J.A.R., chapter 4
Time seemed to stand still as I stared into Mike's blue eyes wondering if he was telling me the truth. He didn't like people talking about his "childhood" or the lack of one. I wondered if this was some way to get him out of trouble... it just wasn't something Mike would do, but niether was this whole day. I sighed and took my hand and combed it through my hair. Mike layed there, studying me, looking for an answer. "I... I, I don't know Mike, are you even serious about it?"
The look he had when he heard my question was pure hatred and hurt. "Well I'm sorry that I just thought you'd be the only one who'd understand! If you won't help I'll do it myself or ask Ollie! Just.... LEAVE ME ALONE YOU BASTARD... I HATE YOU!" at that point he had jumped out of bed. My brain didn't know how to react, he'd never hate me..... I didn't mean for him to hate me..... I looked up and all this new found anger rushed over me.
I pushed Mike onto the bed, hoovering over him, yet he still didn't break his front. I was screaming bloody murder at this kid and he just seemed to take it. "DON'T YOU EVER SAY YOU HATE ME! I WORK SO HARD TO MAKE SURE YOU DO THE RIGHT THING!"
Mike stared right back and yelled, "WELL WHAT IF I DON'T WANT YOU MAKING SURE I DO THE RIGHT THING! IM OLD ENOUGH!"
I fired back, "YOU'LL NEVER BE OLD ENOUGH.... YOU'LL ALWAYS BE THE KID AND I WILL ALWAYS BE THE ADULT! I LOOK OUT FOR YOU AND IF IT WASN'T FOR ME YOU'D BE IN THE STREETS!"
"YEAH! WELL MAYBE THAT'S WHERE I BELONG!" The room fell silent, Mike had lived with the Armstrongs since he was ten and he had always been grateful. Never did he say that he belonged with anyone else.
Billie, Ollie, and Allen strained their ears till they heard the sound of a door slamming. Jason came in, red in the face, "He left, I don't know where he's going but he left." Ollie dropped her head, he had run away before but he would go to many different places. She racked her brain to figure out where he could be. Worry started to tug at the corners of her mind.
Mike walked across the cold and wet cemetary, looking for the tombstone. Passing different tombstones, he ran his hand along the top of them, like he always had when he ran to here. He waited, still walking with his eyes closed. He felt the roughness and the familiar dent that been forced into the top of the tombstone he was looking for. He ran to here all the tim but he would go to other places to trick Ollie so she would not find him. He sat on the samepatch of grass in front of the grave and swayed as light trickles of water fell on his face.
Mike kept his eyes closed, hoping he could communicate with the deciesed. he wanted advice and he needed a shoulder to cry on, it just so happened to be that the shoulder was six feet under, to never be seen again. he humed a song, "Stairway to Heaven," hoping that the dead would here him. he gripped the grass under him, "I wish you were alive, you were the only person I could turn to when I didn't trust Ollie or Jason. You always kept our secrets. I still remember our secret handshake, do you?"
Mike opened his eyes and stared at the engraving before him, it read
"Loving father, husband, and friend"
"I miss you Mr. Armstrong........"
The look he had when he heard my question was pure hatred and hurt. "Well I'm sorry that I just thought you'd be the only one who'd understand! If you won't help I'll do it myself or ask Ollie! Just.... LEAVE ME ALONE YOU BASTARD... I HATE YOU!" at that point he had jumped out of bed. My brain didn't know how to react, he'd never hate me..... I didn't mean for him to hate me..... I looked up and all this new found anger rushed over me.
I pushed Mike onto the bed, hoovering over him, yet he still didn't break his front. I was screaming bloody murder at this kid and he just seemed to take it. "DON'T YOU EVER SAY YOU HATE ME! I WORK SO HARD TO MAKE SURE YOU DO THE RIGHT THING!"
Mike stared right back and yelled, "WELL WHAT IF I DON'T WANT YOU MAKING SURE I DO THE RIGHT THING! IM OLD ENOUGH!"
I fired back, "YOU'LL NEVER BE OLD ENOUGH.... YOU'LL ALWAYS BE THE KID AND I WILL ALWAYS BE THE ADULT! I LOOK OUT FOR YOU AND IF IT WASN'T FOR ME YOU'D BE IN THE STREETS!"
"YEAH! WELL MAYBE THAT'S WHERE I BELONG!" The room fell silent, Mike had lived with the Armstrongs since he was ten and he had always been grateful. Never did he say that he belonged with anyone else.
Billie, Ollie, and Allen strained their ears till they heard the sound of a door slamming. Jason came in, red in the face, "He left, I don't know where he's going but he left." Ollie dropped her head, he had run away before but he would go to many different places. She racked her brain to figure out where he could be. Worry started to tug at the corners of her mind.
Mike walked across the cold and wet cemetary, looking for the tombstone. Passing different tombstones, he ran his hand along the top of them, like he always had when he ran to here. He waited, still walking with his eyes closed. He felt the roughness and the familiar dent that been forced into the top of the tombstone he was looking for. He ran to here all the tim but he would go to other places to trick Ollie so she would not find him. He sat on the samepatch of grass in front of the grave and swayed as light trickles of water fell on his face.
Mike kept his eyes closed, hoping he could communicate with the deciesed. he wanted advice and he needed a shoulder to cry on, it just so happened to be that the shoulder was six feet under, to never be seen again. he humed a song, "Stairway to Heaven," hoping that the dead would here him. he gripped the grass under him, "I wish you were alive, you were the only person I could turn to when I didn't trust Ollie or Jason. You always kept our secrets. I still remember our secret handshake, do you?"
Mike opened his eyes and stared at the engraving before him, it read
"Loving father, husband, and friend"
"I miss you Mr. Armstrong........"
