From Me to You [Complete]

42

It seems Michael actually told Alice that we were going to the convenience store. After that explanation, I quickly throw on my shoes, get some money, and my sunglasses. We lock the cottage and walk down the driveway hand in hand to the sidewalk.

"So what are we gonna do at the store?" I ask him, happy to be walking around like this in daylight.

"My mom needs a few things picked up that she's running low on," he explains. "Also...they have a pretty good candy stash. If you still have a sweet tooth."

"Um, of course," I say, my eyes lighting up. "I don't think I will ever outgrow candy." He smiles at me. "You said there's also a telephone?" I ask hesitantly.

"Thinking of making a call?" he asks curiously.

"Yea, maybe. If there's time." I really owe it to my friends to loop them in on what's been happening this week.

"Well, I think we've got all the time in the world!" He makes a funny face at me and I laugh. We continue to walk in silence. Even in daylight this street isn't busy. Everyone must already be down at the beach. "You know, Amanda, you've been missing out on your morning jogs," Michael says suddenly.

"Oh, that's okay," I reply. I'm peering through the bushes of a neighbouring cottage, trying to get a better view of what looks like a beautiful double-story balcony.

"I guess you gotta get on it!" Michael says in a rush, letting go of me and taking off in a run down the street.

"Hey no fair!" I shout at his back. "I wasn't ready!" But I laugh as I run after him, catching up in a matter of seconds.

As we reach the store we are both out of breath and I'm still partially laughing from the suddenness of the exhilaration. I lean on the bike rack to try to catch my breath and calm my laughter. Michael pretends his most impatient look, and checks his wrist for a non-existent watch exaggeratingly as I continue to laugh.

"So...where is here?" I ask. I didn't pay much attention when we were running since I was just trying to concentrate on breathing through all the laughter.

"The store," Michael says. "Did you lose your eyesight as well as your breath on that run?" he teases

"No," I say, rolling my eyes at him, but smiling. "I mean...how did we get here? Between concentrating on waiting for you to catch up with me and..."

Michael makes a face at me, and crosses his arms. I grab onto them and pull him towards me. Before he can fully regain his balance I kiss him, long enough and deep enough to make him a little starry-eyed when I let go of him. I feel a little out of breath myself. "So," I say, sort of huskily, "how did we get here?"

He explains: the store is in the same direction as the park, but one more block over and down. This neighbourhood has more shops than cottages, and it has a busier road, which we didn't cross so luckily my past car encounter didn't have to reoccur. The convenience store is part of a gas station, which is getting a fair amount of traffic at the moment. The few cottages nearby stand almost on the roadway, with very small driveways. A car speeds by a little too fast, and I step back involuntarily –apparently my body doesn't want to re-enact that scene from a few nights ago just as much as my brain doesn't.

As if reading my mind, Michael says, "Don't go crossing the road, now, Amanda, I don't think headlights and screaming will save you here."

"Let alone very cute rescuers." My turn to wink.

"Mike!"

Michael's head snaps up, looking around, and I turn around as well.

A boy of maybe Michael's age is making his way towards us. He has light brown hair and the bluest eyes I've ever seen. He's shorter than Michael but still taller than me –not hard to accomplish. He's wearing shorts and a T-shirt, as usual in this gorgeous weather. As he crosses the road I can see he's a lot less out of breath and sweaty than Michael and I, so he must have come from close by.

"Mick!" Michael exclaims, seeing him, and pulls one of his hands out of mine to wave, however letting the other stay in my hand. I notice this, realizing that it's clearly a statement about who I am to him. Michael and I walk up to Mick, who I assume must be a friend of Michael's.

"Good to see you," Mick says, putting an arm around Michael's shoulder in way of a greeting.

"Yea, you too," Michael says, swinging his arm around Mick briefly in return. When they let go of each other, Michael introduces me, "Amanda, this is my friend Mick. Mick, this is..." Michael pauses, considering for a second, "my...girlfriend, Amanda."

Hearing Michael say it out loud makes the butterfly in my stomach flap a wing. We never really confirmed what we are doing. I stick out a hand for Mick to shake, noting his firm grip. "Hi," I say, "Michael failed to mention any of his friends were around."

"Friend?" Mick says with grin splitting his face, one eyebrow cocked. "Who ever said I'm his friend?" He waves a hand in a gesture of dismissal, and I laugh at the joke. He seems like someone I will definitely get along with.

We decide that Michael and Mick will shop the convenience store while I use the store's payphone for a much needed call with my friends. I'm glad I have the chance to talk to them away from prying ears, but I remind Michael to make sure I get a good stash of candy while he's buying, and hand him a few dollars from my change purse as he heads inside with Mick.

Hope you are enjoying the story so far! Let me know in the comments :)