It's been one week. It's been one week since Michael climbed through my window (and forgot to close it, I may add). It's been one week since I found out my mom got a promotion. One week since Lue went to Calum's. It's been one week and I haven't scolded Michael about leaving my window open, even though he has come over every night since then and has done it every time. My mom still hasn't told me about her work, even though I know and she doesn't need to tell me. Also, Lue and Calum have been "official" for one week.

Things like this don't need labels. Love does not need a label. Whether it's love as in a passion for something or as in a passion for someone or just the passion for their existence. It's all universally labeled. Maybe I secretly love that Michael leaves my window open at night, it's not like anyone would check. Maybe my mom loves her work and I so much that she's deciding to find the perfect time to tell me what I already know. And maybe Lue and Calum aren't in love quite yet, but they are working on it.

I didn't need to label Michael as my boyfriend to be in love with him. My mother doesn't need to be labeled as the wacko business lady who leaves at odd hours in the morning to love her job. Lue and Calum don't need to be seen as an object or item because I believe that two people can be crazy for each other and only each other and not need a title. But that doesn't stop it from happening. And that also doesn't stop them from being true.

-

Here I am, wide awake in my room whispering with Michael about our days. Even though most of my days were spent with him, I still listened. I was sat on my bed and let my legs dangled off the edge, which Michael sat on the floor in between them. My blanket was wrapped tightly around his shoulders and back that were facing me.

"So she doesn't worry at all?" I questioned him as I played with his hair. He was telling me about his stay with Mrs. Louise, well his grandmother.

"Nope. She likes you and your mom a lot." He looked up at me the best he could. "She says you've been keeping me on good grounds. The longer I stay out of trouble the longer I have a place to live, but then again I know you would take me in if she kicked me out."

"I don't know about that one." I smiled down at him, even though he couldn't see it. "I'm not into having criminals living in my home."

"But what if it was for something stupid," He swiveled around on the hardwood floor to face me. "Like littering. Or underage drinking."

"It's still breaking the law. You're technically still a criminal." My hands fell in my lap as they were now out of reach of his hair.

"But-" The ringer of my phone cut him off. "Who calls you at 2am?" He watched me as I grabbed my phone from my nightstand.

"I'm asking myself the same thing." I furrowed my eyebrows at the unknown number. "Hello?" I picked up. My eyes widened at the news. "Okay, okay. Lue calm-Shit. Lue you need to calm down, I'll be there in 20 minutes." I hung up immediately and rubbed my face with my hands, letting Lue's words stress me out.

"Is everything okay?" Michael asked as I got up and grabbed my car keys laying on my desk.

"That was Lue, obviously. She called off Calum's phone since hers was dead." I paused as I slipped on a pair of shoes. "Annabel was driving home from a party and got in a minor crash. She wasn't drinking or anything, it's just that the people she was taking home were. She's in the hospital right now, nothing major. Just a little bruised."

"Do you want me to come or?" He asked and he stood up, brushing of his pants from sitting on my floor for so long.

"If you want." He started to follow me out my bedroom door when I abruptly stopped him. "You can't just stomp through my house this late at night with my mom still here." I whispered. "Take the window." I turned him around and gave him a slight push.

"But-"

"Go." I said, waving my hands as if I was sending him off. He mumbled a few things under his breath and began climbing out the window.

I crept downstairs, trying my best not to let the stairs creak. I had obviously failed at that since my house was just as old as me. I slipped out of my house, shutting and locking the door behind me. I let out an accomplished breath and jogged to my car which I realized Michael had parked right behind.

"Michael?" I said in a hushed tone. I had no clue where he was and I needed to go get Lue before she got too freaked out and more importantly check on Annabel. "Michael?" I asked a little louder. I walked around my car, not wanting to put up with his games right now.

"Boo." He whispered right into my ear. I jumped from the unexpected noise and turned right around a hit him in the arm.

"Now is not the time for this." I scolded. "And your car is parked behind mine so either move it or we take yours."

"Someone's feisty tonight."

"I'm not feisty." I put air quotes around the word 'feisty'. "I'm actually worried about my friends unlike you." I folded my arms across my chest and walked towards his car as I waited for him to unlock it.

"I am worried." He plainly said.

"Then stop acting like a child." He stopped his actions and looked over the car hood at me.

"You know, I was just trying to lighten the mood. I know it's on the serious side, but that doesn't mean that we have to get all stiff about everything." He opened his door which I repeated. I sat down immediately, not saying a word. I jumped at the sound of his door closing louder than expected. "Sorry." He puffed out. "I'll knock it off." He spoke as we began to drive off. For the first time, things were awkward. It wasn't unbearable though, it was just an 'I don't know what to say' kind of awkward.

We pulled up to Calum's house and saw a nervous Lue in the driveway waiting for us. She jumped in the back seat immediately, slamming the door behind her. Michael and I looked over at each other for a split second and then back to her.

"You alright?" I asked.

"No. Get to the hospital. Now." She glared and Michael through the rear view mirror.

"So, uh," Michael cleared his throat. "Do you know what exactly happened?"

"She was coming just straight through the light at the crossing by the railroad tracks and some dick turned right in front of her and swiped her." She fell back against the leather seats, crossing her arms over her chest.

"So nothing major?"

"Not really, but she could still be hurt."

"I'm sure she's fine. Don't worry." I tried my best to comfort her, but she wasn't really taking it.

"Don't tell me to not worry when my best friend got in an accident." She snapped.

"That's not what I meant, and she's my best friend too. I promise she's taken care of and safe." She simply ignored us for the rest of the ride, she was always very protective of us. I know she didn't mean to sound rude and I knew that. She's always been iffy when it comes to us being in any type of danger. But it didn't bother us, we liked to know that somebody cared.

-

All three of us were finding our way to room 271, where Annabel was. The hallways seemed cryptic and endless and I was not too fond of these hallways. We turned corner after corner in the silence of the hospital. It was surprising that they let us in, considering it was half past three in the morning.

I studied Michael, he'd usually be rambling on about something to fill the silence, but he had nothing. He looked tense, almost uncomfortable. Unlike Lue who we were actually following, which I eventually realized was a bad idea. I reached over and grabbed his hand and intertwined our fingers, squeezing it once for comfort. He looked down at our hands, gripping tighter, then back up to me.

"I don't like hospitals." He whispered, not wanting a passing doctor to hear.

"I can tell." Just then he stopped walking, as Lue did too. "Is this 271?" I asked. She nodded her head and we scrambled in all at once. Surprisingly, Annabel was still awake. She was sitting up in the bed, tubes attached to her arms. She sighed and smiled at us as she noticed us. Well all walked over and gave her hugs and the normal 'Are you okay?'.

"I'm fine, really. It's just a little bit of whiplash. Slight headache." She rolled her arms over, showing us the IV in her elbow. "They just put these in to ease the pain, they said I should be dozing off any minutes, which I'm starting to feel." She laid back down and curled up under the blanket that was brought to her.

"I'm so happy you're okay, we were worried." Lue said.

"Be more worried about what my parents are going to say to me rather than my condition. I can get over whiplash, but I'm actually scared to face them. They're going to kill me." She chuckled.

"Is your car that beat up?" Michael asked. "Or is it the fact that you were carrying two other drunks?"

"Ha ha, very funny." She said. Her eye lids started to become heavy, which I guess was a side effect of the multiple doses of medication she was on. I switched my eyes over to the clock, completely losing track of the time. My stomach dropped at the sight of the hands on the clock.

"Oh shit, it's almost four!" I tugged at Michael's sleeve. "My mom is going to be up in 30 minutes and if we leave right this second I might be able to get home in time." I looked over at Lue who was already rushing towards the door. "Bye Annabel, we love you!" I called out as Michael and I followed her. "Annabel?" I looked behind me and she was already passed out. I laughed at the sight then was pulled back into the hallway by Michael.

-

We ran though the parking lot, not even caring who was passing. We jumbled in the car followed by our heavy breathing.

"Come on!" I yelled as Michael fumbled through his pockets for his keys.

"I got it, I got it." He started up his car and pulled out and went in the direction of my house. "I'll get you home, then Lue, I'll take you to Calum's, is that alright?" He peered back at her through his rear view mirror, watching her as she nodded her head quickly. His speed increased as the numbers on the clock did. We were about 10 minutes from my house which gave us perfect timing. He suddenly turned onto an unknown road, making me even more nervous.

"Where the hell are we going?" He answered my question by pulling up to a gas station. "Really? This couldn't wait?" I said, obviously not pleased with him.

"Do you want to get home with a few seconds to spare or not get home at all?" He harshly asked. I let him continue on as I tapped my fingers against the dashboard to the faint sound of the radio. He pumped his gas quickly and paid, jumping into the car immediately after he was done. He struggled to get out of the surprisingly busy station, switching between the two pedals too much. "Michael, pull it together!"

He groaned at me as well as Lue did. She hated when I became irritable, which was quite often. He sped down the road, finally making in onto mine. I began unbuckling my seat as I was getting ready to make a run for it the second he stopped. Just then, he drove right past my home, leaving me utterly confused.

"Why are you-" He got out of the car running over to my side and opened the door for me.

"Just get out." He said. He peered into the backseat. "Lue, I'll be back. Stay here." I was already running towards my house, as it was already four which meant my mom's alarm was going off now. The first thing she did in the morning was to check on me so I had about 30 seconds. "Maddie!" Michael yelled after me, following me up the tree behind my house that he climbed several times. I stepped onto my room carefully, not wanting the pounding if my feet to be heard. He caught up to me quickly, grabbing my waist.

"I can do this by myself, Michael." I balanced over the rooftop, slowly making my way to my window. He ignored me, helping me climb my way back into my room. Once I was settled safely in my room, I noticed my heart pounding through my ears. My adrenaline was off the walls and I was only cooling down. He began to swing his legs in, just like he did the first time he had sneaked in. "What are you doing?!" I whisper-shouted. He stood up without response and froze at the sound of footsteps coming up the stairs. I did the only thing I could think of and that was push him into my closet. Just as I slammed the door, my mom opened mine.

"What are you doing up, honey? This is the second time you've been up this early, or late I should say." She gave me a weird look, noticing my awkward smile.

"I was just getting up to go to the bathroom." I lied. I leaned against my hands that were behind me on the crack on my closet, only focusing on keeping it shut.

"Okay, well I'm leaving early today. I'll be out in around half an hour." She then shut my door and I stayed put until I heard her footsteps fade away completely. I let out an over exaggerated sigh. I reached for the door knobs on my closet, finally letting Michael out.

"You know, you should really organize it in there." He straightened out his clothes, not caring that my mom had almost caught us.

"Is that all you can-" He stopped me by reaching out and pulling me towards him, kissing me softly.

"No, it's not all I can think about. I obviously had different things on my mind." I giggled at his words, something I caught myself doing far too often. I nodded my head towards my window as he released his grip on me.

"Go. Lue's waiting." I watched him as he started to sneak back out my window. "Why'd you park further down my road anyways?"

"Your mom would've seen my car if I went back up any further." He shook his head. I was actually impressed with the idea, I would've never thought of that and had us completely busted. I made my way back to bed to catch up on the sleep that I still haven't gotten.

"And Michael?" He glanced over at me, halfway out the window.

"Hmm?" He was focused on his footing, not wanting to fall.

"Can you shut my window this time?" He smirked at me, grabbing onto the wooden frame above him.

"I thought you'd never ask."