... and it all started with a tattoo (COMPLETED)

The wrath of 'The Pratt'

Ellie's POV

It was coming to the end of my first year at the University of Exeter, and I enjoyed every moment, even when I stayed up till four in the morning doing assignments for the next day. At this point, it was the end of April and the end of year exams wasn't far away.

It's last period on a Friday, and I was doing theory with Mr Pratt.

Don't laugh at his name again, you immature child... well, you can if you want, just one more time ;)

We were halfway through the lesson and I should have been happy because I had no lessons over the weekend, but y'know what they say, distance makes the heart grow fonder and I couldn't stop thinking about Michael. My friend Cassie noticed something was up, so gestured for me to talk to her in the corner of the lecture hall. I stood up slowly and sluggishly joined her. Just for your benefit, Cassie knows everything.

"You feeling down about... you-know-who?"

"It's him... and I just seem to be in a downer mood today, sorry... Anyway, enough about me, we need to get this paragraph finished if we don't want to feel the fury of 'The Pratt'."

Cassie burst into a fit of giggles but tried to conceal it with a cough. Laughter and messing around wasn't permitted in lectures.

I was getting on with my paragraph and I felt better for Cassie's company. I was about to tell her so, when the door burst open at the top of the auditorium, creating an almighty bang as it collided with the wall behind it. I didn't look up, I didn't care what was happening, being too wrapped up in my thoughts, too engrossed in my work and I knew Cassie would tell me what was going on after if it was important. "Can I help you, young man?"

You could tell that the appearance of this guy had irritated Mr Pratt because he became overly polite to hide he was pissed off at you. "You need to SEE this..." Cassie breathed. I rolled my eyes at her but didn't look up from my piece of paper. "Don't worry, I won't stay long. I'm just looking for someone and the receptionist said she had her lesson in here."

I recognise that voice.

I sat bolt upright with too much force. I ended up screaming while I hurtled towards the ground. For a couple of moments, I stared up at the ceiling. That was the signal they were waiting for that broke the tension in the room. All the girls started screaming and their boyfriends had to restrain them.

I angled my head so I could look up at the door, and with the help of Cassie, I detangled myself from the hard plastic chair provided by the university and looked up into those green eyes that had seemed to follow me everywhere. When he saw me, he did a double-take but recovered quickly with a broad smile. 

Oh, he hasn't seen you with purple hair! This must be a shock for him, to see you go rebel.

He wasn't shocked for long. "Ah, it's ok Sir, I've found her. Ellie, you forgot you were going to the dentist, didn't you? Your appointment's in half an hour and, with traffic as it is, we'll be lucky if we're only 10 minutes late." He raised an eyebrow and tried to look like a concerned family member, but his eyes said, 'Go along with it because I'm gonna bust you out of this joint'.

"Aw, I'm so sorry sir! I have a note and everything! Can I please go? I'll borrow Cassie's notes." Mr Pratt gave me a stare that would have cracked anyone without resolve, but I'm a badass, so it didn't work on me. "Alright, off you go." I grabbed my bag strap and ran through the lecture hall and up the auditorium stairs. I thought we were in the clear, but Mr Pratt called out, "Erm, who are you, young man? What relation do you have to Ellie?"

Michael looked at me, and I just shrugged. I couldn't have cared less what he told Mr Pratt as long as we got out of here as fast as we could. He looked Mr Pratt straight in the eye and said proudly, "My name is Michael and I'm someone that cares for Ellie very much. Now, if you don't mind, we have a dentist's appointment to keep." 

I was gobsmacked. Not about what he'd said, although that probably should have, at the way he'd just sassed my Drama theory teacher with such ease. But then, he didn't know him as I do.

Without a second look, we ran, hand in hand and giggling all the way off-campus. Once I'd 'escaped', I looked at Michael quizzically. "What are you doing here? You're meant to be on tour!"

"Well, we were given a few days off, so I decided to come to pick you up. I've got us a full weekend planned so we're going to yours, we can pack you a suitcase, and then you're coming up north with me." This was so nice and out of the blue. I would have hugged him, but he knew by this point that I hate any kind of surprise, even good ones, so the evils I gave him just made him laugh. "Hurry up and take me to your car. We need to get to yours or we'll miss our ride!" 

Even more surprises :/ What else has he got up his sleeve? Oh god, I'm scared for you!

I only live 10 minutes away from college, so I had to disappoint Michael and force him to walk. After he'd forgiven me for making him exercise, we passed time by catching up on... well, everything! How we were, how uni was going, even random stuff, like 'How's your mum?'

I live in a little studio apartment in central Exeter. It's not much, but I've made it my own with bright colours. I headed into the kitchen to make him a tea or something similar, but Michael grabbed my elbow and swung me around with hidden strength while yelling, "No time! Where's your bedroom?" I tried to make the situation less serious by smirking and quoting, "Michael, I understand how you feel but you've got to at least take me out to dinner first!"

That film line seemed to relieve some of his tension and Michael turned around sheepishly, a look of embarrassment on his face. "I'm sorry. It's just we need to leave soon or we'll miss the ride I've ordered for us!"

"It's okay, honestly! My bedroom's through here." My walls were cream apart from the teal alcove where my desk is. A matt black, built-in wardrobe beckoned towards us, so that's where we headed. We messed around for a little bit when Michael discovered my dressing up box (Don't judge me, I still go trick or treating and Exeter embraces my weirdness). Eventually, we decided on a couple of outfits that Michael deemed appropriate for what he had planned, then escorted me out of the studio to... the local cricket ground?

He brought out his phone and had a mysterious conversation before coming back to me and giving me a quick hug. Although the gesture made me smile, I put on a mock stern expression, before pouting. "What have you got planned? I'm not liking that mischievous glint in your eye..."

I heard a helicopter fly overhead, but that was a common thing around here, so I didn't focus on it... until the noise just got louder and didn't go away. Michael beamed at me as his plan came together. I had no idea what was happening until he asked: "You're not afraid of heights, are you?"

I laugh hysterically as a 5SOS helicopter landed next to us. By a 5SOS helicopter, I mean that it was a white helicopter with all of the band's faces on it. "NO, BUT I THOUGHT YOU WERE!" I yelled over the sound of the blades. Michael just smirked and pulled me towards the now open doors.

It wasn't until we were safely fastened in and about 1000 feet in the air that he replied with, "A little but don't tell anyone!" He sent a wink my way that caused many emotions to play across my body, some I'm not proud of. We talked the whole way, messed around so much that we were told off by the pilot and bonded over Michael shitting himself whenever I said, "Oh, look at the VIEW!"

This is the best first date EVER!

Wait... where had that come from? I don't think this is meant to be a date... is it?