Catfish - Michael Clifford

Chapter Nineteen

The arcades were quiet late at night, which came in handy for Michael and Ivy. They'd spent the last few nights waiting for the arcades to die down before heading out to play on the 2p machines and try and beat each other at bowling.

"I bet I'll beat you at the racing game, there's no way you can be good at shooting games and racing!" Michael challenged her.

"Game on."

They got onto the racing game and started it up.

Michael pulled ahead and was winning until the last corner, Ivy went up through the inside of his car and overtook him, then put her foot down as far as it would go, therefore winning the race.

"That was a total fluke!" Michael claimed.

"Nope, I planned that from the start, its how I always win. This game has auto catch up on, so I always let the other person in front until the last corner." She explained.

"Well in that case you cheated."

"You wish. I was just using my resources."

He walked behind her as she got off the seat for the racing game, and wrapped his arms around her from behind.

"I think we should go back to the 2p machines, there's no competition there, we work together."

"You just dont want to get beaten by me again." She replied.

"That may be true, but hey, help a guy out. My poor ego can't take much more." He faked being in pain.

"I think your ego will be fine."

"Do you fancy going to the beach? Well for a walk across the promenade?" Michael asked after they'd cleared the novelty items from one side of the machine.

"Yeah okay, I don't have a warmer jacket though, so can we go to mine first?" She asked.

"Its okay, you can wear my hoodie as well as yours if you want?" He offered.

"If you're sure. I know you're used to it being like a million degrees."

He shrugged the hoodie off and pulled the sleeves of his red and black checkered shirt down.

"I haven't been home in so long, I'm used to the weather here now. Its not that cold tonight anyway." He confessed.

"Oh, sorry."

"Its okay, I have nothing there anyway, I prefer being here, with the boys... and you."

She smiled up at him, and gave him a small kiss on the cheek before they headed to the beach.

They walked along the promenade hand in hand, talking about random things as they went.

"Woah." Ivy said as she held her hand to her forehead.

"What's up?" Michael asked.

"I just went really dizzy all of a sudden."

"Lets sit here." He said motioning to the edge of the promenade.

As she sat down she reached into her bag, and pulled out the Sprite she'd purchased as they'd gotten to the arcade.

They sat there for a few minutes before she started to feel better.

"Do you think its something to do with the crash?" Michael asked her.

"I don't know, I suppose it could be. It could be the fact I've had the last of the tablets today, so maybe my body is just getting used to not having them. They were strong painkillers." She answered.

"That's true."

"Do you want to carry on walking then?" She asked him.

"No that's okay, let's just sit here for a while longer." He replied, scooping her hand into his.

They sat in silence for a few moments more, before Michael spoke again.

"So.." He started.

He pulled his hand through his hair before sighing.

"I don't know how to say this."

Ivy's heart sank. She knew it was too good to be true.

"What are we? Like what would you label us as?"

Well that wasn't what Ivy was expecting.

"I don't really know." She answered honestly.

"What if I wanted there to be a label?" He replied.

She had a horrible feeling he was about to say friends with benefits and she nearly jumped into the sea there and then.

"Will you.. um.. officially be my girlfriend?" He continued when she didn't answer.

She let out a sigh of relief.

"I mean not like announce it to the world, you'd get frenzied by paparazzi, but like we know we are together and so do our friends and family. I mean unless you want to announce it publicly, I'm okay with that to." He continued.

"No its okay, it can just be us lot that know, I don't think I can deal with the public. The picture was enough of a taster as to how that would go down." She replied.

"Okay then." He smiled at her.

He stood up and held his hand out for her to do the same, pulling her into a hug as he did.

"I love you." He whispered nervously into her ear, for the first time since they admitted their feelings.

"I love you too." She told him back. "But I do need to get home soon, I'm back at work tomorrow."

"Already?" He sounded shocked.

"Yeah I feel better, and I really can't afford to have any more time off. Bens made sure I'm not doing anything too difficult anyway, he'll probably just have me on cleaning." She explained as they started walking back to her flat.

"Okay. As long as you don't overdo it, I know what you're like. You need to actually tell him if you are in pain."

"Alright mum." She replied rolling her eyes.

"I'm serious Ivy, it was horrible seeing you like that. I don't want to have to be worried the whole time I'm recording tomorrow, or I'll end up leaving and dragging you out of that place."

"Alright I'll be careful." She promised. "As long as you don't work too hard. You guys are always recording or gigging and you all need a break!"

"We will, we just want to get all the new material done, plus we need to get the Good Girls video done."

"You've only just brought out Amnesia!"

"Yeah but we want to get as much as we can done, so that when its done we can rest, and have a good long rest. All the material and video will be released slowly so we won't have to do anything other than interviews. It works better in the long run." He explained.

"That actually kinda makes sense." She admitted as they reached the flat.