After Midnight (a.i.)

15

Studying sucks when it feels like a waste of time. My classes weren't exciting or motivating, and I feel like I'm just drifting through college hoping to get by. The overwhelming pressure from my parents and deep desperation to get away from home basically forced me into school, but I wasn't passionate about it.

It's hard to enjoy college when you have no clue what to do with your life.

I took the easy route, with business and marketing. I figured I'd at least get a good job afterward, and that's all that mattered. It's an easy field to get into with endless opportunities, so why not?

Plus, it got my mom off my back about wasting my life.

"She better get back soon. I'm starving." Michael grumbles as he lays on Alex's bed, tossing one of her stress balls in the air.

"I'm sure she won't be long." I tell him, mindlessly flipping through my thick textbook. My stomach growls in agreement with him. Jess left a bit ago to go get some 'brain food', in hopes a full stomach would help us study better. I know she just needed a break, though.

After hours of frying my brain, I decided to take a break too. I shut my laptop and shove the endless notes away from me, unable to look at any of it. My glasses follow suit into the pile of my disappointing future and I let my head fall back to my plush pillows. A nap would be divine right now.

"Hey Cara," Michael's voice trails from my left after a moment of silence, and I no longer hear the thumping of the stress ball. "Can I be honest with you?"

"Always." I twist to my side to look at him, giving him my full attention. He stares at the ceiling with his lip between his teeth and I feel uneasy from his hesitation.

"I'm telling you this as a friend, I promise I'm not trying to be a dick," He starts with a forewarning and I lift my head with knitted brows, feeling the nerves ignite.

"What's up?" I press softly, apprehensive from his unsettled expression. I can only assume it's something bad, and his deep sigh and slight frown only confirms that.

"Look, I know you and Ashton have this...thing, or whatever, but I don't think it's a good idea to jump in head first. He's not ready, he's got a lot of demons he needs to deal with and he— I mean I would hate to see you hurt from it." He says, and the air thickens from his serious tone. His words confuse me further, but his slip up caught my attention.

"This is him talking, isn't it?" I can't believe after our conversation, he's still trying to push me away.

"Cara, I know you both have this gross attraction toward each other, and it runs deep. I'm just telling you straight up, after chatting with Ashton, I don't think he can handle it. He's always been a lone wolf kind of guy, he's got a bad past and—please don't take this personally— but you're opening up old wounds for him. It has nothing to do with you, but he doesn't know how to deal with that kind of shit." Michael explains softly, pursing his lips while I try to comprehend what he's saying. I'm hurting him? Do I remind him of someone from his past?

"Why would he chase me, then? If I'm just bringing up his past?" I question him, trying to connect the pieces of the mysterious puzzle. Michael shrugs with a sympathetic smile.

"He can't help it. He's a man, after all. He goes after what he wants, even if it hurts." He says with a sigh, slightly frowning at my perplexed expression. "His ex fucked him up bad. She ruined his relationship with women, sometimes people in general, and he feels like she's still calling the shots. He's not good with feelings, he feels like he's got no control."

"Must be why he's not a people person." I mutter to myself as I take in the heart wrenching information. I know Michael and Ashton go way back, so I can only imagine how much of an expert Michael is on the poor soul.