I'm Not Fine At All 》Michael Clifford

Chapter Thirteen

Riley's POV:

We walked down the hall to the elevator, and got on. Without thinking, I took Luke's arm, the same way I always did with Michael, and he looked down at me with raised eyebrows. "Sorry," I muttered with embarrassment, and loosened my grip, and took the rail instead.

"Why don't you like elevators?" He asked with a chuckle.

"I just don't like the feeling of being lifted into the air and falling again." I replied, telling him the same thing I told Michael when he asked me. There was a long silence, and the elevator came to a stop. I let go of the railing, and walked out I to the lobby, Luke following right on my heels. We left the building, and the cold wind hit me in the face. Luke fell into step next to me and put his arm around my shoulders, in a friendly way, keeping us from getting separated as we walked down the busy streets.

"He really likes you, ya know?" He said plainly as we walked together, breaking the silence between us. "I've never seen Michael act the way he has been. And it's only when you're around. He gets all protective and stuff. And he's most certainly never stood up to a drunk man with a knife." I was thinking hard about what Luke was saying.

"So what are you saying? That he's being a dad to me or something?" It came out in an almost sarcastic, rude tone, and I didn't intend on it sounding that way at all. Luke stopped, pulling me to a halt with him. His hand left my shoulders and took my forearm instead.

"I'm saying that he has feelings for you. Deep feelings, and he sees more in you than just a child who needs someone to look after her. He... he loves you, Riley."

"What? H-he... loves me? Luke, I'm not sure..."

"Maybe not quite like that, yet. Maybe like a sister, or a friend, but more... I'm not sure how to explain it. But he does truly care about you, and not just like he's trying to be a dad. He's trying to be more than that." Before I could respond, he was off and walking again. I was speechless, Michael loved me, or did according to Luke.

The whole rest of the time we were walking, I couldn't get that of my mind.

>>>>>>

I was sitting on the sofa, folding my clothes and chatting with the boys when Michael came out of the bathroom, and literally ran over to me. It had been a couple of hours since Luke and I left to get my things, and when we came back, Michael was sacked on the bed, so we let him sleep. He'd just gotten up, and went to the bathroom, but I had guessed was done now. He was acting like he felt much better, and I was glad.

He jumped down on the sofa next to me and looked at me with a goofy grin. I smiled at him nervously, the words Luke had said still circling around in my head. "So, how was your nap?" I asked slowly.

"It was good. Did you get everything you needed?" I nodded my head. He smiled again, and played with his hands nervously, I wondered what was going through his mind. "Umm, Riley, I was wondering if maybe... I mean, I know we've had coffee together once, and I was hoping that... I-I don't know... maybe we could go out again sometime?" He seemed to be stuttering a bit, he was so nervous and I couldn't help but smile.

"That would be great, Michael. I'd love to."

The boys were grinning like idiots when I looked back up and realized that they were still there watching. Luke gave me a genuine smile, and a thumbs up, which I returned.

We stayed up that night, watching old reruns of Hannah Montana - I threw a fit when I saw the marathon on tv and Calum tried to go past it - and pigging out on what was left of the pizza. Well, at least they pigged out, I had no appetite. I was too excited about the date Michael and I had. We had decided on Friday night, though he wouldn't tell me what he had planned. I had no clue where we'd be going or what we'd be doing, and that bit almost scared me. I didn't know what the crazy boy had in his mind.

I also didn't know what was going through Calum's mind, but as soon as the last episode of season two went off, he looked at me. "Riley, truth or dare?" I raised my eyebrows and shook my head quickly.

"Nuh, uh! Nope! No! Not happening!" I said immediately.

"Fine. Michael, truth or dare?" He asked, turning to the boy next to me.

"What is it with you and 'truth or dare'?" I asked. This boy had a thing for truth or dare and it was kind of strange. I looked at Michael, and he seemed to be thinking. My eyes widened, and I grabbed his arm. "Please, Michael, please don't do this!" I begged him. "Don't start this!"

"Dare." I fell backwards and facepalmed. I was not going to let things get awkward again.

"I'm out! Goodbye! I'm taking a shower! Later!" I shouted as I stood up and ran to the bathroom. I heard their laughs behind me, and rolled my eyes. Seriously, what was it with that boy and truth or dare? It's like he liked making things awkward.

By the time I got through with my shower I was pretty glad I'd left. Things were beginning to get sketchy, and I did not want to be a part of it. I stepped out of the bathroom and saw Calum standing on the coffee table shaking his whole body in an attempt at twerking, Ashton sitting in the rocking chair in his underwear with a pair of bananas pretending to drum, and Luke and Michael rolling on the floor, clutching their stomachs, laughing their butts off.

I shook my head and walked into the kitchen, grabbed a water bottle, then returned to the scene of chaos. I clapped my hands together, and shouted at them. "Hey lunatics!" They all looked at me, except for Calum, who was bent on figuring out how to twerk properly. Michael had tears running down his cheeks, due to the amount of laughing he'd just experienced, and Luke was still trying to hold it back. "It's almost midnight. I want to go to bed! Don't make me get to the point of handing out whoopings, because I will! I have a belt!" Luke and Michael immediately shut up and gave me the 'yes ma'am' look. Ashton was still drumming, and Calum was still twerking. "Who's idea was this?" I gestured to the two. Luke pointed at Michael, and Michael pointed at Luke. I shook my head, and turned back to the other two boys. "Ashton! Stop that right now and put some clothes on!" I yelled in a deep, man voice.

"Yes Sir," He muttered, and stood up to go find some clothes. I turned to Calum.

"Calum, get off of that table before it splits in half! And your body obviously wasn't meant for twerking, so stop trying!" I sounded like a Drill Sargeant. As he pouted and got down, I heard the two behind me cracking up again. I whipped around and sent them a death glare.

"Go to bed." I stomped my foot down, and pointed to their beds, and they pouted as well, but got up and slouched over to the beds. I shook my head and smiled at the idiots' mess. It was fine, I'd clean it in the morning while Ash was on his coffee date.

It was like looking after a bunch of toddlers.

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Author's Note >

Omgee, that gif... just... my heart... ugh. His laugh is literally the best sound on the planet, even though I can't hear it in the gif I still imagine it and just... I'm dead.
Happy reading! ♡♡
Ri ~