Growing Pains

Ever since he was young I knew Michael was strange; it never bothered me I liked all sorts of people and the poor boy needed a companion he could trust. I had been somewhat odd myself with being able to read auras and emotions, our oddities were what drew us together. Very much like a moth to the flame the devil’s son had ensnared my heart and everlasting trust.

None of it in vein however, as much as I needed him he needed me ten fold. Afterall he was by all means a child starved for undivided attention and affection. What with his grandmother being gone and his actual father a supernatural being who couldn’t be summoned for just anything; Mead and I were the only people he had.

Mead his mother figure and I his lover who taught him to appreciate everything his gorgeous eyes laid gaze on. Mead would say I was chosen by Michael for a purpose and while that may be true I was never one for all that wishful thinking. We were both lonely souls in need of love.

Love he gave like a flowing river all Michael knew how to do was to give such a trusting love that in the past led to his heart being shattered into pieces. One could almost describe it as suffocating if they didn’t know how to receive and reciprocate the intense feeling. I guess it’s an acquired taste my darling Michael and I shared. A flavor those around us seemed to understand. Whether they didn’t want to cross Michael or they truly believed I was some destined partner, they never interfered.

Such a strange family we made but a family nonetheless.

Until Michael’s destiny began to rear it’s impatient head in our faces. Michael was going to leave our comfortable dwelling to go to some nonsensical school where he would sow the beginning seeds of the end.

Which was all fine and dandy except for the part about me not being able to attend, oh and the indefinite amount of time we’d be apart. Mead did her best to give me some courage, you know the whole ‘hail Satan’ bit but I didn’t give a solid damn about the bigger picture when I only thought about myself and my loneliness.

It was the cause of my current mind clearing walk I was on in the woods behind the small town we occupied. Ms.Mead and Michael had left to attend to the preparations of his new home leaving me at the mercy my own insecurities; a terrible way to the pass the time quite honestly.

Everything that could possibly go wrong while we were apart traveled through my mind at warped speed. It so dreadfully stressed me out I had to light a cigarette. I’m sure I looked like an Edgar Allen Poe poem come to life, dressed in an all black dress that reached my feet and my witch brim hat, chunky boots completing the ‘I’m already dead’ ensemble. My aesthetic cleverly paired with my emotions for once.

I sighed out the smoke in my lungs; this blows.

I did whatever I could to shake these nasty thoughts away knowing the extent of Michael’s loyalty once given, it was just too hard to think about living in this sad little humdrum town without my own sunshine.

It had stumbled upon me to maybe pursue a goal of my own considering the minimal amount of time society had left on this earth. Perhaps get that bachelor’s in art I had always wanted. Why not? I looked at my phone surfing the web briefly to see if it would be easy enough to enroll this late in the game.

Money shouldn’t be a problem since my parents had plenty and it was all left to me.

Yeah this was good if we have to walk separate paths for awhile why not pursue something productive on my own?

I couldn’t wait to get started on my application; I nearly sprinted back to the average looking house. When I reached the backdoor I kicked off my boots, not wanting to get the scolding I knew I’d receive from Ms.Mead for tracking mud through the house. I raced up the stairs to my room and dive bombed my laptop.

Rapidly looking up schools for my desired major. I settled on Julliard, why not shoot for the stars when the end of the world was rapidly approaching?

When I submitted my application and old admissions essay I felt very confident. My intuition had never really led me astray before, a spot in this school was as good as mine.

“What are you smiling about?”

Ripped from my sudden happiness I gasped at Michael in the doorway. He looked handsome his golden locks well managed, and clothes Ms.Mead laid out for him that morning, a black button up and well fitting trousers. His smile mimicked my own and reflected in his blue eyes.

“Just accomplishing something I’ve been putting off.”

“Oh?” he chuckled at my enthusiasm, “And what would that be?”

“I don’t want to jinx it,” I closed my laptop and set it aside, “I’ll tell you if it really happens.”

Michael eyed me skeptically before he gestured me with a hand to go with him, “Ms.Mead says dinner’s ready.”

I nodded scrambling off the bed the sound of food much too inviting to ignore. As I passed by my boyfriend I linked our fingers together. Leading him down to dinner not once missing the look he gave my laptop.
***

I had checked the mailbox consistently the next two weeks like a mad person. Disappointment clouding over my mind every time the letter I was looking for wasn’t there. No news was good news but still I had to know if I made it in case I needed to take my secondary school seriously.

However on this particular day as I pulled into the driveway behind Mead, I just knew it was the day I’d find out if I made it. Slowly I inched the latch off the mailbox, with shaky hands, I grabbed the envelope I needed. My heart was thumping in anticipation as I ripped the letter open. With one eye open I read the news I so longingly wanted to hear.

With much excitement I let out a squeal.

“What is it?” Mead came rushing to the door her dart gun in her hand.

“I got in!”

“Got in?” she questioned taking notice of the paper in my hand, “Got in where?”

“Juillard!”

Mead’s face wasn’t as excited as I had hoped it would be, she looked at me like I had committed blasphemy. The light of my happiness began to dull when she read over the paper.

“Emma you didn’t clear this with me,” she said with stern disapproval, “Michael won’t be able to handle you going so far away…”

“Why can’t I go to school? He’s going to be gone.”

“We are the only people he trusts we are the only people who truly understand him,” She said simply, “He needs to know we can come to his aid at any time he needs us.”

“He knows that already.”

Mead firmly grabbed my arms, “School is a distraction from our mission, from Michael. He will stray from his path if he thinks you are going to forget about him.”

“Who said anything about forgetting him Ms.Mead?” I retorted haughtily, “I love him he knows that and if he needs me while he’s away then I will certainly go to him.”

“Honestly girl it’s not that simple…” the shorter woman replied on a sigh, “Talk to him if he says it’s alright than what objections could I have?”

The frown on her face really made me wonder if Michael really wouldn’t be happy for me. Mead knew him well sometimes even more than me and if her expression was grave then there wasn’t much hope that he’d go for this.

Which really wasn’t fair I was still largely independent and to be denied something so casual as going to school; there was going to be a fight I just knew it.

“Is he home?”

She nodded lethargically as if in thought, “He’s resting upstairs.”

With a quick thanks I took hold of the letter and proceeded to Michael’s room; separate rooms were a must. Not because we were too young to share but because his body heat was insufferable at times. Especially after he spent more energy than he should have.

The door was left open a crack and I could see those gorgeous curls billowing out on his pillow as he slept with the blanket covering just his torso. Pondering about what he may have done to become so tired I stopped myself, it wasn’t fair to wake him up over something this frivolous. I could wait until he got up.

My pride just wanted to prove to Mead that the big deal she was making out of this was in fact not an issue at all.

With an internal sigh I just scooted into the other side of his bed. Rearranging the blankets so that he could move freely and myself didn’t have to be trapped under them. I rested my arm on his naked skin and could feel through my long sleeve shirt the heat he was radiating. Just how much power had he used?

I had almost dozed off beside him when I felt him shift so that he was cradling me, “What is it?”

His voice filled with sleepy innocence, I smiled and snuggled into his warmth. It was highly welcomed for once.

“Mead and I had a small disagreement.”

He nuzzled the top of my head with his cheek, “About what?”

“I applied for art school and she told me I can’t go…”

His body stiffened beneath mine, “Well I’m sure she had a good reason Emma.”

I refrained from huffing rather disappointed that he wouldn’t take my side over Mead’s. I guess I just hoped he would’ve taken mine although all opportunity hadn’t been lost quite yet. He didn’t outright object to the notion.

“Not really,” I retorted with exaggerated sadness, “She said it’s because you’d say no…”

Michael’s sigh rumbled in my ear, “You never mentioned this to me how could I say no?”

With a smile I placed a kiss on his bare chest, “I didn’t want to say anything incase I didn’t get in.”

“So I’m assuming you got in?” he asked as if he were no longer interested in the conversation. He always behaved this way when things weren’t going his way. It irritated me a little bit, why was no one happy for me?

“Yes I did well almost,” I mumbled the last part, “They just want a current piece submitted.”

He only hummed in acknowledgment so I took that as my queue to continue.

“I wanted to use the one that was inspired by you. It’s my favorite.”

“If that’s what you want.”

“Once I submit the painting Michael I’m as good as accepted,” I reminded him gingerly, “Are you okay with this?”

I felt him shrug, “It’s not as if you’re leaving the area.”

Oh man did guilt flood my insides at those nonchalant words. My self-centered need to preoccupy my time while he was gone tried to coerce my mind into just agreeing. Michael trumped Mead and if he said yes...I could always iron out the details later. My more thought out, organized self wanted to tell him the truth but I could feel Michael’s anxious state wrapping me up like a toxic blanket. Mead was right, as much as I hated to admit it. If I indulged this information about the school being in New York he’d rescind his noncommittal approval immediately. Against my better judgment I let the silence speak for me with a kiss on his cheek.

“May I go back to my nap now that you’re happy?”

With a quick hum of approval I allowed him to rest. I waited until he was deep in his nap before detaching myself. The aforementioned heat now unbearable, I quietly tucked him back in and tiptoed out of his room.

Mead was cooking something for dinner in the kitchen and looked at me as if I were a petulant child.

“You woke him up didn’t you?”

I only shrugged my shoulders as I nibbled on the stew she made, she scolded me for being impatient but then changed directions.

“Emma he used so much energy‒no so much power just for our mission today‒to wake him for such a trivial matter is childish…” she trailed off turning back to her cooking on the stainless steel stove.

“He said he was fine with me going to school Ms.Mead.”

She glanced over her shoulder at me with a small smile, “Did you tell him where the school was kid?”

“Yes.”

I did my best to hide any mannerisms that would give away my lie. Standing casually against the counter, my arms lax and holding my weight. She scrutinized my visage along with my body language but I sensed she didn’t buy it. She was apprehensive and on alert.

“I’m not going to get in the middle of this,” remarked gruffly wiping her brow, “I will say this though you know how fragile he his; lying to him will make him think something much worse.”

Pensively I bit my lip, “Why do I have to wait around here and think about being alone? The end is coming right? I want to get this degree before Juillard is a pile of rubble and since Michael will be busy why can’t I be too?”

“Emma,” Mead omitted a maternal-like sigh, “Michael isn’t leaving us out of spite so there’s no need to spite him. Besides who will keep me company while I wait on Michael to complete each step?”

I gave her a small smile, “Ms. Mead it isn’t to spite him‒”

She let out a snort, “I’ve been around long enough to know the signs of a girl who feels dejected.”

“Miriam,” I declared her name like a bargaining tool, “I want this for myself too. Call me human but I want to be able to achieve one regular thing before it’s too late.”

“I won’t interfere as I said.” She concluded flatly, “I’m warning you if Michael strays from his path you can kiss this school goodbye.”

I had won. Actually won, I was surprised and Mead was too. Her aura was predominantly blue, it only ever showed when she was near Michael. It meant she loved me too. It was perplexing she never truly thought about anything but our mission. I smiled my own aura inflamed with a playful yellow.

“Thanks Miriam.”

“Don’t thank me yet kid,” she commented, “You’re not out of the woods yet.”