Look What I Found!

Ch. 32

Richie paced back and forth in his dimly lit living room, the soft glow of his phone illuminating his tense face as he waited for his ex-manager, Steve Covall, to answer his call. With each unanswered attempt, Richie's anxiety mounted as if a thousand tiny needles pricked at his skin. The oppressive silence seemed to envelop him, filling the room with a palpable sense of unease that gnawed at his insides.

Seconds ticked as he waited anxiously, straining his ears for any sign of life. Then, there it was - a subtle click followed by Steve's flat, unemotional voice filling his ear. "What do you want, Rich?"

"I want back in."

A bark of laughter hit his ears, crushing his hope slightly. "Back in? After a whole year of ignoring my messages and complete radio silence to the world, you want me to take you back in?"

"Look, Steve, Stevie, baby-"

"Richie-"

"I need a job. I... You've seen the tabloids and stuff. I'm doing much better." Richie tried to negotiate, sensing that this conversation was heading down south fast. He just needed a starting point, the weight of his past reputation bearing down on him.

"And with a kid, for that matter." Steve pointed out, which wasn't fair. A lot of celebrities have kids. Many have kids they don't know about and take them under their wing, spotlighting them as some saint or saving grace for the kid to the public.

"It's not like I planned this or anything."

Steve let out a heavy sigh, the sound echoing through the room, as he shuffled a few papers on his desk. "I can't simply bring you back, Richie," he said with a sense of resignation.

"Why not?"

"Are you kidding?! Have you seen the headlines? You're being labeled as a predator. It's crucial for you to clear your name before taking any further action. Once you've done that, we can discuss the next steps." The call ended with a beep, and Richie's arm fell to his side. His heart sank as he processed the weight of the accusations against him, feeling the weight of the world pressing down on his shoulders.

Richie sank heavily into the plush couch with a drawn-out groan, wearily running his hands down his face. He didn't know what he was going to do. Yes, he had plenty of money to spare to last him the rest of his life, but he couldn't just sit around doing nothing all day. Before, he could, but now it wasn't even an option.

Mike crosses his mind. He was over at Jacob's that day while Ruby and Giselle were on a date. Mike's nightmares haven't exactly improved, but they have been occurring less frequently, which made him more comfortable staying over at a friend's house. And, ever since Richie's parents left, things have been going great. Richie feels happy for once, and Mike is more comfortable around him again. He didn't realize how much he needed his parents' support in all of this, but knowing they still loved him and accepted Mike took a lot of stress off him.

But, with both of them stuck in the house, Mike having to wait for his friends to get out of school, and Richie just having nowhere to be or a job. They were both getting irritable with the other. It's what drove Mike to stay over at a friend's and why Richie's been trying to get a job, but no one was taking him. Not even his own manager! And Richie was the one who started that man's career, and they both know it.

Richie had no idea how he was going to get his shit straightened out because once someone was contacted, Mike would be put in the public eye, and they'll have to create a believable lie. Richie didn't want to put him through that stress and pressure. It already looked like the kid wasn't sleeping as it was.

He thought about who he could call: Beverly and Ben or Mike and Bill. He already owed Bill for the pedophile fiasco, and he kind of already owed Beverly for watching Mike when he went to rehab. But Beverly agreed to watch Mike because she likes Mike. So, technically, he didn't owe Beverly anything yet.