Behind the Cherry Tree, A Not-So-Short Story

7. So it Goes

I'm in full on panic mode. Did mum find him and kick him out and pretend like nothing happened? Did he run? I wouldn't blame him really... But where'd he hide? There's only one way out of the house... that's out of the front gate, he'd have to have passed the house windows, he would have been seen, surely!

My hope dwindled as I flew about my room, yanking the covers off my bed and flinging myself to the floor to check under my bed (normally my biggest fear). No sign. I tore open my bathroom door and found it empty. My heart twisted painfully. Now what? I stepped back into my bedroom, deflated, all my panic gone, replaced with a dull disbelief.

I flopped down on my couch, my hand dramatically draped across my forehead. 

"Mike. Where the hell are you?" I grumbled. An idea struck me and I responded lazily.

"I bet you're not behind the couch either..." I continued as I stretched my head back to check. Nope.

"What the hell, Mike. Ugh! Boys." I resumed my dramatic position, feeling peculiarly lonely in my room.

A couple of long slow minutes passed with the entire world holding its breath, completely silent and unmoving. My eyes drift shut as I wait for the next tick of the second hand in the clock.

There's a sudden tap at the window and time snaps back like an elastic band. I jerk to my feet, heart thundering in my ears.

"Mel!" Mike's voice forces its way through the crack in the window. I don't leave my windows open. Ever. Not even slightly.

"Mel!" He calls again.

"Shit Mike! What the ffff.... hell!" I scramble to my feet and rush to the window, pushing it completely open.

"Mike, seriously! What happened?! Where'd you go?! Did mum see you?" The words tumble from my mouth, and he just grins at me.

"I'm being dead serious here Mike! Stop laughing at me! Hey! You! Shush! Miiiiiike!"

"Come on, Mel. Chill, I saw your kitchen door open and could still see you working at the other window and figured your mum was coming so I hid. She didn't see me. Ok? C-h-i-l-l! Breathe. You good?"

I glared at him but let my relief overcome my anger.

"Hey. How about I show you my hiding place... it's pretty cool. I'll give you a hand up."

"Up?"

 "Yeah, up here." And he disappeared out the top of the window.

I leaned out the window and twisted my head to look up awkwardly. Mike was impossibly positioned at the ledge of my roof.

"You've got to be kidding me."

"Nope." He grinned wider.

"Am I going to regret this later?"

"Meh... possibly. But consider this, you'll be able to say you spend time with the most godly man on Earth."

"Most godly? Pah! And what was the other word you used... man I think it was. Ok, Mr. Man. If you're so manly then explain how you get down from there without breaking all the bones in your legs again."

"I'm going to pretend you said that first bit. But obviously I get down with my manly strength. Come on Mel, I've done this before."

I rolled my eyes.

"This better be good, Mike. If we get stuck up here, we're utterly and completely screwed. And. I'll blame you."

"I can handle that. I don't think I'll mind being possibly trapped on the roof with my best friend."