Pathway || m.c

Part 12.

I hadn't heard from Michael all morning, meaning he probably wasn't coming to school. I had sent a quick message to both Calum and Sasha asking if I could hitch a ride to school. A thumbs-up was sent back from Calum. It had been a few days since I had seen either of them, and I still had to talk to Sasha about the night of the concert; we hadn't had any time since to chat. It was such a beautiful night...

What if I did like Michael? The night of the concert we connected on such a different level but this guy on the beach, who I don't even know, is making me feel some sort of way. Maybe I could have two boyfriends? Oh who am I kidding. I don't stand a chance with this guy on the beach. I don't know anything about him, only what he sounds like, but how does he have my heart like this?

I was so caught up in my thoughts I hadn't heard my mum knocking on my door. "Honey? You have a friend here." I let her know I'd be down in a sec, assuming it was Sasha or Calum waiting for me.

When I hit the last step, I noticed a taller person standing in the doorway. "Michael?"

It looked like he had been awake all night. Maybe even hit by a truck. I couldn't tell the difference.

Sasha: Out the front. Who's car?

A text came through and I sent a quick message back telling her I wasn't coming today. Michael looked a mess and I couldn't just leave a friend like that. It wasn't how my dad or my mum had raised me.

Sasha: Boo you whore ;-(

"Do you want to go upstairs or go for a walk?" Without a reply, he walked past me. Upstairs it is.

It was dead silence in my room. Michael sat at the foot of my bed, me sat on my desk chair. Every few minutes his eyes would go glossy, as if he were crying, but he would blink them away. How do you ask someone looking this fragile what the problem is when the day before you rejected them? This could be a result of me and what I did to him.

Very abruptly, he stood up. "Char, I need to do this. I'm sorry. Please don't hate me. I can understand if you will but-"

And that's when it happened. His lips on mine. Were the sparks there? Yes. Did I stop him? No. Did I want to? Also no.

Michael fucking Clifford, what have you done to me?

We broke apart from each other, me speechless, and Michael looking super confused. I didn't know what to say. I didn't like him, did I? There was definitely a spark there.

"I- uh. I really don't know what to say apart from why?" I managed to splutter.

"I like you. I do. And, I don't know, I guess I just thought if I kissed you that you might realise you feel the same way back. I guess it was stupid so I'm sorry." I watched as an unusual amount of pain came across his face. He looked like a lost and broken kitten.

I knew I needed to carefully pick my words in response to him, but I honestly had no idea what to say. "Michael, I like you as well. Things are just really complicated right now. There's this other guy that I want but I know I just can't have and that I know it's just never going to work. But I really don't want to lose you as a friend."

He took a moment to process everything that I had said. I can understand why. It wasn't what he wanted to hear, so I don't blame him for that.