Sail along

Chapter 28

"Mike." He called softly not wanting to startle the man if he was there.

"Mike buddy, you here?"

"Yeah." A voice sniffled.

"Hi." Micky said, smiling slightly.

"Hello." Mike answered.

"You okay?" Micky asked. Mike shrugged.

"My head hurts Micky." Mike said.

"I know it does." Micky said "It's okay. You'll be okay." He reached his hand out and put it on Mike's shoulder.

"Why does it always seem like I end up alone?" Mike asked.

"What do you mean?" Micky asked. Mike sighed.

"I never really had any school friends, did you know that when there was a dance at school and I'd call a girl up and ask her if she wanted to go she'd laugh and say no then hang up?" Mike said.

"No," Micky said, "that's awful." Mike shrugged.

"But I was always busy taking care of my siblings to really go to dances or hang out. Pa was always busy working and after Pa died then Ma got a job to make ends meet but trying to raise four kids on an uneducated woman's pay is hard." Mike said "She fostered out my younger brother and sister to relatives, my older sister got married and then it was just me. And I was alone most of the time."

"I'm so sorry, Mike..." Micky whispered. "But now you have us, right?" He offered a slight smile but Mike frowned and let out a sigh.

"But I'm still alone, Micky..." he sighed and shook his head. "It's always you three, and then 'the one with the hat.' Most people don't even know my name."

"Is that what this is about?" Micky asked. "People don't know your name and so you're upset?"

"No, Micky!" He shook his head. "No...I-I don't know." He brought his knees to his chest and rested his head atop.

"Even with y'all, I'm still...just on the sidelines, alone."

"Mike." Micky sighed not knowing what to say so he just sat on the beach with him and they watched the waves until Mike's breathing evened out and his head fell onto Micky's shoulder. Micky smiled slightly. It was nice sitting out on the beach, a slight wind, the salty air. Micky felt a wave of fatigue wash over him and he knew he should probably wake Mike up and get them both back to Millie's house but it couldn't hurt to stay out a little bit longer. He really didn't want to wake Mike up. Mike was grumpy when you woke him up. Micky stretched out so he was laying down and Mike groaned and shifted around in his sleep. His eyes fluttered open after a moment and he smiled at Micky.

"Hi," he whispered and Micky smiled.

"Hey, Mike, how do you feel?" Micky asked gently and cuddled up against him.

"Tired..." he yawned. "Very nice...but tired..."

Micky sighed and wrapped his arm around him.

"We need to go back to Millie's pretty soon, but we can stay here and rest for a while if you want to."

"Hmm...maybe..." he said thinking and Micky smiled.

"That's better than no, I guess."

"Sleep...here." Mike said.

"Mike," Micky said, as he yawned himself "We can't sleep here."

"Yes," Mike said as he snuggled into Micky more "Night night."

"Mike," Micky said shaking him gently "come on, wake up. We're not sleeping on the beach."

"Hmm. Yes. Please?" Mike asked without opening his eyes.

"Mike," Micky sighed. "Millie's gonna be worried about us if we don't come back."

Mike groaned and rolled over. Micky frowned. Clearly he needed to think of a new tactic.

"Hey, Mike?" He asked, shaking his shoulder. Mike frowned and closed his eyes tighter.

"Who's there?" Mike called out.

"Micky, now—" Micky started to say, only to be interrupted by Mike's next question.

"Micky, who?"

"Dolenz," Micky sighed. Mike opened his eyes slightly to look at him, a frown still on his face.

"Don't get it...sorry..." he said quietly.

"That's cause it wasn't a joke, Mike," Micky sighed. "And it's alright."

Mike smiled and closed his eyes again, cuddling up against Micky.

"Nighty night..." he whispered and began to sing to himself. "It's pillow time again..."

"Not yet, Mike," Micky said, sitting up which forced Mike off of him.

"Yes yet." Mike said with a stern frown and Micky let out a sigh.

"We need to get back to Millie's, then you can sleep, 'kay?"

"No 'kay," Mike said, laying back down in the sand.

"Come on, Mike, please," Micky sighed.

"Go 'way!" Mike complained, hiding his face in his hands.

"Mike..." Micky whispered a slight smile growing on his face. "I just thought of something, you wanna know what I just realized?"

Mike opened his eyes again and sat up, looking at him curiously.

"What?" He asked, his curiosity getting the better of him.

"If you don't go back over to Millie's..." Micky said slowly, which made Mike become anxious and excited for the answer.

"What?" Mike asked again, a smile growing on his face.

"If you don't go over to Millie's...you won't be able to get your present, and you can't give her hers."

"Present?" Mike asked.

"Yeah Mike, you have a present." Micky said getting up "Come on let's go see what it is." Mike got up and took off running up the beach.

"Oh, come on," he muttered to himself chasing after him. "MIKE!"

Mike giggled.

"~You can't catch me~" he called out in a sing-song voice as he continued to run up the beach.

"Mike, will you quit that?" Micky called out as he chased Mike back to the pad. Mike darted up the stairs and across the deck and slammed into the glass door.