsible of you!" he chastised me. I slumped my shoulders, knowing he was right. "We called you so many times! You were out all night! We thought you were hurt!"

"Well, I'm not! I'm alive." I argued, earning a glare from my mom. "Look, I went with Caroline to this party. She got really drunk and I felt that as the sober one, I should drive her home. Then my phone died," I made up more to the story. "And she was throwing up and didn't want her parents to know, so I stayed the night to take care of her. I'm really sorry I couldn't contact you guys, but my friend needed me."

I let out a breath after that long, completely made up story. The good thing is, I never get in trouble or do reckless things, so my parents had no choice but to believe me.

"Next time, Leah, you're telling us exactly where you're going and we'll tell you when to be home. You've lost that privelege." My dad said sternly and I nodded. "We're very disapppointed in you."

"I'm sorry," I mumbled, but I couldn't help but be proud of myself. My parents aren't good at punishing me because they never have to. I got away easy this time.

"You're going to have to gain our trust again, okay?" my mother told me. I nodded again, escaping upstairs before they could say anything else. My hands were shaking. I don't like lying at all, but I was also jumping with energy. It was exhilarating.

I sent Caroline a quick text telling her that her plan worked and that I loved her a lot and totally owe her. 

Checking the time, Michael would probably still be asleep and as much I wanted to sleep too, I downed two advil and pulled out any homework I didn't finish. Flopping on my bed with a textbook, I couldn't help but notice that I smelled like Michael and his cologne.