Dare || m.c.

➵ 1.3 - michael

What was up with that anyway? He didn't like her like that. He shouldn't have been having dreams like that. Sure, she was definitely pretty and had a rocking body, but that was it. Her attitude was the opposite of pretty and she always insulted Michael. Why the hell would he dream about fucking her? That was messed up. So naturally, he tried to keep the talking to a minimum on Tuesday, which wasn't hard at all. Jade rarely ever took initiative to start conversation and it didn't happen on Tuesday. But then again, she was completely and utterly oblivious to the fact that the entire class period, Michael was picturing her naked. He couldn't even begin to imagine what she would say to him if she knew.

She did finish her drawing though, the one with fire everywhere. As much as Michael didn't want to ask and most likely embarrass himself, his curiosity got the best of him. He caved in and asked what it really meant. And of course, Jade didn't give him a straight answer. "It's a man burning in a fire."

"I can tell," Michael said. "But what does it mean? How does it represent you?"

Jade looked at him then and her eyes were vacant, like she was seeing something very different and far away from the art room. "I'll tell you if you tell me how those two eyes that aren't even yours represent you."

And so Michael did. He told her what his drawing meant and how sometimes he felt empty, even if his outside demeanor didn't look like it. But he didn't tell her that he had actually used her eyes as inspiration, because that would've just been weird. Maybe creepy to some extent. "Now tell me why you're obsessed with fire."

Jade sighed and moved her pencil around aimlessly. "It reminds me of my dad," she said quietly. There was raw emotion in her voice, but Michael couldn't decipher what it was. To him, it sounded like a mix of sadness and longing and something else. Michael didn't say anything as he waited for her to continue. "He was a fireman and he died while trying to save a dog. Neither of them lived. I never saw him after he left for work that day." She paused. Bit on her bottom lip. "If I'd been able to see him, then I think I would've gotten the closure that my mom and I needed."

Damn. First her mom and now this. Michael didn't know how much more death he could take, especially surrounding Jade. He reached out and squeezed her hand across the table. "I'm sorry, Little Mermaid."

He didn't know what else to say, so he shut up. Looking at Jade and her apparently tough and badass look, no one would expect her to have lost so much at such a young age. Even though Michael's dad didn't live with them, at least he was still breathing. At that moment, Jade looked so small and vulnerable, so damn fragile, Michael just wanted to hug her. But he didn't dare.

Later that day, when Michael saw Jade go into the woods, he obviously followed. But once he got there, he didn't say anything. Neither of them talked and somehow Michael fell asleep. Jade woke him up around 6:30 when she was going back inside. "Bring a pillow next time, Gordon," she said to him.

On Wednesday, Michael couldn't sit with Jade because he really needed to go to band practice that he had been blowing off. Calum and Luke obviously gave him hell for it, but Michael didn't take it to heart. He knew the band came before girls, and his friends had every right to be mad about it, but it was okay. Michael didn't mind getting yelled at that one day.

On Thursday, when Michael went to meet up with Jade, he brought his guitar with him. She was wearing her jean jacket today, as well as a gray beanie. She didn't look up as he sat down. She never did. "I missed you yesterday, Little Mermaid," he said and nudged her shoulder. "Did you miss me?"

Jade still didn't look at him. "No," she said. She was lying, Michael knew it. Of course, she missed him. Who else would sit with her for hours and let her make fun of them? No one, that's who. Only Michael would. Michael took her hand and played with one of the rings she had on, a simple silver heart. She didn't look like the kind of girl to wear something so girly, but Michael didn't ask her what it meant. She didn't seem like she was in the best mood and Michael thought it best not to push her today.