BOYS LIKE GIRLS / CLIFFORD

05

MICHAEL CLIFFORD

-

 “Baby can’t you see. I’m toxic.” I sang to the mirror with my ear-pods in, writing down answers in to the answer sheet.

Somehow, Alyssa has managed to make studying just a little bit fun, but I still didn’t get why the fuss over her is, she was just a bit prettier than the other girls, she has the pale skin similar to mine, bold facial features, other than that, she wasn’t ‘that’ pretty.

She really wasn’t.

Okay, fine she was pretty.

“The capitol of China is Beijing, and the capitol of India is New Delhi…” I mumbled as I filled in the answers for the questions, the entire packet was handwritten by Alyssa, the important parts were highlighted and I could see the amount of effort being put in these and I knew she photocopy another copy for me every day now.

“Japan’ capitol is Tokyo, one of Japan’s main export is…” I couldn’t remember so I flipped over the page and there lied the answer.

Porn.

Well, I should’ve known.

I flipped the page over and next to the first question was a highlighted phrase.

Take a quick break too, don’t stress yourself out.

I didn’t know if it was meant for me or meant for herself when she studies, but I couldn’t help but to smile at the sentence, her handwriting was bubbly and small.

-

Three weeks later we find ourselves in the classroom, waiting for the teacher to hand back our midterms, my fingers intertwined with my own, stressing out about my grades for the first time in forever.

“…Alyssa Harlow, three hundred and ninety four.” The teacher said in her monotone voice going down the list, the number was the sum of four subjects together.

As Alyssa walk back to her seat we glanced at each other, she mouthed the phrase ‘beat that’ as she sits back down and I rolled my eyes back at her.

“Luke Hemmings, three hundred and four.” Luke walk up to the front of the class room and got his test, he did a quick victory dance in the front, causing everyone to laugh.

“Calum Hood, two hundred and sixty.” Calum groaned as he gets his test from Mrs. Howell.

“Ashton Irwin, a hundred and ninety four.” Mrs. Howell sighed, giving Ashton his test back, she had fully given up on Ashton since we were freshmen and as hard as Ashton tries to succeed, he couldn’t and it our last year before University and it was too late to fix anything anymore.

“Michael Clifford, three-” Mrs. Howell pauses and look at the test again and made a brief eye contact with me, “Three hundred and fifty four.”

The whole class let out a long ‘oh’ and stared at me, I walked to the front of the classroom with my head held up high and stuck out my chest.

“Keep up the good work, Michael.” She said, giving me a pat on the back. 

I turned around and glared at Alyssa, I still lost the bet we had and I knew she wouldn’t let me get off the bet that easily, it wasn’t against the school rules to dye your hair, there was no getting out of it.

She let out a long and meaningful smirk and leaned in closer to me, whispering.

“Time for me to collect my reward.”

-

After school, we stood at the school parking lot arguing, I don’t remember how it all started but I ended up storming off, riding my bike straight to the salon.

“Dye it all pink please.” I said, walking in to the salon, “Make it punk rock.”

She shook her head as she looked at me, she was a tiny Asian lady with a slight accent, “Pink is no punk rock, just punk it is.”

I nodded, placing my butt down at one of the seats as she wrapped a towel around me.

“Is this for a girl?” She asked as she walked behind to the shelves.

No.

Yes.

I didn’t even know myself.

-

Three hours later, I drove back in school in the rain, the pink hair dye was getting all over my shirt but I didn’t care, I knew Alyssa would still be studying in the classroom.

I peaked through the windows of the classroom, she was sitting there, comparing to the usual scene, she seemed rather alone.

“Hello-” I said, mimicking a deep voice, “Are you ready to rock out with your socks out?”

She looked up, slightly frightened by my voice but as soon as she saw my hair, she broke in to laughter, I never seen Alyssa laughed like that, her hands were covering half of her face and it was bright red.

“What? You never seen someone as handsome as me and rocking the pink hair?” I smirked as I walk towards her, she was still laughing.

“No,” She said, wiping a tear away from her eyes, “I haven’t.”

“See, I kept my promises.” I said, trying to impersonate her cockiness, “I’m a man of my words.”

Alyssa looked at me in a way she never did before, in her eyes I could see my own reflection, the way she was looking me that moment was the only time she ever looked at me like that, it made me felt something, I didn’t start liking her at that moment.

Did I ever liked Alyssa that way?

Did any of us liked Alyssa that way?

Did Calum?

Did Luke?

Did Ashton?

But to sixteen year old me, I didn’t know what love was, all I knew is she was different than the other girls, it didn’t mean I like her at least not till this moment, she was playing with my freshly dyed hair and when I got home I got shouted by my dad, but he let me keep it anyways after he heard it was a bet involving a girl (At least she’ll know you are a man of your words).

And till this very day as I’m thinking of Alyssa, I have no regrets.