reckless | mgc

fourteen : michael's p.o.v

I pulled out my phone and checked the time, looking past the cracked screen at the numbers. 12:35 pm. It was lunch period and I was walking down the sidewalk outside the school, not looking up at the parking lot that was mostly empty, other than a few cars that belonged to the teachers. I knew I definitely wasn't supposed to be outside, but the rest of the people in our year were already down at lunch, (not that I'd usually go to lunch anyway, I hated most of the people in there) and I really didn't want to be there.

I was kind of confused and tired and I had a lot to think about, making sitting through stupid classes all day even harder. Between Addy and her family and fucking grades and all the other shit happening, I needed a cigarette and a nap.

"Hey, Clifford," I heard a low voice behind me and heavy footsteps to follow. At first I thought it was a teacher, there to tell me to "get my ass to detention for being outside," but the person walked in front of me and I stopped, rolling my eyes and locking my phone. I looked at up, being a few inches shorter and realized who it was. Fuck.

"What do you want, Luke?" I asked flatly, and his eyes went a darker shade of blue. He looked angry as he stared down at me, a smirk finding it's way onto his face.

"It's not what I want," He started, looking more intimidating than he had before. To be honest Luke scared the hell out of me, but it wasn't because of what he'd done. It was because of what he could do. "It's about what you want. I know you're fucking around with Addy."

"Move," I grunted, pushing past him towards the door of the school. I really didn't want to talk about anything with him. We had a long past and I wasn't about to relive all the shit we'd been through in the last two years. He reached out and grabbed my shoulder, making me stop and spin to face him. I was pissed off, and Luke was too.

"Where you going?" he asked, almost like a challenge. "We're not done here." I crossed my arms and clenched my fists, gritting my teeth and trying not to punch him in the jaw right there. Luke was an asshole, an nobody knew it but me.

"Oh, so this is about my girlfriend, yeah?" I asked, knowing that she technically wasn't my girlfriend yet. I was gonna ask her to be soon, though, so I figured it was close enough to the truth. "You want her too? Is that it Luke?" I knew it wasn't, but I wanted to piss him off so he'd leave me alone.

"No, Michael, you know what this is about," Luke spat, knowing that there was only one thing we would talk about together. Normally I wouldn't be caught dead with this loser on my hands, but I couldn't help myself anymore. He had let go of my shoulder now, and he was standing no more than two feet out in front of me. I shoved him hard by his shoulders and he staggered backwards, staying silent as he regained his balance. "Actually, yeah, it kind of is about your girlfriend. Have you told her yet, or does she still think you're just a misunderstood outcast who can be changed?"

"You know we don't fucking talk about that here, Hemmings," I said lowly; his expression didn't change. "You think this didn't fuck up my life too? I can't get away from it, and neither can you." He walked towards me without saying anything and punched me in the stomach, making me groan in pain. I tripped backwards a little but I stayed on my feet.

"Where's my fucking money?" He asked loudly, staring down at me again. "You told me you'd have it a month ago. You haven't paid me anything since I asked you to be a part of this. You owe me a thousand dollars for all the shit I gave to you."

"You're a selfish bastard," I said lowly, stepping forward and punching him in the nose. He barely flinched, but blood started dripping. "I thought this wasn't about your damn money."

"Imagine if she found out," he threatened, ignoring me and backing up, grinning sickly. "How would Addy feel if she knew her boy toy was part of a huge fucking drug deal? You knew when you got into this that you wouldn't get out, Clifford. I could ruin your fucking life."

I was so mad at that point I was sure I could've killed him right there, but I knew that wouldn't do much for me so I stood in silence, my blood pretty much boiling.

"We're in the same boat, if you forgot," I seethed at him, reminding him that he was doing the exact same shit I was. If Addy found out that I was involved, she'd find out he was too and neither of us would have her anymore.

"You think she'd believe you?" Luke laughed loudly, taking a few steps back. Blood was still dripping from his nose, but he didn't bother wiping it off. He looked like a maniac. "She thinks I'm the nerdiest freak she's ever met. If you tried to tell her she'd think you were making it up to cover for yourself. There's no way you could prove anything to her and you know that." Luke knew he was right, and it made me want to leave him unconscious on the sidewalk.

I'd gotten involved in drug deals a couple months back after Luke noticed I'd been going through some shit. He'd only been in the business for a month when he asked if I was interested, and without thinking I said yes. It was easy money, but what I hadn't realized was that it was also illegal and dangerous money. I wasn't as heavily involved as Luke was - I only took the drugs from Luke when he needed someone to sell the ones he couldn't, but it had come to the point where I couldn't back out if I tried. The problem was that I hadn't even sold most of the stuff he'd given me; he was out over a thousand dollars with his boss and I hadn't made the money to make it up to him. I didn't really plan on it either, I'd made a few hundred bucks and that was all I needed. I wanted out. But I couldn't, so I wouldn't, and here I was.

"You don't give a shit about her," I changed the subject back to Addy, realizing that she'd been half the reason he wanted to talk anyway. Luke rolled his eyes, scoffing at me.

"I could say the same for you," he said, not missing a beat. "I know you only started fucking around with her so you could get money from her family to pay me back."

"You don't know shit," I said angrily, mostly mad because he was so right about everything that had happened in the beginning but wrong about everything happening now. Luke had a lot of shit that he could use to fuck up my life. But that was before, and now the money I owed Luke had nothing to do with Addy. I couldn't drag her down with me; I promised myself as soon as I got curious about her that I wouldn't let her get involved. She had to be safe.

"Don't I?" Luke questioned, his sick grin still plastered on his bloody face. "I know more than you think, Michael, and I could ruin her and you so easily. Now stay the hell away from her and her family before I decide to. And get me my money."

"Don't fucking touch her," I growled, staring into his angry eyes.

"It's up to you whether I do or not," he smirked.

I didn't look up as I pushed past him a second time that day, except for this time he didn't grab my shoulder. I was pissed now, because he had dragged her somewhere she didn't belong. He let me go, standing in the same spot and burning holes through the back of my tee shirt with his eyes.

"Clifford!" he yelled, but I didn't turn around. I didn't want to know what else he had to say.

"By the way, she could never love a fuck up like you!"

-

luke is a dick wow why he gotta be like that !!! but basically michael is scared af because he knows luke has dirt on him that could frick up his life a lot so he's gonna do what luke says ok thank u for reading i love u!!!!