Clarity ~ m.c.

•Chapter 9•

***Michael's POV***

I sat on my bed watching TV, it starting to get a bit late. I was starting to doze off, when my phone started going off.

"Hello?" I answered my phone not paying attention to the caller ID.

"Hey Mikey" Geordie spoke through the phone.

"Oh hey babe how are you?" I asked sitting up on the edge of my bed.

"Alright right I guess." She commented.

"You guess? That doesn't sound like your typical, happy self." I wondered.

"Well I was talking with your neighbor Lauren today."

"Oh yeah" I remarked remembering today was Lauren's first day of school at Norwest.

"Do you know what's up with her?" Geordie inquired.

"What do you mean?" I asked, needing more detail.

"Well there was bruising on her arms and when I asked her about she practically ran away from me. Then when I caught up with her she got into an argument with me about it." she explained.

"Yeah it's a long story." I tried to point this out to her.

"So you know?" she asked.

"Yeah"

"Well what is it?" she questioned.

"It's not really my place to tell you." I tried to explain this to her.

"Michael." She sighed.

"Geordie it's up to Lauren who she wants to tell."

"Well why do you know?" she asked.

"Because she was practically forced to tell me by her aunt and she barely told me then."

"Wait she lives with her aunt?"

"Yeah, her and her little brother and sister live with their aunt and uncle." I explained to her.

"Why does she live with her aunt and uncle?" Geordie continued to press, trying to getting more answers.

"Geordie it's not really any of your business she doesn't like talking about it." I explained to her.

"Well-" she tried to press on, but I cut her off.

"Geordie drop it! Why do you care so much?" I snapped at her.

"Because I want to help her, I can tell something's up with her and she won't tell me or talk to me about it." she said trying to explain her reasoning.

I rubbed my face, frustrated, but also understanding Geordie's point of view and how she must feel because I was in her position once as well. It was one of the things about Geordie that she couldn't help, she always wanted to help people and she never stopped pestering them about it until she could help them.

"Look I'm sorry I snapped at you." I finally spoke after a minute or so. "I know you just want to help, but don't bug her about it. She's not comfortable talking about it; just give her some time . . . I'll try talking to her."

"You will?" she perked up a little.

"Only if you promise to give her some space, because knowing you, you probably came on to strong and over whelmed her with questions." I lightly chuckled.

"Yeah I kind of did." She laughed. "But I promise."

"Good."

"Maybe we could hangout soon. After school one day?" she asked, referring to me and her. "We haven't seen each other in a while.