new beginnings // michael clifford

Chapter 17: Over

Summer's POV

Jordan and her friends were sitting with us at lunch now and I think it was bothering MIchael. He didn't say anything about it, but he was acting differently. He didn't touch my knee like he used to or make jokes at me or talk to the boys. I mean, he didn't say a whole lot before, but now he didn't talk at all except when I asked him something. I didn't know why it bothered him so much to have them there. I didn't particularly like her sitting with us, but I had a friend that was a girl now and she hadn't done anything yet to show me that she was trying to be a bitch.

"I was thinking since Summer here is taken by Mike," Jordan leaned across the table so her chest was on display, "that Luke could be my date to the dance. What do you think, Lukey?"

I saw Luke's eyes go to her chest and his mouth open a little. "Uh, sure. I guess," he stammered.

Michael shook his head. "I gotta go. See you after school, Summer." He stood up and walked off.

"Great! I can't wait," she sat back and fixed her shirt a bit. She turned to me and placed a hand on my arm. "We could double! This is so perfect."

I only nodded and wondered why Michael stormed off. I was sure he didn't still have feelings for Jordan, so why was he mad Luke was taking her to the dance? I wanted to go find him, but there was only a few minutes before the bell rang and then I needed to go to class. I'd just have to ask him about it later.

Everyone got up to leave while I was zoning out except for Jordan. She snapped her fingers in front of my face causing me to jump. "You alright?"

I nodded. "Yeah, sorry. Just thinking."

"About what?"

"Why are you being so nice to me? First you invite me shopping and then you buy me that dress which was really expensive and then you're asking if I'm alright? What changed? You were so mean to me. I don't get it. I may not be the most experienced in the friend department, but I know that most people don't change that quickly."

"I wanted to be friends since that first day I talked to you, but then I found out that you liked Michael. It hurt me. I don't know if betrayed is the right word, but I guess I felt betrayed."

"But you weren't even with him!"

"I know, but we had history so it still hurt me and everything with Tabitha-" she clasped a hand over her mouth.

"It's fine," I replied. "He told me everything."

"Oh good. I thought I was telling you something you didn't know. He was devastated when he got out and found out she committed. I mean I was there the whole time and I didn't even know. LIke how does her best friend not notice something like that? How could I not know she was going to do that? But Michael? He had no way of knowing. He wasn't there. But at least he got a letter. She didn't leave me a letter. I got nothing. She was just there one day and gone the next."

I stared at her, trying to process her words. Got out, found out, no way of knowing. What did that even mean? Where was he? Was there something he wasn't telling me? I thought he told me everything.

"You're a little pale, Summer. Are you sure you're ok?"

I nodded. "Um, what do you mean that he had no way of knowing that she was going to kill herself?"

"He didn't tell you everything, did he?" she mused, a smile upon her lips. "He was in juvie when it happened. Trevor was bothering her more than normal and she couldn't take it. Michael wasn't there to protect her or take care of her so she saw it as the only option, or at least that's how I see it. I think that's why he blamed himself. Anyway, he went to juvie because he beat up Trevor. Hit him with a baseball bat and then kept beating him up til he was almost dead."