Calling You at Midnight

Chapter 2: The Call

{Michael's pov}

I felt bad for leaving Lucifer so abruptly but I knew if I didn't get back soon my dad would be angry. I quickly rushed up the stairs all the way to the top floor. I opened the door to my apartment and ran to my room before my dad noticed I was late.

I put my homework in my backpack for school tomorrow. I go to the public high school in town. I wonder if Lucifer will go there. I shake the thoughts out of my head and focus them on my computer. I found it in the dumpster out back a little while ago and I almost fixed it. You see, my dad doesn't have a lot of money. We have just enough for the apartment and groceries but that's it. That's why I don't have a cell phone and why I have to take computers out of the dumpster.

After a few hours, I'm kind of hungry since I didn't eat dinner. I try to sneak into the kitchen so my dad won't see me. I creak the door open quietly and tiptoe over. I got a pop tart from the cupboard and try to head back. I'm almost to my door when I hear my dad's bedroom door open.

"Michael! What are you doing out of your room? It's nearly 12 o'clock!" My dad's harsh voice echoes through the apartment.

"I'm sorry sir, I was hungry.." I say quietly, not wanting to anger him.

"Well you should be asleep! You have school tomorrow!" He continues to yell. I nod and try to open the door of my room but my hands are shaking.

The next thing I know I feel something smash into my back. I look down and see a broken vase at my feet. I look up at my dad who is walking over to me. I frantically try to open my door but he grabs my wrist tightly and turns my arm around. I winch in pain which causes him to smirk. He punches me in the stomach hard and I fall to the ground. He kicks me over and over and over again. I can't feel anything anymore. After a while, he gets bored and heads back to his room. I force myself to get up and open the door to my room. I limp over and set my alarm for 6 in the morning. I'm just about to go to sleep when I realize that it's 11:40 and I told Lucifer to call at midnight.

I sneak into the living room where the phone is. My dad is probably asleep now, he usually goes to bed after my daily beatings. I sit by the phone and wait. I stare at the clock and the minutes seem to be hours, going by so slowly. Then the phone rings and I frantically pick it up before the noise wakes up my dad.

"Hello?" I say into the receiver.

"Um hi, Michael?" The voice asks.

"Yes" I reply.

"It's Lucifer" he says.

"Yeah I know that" I say with a soft chuckle.

"Why are you whispering?" He asks.

"So I won't wake up my dad, why aren't you whispering?" I ask back.

"No one's home, my dad is on a business trip and my mom left a little while ago for a conference" he replies.

"What do your parents do?" I inquire.

"My dad has his own company, I'm not entirely sure what they do. My mom is an engineer, what about your parents?" He says.

"Well, my dad owns a sandwich place and my mother, she uh, died a little over six years ago, that's why we don't really have much money" I say. I look down at the bruises on my forearm and sigh.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have brought it up" he says.

"It's fine, really." There is a bit of silence which I decide to break.

"So, are you going to be going to the public high school?" I ask.

"Yeah, my cousin Gabe goes there. He's been my best friend since we were little. Do you go there?" He asks.

"Yeah, I do. I don't really have many friends though. I'm kind of a loner. I'm not an outgoing person" I say honestly.

"Well, now I'm your friend so I'm going to talk to you" He replies. I can hear his smile over the line.

"Want to walk together tomorrow morning?" I ask hopefully.

"Yeah sure, I'll meet you in the lobby at, how's 6:30?" He asks.

"6:30 is good" I say. Now I smile.

"Ok well I guess I'll see you in the morning then" he says.

"Ok, Good night" I says.

"Good night, Mikey" he says and the line goes dead.

He gave me a nickname. I've never had a nickname before.

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Sooo? I've got a lot of interesting things planned for this book so just you wait.

Thanks for reading :)