Save Me - clifford (a.u.)

19.

Dani

"Ash is having this massive get together for Christmas this Sunday, you in?"

I paused my movie, as I received the message. I decided to call Michael since I hadn't heard his voice in a few hours.

"Hey there." He answered.

"Hey." I said long and cheerful, as Christmas was in two days and I was overjoyed, I had no homework to worry about for two weeks and I was talking to Michael.

"So what's up? How's it going? Whatcha doing?" I pushed myself off of my stomachwish one arm and the other holding my phone and sat down properly.

I sighed "Nothing, just watching a movie." I said shrugging. Actually it was not "just a movie" it was my favourite movie of all time; The 10 Things I Hate About You.

"Ouuu. Which one?"

"Why do you care?" I asked laughing.

"I just wanna know what my girlfriend is doing. You know it's been 3 full days without kissing you" He whined.

"Come over." I said faster than I let my brain figure out an idea.

"Come over?" He repeated not believing me.

"Yea... Are you okay with climbing up a tree?" I asked looking out my window at the beautiful tree covered in snow, in the moonlight that made it shine like a thousand crystals.

"If it means you... then yea I'm down. Are your parents home?"

I sighed realizing that if Michael was caught by my father, he was basically meat on a barbeque.

"Yea. You know what? Never..."

"Give me 15 minutes. Back window, right?"

"Yea." I said smiling looking down at my lap.

"Okay, I'll see you then. Bye Love." He said hanging up.

I threw my phone onto my bed and got up. I looked around my room for any mess of any sort. Nothing really. I looked at myself in the mirror and decided to switch my pajama pants to sweat pants. I went down stairs to find no one there. I looked around the kitchen; no one. I looked all over the fisrt floor; no one.

"MUM!?" I called.

"Yes Danielle?" She called back from the top floor.

I quickly ran upstairs, and found her in a black dress with expensive jewelry on. Her hair done up quite fancily.

"Uhh..." I began. Then I noticed her pointing to her ear and nodding her head forward. This was a signal to take out the piercings because my father must have been there. I carefully but quickly took them out and stuffed them in the pocket of my sweatpants.

She nodded, and I mouthed thank you.

"Hello Danielle." My dad came forward doing up his tie.

"Hi." I said. I was always very cold to him. Mostly because I didn't trust him. He's never home, and I would like to think that he's not cheating on mom, and that he doesn't do drugs anymore and drugs aren't the reason that he gets violent at times, but I can't.

"Your mother and I are going to the Annual Christmas Charity ball, the one that my company has every year..." He began.

"Sounds boring." I said masking the butterflies in my stomach. My parents aren't going to be home AND Michael is coming over.

"Good thing you're not coming." He forced a smile.

"We will be back around 12 or 1. I left some money on the counter for dinner. Even enough to order from that nice Thai place that you like." My mom said smiling.

"Need anything just call." He said rushing past me. My mom kissed me on my forehead and followed him down the stairs. I went back into my room and looked at the time, and realized Michael would be arriving in 5 minutes.

"Jill, where the fuck are the keys?"

"There right here."

"Alright.

"Bye Danielle!" My mom called one last time, and I heard the door shut, and everything was calm.

"Cuz Jersey just got colder and..." I heard my ringtone go off.

Of course it was Michael.

"I'm in your backyard," He paused and I walked over to the window to find him examining the tree. I thought about the fact that he could use the front door, but who wouldn't want to watch Michael climb up a tree?

"You alright down there?" I asked through the telephone looking at him. He looked up at me and pointed at the lanky tree in shock.

"You want me to climb up this?"

The problem with the tree was that it had very minimal grip; especially when covered in snow.

"Yea. That's the one.

"Don't you guys have a ladder or a rope or a secret door." I started laughing.

"Nope. If you want up here, you have to climb."

"Only for you." He said hanging up. I watched him struggle to get to the first branch, and when he did he fell back. I tried not to laugh. This time he was determined to get to the top. He pulled himself up to the second branch, and then very slowly made it to the third. I opened up my window as wide as it could go, and he effortlessly slipped himself into my room.

He was panting and covered in snow. His cheeks rosy. He took off his jacket and put it under my bed. He stood up right. I looked down at his winter boots and raised my eyebrows.

"You can take those off..." I began.

"I'm not wearing socks...." He whispered

"I have socks, Michael." I opened up my drawer and found him a pair of grey wool socks.

"Here."

"Thank you." He whispered. I almost died of laughter, because he thinks my parents are home.

He sat on my bed and put them on. Once he was done he stayed sitting and looked around my room. That was when I got up onto his lap and wrapped my legs around him and kissed him. I put my warm hands on his frozen cheeks and he but his cold hands on my back and sent a shiver into every bone in my body. I pulled away.

"Oh yea, I forgot to tell you... My parents left right before you got here." I said laughing.

"WHAT?! YOU MADE ME CLIMB THAT GODDAMN TREE WHEN I COULDVE WALKED THROUGH THE FRONT DOOR?!"

I nodded. Michael didn't seem genuinely mad anyways.

"So what are we gonna do?" Michael asked raising an eyebrow.

"Watch my favourite movie of all time, order some Thai, maybe have a snowball fight?" I shrugged

"Sounds perfect." He said smirking.

**

"No I'm just saying that the Joker was the best role he ever played." Michael said shrugging taking a bite of Pad Thai.

"No way," I paused to swallow, "Did you not see the beauty of Patrick Verona, like he is perfection." I said looking down at the carton and taking another forkful of food.

"Have you even seen Batman?"

"Yes, and I can't process how completely insane he acted. It seemed like he was actually going crazy." I said shaking my head.

"Exactly, good acting." He said pointing.

I shook my head "Okay yes good acting but not the best movie he-" I paused at the sound of my front door opening.

"Fucking EMBARRASSMENT!" I heard in my father's rusty tone. Next I heard the muffled sound of a smack and my mother's hopeless whimper. I looked at Michael who looked down at his food and swallowed hard.

"Hide." I whispered.

At this he took his carton and went into my closet. My father was drunk, and this would not be good for anyone under this roof.