new beginnings // michael clifford

Chapter 19: Another Chance

Summer's POV

Tonight was the dance. I wasn't sure if I was doing the right thing or if I even wanted to go at all, but I loved this dress and I didn't want to waste it. I stepped into it and zipped it up. I curled my hair and pinned it up in an updo. As I looked in the mirror, I tried to think of what I saw in the dress that day at the mall. I mean, sure it looked fine, but I wasn't anything special. I shrugged and walked out of my room, bumping into Adam.

"I thought you broke up with him," he said accusingly.

"Not that it's any of your business, but yeah. I did. I'm going with someone else."

"Moving on that quickly, Summer? When did you become such a whore?"

My jaw dropped at his words. "You don't know anything about me anymore! And we're going as friends." I pushed past him and rushed downstairs. I was wiping the start of tears from my eyes when I noticed him standing in my kitchen with my dad. He was dressed in black pants and a black button down. I stopped in the middle of the stairs, unsure of what to do. I hoped they didn't hear what Adam and I were saying. I started down the rest of the stairs because if I didn't we were going to be late.

"You look gorgeous, Summer," he replied when I stood before them.

I smiled, "thanks, Cal. You clean up nice. Um, should we go?" I awkwardly asked. Calum nodded, extending an elbow. "Bye dad," I said as I hooked my arm with Calum's.

"You do look beautiful in that dress, Sum," he choked out.

I nodded as he opened the door for us. "Thank you."

We walked in silence except for the click clack of my heels against the pavement. Calum reached for my hand and I didn't pull away. It felt nice, my hand in his. It reminded me of holding hands with Michael and I tensed up.

"Are you alright?" Calum's voice was genuinely concerned.

I nodded as we walked up to the school. "Thank you for doing this. I bet you have much better things you could be doing than going to this dumb school dance with me. But are you sure this is the right thing?" I stopped walking and hugged my arms around myself.

Calum sighed. "I know you're second guessing yourself, but do you think he is? He was with her the next day, Summer. I thought coming here would help you have some fun or whatever, but clearly I was wrong." He paced back and forth a bit in front of.

"He's with Jordan? Like they're together together?" I didn't know why I was asking when I already knew the answer. She pretty much flaunted their relationship (if you could call it that) at school.

"Shit, sorry. I'm making this even worse." He was still pacing.

I shook my head and grabbed his hand, making him stand still. "No, you're the only one that's helping me. Thank you, Cal." He nodded and I kissed his cheek. "C'mon, let's go inside." I pulled him with me towards the door.

The inside of the gym was decorated in different shades of blue with snowflakes like a winter wonderland. I clutched Calum's hand as we walked in and hoped that we didn't run into Michael and Jordan. "Dance?" he offered.

"Why not? It is a dance." I wasn't much on dancing but I wanted to have a good time. Calum was an awful dancer, not that I was any better. I couldn't keep a smile off my face as he made ridiculous movements.

"It's good to see you smile," he said over the music, smiling at me.

"It feels good to smile," I said as the song ended and turned into a slow one. I was about to walk off the dance floor when I saw Jordan pressed close to Michael. His back was to me, but she looked me right in the eye and gave me a devilish smile that wiped the grin off my face.