I Want To Know Your Plans

A WEEK LATER

“MIKE!!!” I shouted as I ran into his room with sheet music clutched in my hand. “I WROTE A SONG!!” It must’ve been late because his lights were off and he looked half asleep. Oh well.

He sat up and rubbed his eyes, “Yeah? Let’s hear it.” I dragged him into my room and sat at my precious keyboard and played the song I had just composed. When I finished he sat on my bed, “Wow Charlie…that’s stellar. Do you have any lyrics yet?” I shook my head, “Nope. I have an idea but I think holding off for the moment is the best option.”

Mike nodded. As a lyricist, he understood.

I looked at him, “May I be serious for a moment?” He nodded and met my eyes. “I haven’t slept all week. I’ve been up with thoughts of…well, you know. Can I sleep in your room tonight?” It wasn’t like I hadn’t before, but it seemed different now that it was just him and I.

He yawned and walked over to me. “Of course Charlie. Come on. It’s already really late.” He took my hand . I glanced at the clock and gasped, “Oh my god, it’s 2:00 am? I’m so sorry Mike!” I hopped up and followed him back to his room.

He crawled back into bed without a second thought. I looked down at my get up and mentally thanked myself for pulling on one of Mike’s t-shirts that looked like a dress on me. I laid down and curled into his side before he wrapped his arms around me like a barrier.

“Hey Mike?” I whispered in the dark.

“Yes Charlotte?” He replied a second later.

Only Jeremy, him and Andy were allowed to call me by my full name, Charlotte. Still, I grimaced like it was a reflex.

“It’s like we’re a married couple now too.” I said drifting off quickly, “Goodnight Michael.”
He quickly kissed the back of my neck lightly, “Goodnight Charlotte.”

MIKE’S POV

I stayed awake for a long time after she had fallen asleep. She had been tired so that comment probably hadn’t meant much, if anything at all. She probably wouldn’t even remember it in the morning.

Still…

Every time she came in crying about Jeremy it hurt. Originally it was only because it killed me to see my friend so upset. It developed eventually into a protection and a promise to help her through it. That turned into wanting to be the one she ran to for anything, even something as simple as entertainment when she was bored. Sometime after that I ended up falling for her.

But it was always Jeremy.

Now that it was just me and her, things were more relaxed and she was a lot happier. Still, at night I’d wake up sometimes to hear her moving around, on occasion even crying. Mostly though, I woke up to her piano playing.

I looked at her curled up next to me. I kissed her temple and closed my eyes, desperately trying to forget her comment.

----

I woke up to the smell of pancakes and Charlie singing along to her usual morning playlist. Right now it was playing some I See Stars. Personally, they made my ears cringe but she liked them all the same.

I went into the kitchen. “G’morning Mikey!” she exclaimed from the other side of the breakfast bar. I smiled at her in my shirt. “So what’s the special occasion?” I asked. My stomach grumbled loudly as she placed a plate in front of me. She laughed.

“You’re just so good to me so I just want to give you a little something in return. We all know you’re a terrible cook.” She smiled sweetly as if she didn’t just somewhat insult me. Before I could add a snarky comment she continued. “Let’s go to the movies today. Just the two of us.”

I nodded while digging into my pancake filled plate. She’s such a good cook. Those pancakes were out of this world. “Sure thing” I said in between bites, “What time?”

She thought for a moment. “I think it’s at 8:00? Yeah, 8: 00. It’s a special showing of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.” She revealed a sly smile. She loved the Harry Potter movies more than anything. I mean I liked them too but she LOVED them.

I nodded afraid and she beamed at me, “Cool it’s a date!” She sat next to me on the other bar stool and started in on her pancakes too. Before I could even stop myself I blurted out my thoughts, “Is it actually a date?” I looked down at my plate immediately after. ‘well this is embarrassing.’ I proceed to think to myself.

She shrugged, not fazed by the question at all, “Good question. I mean, it does have date-like qualities and date potential I suppose. Do you want it to be a date? Because, well, I’m up for that.”

I looked at her, shock written all over my face. She must’ve mistaken it for something bad because she backtracked, “Oh, uh, if you don’t want to we don’t have to call it that…” She gets up, red faced, and grabbed her dish.

I snatched her free hand with more confidence than I actually had and I informed her that is was in fact a date.