my owner - c.h.

32

"I'm so sorry, Michael passed away." At that moment, my whole world shattered. I shook my head and I could barely hear the voices of people calling my name. The room started spinning and soon enough, I couldn't hear those voices anymore.

*flashback*

"Elena, let's go on an adventure okay?" Michael said through the phone and I giggled.

"It's midnight, Michael." I whispered and suddenly, I heard a knock on my window, then another, and another.

"I'm throwing rocks at your window at midnight, the least you could do is open your window." He said and I shook my head.

"I'm coming." I opened my window, and slowly climbed down.

"Well thank you for meeting me in your backyard Ms. Matthews, I am honored." He smiled. "You look like an angel, by the way."

"That's just because I'm wearing white," I laughed as we were walking out of my backyard.

"Maybe." He grabbed my hand as we walked down the street.

"So where are we going?" I asked.

"Santa cruz." He said simply. He looked at me and smiled.

"Michael that's thousands of miles away." I giggled and smiled.

"Fine we're going to the closest beach." he said. "But first, we're going to eat, alright?"

"Sounds perfect."

"I'm really glad we met, Elena. You're like my little sister and I'll never leave your side. I promise. I'll always be here for you." He looked at me straight in the eyes and I could not help but wonder why, when, and how I became so lucky.

"Me too, Michael."

"And if I die someday, eat as many cheese toasties as you can for me okay?"

"Okay, but I don't know how I'll manage to live without you." I pursed my lips into a thin line.

"Hey, look at me." We stopped walking and michael lifted up my head with his hand. "I don't know how I'll be able to live without you either, but I promise we'll grow old, we'll still make fun of eachother and we'll still be together. If I die someday, then I'll come back and haunt you, you can't get rid of me easily. But if you die, then I don't know what I'd do. My life's a mess and you're what keeps me alive. I honestly don't know what I would do if you died." By that time, I was crying.

"It wouldn't be easy for me either, Mike. I'd go crazy. I don't know what I'd do."

"Yeah, but hey, don't cry." He wiped away the tears that were streaming down my face. "It won't happen any time soon. You'll be stuck with me for at least ninety years."

"I hope." I whispered and heard the faint sound of waves crashing. "I thought we were going to a diner first."

"I changed my mind." He said and we walked towards the beach.

"This is beautiful." I smiled.

"Don't speak, just listen." I nodded and obeyed him.

"Wake up, Elena." He said, but it wasn't his voice. It was Calum's. "Please wake up."

So I did, I woke up.

I slowly opened my eyes, only to find Calum, not Michael. I came back to this cruel reality, the one without Michael.

"You're awake!" Calum yelled and hugged me.

Don't speak, just listen.

I nodded and pursed my lips into a thin line. I tried to stand up but I was hooked to lots of machines.

"How are you feeling?" Calum asked and I shrugged.

I was honestly feeling like crap and I didn't want to talk to anyone. Not for a while.

"You're going to have to speak soon, at Michael's funeral." He said and I widened my eyes. I wasn't strong enough to see my bestfriend get buried six feet underground. I did what I was supposed to do as soon as I woke up, cry.

I cried and cried and cried for hours. This wasn't supposed to happen. Where was his girlfriend anyway? Wasn't she supposed to be here and cry over his death? After all, she's carrying Michael's baby.

"I already arranged everything for his funeral. It's going to be tomorrow. I was hoping you could come, you know, to say goodbye." He scratched his neck. In a way, this was his fault. If I wanted to confront him, I'd have to speak.

My silent treatment didn't last long. I disobeyed Michael.

"What did Matty do to him?" I said. My throat was burning.

"Matty didn't do anything to him." Calum sighed and pursed his lips into a thin line.

"Then what happened?" I asked. "Exactly."

I couldn't believe what Calum said afterwards.

"Why was a drug dealer at your house?" I asked.

"Our house." He corrected me. "Matty was paying him for doing a little job."

"What kind of little job?"

"Finding your dad, dummy." He rolled his eyes, trying to lighten up the mood but he couldn't.

"Michael got killed and I got my dad back." I muttered.

"Isn't that great? I mean, getting your dad back, not what happened to Michael."

"If I knew Michael would die if I got my dad back then I'd rather keep thinking that my father's dead. Call me selfish but my dad's death didn't hurt anymore. I'm just going to have to go through the whole process all over again."

"This is all my fault." Calum shook his head and wiped a few tears from his face.

"It kinda is." I said.

"Don't make me feel shittier than I already do." His voice was soft. That's when I realized he needed me as much as I needed him.

"It's going to be okay. We'll get through this."

"I should be the one saying that." He looked at me and his eyes were full of guilt.

"I just can't believe he's gone."

"He will never be fully gone. Soon enough, there's going to be a mini Michael running around." He smiled.

"But Michael won't be here to watch him grow and protect him." I said and started crying again.

"I didn't want to show you this until later but you really need to listen to this." Calum handed me my phone. "Click on voicemail."

I did as he told me.

One voicemail:

Mikey.

I shakily pressed the button and then pressed the speaker button.

"Elena" He sighed. "I just got shot and I don't think I'm going to make it. I called you to say goodbye. I am currently in the ambulance and the doctor's say I'm losing a lot of blood. I love you, Elena. Please don't forget about me, ever. I was at the wrong place at the wrong time. This was just the beginning of my life, with my baby. Please, take care of my baby. If she doesn't want the baby then keep it, I'm begging you. You're an awesome human being and I don't want to leave you. I promised you I never would. I also promised that if I did die, I'd come back and haunt you which is exactly what I'm going to do." he chuckled. "I also want to tell you to not cry over me, cry over the fact that your dad's alive. Calum told me. I'm really glad he's alive Elena. Please don't lock yourself in your room and stop eating. I want you to be healthy and happy. Don't blame Calum for all of this, it wasn't his fault. I just fûcking love you so much and I'm going to miss you like crazy. I am so sorry for leaving you so soon. I just hope that I'll be able to see you one last time before I die. Please come home soon." His voice cracked. "I love you Elena Matthews, never forget that."

The voicemail ended. I was going to hold on to this forever.

---
This chapter physically hurt me.

I cried so much while writing this. I'm so sorry for all of this.