All in Your Head

Off the Rails

Michael sat in the back of his history class, debating on whether he should fake being sick.
The Teacher had played them a video and now the other students were filling out a question sheet for the video. Michael had fallen asleep, as he always does, and now has no fucking clue what any of these questions were about. He looked down at the worksheet biting his lip nervously.
"Would Michael Clifford please report to the office. Michael Clifford, Please report to the office."
The class filled with whispering and ohh's as Michael grabbed his backpack.
He rolled his eyes at some class mates as the teacher tried to gather the students attention again. Michael walked down the hallways towards the principals office, going through multiple possibilities, most them things he had done within the last ten minutes. Michael pushed the frosted glass door open to the office, his mind flashing back to the night of the events. They wouldn't know. No one knows.
The receptionist frowned, pointing a row of plastic maroon chairs lining a wall.
Michael sat down, his heart racing.
What had he done? Why was the receptionist acting so cold-
"Relax Michael. Your paler than normal"
Michael startled at Calum's voice, whipping to face the mori boy.
"Calum! Where have you been? Why did I get-"
Michael froze as Calum looked at him, his stomach curling at the emotion in the others eyes.
"It's about the girls. Chill the fuck out and listen. You saw them enter the park and leave, got it?"
"But-Muhf!"
Michael startled as Calum grabbed his face, his blunt nails digging into Michael's pale cheeks.
"You know nothing. Your saw nothing. You did nothing. Do you, under stand?"
Michael nodded slowly, his eyes seeming to fog over as he relaxed into Cals harsh hold.
"Good boy."
"Michael Gordon Clifford. Come with me please."
Michael pulled his face from Calum's hands, slowly standing as the principal stood, his fave void of emotion. Michael started to follow him but paused, turning back to Cal, only to find him gone again. Mike hurried to catch up with the principal, weary as they lead him into a conference room. Michael swore his heart stopped at the sight of the two officers in the sitting at the large round table. He sat across from the frowning.
"I've got a pop quiz next block."
The principal closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
"Michael, you do not have a pop Quiz in your next block. It's called a pop Quiz because they randomly "pop" up."
"Like a boner, except I don't mind those."
Michael couldn't distinguish the look on his principal's face but he had a feeling that his sanity was hanging by a thread and Michael was a scissors, waiting to cut him loose.
"Michael right? Can I call you Mike?"
One of the officers smiled, pulling out two photos.
"No. Just Michael please. Only people close to me call me Mike."
Michael looked down at the two digital smiles, his face blank while his stomach squirmed and twisted. The one on the left, she had died so slowly.
"Michael you are the last person to see these girls alive. We have camera footage of you following these girls."
A laptop was opened and Michael sighed, watching as a grainy black and white image of the drunk girls wobbling through the park popped up. He followed them not long after.
"Michael, what happened after you followed those girls?"
"You haven't told me jack shit. Not even your names. Is that legal?"
The officers and principal shifted uncomfortably.
"Obviously if the girls were safe you wouldn't be here. But we all know they lived near that park yes?" Michael internally smirked as both police men flushed. "Unfortunately that areas a hot spot for.... unsavory characters. I followed them until they made it to a street with multiple houses. Then I went home."
Michael stood and grabbed his backpack.
"It's not a crime to follow underage intoxicated girls too make sure they get home safe. I guess I didn't follow long enough."

Michael sniffled as he finally turned off the sink. The food was out of his hair but no amount of hand soap was going to bring out the smell. Word had gotten out, and now most of the school thought Michael had two teenage girls chopped up in his basement.
Which then led to him getting tossed head first into the trash bins in the cafeteria. Just great, exactly what he needed. Michael walked out of the bathroom as the bell rang and went straight to his biology class. He sat in the back and sighed in relief as Luke walked in.
"How was your interrogation?"
Michael scowled as the tall blonde giggled down at him.
"They tried to stiff me."
"We know, good thing Calum caught you first."
Michael nodded, sinking low into his seat as the teacher walked in. Luke winked at a group of blondes nearby and they quickly turned in their seats, giggling uncontrollably. Michael rolled his eyes, pulling out a notebook and pencil. Luke was... odd. He usually was this quite, OCD about everything kind, no nonsense guy. He was shy and never, ever talked back to Ashton or Calum. Then again, no one talked back to Ashton. But put Luke around a girl, and it's like a switch is flipped. Maybe it's because he has no sisters. Maybe it's because his mom died when he was young. 10 minutes tops and that girls is putty in Lukes hands. She'll so anything he wants. Even follow him to his friends basement.

I'm fucking exhausted. My bone marrow is tired. But I missed you all very much 💖