BEFORE THE MORNING CAME

.06 - come back

when her junior year began, michelle almost didn't go. she had spent a month without leaving the trailer, and while that was common over the summer for her, it was never intentional until the death of her best friend. somehow, the girl managed to roll herself out of bed and make herself decent, then drive an old car barry had obtained for her sixteenth birthday, to the establishment where she was meant to sit and act as if nothing was wrong for eight hours.

at least she had jj by her side.

the boy found her sitting anxiously in the front seat of her car and talked her into going into the building, that him and pope and kiara would all stand with her, because they were all feeling the same pain. michelle hadn't spoken to kiara since the night of the bonfire, several months ago, so the idea of being in the same group as her was not as much of an incentive, but all the less, the four walked into the school together.

she had hoped for the same pleasure of their company the next day, but found herself hugging the wall as she unconfidently wandered between her classes. they were nowhere to be found. this continued for the remainder of the week, until friday evening.

michelle nearly tripped over herself as she rushed from her bedroom towards the living room. she had heard rafe's bike pull up and listened as the boy banged on their front door. after barry begrudgingly accepted his invitation to speak outside, michelle huddled underneath an exterior window, listening through the poorly insulated front wall, adjacent to where the boys talked.

"no, man, i'm telling you!" rafe exclaimed, throwing his fists out angrily in front of him. "kelce said he saw them, man! they're on the island!"

barry laughed at rafe's anguish. "you mean to tell me that this kid has come back from the dead, brought your sister back from the dead, and thought he would just come home?"

"stop acting like i'm crazy!" the blonde nearly shrieked, sending shivers down michelle's spine. "i saw them! in the bahamas! i don't know how the hell they're back, but they are, man."

barry was not laughing anymore. michelle wondered if he believed rafe. she did not.

her heartbeat was hard to ignore in her ears, but she still tried to hone in on the conversation.

"you mean to tell me..." barry's voice was serious as he inquired. "you went to the bahamas and didn't bring me?" another beat of silence passed before barry burst into laughter. "nah, man, you're fucked up. i'll go, though. just to see what the hell you're talking about."

michelle's knees burnt as she angrily crawled back to her bedroom, not wanting to be seen eavesdropping. she carefully pressed her bedroom door closed and took a deep breath, trying to process what all she had heard.

john b. and sarah were alive? and home? her mind was racing, her heart was pounding, and her fingers felt numb. she had to know if it was true. luckily for her, when her state of panic had finally faded, she was able to make out the rumble of tires rolling across the gravel driveway.

the girl quickly, and uncoordinatedly, climbed to her feet and threw her bedroom door open, then gathered her car keys without a second thought. luckily, she was thinking clearly enough to not pull up to the chateau. from all of her years of biking to john b's house, she had learned the quickest and most efficient routes, which would be her only advantage in beating her brother there. she parked on an adjacent street to the house and began scurrying through fields and backyards, heading straight towards the chateau. she approached from the back, feeling defeated at the lack of the hms pogue. however, as she continued to run closer to the shack, she made out voices. voices! someone was home. her legs had never moved faster.

she happened to stumble into the middle of a party, though some people were missing. john b, sarah's cameron, and jj all stared at the girl as she gasped for air in front of them.