A/N: *sinks into pillows* this is so cute and i want a boyfriend like micah
HOW HAYRIDES AND
PINKY-PROMISES CAN MAKE EVERYTHING BETTER
True to mom's word, dad arrives home two hours later, around four o'clock. This only causes my anxiety to rise and nearly text Micah to cancel the hayride plans for tonight. Taylor talks me out of it, though, and suggests picking out an outfit to pass the time instead of worrying so much my hair falls out.
"Does this look good?" I ask Taylor – she's on FaceTime with me now – as I hold up my maroon sweater in front of my body. I have black jeans on currently, but I can't decide on the maroon or cream sweater. I know I'll need a sweater because it's the middle of November and cold as shit outside, but I'm indecisive.
"I like it!" She exclaims, nodding furiously. "Do you still have your black boots?"
"Um..." I toss the sweater on my bed and begin the search for the boots. "There's these?" I hold the weathered-gray boots up to the camera, my uncertain expression in the background.
"Those are still cute," She affirms. "I think they'll look good."
"Thanks sis," I breathe a sigh of relief, tossing the shoes on the floor. I grab my phone off my nightstand so I can lay down on my bed, still in my sports bra. My eyes flick to the clock for a second, frowning at the time. "I still have an hour."
"Yeah," She scrunches her nose, knowing I despise long stretches of time like this. "When's Ash coming up?" But subject changes help a great deal.
"Prob'ly not until ten," I reply with a sad smile. "She said she had to feed at the barn, and then she'd be able to leave."
"Ohh." Tay nods, then asking how Bandit is doing.
The hour flies by before I realize it, and soon I'm reading the text from Micah saying he is on his way. It sends a jolt of excitement – and nervousness? – down my spine as I scramble to find my shoes.
Taylor giggles at my frantic state, telling me I can text her whenever I need, even if it's in the middle of the hayride, before we hang up.
I lace my boots up, tugging on the hem of my sweater awkwardly in the mirror. I run my fingers through my hair with a sigh, deciding I need to go deal with mom and dad in the living room.
Well, dad. Mom knows and I think we silently agreed to let me tell dad about Micah, rather than her telling him. The hornets are already swarming, but they haven't killed me before, so let's hope they won't now.
I tuck my phone in my back pocket, scratching Bandit on the head lovingly before I leave my room, turning the light off on my way out.
I hear mom and dad talking in the living room before I even get all the way down the hallway. Dad is talking about his day, how he could have changed the oil in ten cars faster than the people at the shop could have in one. I smirk softly, enjoying hearing him talk about cars again, something other than phones.
When I make my appearance in the living room, mom smiles in my direction, but dad's face screams confusion.
"Where're you goin'?" He asks, no teasing or sarcasm anywhere.
It's okay, I whisper to myself. "Um, on a hayride."
He furrows his eyebrows, glancing at mom for help, but she nods back toward me. "With Taylor?"
"No, um, actually with...Micah. He's a boy from school."
"A boy from school, huh?" Dad repeats, almost sounding angry. Or maybe that's my anxiety telling me that. I can't figure it out.
"Yeah," I breathe, nodding.
"Why haven't I heard of him?"
Because you haven't been home, I want to say, but I don't. Instead I shrug, looking to mom for help.
"You know she doesn't talk much," Mom dismisses dad's faint protection-masked-frustration. "He's a good kid."
"Have you met him?" Dad asks disbelievingly, raising his eyebrows.
I swallow thickly, wanting to crawl under the covers with Bandit and forget the hayride. Forget everything.
"Well, no, but I know he's a good kid. He wouldn't have stuck around this long – She would not have let him hang around this long if he wasn't a good kid," Mom's tone borders scolding as my phone buzzes in my back pocket.
I take it out, seeing Micah's name flash across my screen.
>Mic: Here! Front door?
>Yeah
"He's here," I announce quietly, my voice shaking. I smile softly when I see mom give dad a look that screams be nice.
The doorbell rings a second later, reminding me that I forgot to open the front door and leave the storm door closed. I walk over to open the door, my hand shaking as it reaches for the knob.
The breath is just about knocked out of me when I see Micah standing there. The boy looks good in layers – that's all I'll say about that.
"Hey," I smile, pushing the storm door open. "C'mon in. There's some people you've got to meet," I murmur, my smile turning shaky.
"Hey," He grins back, reassuring, stepping inside and pulling the storm door closed behind him.
I take a deep breath as I turn to face my parents, both beginning to stand. Mom walks over and immediately takes Micah into her arms, squeezing him tightly.
"It's nice to finally meet you," She tells him when she pushes away from the hug.
Micah grins widely, nodding. "Nice to meet you finally as well. It's weird through a screen, isn't it?"
Mom only laughs, not getting the chance to fully answer before Micah turns and shakes hands with my dad. I hold my breath through the awkward encounter that...actually turns out better than I expect it to. Micah has my dad laughing in a few moments, and I can see my dad's face change to one of respect and gratitude.
Mom rubs comforting circles into my back through the whole thing, letting me know that she can definitely sense my anxiousness.
"Alright, I guess we should head out," Micah breathes, glancing at me. "You ready?"
I nod. "Yeah." I turn to mom and dad. "I'll see you guys later. Promise we'll be back before midnight."
"I can't drive after midnight, so we'll definitely be back before then," Micah laughs.
"Smart boy," Mom chuckles, giving me a kiss on the forehead goodbye. "Have fun! Be safe."
"We will!" I call over my shoulder as I walk out the front door.
Micah closes the storm door behind us, following me around the concrete pathway to his truck. He walks at a slightly faster pace as we get closer to his truck and it doesn't occur to me why until he practically launches himself at the door to open it for me.
I laugh loudly, earning a pout from him. "Oh, c'mon!" He starts laughing himself, unable to contain it. "I'm tryin' to be a gentleman and you're laughin' at me."
"Sorry, sorry," I mutter between laughs. "You just nearly fell on your face."
"You walk too fast, woman," He grins. "You've got me literally fallin' for you."
"Cheesy," I tease with a smirk before I settle into the passenger seat. He shuts the door quietly, and I'm left in silence for a moment as he walks around to the driver's side.
There is something oddly thrilling and terrifying about this experience. Being alone in a car with him for the ten minute drive to the pumpkin patch, and then possibly alone with him on the hayride. Is it supposed to be terrifying?
"Alright, I downloaded Ed Sheeran, just for you," He tries to sound exasperated, but it doesn't fool me.
"Thanks, but you and I both know you downloaded it because you love his music, too," I reply pointedly.
Micah narrows his eyes as he hands me his phone before he begins backing down my driveway. I stare at the phone like it's a foreign device I've never seen before, causing him to smirk as he pulls onto the road.
"Pick any song, Pipes," He finally says. "You can look through my other stuff if you like, just don't make fun of me for it."
I stare at him tiredly. "When have I ever?"
"When you found out I listened to Taylor Swift!"
"Because that's so unlike you!" I laugh, hitting shuffle on Ed's music. "You're the last person I'd expect to like Taylor."
"She's got good music," He says defensively.
I nod. "She does. I love her."
The silence is comfortable as it blankets the cab of his truck. Ed Sheeran's 'I'm A Mess' plays softly in the background, filling the space that we don't. When we stop at the red light around the corner, Micah reaches over and turns the song up.
I stare at him weirdly for a moment and then he sends me on a rollercoaster – he starts singing.
"See the flames inside my eyes/it burns so bright I wanna feel your love/No, easy, baby, maybe I'm a lie/but for tonight I wanna fall in love/Put your faith in my stomach—"
I can't help the grin that splits my face in two when he sings at the top of his lungs, hitting every single note Ed sings perfectly. When the song switches the next, I'm applauding him like a maniac. He's laughing at me as he turns the volume down, shaking his head.
"That's just for you, by the way," He comments casually, as if that won't cause my cheeks to catch on fire. "I think I've only sang that loud one other time, and that was when Minnie was young."
I raise an eyebrow. "Minnie?"
"Shit, Roxie," He mutters, groaning. "She's gonna kill me."
"Why?" I chuckle. "Minnie is a cute nickname."
"She absolutely hates it, so don't tell her I said that," He says seriously, reminding me once more about how much he truly cares for his younger sister. Sometimes I forget, and then he says something small, and the pride washes over me once more.
"Your secret is safe with me," I promise.
He removes one of his hands from the wheel, holding it next to me with his pinky finger stretched out. I smirk, linking my left pinky with his right one, squeezing softly and then letting go. His hand returns to the wheel and I almost melt into the passenger seat.
Two songs later and we're pulling into a parking space at the pumpkin patch. The sun is already beginning its descent as we walk to the stand to buy tickets for the hay ride.
"Next one leaves in five minutes, so you're right on time." The girl behind the stand smiles, ripping off two tickets and handing them to us. "Have fun."
"Thank you," I tell her as Micah takes the tickets.
As we're walking away, I shove his shoulder. He smiles lightly, knowing already why I shoved him, but he still says, "What?" like he has no clue.
I narrow my eyes at him. This is probably the third or fourth time I've let him pay for me and something about it still makes me feel all weird inside. And guilty.
"Oh, c'mon," He laughs, shoving my shoulder lightly. "It's the first date. I figured I'd pay since I asked you."
I tilt my head to the side, my heart skipping a few beats when we stop by the pumpkin-but-almost-Christmas-tree stand. "This is a date?"
He fumbles with the tickets and fumbles with his words, resulting in the cutest nervous moment I have seen from him yet. "It is if uh—if you want it to be, I guess."
"Okay," I reply quietly, trying – and failing – not to smile. "I've never been on one of these, y'know."
He looks at me suddenly, raising an eyebrow. "A hayride?"
"No," I chuckle, realizing I should've clarified. "First date, I mean. This is like my first-ever-first-date, I guess."
He grins wildly, throwing his arm around my shoulders. "I'm honored."
I roll my eyes, taking a deep breath. "Of course you are."
He removes his arm from my shoulders, thankfully. I hate myself for not being totally comfortable around him just yet, but we have made progress. I'm going on a hayride with him, for Christ's sake. That's got to count for something.
The engine of the truck rumbles through the ground when it pulls up to let the previous crowd off. When everyone is out of the trailer, the driver calls for the next ground to get on.
I follow Micah onto the trailer and he chooses a bale of hay toward the back. We're joined with two other couples, and then a family with a small – probably three years old – child who is excitedly picking at the hay and holding her pumpkin in her lap securely. It brings a smile to my lips.
The truck starts driving a second later, jerking slightly when it takes off, causing me to fall backwards against Micah. He laughs as he catches me, helping me sit back upright before he puts his hands back in his pockets.
I take a deep breath, slowly scooting back so I can lean into Micah's side. I think I feel him tense, and I almost move away, but then I feel him removing his hand from his pocket to wrap his arm around me. I smile softly, letting my head rest on his shoulder.
It's a weird feeling – being comfortable with someone like this. I've never felt something like this before and I have to say it is a lot warmer than I had imagined, and I've done a ton of imagining.
The young girl is marveling at all the different sculptures and things set up along the trail, her excitement and enthusiasm radiating to everyone else, and I can tell her parents seem relieved when they catch me smiling widely as she squeals "Elsa!" when she sees the cutout. I hear Micah laugh quietly, his hand rubbing my arm gently.
The next part of the hayride causes me to sit up and a gasp to escape my lips. "I don't remember this part," I whisper, turning to look around at all the different colored lights strung up in the trees and in arches around the trail.
Micah removes his arm from around me to twist around and look at the lights, a small smile tugging at his lips. "This must be new," He says quietly.
I nod, leaning on my hands as I mimic the young girl and marvel at all the lights. She has gone speechless now, too, obviously not expecting this part of the ride.
I wasn't either, honestly. I thought it would be a simple ride through the trail. I had no idea all this was set up.
"It's so beautiful," I murmur, settling back against the railing.
"Yeah," Micah breathes, "it is."
I glance to my right and find him staring directly at me with this goofy smile on his face. I scoff, despite my cheeks flaring, and shove his shoulder. He laughs at me, looking around at the next big arch of lights.
I decide to look, too, noticing that this one has icicle lights strung around it to make it have a more winter feeling.
A moment later I feel Micah's hand next to mine, barely touching. I feel my chest expanding, the warm feeling spreading up my neck, but I keep my eyes trained on the lights surrounding us.
I expect him to lace his fingers with mine, but instead he gently holds my pinky in his, as if he's uncertain on whether or not I actually want to hold his hand. I take matters into my own hands – pardon the pun – for the second time tonight and glance down at our hands, moving mine so it fits neatly underneath his. I see him look down almost immediately, watching as our fingers lace together, fitting perfectly like this is the puzzle piece we had been missing.
I look back toward the lights with a smile spread across my lips, unable to contain itself. There's a slight tug on my hand that gets my attention and I look over to find Micah patting his shoulder with his free hand.
I move closer to him, leaning my head on his shoulder. I see the parents of the young girl smiling at us widely, the girl still entranced with the lights. Micah brings our hands up to his lips, kissing the back of my hand before he settles them back on his thigh.
+++
The hayride ends a lot sooner than I want it to – partly because I'm warm and comfortable against Micah, and partly because I really enjoy looking at the lights just as much as the young girl does.
Micah helps me off the trailer, holding his hand out for me to grab even though he doesn't need to because I am extremely capable of jumping down two feet – but I still grab his hand.
It's around seven when the hayride ends, so we decide to grab some food while we're here. The pumpkin patch has the best corndogs and pizza, though we both settle on pizza.
"So, you know how Rox and I went to Savannah earlier this week?"
I raise an eyebrow, taking a long sip of my sweet tea before I respond. "Yeah. You told me about it." One of the smaller bands that Roxie loves was playing a show in Savannah on Monday, so naturally Micah and Roxie took a road trip to go see them perform.
"Yeah," Mic chuckles, fumbling in the pocket of his jacket. "Well I got you somethin'."
I narrow my eyes, anger and gratitude fighting inside me. "I told you not to."
"You also told me not to buy you a Christmas present, but I already have that one covered."
"Micah!" I exclaim in false exasperation, my chest expanding.
"Okay, okay," He dismisses my outburst, smiling like a goofball as he holds out the present in front of me.
I tentatively take it from him, seeing that it's a leather bracelet with string designs in brown and white all around it. It has a draw string to tighten it – bless me and my tiny wrists – which makes me smile.
"Thank you, Mic." I smile widely. "I love it." I pause to put it on my wrist, tightening the bracelet almost all the way before it feels comfortable and like it won't fall off. "Also, you're an ass. I had no idea when you were asking me about bracelets that you were gonna get me one."
He laughs, shrugging. "I had to be discreet. I take it my plan worked."
"It did, and I'm only half-mad about it."
"Half-mad?"
"I don't enjoy when people buy me things," I say seriously, already messing with the bracelet out of nervous habit. "But it does feel nice that you thought about me enough to buy me something."
He smiles widely. "You're hard to forget."
"And now you're torturing me again," I groan, running a tired hand down my face.
"It's the truth!" He fires back, laughing probably at my inflamed cheeks.
He enjoys making me blush and I'll never understand why, but I'm only half-mad about it.