𝐏𝐔𝐏𝐏𝐘 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄, mileven✔️

Roane County Fair

Song: A Teenager in Love by Dion & The Belmonts

❤︎

It hasn't even been a full 24 hours since she left and Mike is already left with the feeling of his heart aching. The last words they spoke to each other were echoing across his mind and he couldn't think about anything but her. God, why couldn't she just get out of his head already? He hasn't even gone through the worst of it yet, but he can already tell that when the worst does come, it's going to be unbearable.

What he thinks is that he needs Chloe, he needs her right beside him, but what he needs is someone to help him through all of this. Mike needs someone to distract him from all of the pain, he needs to get his mind off of this no matter how hard it might be.

Mike feels like life is going by slower and slower the more he thinks about it. When you have only one thing to think about time wraps itself around that and passes slower and slower with each passing thought.

He sits in his room, no knowledge of the current time of day, he doesn't think to care about the rest of the world around him. The curtains in his room cover the window, the only reliable source of sunlight so with that covered he is left in the dark, wallowing in his self-pity. His eyes are tired as is he from staying up all night. Nighttime was restless for him, he was paranoid. Not knowing what was happening to Chloe and what her parents are doing. Paranoid of the thought that he doesn't have any way to reach her and he might not ever be able to reach her again.

Suddenly knocking him out of his thoughts he hears a knock from the front door downstairs. Naturally, he knows his mother will answer it with a kind smile, asking the person how they are and what they need from her. He listens carefully, maybe he could hear something. Though that might be slightly impossible to hear through his closed door and to the front door.

He can't hear anything but the footsteps making their way up the stairs and down the hall to his room. Maybe it was his mother, telling him he needs to get out of his room because it's not healthy that he is staying in his room all day. Or-

A knock at the door followed by: "Hey Mike, it's El," Her soft voice said from the other side of the door. He opened his mouth to speak, wondering what she was doing here, but couldn't get a word out. It was silent on the other side of the door until he saw the handle turn and the door crack open.

"Are you awake?" She whispered Mike turned his head to look at her. "Yes, I'm awake." He replied quietly, he saw her head peak through the door. "May I come in?"

He nodded and saw El walk through the doorway and walk over to his window where she pulls the curtains to the side and pulled the blind up. "Have you gotten any sleep?" She asked once she could see his face fully, noticing the dark bags underneath his eyes.

Mike shook his head and rubbed his eyes, trying to adjust to the bright light entering his room. "Okay, scootch over," El said, gesturing for him to move over on his bed. Mike was confused but did so anyway and El sat down next to him and stared at the wall in front of them.

"So, I was thinking," She started, "How about I get you out of this dark hole and try to make you somewhat happy for a little bit?" She suggested, Mike stared at her. "I don't know, El... I don't know if I can go out right now."

"What's stopping you?" She asked, "Nothing, I just... I don't think it's the right time."

"Mike. We're not going on a date, I'm trying to distract you just for a little while, then you can go back to being depressed, okay? But I'm trying to be a good friend and help you out. I understand you're grieving, and I'm not saying you're not allowed to, but the pain is temporary and you will learn to get through it, and I'm just trying to speed that process up."