Heed The Raven’s Call
Chapter One
“You undead sonofa-!” Michael groaned as he watched his Orc warrior die for the third time on the same boss. Just as he began to lean forward to start the fight again he felt a forceful pull on his hair. “What was that for?!” His tone was one of immense frustration as he leaned back to look up at the culprit for the sudden pain. “Well, I wouldn’t have to pull so hard if you’d sit still Mikey.” Lilly’s own frustration was clear in her voice, even as she rolled her eyes at his smiling face. “Seriously, I appreciate you letting me practice on you, but come on. The more you squirm the longer this is going to take. Look, I know you’re tired of me pulling on your hair, but I’m almost done.” It had taken hours for her to tame his curls enough to allow her to braid his hair, and he had to admit that she had done a fantastic job. She had attempted to give him Nordic style braids, and while the braids did not match her reference picture completely, she came damn close. At least in his opinion.
While he was not exactly sure why it hurt more when Lilly was undoing the braids, perhaps she was doing it on purpose, he did kind of have a problem sitting still, he couldn’t deny that he loved how it felt to have her playing with his hair. Honestly, if she wasn’t constantly yanking on his hair to keep him still, he more than likely would have fallen asleep already. Even with his mind being occupied by his video game. Pulling out his phone, Michael sighed as he saw that there were no new notifications. “The she-devil is mad at you again huh? Or do you sigh wistfully at your phone for everyone?” Michael knew she was just teasing, her tone made that clear, but it still irked him. He knew they didn’t get along, okay that was a massive understatement, they hated each other, but Lilly at least made an effort to be civil when talking about his girlfriend. He knew that there were a lot worse things she would like to call Lauren, and he appreciated the fact that she didn’t.
“Lauren is…busy.” Try as he might, Michael was unable to keep the disappointment and pain out of his voice. He knew exactly where his girlfriend was, because she had thrown it in his face when she left that morning. She was spending the entire day with her ex. Part of him knew what she had meant, had read between the lines, but the part of him that trusted her, that loved her, denied it and refused to admit it. Even to himself. “And besides, today is my day to hangout with you Lills.” He immediately ducked after saying his childhood name for his best friend, knowing that she was going to smack him for it. He did not, however, take into account that she still had handfuls of his hair. So, not only did he hurt himself by making her pull his hair, he still got smacked on the side of his head.
“Oh it’s on now!” He was laughing as he scrambled to his feet, pushing Lilly backwards by pushing up on her legs from where they had been hanging over his shoulders. Their laughter filled his room like the chorus of a rock song as they wrestled and fought on his bed until Michael ended up on his back, pinned down by Lilly’s knees on his arms. “And I win again! That’s what? Three hundred and twenty-two to ninety-five?” Michael could only shake his head with a smile as he listened to her triumphant giggle. “So, now that you can’t run away, do you want to talk about it Mikey?” Lilly’s tone was gentle, but also made it clear that she wouldn’t take no for an answer.
Michael’s face fell, and for a minute he just stared up at her, searching her bright green eyes for answers he knew weren’t there. He had to look away then, because even though she was sitting on his chest, it would not have been difficult for her to notice the issue rising in his jeans if he kept staring into her eyes. “Yes, she’s mad again I mean. I…apparently, or so she claims, I said another girl’s name in my sleep the other night.” His voice was hesitant, and he knew she would not let him stop there, but he desperately hoped she would. Hope that was crushed when he heard the next words out of her mouth. “You are never this bothered when she stops talking to you. So come on, spit it out. What did she do? I mean, yes, you do act like a lost puppy when the witch ghosts you, but this isn’t that. What’s going on?”
He sighed as Lauren’s words echoed in his ears, and fought back the groan that threatened to escape his lips. Lilly was sitting directly on top of the worst of the bruises on his chest. “You’re so pathetic! I can’t believe I ever lowered myself to get with a loser like you. What kind of man gets his ass beat by a girl? This is why I cheat on you yah know. A loser like you doesn’t deserve someone like me. And I’m not just saying this because I’m mad at you. John is so much better in bed than you. And bigger too.” Her words played over and over again in his head until he heard Lilly talking to him again. “Hello? Earth to Miiiiiike. You good dude?”
“She’s…at John’s. Has been for a few days Lills.” Michael fought to maintain a calm tone, though the pain was unmistakable. He avoided meeting her eyes but sensed her shifting as she laid beside him on the bed, resting her head on his chest. “Oh god, Mikey, I’m so sorry. I didn’t— I mean, I shouldn’t have..." Lilly's voice wavered with a quiet apology, the weight of shame evident in her tone. “Is there anything I can do, Mikey? I’ve got some smoke in my bag. It should help you forget about her at least for a while…” Michael's chest continued its rhythmic rise and fall, a visual echo of his attempts to steady himself. Draping his right arm across Lilly's back, he offered a gentle squeeze in reassurance.
“Shh, it's okay. It’s not your fault. I can’t blame you for getting upset just because you care about me. I’ll be okay, though I’m not gonna turn down some smoke. We should probably go somewhere else to smoke though. While they don’t get on my case about it, my parents don’t like the fact that I smoke.” Despite his words, Michael made no attempt to rise, and he even placed his left hand on her thigh as it draped across his legs, a subtle acknowledgment of their shared comfort in each other's presence. Michael could tell that Lilly felt horrible for bringing it up, but he genuinely didn’t blame her.
As Michael and Lilly reclined in silence, a serene tranquility enveloped them, disrupted only by the gentle whir of the ceiling fan, a constant companion in the room. The unspoken weight of their thoughts hung palpably in the air, each grappling with their own tumultuous emotions. Lilly's fingers danced absently across Michael's chest, tracing intricate patterns in an attempt to alleviate the tension that lingered between them. “Mikey…I know it’s not my place but…please don’t go back to her. She’s no good for you. Everyone can see how she treats you. Hell, I wouldn’t be surprised if she hit you, not with the way she loses her temper.”
Michael immediately squeezed his eyes shut and refused to look at his friend. Which, of course, got Lilly’s attention. She immediately climbed back on top of him, sitting on his lap this time so that she could try to pull his shirt up to look for bruises. Unsure if it was from anger or fear, Michael grabbed Lilly’s wrists to stop her, and was about to try and push her off of his lap when his ever obnoxious little sister Roran burst into the room. “Mike! Mama said to tell you and Lilly to wash up because dinner is almost ready. Lilly can use the restroom in Mom’s room, but she wants you both cleaned up and at the table in five minutes.” And just like that, his little sister was gone.
The two of them remained motionless for a few seconds as they watched Rory run down the stairs, before Lilly sighed and climbed off of him. “Well, you heard the little tyrant, we better get downstairs.” As she turned and began walking out of the room, she paused at the door, before turning to look back at him again. This time, however, when she spoke, her voice was barely a whisper. “There are better women out there for you, Mike. You shouldn’t have to endure the antics of that psycho as if she's the only one capable of showing you any affection,” and then she turned, leaving the room, she headed towards his parents' bathroom to freshen up, Michael's gaze following her every move. “Easy for you to say…your girlfriend is a dream come true for you.” Michael mumbled to himself as he stood up and headed to his own bathroom to clean up.
After shutting the door, Michael removed his hoodie and shirt with a wince, revealing dark blue and purple splotches covering his chest and sides. The sight of his bruised skin stirred a mixture of pain and frustration within him. The memory of Lauren hitting him over and over again with not just her fists, but anything and everything she could grab, flashed behind his closed eyelids as his entire body shuddered. “Hey Mikey, can you-” His eyes snapped open as he turned to the open door, only to see Lilly staring at his body in horror.