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"Anything else, Starfish?" Michael asks, glancing at the girl sitting beside him. Christine giggles a little, looking back over at him.
"Do you know any..." she trails off, eyebrows furrowed in confusion as she tries to think about what to say. But what song would sound well on a guitar?
While she thinks, Michael switches from looking at her to looking at the guitar in his hands, thinking the cliche thought of how lucky he was to have a girlfriend like her. It really astounded him that someone as popular as she was would notice someone who was at the bottom of the high school food chain. Except, she did. She did and she's here in his basement, singing with him as he plays background to whatever song she wants. And he loves it. He plays a few random chords as he waits for her to decide.
"Oh!" She bounces once, her arm up in the air as she points towards the ceiling before she lowers her arm and turns to look at Michael again. "Do you know any Cavetown?"
Michael looks up and nods. "Which song? I know a few but not all of them."
"Lov song?" The sentence raises at the end, indicating that it's more of a question than a suggestion.
"I'm pretty sure I know that one," Michael says, giving Christine a small smile before he plays the opening notes to the song. It sounded different, which, duh, of course it did, but the song didn't lose much of its charm as it was transferred to a different instrument.
And instead of Christine singing this time, Michael takes over in his own smooth voice.
"I'm a hollow shell and I don't know what I would do if I never met you."
He really didn't know what he'd do without Christine and her optimistic personality that always saw the best in people. Or their little sleepovers where they'd watch one of her many bootlegs or he'd try to teach her how to play a certain game. Or even those days she'd bring in a small batch of cupcakes she'd made, and there would be one that was clearly his, decorated with whatever small fondant flowers she'd tried to make that time.
"I think I'd be a lonely boy or maybe just a ghost."
The corners of his mouth twitch as he sings in an almost steady monotone and plays each note with practised precision.
Even if he did have his best friend, there was always something missing in his heart. He was never really sure what it was when he was younger, but now he was sure he knew a way to get rid of that horrible loneliness; seeing Christine the day he figured it out, cemented the idea.
She was a ray of sunshine, and she didn't know how many ways she had saved him.
"And right now I think I love you the most."
She smiles at him with tinted pink cheeks that match his own, and he melts at the sight of it. It hits him that maybe it was true, that he did love her.
He looks back down as he continues to play, the lyrics sliding easily off his tongue.
"And the sky's not falling down just yet so I think I'll sit right here with you if you'll let me."
He hoped that they would last. He hoped that Christine wouldn't get fed up with him. He hoped she didn't randomly decide to break it off for one reason or another.
He could see the two of them together in the future, going to prom, getting an apartment, and even getting married. He could easily picture the lazy days when they'd lay around or watching their kid take their first steps.
He loved envisioning the futures they could have together.
"The birds in the trees they still smile just for me 'cause I'm doing just fine with you."
He decides to sneak a peek at Christine again, and she has her eyes closed now and a calm expression on her face. She looks completely at peace as Michael's voice echoes throughout the concrete enclosed room. He melts a little as her voice joins his.
"I'm sorry for all the times that I get scared for no reason, but you're cool with it."
She's looking at him again with understanding eyes as they both sing the line, and Michael can't help but smile a little.
She'd always been understanding about that kind of thing. Christine never claimed to understand exactly what went on inside his head, but she understood that pushing him to socialize wasn't always okay and he was thankful for that.
"I'd apologize so many times if you didn't stop me."
And he would. He'd apologize for everything; for having to deal with him, for having to take care of him, for having to choose him over anyone else, he could go on and on.
Except...she'd tell him she wanted to be with him or she'd rather hang out with him anyway and she'd give him one of her adorable smiles and he'd believe her.
He'd believe anything she said, really. But it was especially true when she was smiling so brightly.
"And the sky's not falling down just yet so I think I'll sit right here with you if you'll let me."
He gets an urge to smile again as their voices blend together, and he's reminded just how lucky he is to have Christine here and by his side.
And he's falling in love all over again.
"The birds in the trees they still smile just for me 'cause I'm doing just fine with you."
They're both quiet for a moment as Michael finishes the song. Then he's putting the guitar down, letting it rest against the side of the bed, and he's looking over at Christine.
"Was that to your satisfaction, Starfish?" He asks, and she giggles again with pink dusted cheeks.
"It was perfect, Michael."