An Afton Story

Chapter Seven

Michael's POV.

Dad took me and Liz home, then had to go to the diner to figure out what had happened and to talk with Henry and the officers in town, I went and sat on the couch, Liz joined me on the couch and stared straight forward, neither of us said anything, and Liz started crying, causing me to quickly look at her and gently put my hand on her cheek. "Are you okay?" I knew she was probably just upset by me crying, just like she was. I knew we both weren't okay, but my brotherly instincts kicked in when I saw her starting to cry.

"No. I'm just worried about Evan. Today was supposed to be his happy day, he was supposed to be happy today Michael. It's not fair" she started crying more as she spoke, and I started crying more as well, "I know Elizabeth. And your right, it isn't fair. Evan should've been happy today, maybe it would've been better if I got hurt instead of him, I can take a lot of pain, but he can't...I just hope that he'll be okay..." I slowly moved my hand away from Liz's cheek and I sat with my back against the back of the couch, bringing my knees up to my chest, just like I did at the hospital, Liz nodded and sat the same way as me. After a while of me and Liz sitting like that crying she eventually ended up falling asleep and leaning against me. I softly put my arm around her and with my other hand I wiped away my tears.

After roughly an hour dad came home looking very irritated, and looked more so when he looked at me, "you didn't change?" I knew he was going to start an argument, I wasn't really in the mood, but I wasn't going to just sit here this time, "yeah? So what I didn't change? I wasn't going to just leave Liz to change" I looked at Liz, hoping to not wake her up accidentally with arguing with dad. "Listen Michael, I don't want to argue with you right now" I looked back at him, with a slight growing anger myself.

"Then why did you decide to start an argument when you walked in?!" I raised my voice, clearly getting more irritated, not caring anymore. "You dare raise your voice at me?!" He raised his voice in return to me raising mine, Liz slightly sat up and looked at me and dad, I saw her do it through the corner of my eye, she then got up and went to her room, understanding the situation and that it wouldn't be the best to be in the room for too long.

"Yeah! I do dare! After all these years of not standing up to you I have to now before I can't!" I sat up and made eye contact with him, making it clear that I was being serious. "You have a lot of nerve to be yelling at me like that! You got lucky at the hospital when I decided not to hit you for taking my shit!" he stepped closer as he yelled at me. "It's your fault for leaving it in your jacket and never being around to take care of your kids!!" I yelled louder than before, my voice breaking a little as I could feel myself get a little choked up from actually standing up to dad for once.

"How dare you?!! I work all day everyday to get the money to take care of this family the best I can!! I do what I do for you brats!!" He moved closer to me again while yelling, I knew what was bound to happen, since both of us were snapping at each other out of anger and sadness, but I really didn't care right now, I just wanted to go back and stay with Evan to keep an eye on him. "You don't care about us kids!! You just care about your stupid business and how much money you make with your stupid animatronics!!" As I yelled that I got off the couch, and once I finished my sentence I stormed off to my room and slammed one door shut. I saw that my other door was open, but it would be easy for me to run across the room and close it if dad went that way to come for me and continue the argument.

After a while of hiding in my room I heard dads room door open then close, I took that as I was safe enough to sit down. I slid down my wall and sat there on the floor for a while. After a few minuets I heard my door starting to open, I quickly looked over to see Liz standing there, and I was glad it was her instead of dad standing there. "Mikey? Are you okay with me sleeping in your room with you tonight?" Liz spoke slowly, clearly trying not to start crying, I nodded and she walked into my room, closing the door behind her and sitting on the floor next to me.

After a long while I asked Liz to step outside of my room so I could actually change out of my bloody clothes into some other clothes. Once I was done changing I tossed my clothes into the corner and put dads jacket back on, it was a little comforting to have dads jacket on, even though I didn't like him much or look up to him the way I used to. I then let Liz come back in, we didn't bother getting ready for bed tonight, we were both just exhausted by this point and wanted to go to bed. I sat on the bed while Liz laid down on one side of the bed. I heard the front door open then close. Either dad was leaving, probably to get drunk, or he was just getting back, and I wasn't paying attention when he was leaving, probably the second one.

I got up and quickly turned off the light and walked back over to my bed and laid down next to Liz, and right as I did I heard footsteps outside my door, I knew it was dad, so I didn't bother pretending to sleep this time. Liz moved closer to me and snuggled up to me, probably trying to protect herself and me from dad if he started yelling about whatever he could think of.

I heard the door open and heard his footsteps walking over to the bed, causing Liz to hold onto my shirt tightly and slightly hide her face in my chest, I gently held her as dad stopped at the edge of the bed, he then leaned down and gave both me and Liz a kiss on the forehead then walked out of my room. It was shocking for dad to do that then just leave, since it's been literal years since he's done that to me, but it was a little comforting for him to do so. I didn't like him since we always fought, but him actually acting like a father for once was nice, it made me feel like I was actually a kid again, since I was still technically a kid. I only had a few years left in school, but I was still a kid in the eyes of the public. I looked at Liz, who was actually falling asleep now, and not because she was crying this time, but she was probably exhausted from crying, just like I was. We both fell asleep surprisingly fast tonight, probably from exhaustion, but that was to be expected with how much crying happened today.