Broken Mirrors {Michael Jackson Fanfic}

Chapter 9: Ghost From Hell

"I came to see you, Athena. And my boys."
 
The fucking audacity. Athena's mouth twisted into a scowl. "Now? After all this time?" 
 
It was obvious that Ty wasn't too happy about her attitude. He never was. Whenever she fought back, he found a way to make her seem like the villain. The unreasonable one. At least she didn't have to worry about him leaving her. He freed her from that. So what could he really threaten her with now?
 
"Mom! I'll be right back!" She yelled up the stairway. In a swift motion, she palmed Ty's chest and pushed him back a few steps. As he stumbled backwards she stepped out of the doorway, closing the front door behind her. "Look. I don't know what you're tryna pull, but you can leave now. We don't wanna see you." 
 
"Damien's old enough to speak for himself." Ty said, staring Athena down. 
 
"Is he? I'm surprised you can tell, since you missed his last two birthdays." 
 
A sudden thud made Athena jump back against the door. The brick border along the doorframe crunched beneath Ty's knuckles, just inches away from her head.  He held his arm there, keeping his eyes dead locked on hers. It'd been a while since she witnessed one of his outbursts. This was probably the first time he seemed like an actual threat to her, and not just the walls. 
 
He pulled back, flexing his fingers to check the damage. A few knuckles cracked, making him wince and turn his wrist. No way in hell is he seeing them now. "Come on, mamas. It don't gotta be this way." He chuckled, showing his empty palms. "Look, you need money right? I got you. Let's take em' shopping. I'll get whatever they want."
 
"First, don't call me that." Keep it cool. Don't set him off. Athena straightened her posture, trying to stand her ground. "Second, I don't need your money. We're doing fine." 
 
The slight grin on Ty's face faded. His hands lowered back to his sides, making her blood run cold. "The fuck do you mean? Last I checked, your dumb ass little online job wasn't paying so well. You sellin' ass now?" 
 
"I said what I said. We don't need your money. We're taken care of." 
 
"Oh, I see." He took two steps closer, tucking his hands into the front pouch of his red hoodie. "You fuckin' somebody, huh? Got a new man?" 
 
Obviously she couldn't tell him about Michael. Besides, they weren't even-... well, he wasn't her man. Not yet, at least. "Maybe I do, maybe I don't. It's none of your business." 
 
Ty inhaled deeply through his nose, pulling one of his hands out to run his fingers through the grooves of his straight-back braids. He vaguely reminded her of a light-skinned Snoop Dogg whenever he had his hair like that. They were even around the same body-type. Tall and kinda skinny, except for Ty's muscular build. Years of fighting and sports kept him decently in shape. It just sucked that he got into so much trouble. He could've gotten a scholarship easily. 
 
"You cocky little bitch," He snapped, pointing his finger in her face. She could smell the marijuana residue on his fingertips. Shit, I thought weed was supposed to calm you down. He kept his voice low, but made sure to spit venom into every word. "You're lucky I got respect for your mother. She never done me wrong. So I'm not gonna start some shit at her house. But trust me, this ain't over." He spat on the ground right in front of her feet, then turned and started walking away down the street. 
 
Athena quickly reached behind her and twisted the doorknob, damn near tripping over her own feet to get back into the safety of the house. The door was slammed and locked like Michael Myers was hunting her down. Breathe… She took a second to collect herself. What the fuck just happened? Somebody must've told him that she was in town. Maybe Sheryl? It'd be a way to pay her back for mangling her face. No… She may be kinda bitchy, but surely Sheryl wouldn't do that to her nephews. She knew how much of a sore spot that was for Damien.
 
"Ladybug? Is that you?" Her mother called from upstairs. She could still hear the sounds of chattering and forks scraping against plates. Did that whole interaction really pass by so quickly? It felt like she’d been out there for an hour or so. After calming herself, she rejoined her family in the dining space. 
 
             °•○---♡---○•°
 
The neighborhood had settled into its usual nightly silence, aside from the crickets and rustling grass. Usually Athena would think nothing of it, but now it just reminded her of Michael. Of Neverland 2.0 and how much she ached to go back. Especially after dealing with Ty.
 
What am I doing here? Athena kicked around in the grass beneath her feet, keeping the swing just barely still. Yes, of course she missed her family and wanted the boys to be happy, but… it's been miserable. Sheryl was still giving her the cold shoulder, and all she could think about was dancing with Michael. Being held in his arms. 
 
She wrapped her arms around herself, and for a moment she could almost feel him. The chilly night air didn't hold up against the blood rushing to her cheeks. Among other places. She never thought she’d know what it felt like to have someone touch her the way he does. Now that she has, it’s been hard as fuck to go without it. Reminiscing, getting lost in vivid flashbacks, just made the cravings worse. 
 
"You couldn't sleep either, huh?"
 
Athena lifted her head, looking up into her mother's eyes. How she managed to sneak up on her in this crunchy grass was a mystery. She took a seat on the empty swing next to her, clutching her plum-colored robe closer to her chest. The two of them must've looked ridiculous to anyone nosey enough to peer outside. Athena in her magenta silk pajama set, and her mother in a robe and crocs. Oh well. She didn't really give a shit. 
 
"I wish I could tell you. But I am so deep into things… I don't know what to do." Athena said, avoiding eye contact.  
 
"Are you in danger?"
 
"No? Honestly, I'm not sure." She shifted on the swing, turning herself toward her mother with a sigh. "Ty came by this morning. He's pretty pissed off at me." 
 
"Hold up, that was him at the door?"
 
"Yup. I told him off, and he basically threatened me." 
 
Athena's mother sat up straight, tilting her head to the side. "Are we gonna have to call somebody?" Her words came out a lot more threatening than Athena was used to. Does she have connections I don't know about?? She couldn't believe it. 
 
"Uhh, let's not. I mean, me and the boys will be back home in a couple days anyway. Once we're out of the neighborhood, I'm sure he'll go back to being a ghost." 
 
"Or...you could stay." 
 
Was this some late-night wine talking? Once Athena turned eighteen she had felt the 'subtle' push to move out and get her own place. From coming home and seeing job applications taped to her door, and countless conversations that led into what her future plans were. The last thing she thought her mother would want was for her to move back in. Especially since she was still trying to get Sheryl out. It felt like her mother eased up on Sheryl because deep down she wasn't looking forward to being alone. Just her and a silent house full of memories. At least Sheryl wouldn't move to an entirely different state, unlike a certain black sheep. 
 
"You don't really want that, Mama. Sheryl's enough of a handful herself. You really wanna add me and two kids to the mix?"
 
"Maybe not in the same house." Her mother replied. "But we could find you somewhere close. It's been hard having you live so far away. Neither of us have the money to travel back and forth whenever we want." 
 
Athena had to stop herself from blurting out 'Michael probably wouldn't mind helping with that.' Especially if it kept her at Neverland 2.0. A couple visits here and there would be nothing. In a perfect world maybe he could even come along. See where she grew up, laugh at her embarrassing baby pictures, and just...be normal. Unfortunately that just doesn't seem like a possibility. "But what about my life in New York? My apartment, my job-"
 
"You work from home. And we could find you a much better place out here for a lower price. You know that." A look of realization came over her mother's face. "...Who is he?" 
 
Ahh shit. Nothing ever gets past this woman. "What do you mean?"
 
Her mother's mouth lifted slightly into a soft smile. Visible and beautiful under the crescent moonlight and clear sky. "I've known you your whole life. You've always been a hopeless romantic, to the point of damn near moving mountains whenever you fall for someone. Just a month ago you were complaining about where you live every time we got on the phone. Now you're finding every reason to stay. I dunno, it just sounds a lot like your reason might be a 'who' instead of a 'what'." 
 
Athena's mouth hung open, embarrassingly caught off guard. Even after scrambling inside her head for a quick excuse or a misdirect, nothing came to mind. She called her out. Plain and simple. "I- It's complicated, Mama." 
 
The swing creaked as her mother stood up and straightened out her robe. "I won't pry. But whatever you choose, I'm here for you, Ladybug." She leaned over and placed a brief kiss on Athena's forehead before making her way back into the house. It had to be almost four in the morning by now. If she didn't go in soon she'd be out there till the sunlight starts to peek from behind the far off trees and houses. It really was a cozy little neighborhood. Way more quiet than her old spot in the city. With its constant hustle and conflicts. People shouting in the street, cars honking at all hours of the day. Of course, the occasional gunshots. Still, the city was the absolute last place in her mind. Ty made his intentions very clear. The next time he saw her would be worse. If she let him see her at all. 
 
She got back into the house, checking twice to make sure that the door was locked behind her. The house was merciful, not whining and creaking with every tip-toe she made along the way to her room. Out of habit, she picked up her cellphone and checked for any notifications. Instead of a text from Michael that she was hoping for, she saw a message from a number that she didn't have saved. 
 
Unknown Number: Im sorry about wat I said. I jus wanna see my boys. Pls dont make this harder than it has to be. 
 
Sure, Ty. Sure. She couldn't hit the block button fast enough.