Yearly || Clifford

cliché 1.3

Michael Clifford

"Kurt Cobain, Billy Joe Armstrong, Axl Rose."

I sat in anticipation of the following words to flow from Zoe's mouth, "Shit. Uh, marry Billy Joe, fuck Axl and kill Kurt."

"What?" I exploded from my seat, "You would kill Cobain?"

Zoe laughed loudly, with her snort and everything. She didn't seem to care that I was making a scene in the small cafe we wandered into.

After I sat, with a pout, Zoe replied with a shrug, "I don't like Nirvana."

I lept from my seat once more, "You don't like Nirvana?" I cried.

"Yeah, they honestly don't have any great albums, besides Nevermind, which wasn't originally going to be released and they wouldn't be this great big icon if Kurt Cobain hadn't killed himself." She said picking at the pie in front of her.

"But they," I stammered, "They created a new sound, and made the whole grunge thing."

She shook her head and lightly pulled me down to the chair, "Other bands before them had been going in that direction, such as The Smashing Pumpkins, and The Cranberries."

"They are the most influential band to come from the nineties." I said with confidence. I had know the blonde for a little under a month, and as a result my confidence has soared, making one of these play arguments not that big of a deal.

"Actually," Zoe said with a slight smirk, "Pearl Jam is the biggest band to come from that era."

"Shut up it is not." I rolled my eyes, playfully... Well sort of playfully.

"No they are the most influential." She said quoting me earlier with a smug look.

"You're wrong," I told her with a flash of my teeth, "But I think you're cute so it's okay."

Zoe's face lit up, "You think I'm cute?"

"You sound like Rudolph." I said laughing, "Yes, I think you're cute."

"I think you're cute too." She laughed at me.

I could feel myself falling for her.

Shit.

--

"Fucking hell."

"What's the big deal about this Mike?" Calum asked, lounging on one of our couches.

I sighed and ran my hands through my hair, "I can't fall for her Cal. I just met her a little over three weeks ago and I can feel myself falling for her."

"Dude," Calum spoke like a true bro-bot, "She's not gonna be like Lindsey."

"How do you know?" I asked not looking at him.

"I just know. She is doing good, you're already changing, but not like how Lindsey changed you." Calum spoke, shrugging and going back to read his Sports Illustrated.

I scoffed, "What do mean changing me?"

"How many dates have you been on?" Calum asked, seemingly avoiding my question.

"One, the concert where the band was too loud and she got us beer that was lukewarm." I answered hurriedly.

"Okay," Cal drawled, "Have you two fucked?"

"What?" I burst.

He laughed slightly and shook his head, "How many girls have you slept with in the last three weeks?"

"What does that have,"

"Answer the fucking question." Calum scolded.

"Uh," I wanted to lie and say twenty-one, but I couldn't lie to my best friend, "Uh, none."

Calum smiled, "There you go."

"What?" I asked, still confused.

Calum sighed, "When you were falling for Lindsey, you would go out and try to make yourself look cooler by sleeping with a bunch of people. However with Zoe, you have known her for a while and you haven't even tried to get in her pants. You don't want to lose her if you have sex."

"I don't care about losing,"

Calum cut me off again,"You so do bro. C'mon you really like her, if you didn't you would've moved on from her by now. Also you better take her out on more dates, bro or else she might get bored of you."

I nodded because he did have a point, "Okay okay so maybe I do really like her, I can't stay here for more then a year. Cal, you know that."

"Then just love her for the year that you'll be with her." Calum said in an exasperated tone.

"That's easier said then,"

Calum cut me off for the third time, "Shut up its so simple." His hand went to my shoulder and he spoke with wisdom, "Just don't hold back bro."

--

I followed Calum's advice.

So on our second date, four weeks into meeting.

We went to a skating rink and I learned that Zoe used to take ice skating lessons, so she was really good on her blades. I fell six times.

And on our third date, four weeks into meeting.

I took her to the cliché dinner and movie. The movie was pretty lame, but with that beautiful girl by my side, it was one of the nicest nights of my life.

Now it's our fourth date, exactly five weeks and three days after meeting.

And it's Valentine's Day.

So goddamn cliché.

Calum fixed the collar of my shirt, as we stood in the doorway to our apartment, "I'm super happy for you dude! When do I get to meet her?"

I laughed and pulled open the door, with one hand, flowers in the other, "Tomorrow. When she's officially my girlfriend."