EVERYBODY'S EVERYTHING | AV

[6]Confession

With Mickey's expert knowledge of the streets of their hometown, they managed to lose the cops within ten minutes. Either that, or they gave up on her. The first few times they were called about her, it was different officers, but now it seemed like the same two cops were always summoned when a call came in from the group home. Mick led her friends to a quiet corner in the park close to Hartley and they all dropped to the ground, trying to catch their breath.

"Okay, what was that about?" Amerie asked in between breaths.

"No, first tell us what Chook was talking about," Darren said.

"What did Chook say?" Quinni piped up. Her and Amerie were already out the door when the eshay caught her and Darren.

"He told Mickey she looked just as good as the first night they met."

"When did you guys meet?"

"I thought you knew him through Ca$h?"

So many questions. And Mickey knew they would come, but she was exhausted. She didn't get any sleep the night before and she was still reeling from the party at the bunker. Mickey tried to not think about what happened, but she couldn't ignore it forever. She was angry, but she would deal with Spider later. Right now, she had to feed her friends just enough information to keep them from interrogating her about the cops chasing after her.

"Okay," Mickey said, raising her voice slightly to stop the questions. "I'll tell you about the night Chook was talking about. It was before I met any of you, right after I moved here."

So, she told them. About the party, about how she got caught by the eshays as she was leaving, about the drinks, the drugs, and even the rooftop. She recounted every detail of that night and she was surprised at how easily the words left her mouth. Maybe this was what she needed, to tell someone other than Ca$h, someone who wasn't involved.

"The next day I found Ca$h at Harry's and punched him in the face. That was how our friendship started," she finished, looking at each of them in turn as she could see them processing the information.

"Harper wasn't the first," Amerie said. "You were."

"I doubt it."

"Im so sorry," Amerie said, wrapping her arms around Mickey in a hug, which Quinni and Darren soon joined.

"It was a long time ago," Mickey said, tearing away from the three of them and taking her phone out to check the time. She cursed to herself as she remembered that her phone died. "What time is it?"

"It's almost 8, we gotta go," Amerie said, getting up from the ground.

"I gotta take care of something, I'll see you guys later," Mickey said, walking off before they had the chance to stop her.

"Wait, what about the cops? She never told us what that was about."

Mickey sped up and almost ran to Ca$h's place. She hoped against all odds that she didn't miss her. Visiting hours started at 9, but that didn't mean she wouldn't leave early. Mickey rounded the corner just as the woman was stepping out the door. She stopped in front of her car, waiting for her to notice her.

"Mickey," she said, stepping down the steps, her keys jingling in her hand.

"Can I come with you?"

"Why do you think I haven't left yet?"

The woman smiled at her then and Mickey couldn't help but smile back. Nan waited for her, somehow this all-knowing woman knew she would show up. The two of them got into the car and started the drive to see Ca$h. Mickey turned her head to look at her.

"Thank you."

*****

Mickey had gone in first at Nan's insistence. She was sitting in the visiting room, an empty seat in front of her as she waited for one of the guard's to bring Ca$h in. She was nervous, her leg was bouncing and she was fidgeting with her fingers in her lap. On the way in, she had fallen asleep in the car and she was only woken up when they arrived. She was grateful for the power nap, because without it she feared she would've missed the whole visit for a wink of sleep.

The door on the other end of the room opened and in walked Ca$h. Mickey was so glad to see him she couldn't help the smile on her face. She wanted to get up and hug him, but she knew there was a 'no touching' rule in place. That was fine, she could wait. He would be out soon enough, she believed that. He walked up and sat in the chair across from her, a smile matching her own lighting up his face.

"Where have you been? I've been calling," he asked, looking her up and down as if he could see through her if he tried hard enough.

"I'm sorry," she said. "It's been hectic, but don't worry. Everything's okay. How are you?"

"It's been fine, I guess, but I could use a distraction. Tell me, where have you been?"

"I don't want you to worry," she said, again trying to deter him from prying. Mickey couldn't lie to Ca$h, he would see through it.

"I'm already worried, so you might as well tell me. I've had no contact with you since I was arrested, you fell off the grid for weeks from what Darren told me. It's not like you. What's going on?"

Mickey caved.

"I was put into a group home," she said, getting it out of the way. She watched the way Ca$h's expression fell and she knew she had to give him more. "Someone made a call to child services and I was thrown into the system."

"Who?"

"Anonymous," she said, nodding her head. "Tyler's been trying to fix this whole mess, but it's proving to be a little harder than he thought. He wants to get custody of me, but he can't afford a good enough lawyer. He's pulling favours anywhere he can, but it's not looking good."

"Have you been sleeping at all?"

"Have you?"

"Fair, but seriously, Mick. Does anyone else know?"

"No, and I want it to stay that way, okay?"

"Not even Ant?"

"No," she said, her voice quiet as she looked down to the floor.

"Mickey," Ca$h said, and the way he said her name made her look back up at him. "You have to tell him. You disappeared for weeks, you don't think that bothered him?"

"I know it did, but I can't tell him. I don't want him to know, to pity me for this. It's embarrassing, Ca$h. I was put into a fucking group home because my mother is an alcoholic. Did you know she didn't even try to fight it? She let them take me, she didn't even say a word."

Tears began threatening to fall from her eyes and a part of her was relieved when a guard informed them that their time was up. Mickey got up to follow her escort, but before she could say her goodbye's, Ca$h grabbed her hand. He didn't need to say anything, the fleeting action was enough.

"No touching!"