𝐈𝐍𝐍𝐄𝐑 𝐄𝐒𝐒𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐄 ⭢ 𝖬𝖩

❦ eight.

: runnin' out of time, wishin' you would come and save me :
༄

☁️ Michael ☁️

"You ain't fallin' asleep on me, are you?" I joked with Loyalty, as she rested her head on my chest. My right hand was interlaced with her left, and while her free hand was on my shoulder I had my left hand placed on her waist. The music was slow, and soothing while other students danced as couples also. It was prom night, and Loyalty's prom date—which asked her to prom may I add—never showed so I offered to step in. I could tell she still wanted to go and although I didn't myself, I just wanted to step up as a friend and give her the night she deserved. Especially since it was our last major school event besides graduation, of course her and CJ would be excited about going to prom.

"No," Loyalty answered, her voice quiet but still audible. As the two of us slowly swayed side to side, she expressionlessly huffed before proceeding. "Jus' thinking."

"Oh, so nothin' new."

"Always the one wit' jokes," she chuckled, "yo heartbeat is weird."

"Why you listenin' to it?" I laughed, and she laughed along with me before shrugging. "I mean my head is right here, how could I not?"

"Yeah, you have fun wit' 'dat, gorgeous." I scoffed while shakin' my head, and she let out another delicate laugh herself. I could tell she was upset that her original date didn't show up, because from what she told Reese, CJ, and me she really seemed to like him. They'd actually been talkin' for a couple of months anyway, so you would think the least he could do is show up to an event for a girl he claimed to like.

A few minutes passed with silence lingering between Loyalty and I, and the instrumental intro to Hardest to Love by The Weeknd began to play just right after Bruno Mars' Calling All My Lovlies. The two of us were now in our own worlds, continuing to dance with one another as if we weren't completely zoned out.

As the music played over the speakers, I wasn't fighting with the vibe that it brought. Any song under R&B is my kind of music, and I'd be lyin' if I said it didn't bring me some kind of peace.

"Don't regret the day we met (we met),
Don't forget that time we spent (we spent),
Forget that we're in different beds..."

"Can we go?" Loyalty suddenly questioned, lifting her head from its place on my chest with an apprehensive look in her eyes. It alarmed me because I thought something might've been wrong with her, but I couldn't cancel out the fact that maybe she simply no longer wanted to be here.

"Where you wanna go, Tee?"

"Anywhere but here," she vaguely answered, the uncertainty of where she wanted to be in specific besides here, blending in her voice. Nodding, I took her hand before leading her through the large crowd of students while she had a firm grip on my hand ensuring that she was right behind me.

Eventually, Loyalty and I were out of the school building and into the warmness of the late-May night, the breeze flowing through the atmosphere every now and again. Preparing to go wherever the night took us.

"Do you have anywhere you wanna work specifically?" I asked Loyalty as we were sitting in my room a few days after I flat out told her that I liked her, but things remained unclear. Not that I don't mind, her happiness and wellbeing should be put before any relationship romantic or not. Regardless if I liked her or not, I was always glad to help.