Dare || m.c.

➵ 3.5 - michael

watch the video pls it was posted about a year ago and it still gets me after all this time and leave me speechless

and buckle up friends and enjoy the chapter, vote and comment ily :---)

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Michael was ecstatic. When Jade showed up at his house almost in tears, it terrified him. Every time she broke down in front of him, every time she let her guard down in front of him, it tore Michael apart. He hated seeing her so vulnerable. It wasn't right. She was supposed to be strong, helping Michael through whatever shit that happened to be thrown their way. He hated seeing Jade upset, but he loved nothing more than to see her get back on track. To flip a middle finger at the world and keep moving with her head held high.

Right now, though, her head was bowed down as she walked and texted Ashton at the same time, letting him know where she was in case they came home and found her missing.

"Wanna hear a joke?" Michael nudged her shoulder as he led her to the pool.

"Didn't peg you for a comedian," Jade replied dryly, glancing at him briefly.

"Well, you pegged wrong," Michael muttered like an idiot. "Okay, listen. Two people walked into a bar. The third one ducked." He waited for Jade to laugh, but she never did. Michael worried for a second that it wasn't funny, but then disregarded the thought. Of course it was funny. Michael was hilarious. His mom said so all the time. "Get it? Like, it was a literal bar."

"I'm not an idiot, Michael," Jade deadpanned. "But that wasn't funny."

Michael opened the door and let Jade step out first. She stiffened immediately, stopping abruptly in front of Michael, making him stumble into her back. "Why the fuck do you have a pool in your house?"

"Because I swim?" Michael wasn't sure why this was so shocking. Lots of people had swimming pools in their houses, it wasn't that uncommon.

"Yeah, no shit," Jade said, still staring at the pool.

"Oh!" Michael squealed, jumping up and down excitedly, grabbing Jade's arm to keep her from walking. "I have another one! Why did the girl have trouble swimming?"

Jade stared at him, straight faced. She blinked once.

"She didn't have any boy-ancy!" Michael bent down and slapped his knee, laughing like a maniac. "Like, buoyancy," he practically wheezed.

"You're an idiot, Michael," Jade said, but Michael thought he heard her laugh. And when he looked up, she really was laughing. It was more a giggle than a laugh, but still. She laughed. Because of him. Michael smiled even more and pulled his phone out from his pocket and finally added to the notes after a million years.

May 22. 7:17 pm. stupid swimming joke

Michael managed to stop laughing at his genius joke and looked at Jade, who shoved her own phone back in her pocket. Michael did the same.

"C'mon," Michael said, grabbing her wrist. "Let's swim."

Jade pulled her arm out of Michael's grip. "No, I can't."

"Sure you can." Michael pulled her along. "I'll give you dry clothes to change into, it's okay."

"Michael, I can't," Jade said again, this time stomping her foot.

"Can't as in literally can't? Or can't as in don't want to?" Michael asked.

Jade rolled her eyes at him, shaking her head like she couldn't believe what a retard Michael was. "I can't swim, as in I don't know how to."