new beginnings // michael clifford

Chapter 8: Consequences

Summer's POV

I woke up on my side with Michael pressed up against my back and his arm around me. I smiled in my half aware state and sighed. I closed my eyes again and was about to try and sleep again when I realized that it was most likely the morning. I separated myself from Michael and he jolted awake.

"Oh my god! What time is it?" I asked frantically.

He grabbed for his phone on the bedside table and checked the time. "It's 7. Why?"

"I was supposed to be home by midnight! My dad is going to kill me." I put my face in my hands. "I've never stayed out too late. I have no idea how he's going to react."

Michael pulled my hands away from my face and forced me to look at him. "What's the worst that could happen? You've never done anything bad, right? Just explain that you didn't feel good and you fell asleep. It's the truth."

I hated how he brought up that I never did anything bad. He was right though. "I guess so. And I have to face him sometime," I groaned.

"Do you want me to walk you?"

I thought about it for a minute and it would be nice for him to walk me home, but I didn't want to risk my dad seeing him. "That's ok, I'll be fine by myself." I moved to get off the bed, but he pulled me back to him.

"Your dad can wait a few more minutes. I'd like a goodbye kiss." He brought me onto his lap and inched his hand up my dress.

I grabbed for his hand with my own and said, "another time, Mikey" against his lips.

He pulled away and pouted. "Fine. I do like you calling me that though."

"Mikey?" I asked. I hadn't even thought about it, it sort of just came out.

He nodded and gave me one more longing kiss. "Call me later?"

I nodded and he finally let me get up from the bed. I quietly walked downstairs and let myself out. I was glad that I didn't see anyone downstairs on my way out.

My house was silent when I walked in and I tried my hardest to sneak up to my room. I thought I had successfully snuck back home without my dad seeing me, but there he was when I opened my bedroom door. He stood up from my bed and folded his arms across my chest.

When I was little, I was a huge daddy's girl. I did everything with my dad. He was a big football fan, so he would deck me and Adam out in all red for the college games. Whenever I didn't have school, he brought me to work with him and my dad sometimes told me my mom felt left out because I spent so much time with him. He was the one that helped me with my school work and pushed me to get good grades.

Then my mom died and he shut down. Adam partly played football for my dad's benefit because it would give him something to do, but he never went to a single game. All dad cares about now is that I get good grades and stay out of trouble but I'm not sure why. He pays no attention to Adam. I think he only works hard at his job to make sure we have enough money and can get by.

"Where were you?" His voice seemed to bounce off the walls and echo around me.

I hugged my around my self and looked at the ground. "I...um...fell asleep at Jordan's. I didn't feel well last night." My voice was quiet and shakier than I had hoped.

"Look at me Summer." I lifted my head and his expression was angry. "I do not appreciate you staying out all night. I have not met this Jordan girl or know where she lives and frankly you've lost my trust. I've no choice but to ground you."

My eyebrows rose in shock. Ground me? I'd never been ground before. Then again I'd never had a boyfriend (was Michael my boyfriend?) or gone to parties or stayed out all night before either.

"But dad! I didn't feel well! Can't you make an exception?" I pleaded.

"You should've called and asked to spend the night. That's why I pay for that phone of yours. I won't accept this type of behavior. It's unlike you, Summer. It's not how I raised you."

I sighed. "Please give me another chance? I won't do anything like this again."

"My answer is final. You're grounded for two weeks."

"Two weeks?!"

"I think that's a good amount of time for you to learn your lesson."

"What lesson?"

"That you can't stay out all night!" He was yelling now and breathing heavy. My dad never yelled at me and I backed a few steps away. Most kids wouldn't think anything of yelling and it wouldn't scare them, but I'd never seen my dad like this. He noticed that I had backed away and caught his breath. "Summer, I'm sorry. But you need to let me know where you are."

I nodded as he opened his arms to ask for a hug. I walked over to him and welcomed it. It felt nice, like old times. "I love you, daddy. I'm sorry."

"I love you too, honey. Why don't you change out of your dress and get some rest, ok?"

I nodded and he left my room. I pulled off my dress and went into my bathroom to take a shower. The hot water felt amazing as it hit me. I stood underneath the shower head for at least a half an hour letting the steam soothe me. I wrapped a towel around me and walked back to my room when I was finished and changed into a pair of sweats and a tank. Right as I got into my bed to lay down, I heard a knock at my door.

"Come in," I replied.

"I forgot to take away your phone," my dad said, walking into my room.

"What? You're taking away my phone too?"

"It's a part of being grounded. At least I think it is, so hand it over." He held out his hand.

I tried hard to keep my jaw from dropping. "But dad! I think I can learn my lesson without you taking my phone!"

He shook his head. "Nope."

"Fine!" I powered off my phone and handed it to him. I fell back on my bed and tried to sleep, but I wasn't very tired anymore.

Michael's POV

After Summer left, I stayed in the spare room and fell back asleep. When I woke up, I was surprised that I didn't have a call from her. I almost called her, but then decided against it. I think I spent about an hour just staring at my phone waiting for her to call me. I knew I was being pathetic, so I got dressed and put my phone in my pocket. I went downstairs and found Luke in the living room watching TV.

"Hey man," I said, plopping down beside him.

"Did Summer stay?"

"Yeah, but I guess she had curfew and missed it. I'm waiting for her to call."

"You need to get your mind off of her. Are you even together? It seems to me you're getting too serious about her. Do you want to be serious with her?"

I understood where Luke was coming from. I'd never been that serious about any of the girls I'd been with before. "I don't know if we are, but I want to be. I like her and I'm pretty sure she likes me too. She's different."

"What about the past? What if she finds out?"

I couldn't believe he brought that up. I stood up from the couch. "She's not going to find out. No one is going to tell her," I said sternly. I left Luke speechless and dialed Summer on my walk home. Her phone went straight to voicemail.

heyyy. happy new year, I can't believe it's 2014!

what do you think happened in the past that Michael wants to keep a secret?

please vote and comment (: xx zoe