"Well it's about time you're here!" Reese grinned at me as Michael and I walked over to stand with them in front of the ticket booth. "Took you long enough! I thought you would have been here an hour ago."
"We would have," I shrugged, fiddling with the waistband of my high-waisted shorts. "But I kinda took a nap. I didn't sleep at all last night."
That much was true, I really didn't sleep at all and that must have had some effect on me.
"How was your date with Dylan?"
"Date?" Michael looked over at me, shock clear on his face.
I was quick to degrade the term. "He's just-"
"Alana!" I was cut off by a loud giggle. I turned around, only to be nearly knocked over by three incredibly tall boys.
"Ash! Luke! Cal!" I laughed, hugging them all back, relieved to have avoided Michael's question. I could feel Michael's eyes on my back and I couldn't bring myself to face him.
"Did Michael tell why you we're here?" Ashton asked, looking down at me as he ran his long fingers through his curls.
"Yup." I nodded. "So you're house sitting and watching your cousin?"
"That's the plan!" Ash grinned proudly, like he'd been tasked with guarding the president.
"Poor kid."
"Ye-hey wait!" Ashton pouted. "Why would you say that?"
"Oh, come on, Ash!" I giggled. "You four are terrible! You'll drive the poor kid insane!"
"We-I am not terrible! You can ask the kid yourself!" Ashton looked around, and yelled at a kid who was paying for deep fried Oreos. "Hey, Jim Bob! Am I terrible babysitter?"
The kid, he looked around twelve or thirteen, bearing the same messy blonde hair as Ashton but his eyes were brown instead of hazel and he didn't have dimples. "That's not my name, you aren't my babysitter, I don't need one, but you are terrible!"
"Hey!" Ashton said, taking off after his cousin who started to run down the boardwalk. "I paid for those Oreos and this is how you repay me?"
"Jim Bob?" I laughed, turning to Calum and Luke.
"Yeah, his name's actually James, though." Calum enlightened me. "I guess one of the last times Ashton saw him, that Disney show, Wizards of Waverly Place? Yeah, that was on TV at the time and Ash connected James and that Justin guy's Jim Bob Sherwood toy and has been calling him that ever since."
"It's truly a lovely story." Luke added, pleased with himself for making a sarcastic comment.
"So it is." I laughed as I purchased an all-day wristband at the ticket booth. I waited, watching as Ashton came back towards us with James in a tow and got in line behind the others to get their wrist band. And as I began to look away, I noticed three things:
1. Reese and Luke were totally flirting (no surprises, Reese was a natural born flirt)
2. Kay and Cal were excitedly talking about what prizes they wanted to win at the games
3. Michael was still staring at me. Not making funny faces, not doing anything. His face was completely emotionless but his gaze was so intense it was as if he could see everything that went on in my head. I shivered and turned away.
"So what are we gonna do?" Cal asked, as we all gathered around in a circle
That was the wrong question to ask.
At once, nearly everybody started talking. Except me. And Michael.
I kept my head down and tried to listen to everyone, fiddling with the wristband to avoid looking at Michael. From what I could pick out, Kayla wanted to play games and Cal did too. Reese and Luke wanted to go check out the bridge the train ran over, and Ashton was trying to tell James that no one wanted to go to the arcade. I was only a little surprised Michael didn't take James's side, being the gamer he was.
"Jim Bob, nobody wants to go!"
And with that, James suddenly broke away from our loud little mob and started sprinting towards the arcade. I watched as Ashton hesitated, looking at all of us apologetically, and then ran after his cousin, swearing.
"Wait, Reese!"
"Luke!"
I spun back around just in time to see to blonde heads run off the other way, in the direction of the train tracks. Calum sighed. "Should we just split up or...?"
"Oooh!" Kayla squealed. "Boardwalk games! Do you guys wanna go?"
Before I could say yes, Michael cut me off. "Nah, we're fine. You guys go on ahead."
"Alright man. See you later." Calum said, clapping his hand on Michael's shoulder. Kayla waved to me before they ran off, their dark heads soon lost in the sea of people around us.
"Well, I feel like we've all really bonded as a group, don't you?" I laughed half-heartedly more at my weak attempt to make a joke, rather than the actual joke itself.
But Michael wasn't having it. "You were on a date?"
"Um, yes." I said, but it came out more like a question.
"What's his name?"
"Dylan. Michael, it's really not a big deal." I tried, but he kept going.
"And you met him this morning?" He raised his eyebrows at me.
"No, last night. We were in the same car on a ride."
"Is that why you didn't ans-"
"Yes, Michael." I sighed exasperatedly. "That's why I didn't respond to your text, because I figured it could wait. It's nothing too serious, I don't even know if it'll last beyond this week."
"Have you kissed?" He asked, which caught me off guard.
Before I could even consider denying it, the word slipped off my lips. "Yes."
"Lana-"
"It's not a big deal, Michael!" I threw my hands up. "So what? We kissed!"
"Lana, I just don't want you to get hurt, that's all. Okay? You just met the guy. He could be a total ass, for all you know."
"No." I shook my head. "Dylan's not like that. He wanted to kiss me again earlier but when I wouldn't let him, he told me we didn't have to do anything I didn't want."
"Okay." Michael stopped me. "Okay, Lana. I'll believe you. Just...be careful."
I sighed, feeling any annoyance I was feeling towards him fade. "Alright."
In response, Michael only nodded and tucked a strand of hair behind my ear, setting the spots his fingers brushed on my cheeks ablaze, just like he had the day I met him.
"So," I cleared my throat. "Have you been here before?"
"Once, when I was younger. But I hardly remember anything."
I widened my eyes, feeling excitement bubbling up. "So it's safe to say it's like your first time here?"
He shrugged. "I guess so. Why?"
"Because now it's my job to make this trip a memorable one." I giggled, pulling him towards one of the boardwalk's biggest attractions.
***
I sat in a car for the Giant Dipper for the second time in the last twenty-four hours, except instead of being accompanied by Dylan, I was with Michael. Michael fidgeted around in the car, looking all around us. I could tell straight off the bat when Michael sat in the car that he wasn't as calm as Dylan was with rollercoasters.
"Lana," he leaned over and whispered in my ear. "I've never really been on a rollercoaster before."
"What? No way!" I shouted and Michael was quick to hush me. I whispered, "I could tell you were nervous, but I didn't know you'd never been on one! Why didn't you tell me?"
"Because I'm almost nineteen and that's wimpy." He whined.
"You're adorable." I laughed, shaking my head.
"Don't call me that, I'm hard core. Punk rock." He snapped, raising his left arm, revealing the words "To The Moon" in cursive, and then showing me the "X" on his right middle finger and the anchor on his left thumb.
"Michael! When did you get those?" I hadn't even known Michael had tattoos.
"Um, I've had the one on my arm for a while now. And I got the ones on my hands...a week and a half ago ?" He shrugged, looking around again.
"Wow." I said quietly. "What does the one on your arm mean?"
He shrugged, tapping his foot. His attention was obviously on when the ride would start. "Just the lengths I would go to for the things I love...the people I love."
"Wow." I repeated. I wanted to trace my fingers over the loopy letters, but stopped myself. I almost laughed, watching Michael start fidgeting again, tracing the anchor on his thumb. I rolled my eyes and sighed, grabbing his hand and lacing our fingers together to calm him.
He tore his gaze away from the gates we came through and looked at me, then down at our hands, then back at me. "Thanks."
I opened my mouth to say "no problem" but my words were stolen as we jerked forward and the ride began. Michael squeezed my hand tightly and unconsciously held his breath as we began the incline. "Michael, breathe."
"Right." He said, laughing nervously as he exhaled.
I laughed and moved a little closer to him. "Just breathe."
He nodded and his eyes widened as we neared the peak of the ride. He looked around, his eyes taking in the view around us. The vast, blue ocean, the thousands of people milling below, the other rides and games that lined the boardwalk... We were both entranced by the view, that we didn't have time to brace ourselves for the drop.
I shrieked and Michael gasped, his free hand going straight for the railing in front of us. I quickly adjusted to the falling sensation, enjoying the feel, but nothing was better than the sound of Michael's laugh ringing through the air.
I looked over at him and he smiled at me. "Still nervous as hell about these things but I think I'll be alright!"
A great laugh bubbled out of me and soon we were shrieking and giggling in hysteria through the rest of the turns and small dips. My stomach hurt and so did my cheeks, but I didn't care. We were having too much fun for anything else to matter to me. Michael's death grip had loosened, but he still hadn't let go of my hand. He looked like he was having the time of his life, his head bobbing wherever the car directed it, his eyes shut and his mouth stretched into a brilliant smile that showed all of his teeth. His body shook and I wasn't sure if it was because of the jolting of the ride or his laughter.
Michael's smile was still plastered to his face as we ran out the exit, breathing hard and fighting to slow our breathing. In his excitement, Michael dragged me to a few other rides, like the swings, bumper cars, and a little racecar ride that whipped around a small track that we were way too big for.
"Lana!" Michael grabbed me by the shoulders the moment I pulled myself out of my cramped little racecar.
"What?" I raised my eyebrows, lifting my knees alternatively to my chest to stretch them.
"Tilt-A-Whirl. We have to go on it." He insisted, letting go of my shoulders, but allowing one hand to slide down my arm and grab my hand.
"Gosh Michael, you don't even need me anymore to show you around!" I teased as he tugged me through the crowd towards the ride.
"Nonsense!" He shouted over his shoulder. "I wouldn't do this with any of the boys! They'd laugh their asses of at me! And there's no way Luke could have gotten his legs in the little racecar!"
I laughed and decided he was right, picking up speed to keep up with Michael's long strides. We slipped into line behind five kids that were pushing each other around. I watch in amusement and stood back to avoid getting hit. Michael then bumped into me, almost causing me to lose my balance and hit the railing.
"Hey!" I glared at Michael but his head was turned the other way.
Feigning surprise and innocence, he looked down at me. "Something wrong?"
"No, everything's just fine. Perfect." I said, flashing a smile before shoving him back, laughing as he stumbled backwards, nearly colliding with the person behind us.
"Hey!" Michael giggled. "I didn't push you that hard!"
"So you did push me!"
"I-oh look at that it's our turn!" Michael looked over my head and shoving me towards the employee that was taking tickets and checking wristbands.
"This isn't over, Clifford." I glared, using his last name like Reese and I do to each other, and stepping forward, showing the employee my wristband before stepping onto the sloping surface of the ride.
"Yeah, okay. Gray." Michael said from behind as I led him towards one of the giant seats at the top of a slope. "I apologize in advance for the next few minutes."
"Why?" I raised an eyebrow, sitting down in the car.
"I'm probably going to crush you on this ride." He mumbled apologetically, scratching the back of his neck and sitting down next to me. A few minutes later, after the guy checked all the cars, the ride started.
Hours later, after having gone on almost all the rides (including the kiddy ones) and laughing myself sore, I didn't even remember if Michael crushed me on the ride, but I don't think I minded if he had.
Part 2 of double update
Don't worry, i'll explain more about Michael's tattoo later