Perilous Flames [clifford a.u]

chapter fifteen - followed in the dark

        CHAPTER FIFTEEN - FOLLOWED IN THE DARK

        Staying at Calum's place was the most comforting and the most interesting thing Michael and I had done this entire trip we had been on. 

        In the four days we had stayed here, and it has been four days of video games, sleeping, and pizza. There were two days where Calum had taken us out to a lake pier and taken us adventuring through the town, but most of the time we had just stayed in his apartment doing nothing. And that was not even the best part. 

        The best part was finally being able to feel normal again. To be able to not worry about running and hiding, but just enjoying the moment without worry or anxiety. And I knew Michael felt the same way--possibly even more--because I had never seen him smile and laugh in so long. He looked almost completely happy. 

        As of today, the same thing we did the past few days, we were doing again. We made pancakes in the morning, and soon as we were done eating breakfast, Michael and Calum were off to playing video games in the living room and I was right beside them, watching the commotion going on between the two. 

        It was two hours of punching away at their controls and playing Call of Duty, before Calum took a pause of playing the game to get a drink of water and then was rushing into the living room with a panicked look on his face. 

        I was sitting in the huge armchair, with my knees pulled to my chest, and Michael was on the floor, munching away at the potato chips he had brought out sometime after breakfast. We both however, looked up Calum with concerned looks on our faces as soon as he came running in, nearly tripping on his feet. 

        "What?" Michael asked, worry creasing in his face. 

        "I have to go. Now," he said and then he scurried away, into the hallway and probably into his room.

        We both heard the bedroom door slam and instantly, I gave Michael a confused look. He looked at me with the same expression on his face. "You don't know what he's talking about, do you?" 

        Michael shrugged. "No clue at all," he said as he shook his head. 

        Just a few minutes later, Calum came into the living room with black jeans and a band shirt with several holes in it and a messenger bag slung over his shoulder. A small smile came on my face as I noticed for about the fifth time these days that he dressed nearly the same as Michael. "Sorry guys but," he shrugged on his sweater, "I have class today, and I completely forgot and I won't be back until evening--"

        "Cal just go before you get late," Michael sighed with an amused smile planted on his lips.

        "Right," Calum nodded and grabbed a textbook that he kept on his kitchen counter, "Don't throw a party while I'm gone." 

        "No promises," Michael said just as Calum threw the apartment door open and slammed it back shut with his exit. 

        The apartment was left in silence, except for the background music that was playing from the paused game on the TV. Almost immediately, my heart began to pound and I felt extremely nervous as I glanced at Michael who was staring at the coffee table with a focused look on his face. It was the first time in the past few days, had I actually been alone with Michael. It made me nervous because I was scared that it was only going to be strangely tense and awkward till Calum got back. 

        That was until Michael looked up at me from his thoughts, and tilted his head to the side with his lop-sided smile. My heart felt like it literally stopped beating. "Do you want to play?" He held out Calum's controller to me. I stared at him, hesitant to take it. "Come on Aiden," he said after I didn't take it. "You can't just leave me here hanging, we have to finish playing the game."