Don't Go [Muke Clemmings]

Chapter Twenty One

I ran to the bathroom and locked the door behind me. I didn't know what else to do, so I leaned against the wall, slid to the floor, and cried.

Luke

"I'm willing to take the risk, why aren't you?" I finished.

Michael sat there for a couple of seconds, biting his lip and looking at me. I had no idea what was going on until his lips were on mine. Whoa. I wanted to pull away--well I didn't want to, but I had to--but I couldn't. I hadn't kissed him sober since he was dead. No, he was alive, but I wasn't kissing the alive version of him... I confused myself. This whole situation was confusing. As was this kiss. It was a great kiss, so why did it make me feel so bad? It made me sad, it made me guilty...

I pulled away as soon as I was physically able to. "What was that for?"

"You said to take risks," Michael said, stuttering. Aww...

"That's not what I meant!" As soon as I said it, I realized how harsh it sounded. Fûck.

"Sorry..." Michael muttered, and I just wanted to hold him close and never let him go. Unfortunately, I would have to someday.

I could always do the first part, though. I hugged his shoulders with one arm and brought him to me, trying my best not to sniff him (What? He smells really good!). "Hey, it's all right. I'm flattered. It's just, I'm straight. I can guarantee you, however, if I were gay, or bi, or pan, or whatever, I would definitely like you back."

"Like me back?" What's wrong with that? "I don't like you. Not like that." What the fûck, Michael, why were you lying?

"Michael..." I tried to find an excuse to say I knew for sure without telling him how. "Jamie told me you did."

"She's making it up. Even if I did like you, I wouldn't have told her." Well, that was offensive. Not only would he not tell me, but he was too embarrassed to admit it to me?

"Okay, fine. She didn't tell me. I just made an educated guess, by the way you always look at me, but I guess I was wrong."

"Luke, how can you tell that I'm looking at you if you're not looking at me?" Shít. I didn't think about that.

"Peripheral vision."

"Well, whatever. You're 'educated guess' was wrong." He walked away, and I bit my lip to hold in the tears until he was gone.

Was our friendship really over? No. It couldn't be. I still had to tell him I was in love with him. I was still building up the courage, but I could do it eventually. I could. I had to, so he would know he had completed all of his wishes. I was sure I would've fallen for him anyway, even if he hadn't come back, but you know me, I wouldn't have told him. Ghost Michael was there to make sure I knew what I had to do. Otherwise, I wouldn't have known he was dying, and I would always keep thinking, "There's always tomorrow," because that's the kind if coward I was.

How many wishes did he have anyway? I knew he had the friend one, or used to. I knew he had the five miles... I chuckled through my tears. He still didn't know that Jamie and I set that up on purpose.

I knew he didn't have the phone yet, and he didn't know he had made someone fall in love with him, but did he have the fourth one yet? I couldn't remember what date it was when he first put in his diary that he was in love with me. I had to find out.

I ran to the parking lot without going through the service just to realize I didn't have the key.

There was someone in the car, though... I assumed it was Jamie, sitting in the back seat, crying. Poor Jamie. She sure had some reasons to cry today.