"Mike, I'm scared." I whined. We'd just gotten back to his house after the movie.
"Then stay here tonight. I'll keep you company." He replied.
"Are you sure?" I bit my lip.
Mike laughed. "I'll keep you safe. Promise."
I yawned. "Carry me?"
"Only because you're cute." He said, carrying me up the stairs and into his bedroom.
"You have too many tank tops." I rolled my eyes, rifling through his drawers for something to wear. "More than I do! And I'm a girl. That's sad, Mike."
"You're mad because I'm more fashion-forward than you." He said, lying on his bed and smirking at me. "Please take your clothes off."
"You're a perv but it's my favourite thing about you." I grinned, lifting my shirt over my head. I put my hands on my hips, half naked, and gave him a cocky smile.
"You are such a fucking tease." He rolled his eyes.
"And that's your favourite thing about me." I concluded, throwing on one of his tank tops and crawling over him and onto his bed.
"I have a lot of favourite things about you." He replied, watching me warily. "Don't be sad."
I cocked my head. "How did you know?"
He sat up. "Why are you sad?"
I looked down. "Sometimes. . . . I just get sad for no reason at all."
"I don't understand how you ever got so sad in the first place. I think you're beautiful." He said.
I smiled slightly. "For a really long time, I hated everything about myself. I couldn't stand to look in the mirror. I had so much pain emotionally, I took it out on myself physically." He took my arm and examined it. I sighed. "I know what you're thinking. If I was. . . like that for so many years, then why don't I have many scars?"
Mike noticed the tears starting to form in my eyes. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."
Slowly, I lifted the long tank top up to my waist so he could see the scars on my thighs. "That's why nobody noticed. It's a lot easier to act happy than you think."
He wrapped his arms around me from both sides and leaned back. "I'm sorry."
"Can we talk about something happier?" I asked softly.
He chuckled. "Sure, sure. Like that part in the movie where the girl was on top of the closet?"
"Mike! I said happier, not terrifying!" I cried.
"You're cute when you scared." He laughed.
"I must be really fucking gorgeous then."
"Yeah." He sighed happily, causing me to blush into the darkness.
"Mike?"
"Hm?"
"I'm really glad I met you."