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Go get your shovel and we'll dig a deep hole. We'll bury the castle, bury the castle. Woah. Well you built up a world of magic became your real life is tragic. Yeah you built up a world of magic.

«Brick By Boring Brick» Paramore

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Michael's POV

"Aichael!" Ashton shouts excitedly.

"No! Midi!" Calum yells back, snapping his fingers together.

"Ake?!"

"Anike!"

"Andel!"

"Mindi!"

"That's close but doesn't actually sound like their names," Ash says thoughtfully.

"Yeah..." Calum sighs.

"Mandi!" Ashton screams, standing up on the bean bag, almost toppling over in his haste.

"Yes! Mandi!" Cal claps.

"Oh! Knock knock!"

"Who's there?!"

"Mandi."

"Mandi who?"

"Mandis kids are cute!" he barely sputters out through giggles before the two of them collapse, laughing through tears.

"You're idiots," Andi mumbles from the couch, tucking her feet under herself and curls further into the book on her lap without looking up at any of them.

"Come on!" Cal laughs. "We're just having some fun! We've just been waiting for this for ages!"

"Whatever," she grumbles, only glaring at the pages between her fingers. And that's right. It has only been about two months. Feels hell of a lot longer.

"No need to be so grumpy, Andi," Ashton giggles.

"Stop being dicks, would you?" I step in.

"We had to watch both of you do your little dances around each other and deal with all the awkwardness. We called it from the beginning and now we get to have a little fun," Ash chuckles.

"Yeah!" Cal cheers. "Andi and Michael, sitting in a tree. K-I-S-S-I-N-G."

Ashton bursts out into laughter. "That has never been so perfect!"

I look over at Andi from my spot across the room where I had been sitting and tuning my guitar until Tweetle Dumb and Tweetle Dick showed up. Although it did help break a bit of awkward silence between us.

It's only been a matter of hours, really, since the dance ended. Andi obviously isn't instantly used to the shift in the relationship. I knew she would still be hesitant, even after she agreed to try. It isn't like a switch just flipped for her. She's still the pillowphobiac scared to open up.

The only thing that I wasn't prepared to see is her falling into this awkward, quiet, submissive person. I've never seen her look so small. She's spent all day curled up in the tightest ball she can manage and her favorite blanket pulled past her shoulders, only pushing down a portion to stick her hands that hold her book out of the cocoon. She hasn't said much and doesn't seem to want to make eye contact with anyone. Usually you can give her the hardest glare and she will stare back until you crumple under her gaze.

"That's not all! That's not all! Now the baby's drinking alcohol!" they continue to sing as I snap back into reality. Andi's face has drained of color and her body is tensed while the guys continue trying to remember the rest of the childish song.

Graffiti Girl // Michael CliffordWhere stories live. Discover now