violet skies / michael clifford

"fuck the rules"

14. are you gonna break the rules, michael?

I return to the living room, grabbing the spare controller with one hand and a slice of pizza with the other. Taking a bite, I ignore the wide-eyed looks on Luke and Calum's faces. They probably expect me to explain whatever is going on with the girl currently using our shower.

"What?"

"You brought her here?" Luke says, chewing his pizza. "Why'd you want to hang out if you're gonna be busy fucking some girl?"

"Mate, close your fucking mouth," Calum snaps at him, whacking Luke over the head. He throws himself to the side when the blond one attempts to punch him back in the arm. "You're disgusting."

"Get off of me," Luke growls.

"Mike, I know you like this girl and all that, but we're having gaming night. Why is she here?" Calum asks, when the two of them had settled down and stopped fighting.

"She was upset! I wasn't gonna leave her to cry on her own."

"Right, but she's can't stay over."

It is clearly stated in our living agreement not to bring any girls home when the other roommate is there. Sharing rooms, Calum I had come up with the rule of 24 hour notice when planning to have a girl over, so the other could stay away or at least sleep at Luke's for the night.

The thing is, I wasn't planning on sleeping with her. I just wanted to hang out.

"Fuck the rules. I can do what I want," I mumble, taking another bite.

"No you can't," Calum disagrees, sending me a glare as he presses play on his controller "I'm not staying here if you're having sex. No way."

"Calm down, mate. We're not gonna have sex."

"Yeah, with her you only get to touch the bum. No tongue action," Luke says sarcastically, eyes still on the screen in front of him. He laughs.

Everything stops. I look at Calum, who immediately looks away. "You told him about that? I told you that in confidence! What the fuck, I've never told Luke about any of your hook-ups."

"Mikey?" I hear Jessa's voice from the other end of the room, and swiftly turn around to see her stood in the doorway. Her hair is damp around the shoulders, wetting the upper part of the t-shirt with our band name on it.

She's cleaned up well. Although the shorts reach way past her knees. She looks weird but cute. I don't usually cuddle, but I'd cuddle her.

"Why is she wearing our merch?" Luke asks, and the room falls quiet.

"I'm sorry, I–" she looks at Luke, and then cuts her sentence short.

The couch gets scooted backwards from the force of me standing up. I practically drag her with me into the bedroom. "Can we talk?"

"About what?"

I pray she hasn't heard what was said earlier. But that's hoping for too much. Jessa holds her head low, pretty brown eyes glued to the floor between our feet. If only she'd look at me.

She won't.

I feel awkward, shuffling slightly. I'm wearing odd socks and I wish she won't notice how one is back and the other blue. Not that it matters. If she dislikes me from this moment onwards, it would be for other reasons than wearing socks that don't match. "Have you got OCD?"

The question seems to have successfully confused the girl in front of me, causing her to look up. "What? No?"

I love those Bambi eyes. Love? No I don't.