Look What I Found!

Ch. 6

Hours had passed before Mikey got out of bed and shuffled his way downstairs. The place was huge, and he did get lost a few times before finding the stairs. Reaching the bottom, he followed the laughter, which led into a vast living room.

It had one of those wrap-around couches. One end pressed against the far wall while the other faced the enormous flat screen tv. A loveseat was pressed against the other wall, and a rocking chair in the corner faced the other two couches. Mikey snorted at the fact that Richie was the one occupying the rocking chair, looking every bit like an old man. Somehow they heard him, and all turned their heads in his direction.

"Mikey!" Richie exclaimed, beer in hand, before stumbling over to him. He placed his arm around Mikey's shoulders, who winced at the pressure.

"Richie!" Beverly scolded him, standing up to take Richie off of him. "Be careful; Remember, he's injured."

"Shit! Sorry kid." He walked back to his seat, seeming to have no care in the world while taking a swig of his drink.

"We tried to stop him at three drinks, but he's now on his fifth," Bill explained after seeing Mikey's confused yet amused look at the older man.

"Hey!" Exclaimed Richie, "I thought I told you I would bring food up to you."

"Well, yea, but I woke up, and I'm hungry."

"Good thing we ordered food not too long ago. Hope you like Italian," Mike spoke up, "would you like to wait out here or go back to your room? I could give you the long end of the couch and sit over there with Bill."

"If I try and go back to my room, I might get lost," Richie snorted at the thought, "and thank you. I did forget to take my meds. Which it is around that time."

He glanced at Richie, who stood on unsteady legs, "I'll go get them!"

Beverly called after him, "are you su-"

"Yea!" He was already out of sight before anyone could say anything else.

Beverly sighed while Bill shook his head with a frown.

"Is everything ok?" Mikey asked a bit hesitantly, taking Mike's spot on the couch.

"Yea," Ben smiled, "so Richie told us a bit about your situation. Or lack of."

Mikey tensed up, "what did he say?"

"Now, Mikey, I just want you to know you can talk to us, ok? We've had our share of bullies and terrible families-"

"Are you suggesting that my family did this to me?"

Beverly was shocked by the question, and Mikey internally cursed himself for being so obvious. Of course, she wasn't suggesting that; She probably thought it was bullies, but they did know he was a runaway, so they might think of something else now.

"That wasn't... Mike, did your fam-"

"I'm back! And I got the drugs!" Mikey sighed with relief, not realizing that Beverly hadn't turned her head like the rest but instead kept a watchful gaze on him.

Richie walked over with his prescription meds, handing them over to Mikey. "I'll go get you a drink-"

"You seem to have plenty of drinks out here," Mikey smiled, gesturing to all the different alcohols.

Mikey honestly thought he was debating on letting him have some alcohol before Ben interrupted his musing. "I think Mikey needs some water, huh, Richie?"

"Right! Water for the child," he walks away while Mikey yells behind him how he's not a child.

Mikey turns a fake glare onto Ben, "I was so close!"