School Bus [m. clifford]

73

"I'm still confused how we all ended up sleeping in here?" Michael asks, rubbing at his eyes as he's waking up.

"Who knows." Chloe groans, sitting up from the floor.

"I rounded you all up, I didn't trust any of you." Ashton tells them, tossing water bottles to everybody.

"How are you not hungover? You had more to drink than half of us!" Luke complains.

"I don't get hungover." Ashton replies, a slight laugh coming from his lips.

Laura groans, sitting up as she grabs Michael's water bottle from him.

"Can we go get breakfast, or I guess, lunch?" Jada asks.

"Yeah, come on."

//

Eventually, the group somehow made their way out. They were all seated around a table, trying to act as if half of them weren't hungover.

"So guys, what are the plans for our last summer?" Chloe asks, rubbing at her temples as her headache refuses to go away.

"Don't even start, Chloe." Jada replies.

"I thought it was either get high or get drunk like, almost every night?" Calum asks.

"Okay, true." Chloe chuckles.

The group all finished their meals, they didn't talk much. The aftermath of the alcohol was too much for some of them.

Michael was just so happy to be around them. He really appreciated every moment they had together.

//

Michael and Laura were at his place, just the two of them. They were just talking about the previous night, reliving all that happened.

"I barely remember anything after going to Ashton's room. We talked on the roof for a bit." Michael tells her.

"Oh."

"Did I say something? I'm so sorry. I love you, Laur. I really do."

She lightly chuckles, "No, it's okay. You just really opened up last night. I really appreciate it."

"Oh, uh, what did I say?" Michael asks.

Laura pauses for a moment, because she was worried to say anything. She was scared Michael would act different.

"Just some stuff about life and us and the beginning of high school." Laura tells him.

"Um, could I get some specifics?" He asks in a worried tone.

"I asked if you ever feel like you're not doing enough. It lead to a lot of stuff." Laura replies, still not getting into it.

"Babe, what did I say?"

Laura sighs, "Michael, you just talked about how you've been through some stuff, you don't necessarily know why you're on this path in life and some other things. It was really nice to hear you talk about it though."

Michael nods, not a hundred percent sure what to say. He didn't like to talk about this stuff. Though Laura is his girlfriend and he loves her with his entire heart, certain things were still hard to say out loud.

"I know you don't like to talk about certain things. I'd never force you to talk about anything that made you uncomfortable. We were just so drunk and I-"

"Laur, babe, it's okay. I just want to know all of what was said because maybe I can clarify some things." Michael tells her, reaching out and grabbing her hand.

"I don't think you'll want to clarify about the issues you had with girls at the beginning of high school. Or that fact you thought you weren't enough. I don't want to bring this up incase it makes you upset now that you're sober. You're so enough, babe, and I don't want you to hurt." Laura replies, tears pooling in her eyes.

"I'm okay now, Laur. It's okay." He weakly smiles, wiping her tears.

"I just-"

"Don't worry about me, babe." Michael tells her, "I'm doing so much better than I was when I was fifteen."

"Thinking about you having to go through anything bad hurts, Michael. You don't deserve it, you're the most precious person I've ever met!" She cries, tightly hugging him.

Michael just sighs, rubbing Laura's back as she holds him. He didn't know how to comfort her, she was upset, over Michael being upset.

"I'm so sorry." Laura whispers, still holding onto him.

"Stop, Laura, it's okay." Michael tells her, lightly chuckling at his girlfriend.

"I just want you to talk to me. Me crying like this probably isn't making you want to but I promise I can keep it together." She replies, pulling away from him, looking him in the eyes.

"I'm okay though, please don't worry." He says, "I've been through some shit, a lot of us have. It's hard to get rid of some of those memories but I'm here now. I went through that to be here. I've never been this happy, Laura. I'm so happy, I'm so fucking happy now."

She nods, "I just... was so happy to hear you talk about this stuff."

Michael couldn't help but smile at his girlfriend. She cares so much, and he thought this was adorable. Even though he knew she cared this much, it always felt nice to hear it out loud from her.

"How about I get you to Chloe's now, is that okay?" Michael asks.

"Yeah." Laura responds, trying to pull herself together.

He chuckles, "Let's go."

//

The three girls were together in Chloe's room. They weren't doing much. Often the three just did what most teenage girls did, they just sat on their phones together.

"How are you and Michael doing?" Chloe asks, quickly dropping her phone.

Laura paused for a moment, remembering Michael talking about how the girls always check in.

"We're doing so well, guys. I love him so much. I'm can't ever see myself without him." She tells them. It was all true, obviously, but she also wanted them to know she'd never hurt Michael.

"I'm so happy that you two are so perfect for each other." Chloe replies, "I've never seen Michael like this before."

"Right! It's so precious. I'm so happy for him. I'm so happy for you guys." Jada adds.

Laura couldn't stop smiling. It was still so comforting and makes her so happy that they all accept her. They really thought she was good for Michael. Nothing made her heart happier than Michael, and the fact that the people she cared for most loved and accepted her. It's all she could've ever wanted.

___________

hey guys I guess this wasn't much sorry some shit happened last week and I haven't been motivated to write since but I should be getting back to it now