BOYS LIKE GIRLS / CLIFFORD

11

MICHAEL CLIFFORD

-

Earthquakes were a common thing in California, and that night when it happened, I was in my bedroom, laying on my back with my earphones plugged in, listening to the music Ashton had sent me.

Elle me dit, "Écris une chanson contente, pas une chanson déprimante, une chanson que tout le monde aime".

(She said, "Write a happy song, not a depressing song, a song that everyone loves.")

Elle me dit, "Tu deviendras un milliardaire. T'auras de quoi être fier, ne finis pas comme ton père".

(She said, "You will become a billionaire. You'll have to be proud, don't end up like your father.")

Suddenly a small shake began, and soon enough the entire room was shaking and I fell off my bed. The lights were cut off so I quickly grabbed my cell phone (worked at in and out all summer) off the table and my wallet that had my student ID and couple dollar bills in it and ran out my room

As I was fumbling through the hallway, it was dark and the lights were also cut out, tons of people emerged from their bedroom, trying to find their way out.

When I raced out the building, there was thousands of students on the field, everyone's hand was up in the air, trying to find a signal to call their family and love ones.

"I heard it's easier to get signal when it's less crowded," One of the skinny nerds said so, "I don't know if it works but it's worth a shot."

I started running outside, as soon as I reached the school gate, the guards were no where so it only took me a few seconds to climb over it, our school was in the middle of no where, although there was stores next to it, most of them were closed at this time at night, I hit one on my speed dial and started running with my hands up, trying to find a signal.

Finally the old dialling tone began, a big rock was let down in my heart as I pressed my phone against my ears, waiting for someone to pick up.

"Hello?" Alyssa replied, "Who is this?'

"It's me," I swallowed, "Michael."

She gasped, followed by the silence came from the other side of the phone, "Are you okay?"

My heart light up a lot, I leaned against the brick wall, "Yeah, I'm okay, you?"

"I'm fine, the ceiling in our dorm fell off, but we're all on the field now. I heard in down town Los Angeles, buildings crashed." She said, "Hold up, let me find a quiet place."

"I'm happy that you called me."

"Why are you happy? Of course I need to call you! You're the girl I've liked for years!" I exclaimed, slightly blushing, "And plus, if you're not around anymore, who do I have to talk about memories?"

"Oh, you're the one to talk, you haven't called me in two years." 

"And you haven't called me in two years too, what have you been up too?"

"Studying, libraries, how about you? Are you always truant?" She laughed, it felt weird but so natural to talk to her again after two years.

"Of course, I never liked studying, you were the whole reason that I started studying."

That night, we talked a lot.

About memories.

About the days I studied hard to get close to her.

About us.

"So you have a boyfriend now?" I asked.

"Oh...I was together with Luke."

"I heard about it, why did you guys break up? Was he rude to you?"

"No, he just didn't like me enough."

"Luke liked you a lot!"

"But compare to you, it just didn't seem like others liked me that much as you did."

"Alyssa...Can I ask you a question? Have you ever thought of ending up with me?"

"I did, but haven't you heard what people say, the best part of a relationship is the chase, when it ends, lots of feelings go away, so I just thought if you actually got me in the end and become lazy and stop impressing me, isn't that a waste of my time?"

"Oh god, Alyssa."

She laughed, and more and more conversation about the past, about the present, about the future happened.

"Alyssa, do you believe in a parallel universe? Because maybe, in a parallel universe, we'll be together."

"Thank you for liking me, Michael."

"Thank you for liking the old me, Alyssa. You're always the girl we liked."

That was the night, we both opened and closed our heart for each other the last time.

And I will never forget that.