different ▸ m.c.

five

Allie's POV

"You know our neighbors across the street?" My mom asks when I walk down the stairs.

"Yea, Michael's in my grade" I tell her.

"Well that's good because they're coming over for dinner tonight." She smiles.

"What time?" I ask.

"They should be here in about 10 minutes actually." She tells me and I nod.

To be honest, I get really nervous when cute boys come over to our house. It doesn't matter if I like them or not, I'll still get nervous. I don't like Michael. I've barely had a conversation with him but there's no denying he's extremely attractive.

I run upstairs to my room quickly and slip my phone into my pocket before grabbing a brush and running it through my dark blonde, brownish hair. I straighten my clothes and look at myself in the mirror one last time before heading back downstairs.

The doorbell rings and I run over to get it.

"Hi!" I answer the door revealing Michael and his mom.

"Hello you must be Allie." His mom smiles.

"Yep that's me." I smile back. "Come in."

"This is Michael." His mom introduces me.

"Yea I know Michael. We're lab partners" I tell her.

"Mikey you didn't tell me that!" She looks at him and he rolls his eyes. "Anyways I'm Karen. Call me that, none of this Ms. Clifford stuff alright?"

"Of course" I smile. "Mom, come out of the kitchen! They're here!"

"Oh hello!" My mom walks out the door.

"Hey Eve." Karen smiles at my mom then turns to Michael. "I'm going to help Eve with dinner, okay Michael?"

Michael nods in response.

My mom turns to me. "How about you two head up to your room, okay? No funny business though." She laughs.

"Mom!" I groan but she just laughs and her and Karen walk back to the kitchen.

"So wanna head up to my room?" I ask Michael and he shrugs. I laugh and lead him up to my room.

"I'll turn on the radio to try and avoid awkward silence, okay?" I smile at him and he smiles slightly and nods.

Michael looks extremely nervous when he sits in the chair I have in my room. He looks like he's shaking and he keeps looking around the room.

"Calm down Michael. I'm not going to hurt you." I smirk.

"Are you going to talk?" I ask as I turn on the radio.

"Maybe." I hear him say and I look up to see him smirking.

"Well isn't someone sassy?" I laugh and sit on my bed. "How are you?"

"Fine, what about you?" He responds the same way he did yesterday when I asked him on the way home from school.

"I'm great actually. I'm slowly getting used to this place." I tell him. "But why are you only fine?"

"I always am" He shrugs, causing me to sigh.

"Michael are you scared of me?" I ask.

Michael looks up, shocked but then responds. "No."

"Do you think I'm going to hurt you?"

"No"

"Am I annoying?"

"No."

"Then why do you seem so closed off and nervous around me?"

He looks at me with wide eyes and then around the room. He slowly relaxes his facial features. "I'm not good with people." He finally answers.

"Well I don't care if you're awkward or not. You seem like a cool guy."

Dinner wasn't as awkward as I expected. Although Michael is closed off and shy, Karen isn't. She was constantly talking and laughing and I really liked her. She seemed like she could be a great friend for my mom. I wish I could say the same about Michael and me.

I really wanted to be friends with him. He seemed like he needed one but it was like he wouldn't allow me to become friends with him.

Something was just off.