Dare || m.c.

➵ 2.2 - michael

((Whoops it got long again sowwy. Pls vote & comment))

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Michael really really wanted to know what was written in that letter. If Jade already knew that she was adopted, then what was left to tell her? Michael had been tempted to look at the letter and read at lease some of it, but he resisted. He knew it wasn't his place to read it and if Jade wanted him to know, she would tell him. She had told him so much without him asking and Michael couldn't have been happier. Whether she admitted it or not, she was trusting him. Her words replayed in his hand, just like they had been for so many times now.

"Too many people have left me and betrayed me and I've put up too many walls around me. Walls that you seem to be cracking more and more everyday. And I don't like it. I don't like thinking that you'll be like them too. My own biological parents left me. I'm sick of people leaving me."

Michael didn't plan on leaving Jade, but she might leave him when she found out about the dare. That made Michael feel terrible, knowing he was basically one step closer to breaking her newfound trust, just like she kept saying. He wanted to tell her, but he knew she would be beyond angry. For now, he pushed aside all thoughts of the dare out of his mind. Jade would be out of work in just a few minutes and he would take her to band practice.

"I'm bringing Jade to practice" Michael texted Luke, since they were all meeting at his place. Ashton was coming as well, since apparently he was the drummer that Jade had been talking about the other day.

When Jade walked out of Taco Bell, she was wearing her regular clothes, with a bag held in one hand. She looked around for a few seconds before she saw Michael leaning against his car. Michael raised his hand in a wave and motioned her over. She looked down as she walked and for some reason that bothered Michael. He didn't like seeing her down like this. She was supposed to be strong. "Hi," Michael said when she got close enough.

"Hi," she replied.

Michael smiled and pulled her in for a hug. She didn't hug him back and it did sting a bit, but Michael didn't mind too much. He understood that she had some problems and he didn't want to push her too much when she was just starting to open up to him. When Michael let go of Jade, he gazed down at her and she stared up at him. The fire that usually lit up her eyes was missing. "Hi," Michael said again, softer this time.

Jade turned around to open the passenger door, said, "Do you plan on going beyond that one word today?" and got in the car.

Michael walked around and settled in the car himself before pulling out of the lot. "How are you, Little Mermaid?" he asked after a few minutes, glancing at her for a few seconds before looking back at the road.

Jade shrugged. "I'm fine."

"No, you're not," Michael argued. She might've been able to somewhat disguise her fatigue with makeup, but Michael saw right through it all. She looked exhausted and Michael wanted her to admit that. "You don't look fine at all."

"Then I'm not fine," she said. She was picking at her cuticles and biting her lip, which Michael found adorable.

"Why aren't you fine?" Michael asked, knowing full well he was digging his own grave

And judging from the glare that he received, he was right. If looks could kill, he would've been a dead man. "Are you fucking kidding me? You see me read in excruciating detail why my life is a lie. You see me completely fall apart and then ask me why I'm not fine? How cruel can you be?"

"I want you to talk about it," Michael said. "I know you've had your life turned upside down, but you're moving on, aren't you? You're going to school, you're going to work, you haven't stopped living. I don't want you to bottle anything inside only to have you explode. I need you to talk."