My Stepbrother.

Exactly

"Knock knock"
"Who's there?"
"Well it's not your parents because they never freakin' knock"

My lips lay in a flat line, my head resting against the springy mattress that Michael now called his own. His body next to mine millimetres apart, so close that whenever one of us moved slightly our body would brush against the others, if only for a moment.

A hard genuine laugh came from Michael, it was like music to my ears, in all honesty my joke wasn't that amusing - just truthful. But his laugh could spread a wave of happiness even through the sadist of souls. Rolling his body over away from me, I frowned at the loss of heat to be surprised by him squirming his way on his stomach to be close again.

"I need to unpack, roomie" his hand poked my nose as he did this i scrunched my face up. "I'm not your roomie" I rolled my eyes, bringing them up to make contact with his. His eyes remained on mine before a cheeky smile plastered across his face his tongue help between his teeth probably trying to hold in whatever he was about to say.

"You could be" His right eye winked, the playfulness in his voice evident "You'd like that wouldn't you, not sure if I'm down for that though" I shrugged my shoulders scrunching up the sheet I was lying on, not prepared for what he would do next. He pulled his body across mine releasing all his weight onto me.

"Michael get off!" I screamed, laughter in my voice "Michael I can't breathe!!" With a mixture of the bone crushing weight and the laughter my lungs failed to take in oxygen "Nah, you can't leave now. You'll have to stay and be my roomie forever" bringing his hands underneath him to my sides he began to tiggle violently.

"No..ooooooooo Michaaaael" I spluttered, I squirmed underneath his body, his face close to mine "I'll headbut you" I tried to remain serious but failed as he began to tiggle me further "Oo is that a threat I hear?" Bringing his hands to my sides "Yeah it is pretty boy" I pouted my lips, Michael lay on top of my body, still breathing heavily.

"Michael get offffff" I whined, he bought his head down to my ear breathing before saying "Say please" my eyebrows rose as he tested my patients, with his body pressed to mine I wiggled underneath him.

"I wouldn't do that" a red blush flushed in his face, as he pushed further down on my body crushing me from moving at all. "Why not?" Innocence took over my brain, he stayed silent a smirk playing on his lips telling me everything I needed to know. "Get off me now" this time my voice was stern and less weak. "Promise you'll be nice to me from now on?" Michael bargained, rolling my eyes I answered "fine" and with that his body rolled off of mine.

"Tell me about yourself?"
His question stunned me, I guess I've never really been asked to tell anyone about myself before.
"Like what?" His elbows had him propped up his face towering over mine, his long legs dangling across the end of the bed.

"Likeee" he dragged the 'e' out "What's your favourite song?"

"Oh good one Clifford.. I Miss You, no, Dream On, no, All My Heart, no, Jasey Rae, wait" my lips pressed closed my eyes closing tight trying desperately hard to choose.

Asking me to choose a favourite song is like asking a mother to choose between her offspring. Impossible.

"You and I - Anarbor" the word left our mouths at the same time, my eyes snapping open to meet the glowing green eyes of Michael's his eyebrows rising at this new information "Well that was just weird" a small giggle left my lips.

"Mhm you have a good taste in music though, do you play?" He didn't say an instrument but I automatically knew he meant guitar. "The first day you stepped in this house I really wanted to ask you if you did" I didn't answer his question but simply let the first sentence that came into my mind flow out. "But you were too stubborn, because that would have meant being nice eh Wheeler?" A playful smile painted on his face his hand now playing with the ends of my hair.

"Yeah, I play" I announced answering his earlier question "me too" his chuckle was weak and distant as if something was playing on his mind.

"I may have got you wrong" the right corner of my mouth turned up giving a half smile.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah, you said I wasn't what you expect but you really really aren't what I expected you to be like"

"What did you expect me to be?" his eyes focused on the piece of my hair he was holding, ignoring my gaze.

"Honestly, I don't know. At school you're considered the bad kid, like if you turn against Michael and Ashton you're done for, you keep your head down and ignore them. You're dark and mysterious." Michael scoffed as I spoke but I continued.

"In year 11, When my dad died I got into drinking it took away the pain of grieving that I couldn't cope with. I failed every single class at school and I guess I had a massive crush on you. I had this idea in my head that you could do what you wanted because you didn't care, I just wanted to be able to not care like you. But I got that wrong, I took the image that everyone else painted of you and placed that in my head. I judged a book by its cover, exactly what I didn't want anyone to do to me" I could feel the heat rushing to my cheeks as I spoke honestly and openly for the first time in years.

"What do you think of me now?" He completely ignored how I just openly emitted I had a crush on him for a whole year.

"You're annoying, you're a pain in the ass, I think it might be hell living with you but I also think it would be a pleasure to get to know, you seem alright".

"I had a crush on you in year 11" his word were slow and long and if he had the chance to take them back I think he would. They made my heart race and my stomach summersault, I had no words so all that left my lips were "what?" In a half screeching half surprised motion.

"Mmhm and year 12"
My throat was now dry as the silence swallowed me whole.

"And year 13"

My heart stopped there and then for a good moment or two, the butterflies making me feel physically sick now.

"But we're in year 13"

His dry laugh mocked me as if I was stupid.

"Exactly".