Imperfections (Michael Clifford)

13

We were on the way to Michael's house, with three suitcases in the back. We decided I was going to be moving in with him.

He texted the boys not to freak out when they saw me, especially Luke. I was wearing the turtle neck with a black t-shirt under it. I only wore the turtle neck so people wouldn't see the marks through the window. When we got there, Michael grabbed 2 suitcases so I grabbed the other one. We walked in and everyone looked sympathetically at me. We brought my stuff to Michael's room and everybody was looking for marks on my body, but I was still wearing the long sleeve turtle neck so they couldn't see. I looked at Michael almost as if asking if I should take it off and he nodded at me, so I did. Nobody had said anything since I got here, but I knew that was going to change. Michael sat down on the couch and everyone was just staring at me, waiting. I finally took it off and immediately started crying. Everyone's eyes watered, and no one knew what had happened except me and Michael.

"What happened?" Luke finally asked looking mostly at my neck.

"I never told you, Luke, but this is what mom and dad do to me." I said crying for all of them to hear.

Luke started crying and came to hug me. We hugged for a while and Ashton finally asked "How's your hip?"

"It's okay, but dad got aggressive and started pushing on it." I said through tears.

"Would it be to much to ask you to tell me the whole story?" Calum asked after a minute.

Michael just glared at him.

"No. It's fine. I will end up telling you guys eventually anyways. Luke this is going to be very hard for you. Are you sure you want to listen?" He just nodded so I started to tell them. "Mom got mad at me for not wanting to clean the whole house, so I went off on her. That is when this and this happened." I said pointing to my cheek and arm.

Then I remembered that my hair was covering my face and neck because I figured I should reveal that all the way at the end, so I moved my hair enough for my cheek to show. They all silently listen with tears in their eyes. "Dad got mad and dragged me up the stairs by my wrist." I said holding out my hand. I started sobbing at this part. "He m-made me do th-things to him-m." I said and they looked at Michael almost as if to clarify what I meant. He looked back at them and nodded. "After that h-he got mad at me because I didn't enjoy it so he did this..." I sobbed and pulled all of my hair out of the way, to reveal the hand print on my neck.

I haven't even seen it yet but Luke started crying when he saw it. "I kicked him in the nuts hoping he would get off me so he did this." I finished revealing the hickey. "That's when he left and then Michael called. So I'm moving in here. And I have to go to school so they will probably get arrested at some point." I hope Monica sees this and realized she made a mistake leaving me because I started dating Michael.

I have missed 2 days and my wound is healing fast so I have to go to school tomorrow.

"Well I have some news to lighten the day..." Calum said after about 10 minutes.

Everyone looked at him in excitement.

"I have a girlfriend!" He yelped.

Everyone cheered for a second and I asked "what's her name?!"

"Alexis."

"Oh my god. That's my old friend! We were friends in middle school but we didn't have any classes together in 8th grade so we drifted apart." You would think we might not be talking about the same Alexis but there was only one Alexis in our school and everyone knows who she is.

After a minute we decided to watch a movie on Netflix. I ordered pizza without the boys knowing, but they were always happy with pizza so...

When there was a knock at the door, I jumped up and paid him with the door cracked open. I took the pizzas and threw them on the table and said "I bought dinner."

Everyone smiled, thanked me, and dug in.

~~~

The alarm clock rang, but this time, I let Michael get it.

I sat up and went to find an outfit from a suitcase in the corner of Michael's room.

"You don't have to go today, everyone would understand, and I can stay here with you." He started to ramble.

"Michael, it's fine. I will be okay. I need to go and get my mind off of it anyways." I said. The outfit I have pulled out wouldn't cover any of my marks. Let them stare, see if I care.

I got dressed, put my hair in a french braid, and didn't bother with make up. Chances are I will cry at some point. I looked in the mirror for the first time since it happened and it was bad. I mean you can tell that someone tried to choke me, someone held onto my arm and wrist and that I was punched in the face and obviously, the hickey.

"Are you ready to go?" I asked Michael as I walked into the living room.

"Yep." He said grabbing his backpack.

"Shit."

"What is it, babe?" He paused to look at me.

"My backpack is at my house."

"Is your window still unlocked?"

"Should be." I shrugged.

"Is your backpack in your room?"

"That's where I put it."

"Let's go."

We went to my house and Michael got out of the car without saying a word. He walked through my yard, climbed up the tree, opened the window, went in, and came out with my backpack over his shoulder.

Damn he's good.