𝒄𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒏𝒊𝒂 𝒅𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒎𝒊𝒏' ≛ m. kelso ✔

≛ chapter ten

JULY 1978

Michael stood under her window, the light from inside pouring out. He fingered the small pebble in his pocket, torn between chucking it at the glass or dropping it and going back to Midge's. Well, what was the worst that could happen?

Michael weighed the stone in his palm before flinging it at Juniper's bedroom window. It hit the glass with a light clink, loud enough for him to hear from two stories down. He prepared to throw the next one after hearing no answer, but the window swiftly opened and her head poked out.

She squinted down at him, trying to see who this dark figure was standing outside of her bedroom. "Michael?" she whisper-yelled down at him.

Michael nodded vigorously and climbed up to her window from the garbage cans by the wall of her house when she beckoned him closer.

He crawled through the window and landed on her bedroom floor with a thud.

"What are you doing here?" she hissed. "It's almost midnight!"

Michael flushed. He hadn't noticed that it was that late. "Uh- Midge thought I was a robber and kicked me out."

Juniper raised her eyebrows. "And Donna wasn't there to knock some sense into her?"

"She went on a jog," he covered quickly.

June hummed dubiously and crossed her arms. "So why did you come here?"

"Where else was I supposed to go?"

"Annette's?"

He paled. "How do you know about her?"

"I saw you two swapping spit in the cafe."

"Oh," he cleared his throat, "well, either way, her parents won't let guys her age sleep in her house."

June eyed him. "Okay. So you want to stay here for the night?"

"Please," he grimaced. "I'll get back to Midge's before your parents wake up."

"Fine," she sighed. "I'll get you some blankets so you can sleep on the floor."

Michael scrunched his nose. "On the floor?"

"Yeah. What, did you think you'd be sleeping in my bed?" she forced a laugh.

"No, I guess not-"

"Because I have a boyfriend," Juniper interrupted firmly, though the way she was staring at the wall made it feel like she was reminding herself more than him.

Michael wrung his hands anxiously. He had lied earlier. Midge hadn't chased him away; he just wanted to be with his Buggy. He wanted to hold her like he did that other night. He wanted to sleep with her in his arms. But he couldn't, could he? She had a boyfriend.

Before he could stop himself, he blurted, "Well, it'll be an inconvenience to go down and get blankets for me. Your parents might see and then you'll get in trouble."

June stopped by the door, her hand dropping from the handle. "So what do you suggest we do? I'm not exactly going to let you cuddle me."

Michael frowned slightly. "How about this- We'll sleep in your bed but I'll stay as far away from you as possible, and I won't touch you." Unless you want me to.

June bit her lip in hesitation. "Okay. Can you go to sleep now? It's late."

He silently climbed under the covers and laid flat on his back. He cleared his throat quietly before mumbling, "Is everything okay?"

Juniper seemed to have taken some offense to that question. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing, it's just, uh..." he cleared his throat again. "You're really crabby right now."

She sent him a glare (which he laughed at) before replying with a simple, "Sorry."

A beat passed, and he heard her exhale lightly. "How long have you been with Annette?"

Michael snorted carelessly. "I don't know, like, two days or something?"

Juniper's eyebrows shot up to her head. "I hope you actually care about her."

"I thought you hated her!"

"No, I hate the fact that she can't think for herself and that she attaches herself to any guy who shows interest, mainly you! And for the record, she doesn't put out!"

"Well-" Michael stopped himself. He slowly turned his head to look at her. "Are you... Are you jealous?"

Juniper wouldn't look him in the eye. "No. I have a boyfriend."

"Buggy, just because you're dating someone doesn't mean you can't like somebody else."

And there it was again. Buggy. The name made her heart soften every time she heard it, as if she was ice and Michael was a flame that could melt her at any moment.

She didn't respond, she just watched him. The two had unknowingly inched closer to each other, and if they got any tighter they would've been pressed up against each other.

Michael brought a hand up to her cheek and brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. She didn't stop him. He wanted to kiss her. He could do it. He could kiss her, just to see if she would kiss back.

He stopped himself before he did something rash. No, he couldn't. She wasn't his to kiss.

But he watched as her hand slowly reached forward and she rested it on his cheek. He could feel her warm breath fanning over his face. Did she want him to kiss her?

"Michael," she whispered.

Juniper didn't know what she was planning to say after that, or if she had been planning to say anything at all.

A small smile quirked up at his lips. "Buggy."

June took a deep breath. Might as well get this out of the way. Her hand snaked around behind his neck and she sharply pulled him closer to her, capturing his lips in hers.

Michael quickly recovered from a split second of shock and returned the gesture as if he had been preparing for it.

At that moment, the two burning flames became one. At that moment, those flames grew into a raging wildfire.

He rolled her slightly so he was hovering over her, his hand trailing down to her waist. He knew this was wrong; he had learned from his past mistakes with Laurie and Jackie and all the cheating he did. This was different, though.

Then, he was just doing it for sex. Just doing it because he was too stupid to realize that he was hurting someone.

But now... Now, he was doing it because he couldn't help himself. She was everything to him, and he wouldn't let her go if he could help it.

I'll break up with Annette tomorrow, he decided. I'll tell her there's someone else.

Boldly, Michael moved his lips to her neck, kissing along her collarbone.

Juniper had the same issue. She simply couldn't help herself, no matter how much she reminded herself that she was betraying Archie.

Part of her wanted to tell him to stop, but kissing him just felt so good, so right.

Michael's thumb was rubbing her hip now. "Buggy?" he mumbled into her neck.

"Yeah?" she breathed. God, he had to stop calling her that.

He lifted his head for a moment. "Is this okay?"

Juniper could barely get her words out. "It's okay."

Michael frowned. "Are you sure? What about Archie? I just don't want you to-"

"Fuck, Michael," she murmured. "Kiss me before I come to my senses."

And he did.

≛

(not) brought to you by HEHEHE IM EVIL

(not) brought to you by june cheating bc michael's hot

(not) brought to you by touch me - the doors

brought to you by lissy <3