A Childhood Tree House
Shay's P.O.V
The past two weeks at the lake house have been far from normal.
The past month I had gotten used to a routine that consisted of me going on adventures, spending a lot of time just thinking & daydreaming but most importantly, I had gotten used to being alone a lot.
I was living in my parents lake house about four hours from home in a town known for vacations & retirement so yes, I was alone all of the time.
But then I met Michael.
My initial impression was that he seemed like a cool guy but then he opened his mouth & our first conversation consisted of him trying to get me into bed with him so ultimately I decided I didn't think he was that great of a guy. The next time we saw each other, he once again brought up hooking up so I really didn't think he was worth my time. He finally opened up as to why he was on the lake, a.k.a his friends forcing him here because he turned into a diva & though at first I called him out for actually indeed being a diva, something clicked & he turned out to be a pretty cool guy.
Michael is really easy to talk to & very comforting, like I feel super safe with him. I laugh a lot around him & I can just be silly. It's a good feeling.
Plus he's always warm, even in a freezing house, he's somehow warm...which is why I wanted to cuddle with him. Michael also just looks cuddly, especially when he wears those plaid button ups.
Anyway, I really did like Michael & his smile. I liked his smile a lot.
I wasn't 100% if I had feelings for him but I did think they could possibly develop & develop fairly fast as well, but I was enjoying hanging out with him for now.
I went into town for awhile but on my way back home, I stopped outside Michael's cabin to pick him up. I honked my car horn once I got there & he came outside just a second later before hopping in my car.
"Heya Shay."
"Hi Michael."
"Long time no see." He joked & he was right, I had just left his house this past morning, literally just a few hours ago since we had a sleepover.
"I picked up a pizza on my way back, I hope that's okay." I asked Michael & he just laughed. "Wait, what's so funny?"
"It's just me & pizza, like it's my favorite food. We even created this like 45 second punk song called pizza about me wanting another slice."
"What? Well then I guess this is okay."
"It is, thanks."
It didn't take too long to drive over to my house & once there, I parked & walked Michael & I inside.
"So this is your parents house then technically?"
"Yea, it is." I said as I put the pizza on the counter & grabbed two plates.
"I'm guessing this is a picture of your parents?"
"Yep, family photo." I said, looking over at Michael who was looking at a family picture from when I was three hung on the wall.
"You were sucha cute kid, Shay! Look at those dimples."
"Thanks."
"I mean you're still cute now though."
I just smiled. I didn't know what to say.
Michael came over by me & joined me in the kitchen & we ate the pizza at the island in the middle of the kitchen where we had a few stools around it.
"This place is so homey compared to mine." Michael said, after finishing his first piece.
"Yea, this place feels more like home than my actual home to tell you the truth."
"Did you come here a lot though, like before moving here this past month?"
"All the time. My parents bought this house when I was four I think & every summer, my dad & I would come every couple weekends to stay a night or two. We'd go on adventures, he taught me how to fish & just things like that. We built that tree house back there too when I was eight." & then I pointed out the window to a fort my dad & I had spent an entire summer building together.
"Awh, that's adorable! I always wanted a tree house."
"Same, it's a highlight of my childhood. But every summer my grandparents, aunts, uncles, everyone would come spend a weekend here too & it was just so fun, like an annual reunion. Looking back, I guess I used to be a lot closer to my parents when I was really young."
"Why do you think that changed? If you don't mind me asking."
"I don't know. I think I just became more aware of the like NYC life & realized I didn't like it. I knew my dad's work on Wall Street wasn't exactly pretty or debatable legal & my mom was kind of superficial so I started to become distant I guess."
"So in the future, if you could live in a city or a more quiet place like this, would you pick here?" Michael asked, finishing his second slice. He really did like pizza.
"I actually don't know. I love the quiet here but I don't think I could spend forever this far away from like civilization. I like the city life, I do like always having places to visit, people to see but I just don't know if NYC is the city for me."
"Gotcha."
"What about you? Where would you like to live in the future?" I asked him.
"Wow, I mean I love Sydney, that will always be home. I'd love to live in the actual city of Sydney someday or L.A. I love L.A. Have you ever been?"
"Yea, I have a few times. L.A is cool, it's still busy but not as like fast paced as I feel like NYC is."
"Exactly. I just love the vibe in L.A"
"I'm sure for a musician it's a cool place." I told him & he nodded. I could picture Michael in L.A, I mean his skin was very pale but that's okay, sometimes pale is the trend.
Once we finished eating, I took Michael's plate & I put the leftover pizza in the refrigerator for later.
"Wanna go see the tree house before it gets too dark?" I asked & Michael instantly nodded, practically running to the back door. I just laughed.
I must admit, the tree house was pretty amazing. There was a ladder & that led you up to a little landing, kind of like a porch & then there was a door that opened to the actual tree house. The inside was just a giant square but I thought for tree houses, it was pretty nice.
I climbed up first & then Michael followed.
"I feel like a kid again." He joked.
"Me too. I still love it up here."
& then I opened the wooden door.
"Wait, I can't come in." He said & I looked back & realized he was still sitting outside on the porch area.
"& why can't you?"
"It says no boys allowed." He said, pointing to a sign that I had hung up next to the door.
"Well, when I was eight I thought boys had cooties, now I know they don't. You can come in." I just laughed at him.
"Well, if you insist." & then Michael walked into the tree house.
"Geesh, even at 18 & I still fit in comfortably. You & your dad outdid yourselves."
"I mean my dad did most of it. I used to just hand him nails or bring him water."
"It's still a cool memory to share with your dad."
"Yea, it is."
We sat up there for awhile & Michael just laughed at the few barbies I had hidden away in the corner & I told him about the time I fell off of the ladder climbing down once & how my dad had to rush me to a hospital before we went back inside.
I started a fire because I knew the weather said it was suppose to drop pretty cold in the night & then Michael & I sat on the same couch, just a few inches between us.
I kind of wanted to jump into his lap & cuddle with him but I wasn't sure how he'd take that so I kept a little bit of distance.
"So, do you want to know the reasons for why I'm here?" I asked him. Michael's head turned towards me really fast, I don't think he was expecting that at all.
"Really?" I just nodded back at him. "I mean, only if you want to share, Shay. You don't have to."
"I think it's only fair. You've opened up a lot to me this past week, it's time I do the same."
"Then whatever you want to share, I'm listening."
& then Michael put his hand on my knee & that alone felt so comforting.
I just had no idea how he'd react to what I was about to share.
A/N welcome to shay's point of view. i just thought it was time to start talking from her voice as well. this was just a cute filler of them, obviously still just developing their friendship. but now shay is about to share part of her reasons for being on the lake...any ideas what it could possibly be?
& can we take a moment for this amnesia music video. lord have mercy those are four beautiful boys. bless them.