EVERYBODY'S EVERYTHING | AV

[9] A Horrible Coincidence

A FEW WEEKS AGO

Mickey was caught. It wasn't long before her body shut down and she collapsed on the street. Roxy and Tyler both knew she wouldn't come back to the house, and evidently one or the other had relayed that information to the two human embodiments of a nightmare. Their black car had just pulls up at the curb and Mickey looked up, defeated.

She let them help her into the car, knowing there was nothing she could do about it now. She had to accept it, it didn't matter how much she didn't want to believe it.

They brought her back to the house and one of them supervised her while she packed her stuff. Roxy didn't say a word, just stared at all four of them as they did what they were supposed to do. Mickey packed her school bag, and stuffed a duffel full of clothes. But she remembered those actions as a blur of colours.

One thing Mickey noticed was the click of the lock once she got into the backseat of the black vehicle. They were being careful. They thought she would make a run for it at a red light or even while the car was moving. And if she wasn't so defeated and scared, she probably would've.

The car stopped and Mickey looked up at the building. It was ugly, and just by the look of it Mickey knew it would be as bad as she expected. Maybe worse.

A short woman walked out the front door and towards their car. Her companions, who she could not remember the names of, stepped out to greet her. Just as Mickey was about to follow them and officially begin the nightmare, she noticed someone familiar in the street and froze in her tracks. She slid down the seat, afraid they would see her.

No one could know what happened.

A knock sounded on the window and she looked up.

"Mikayla, step out please."

She pulled her hood over her head and did as she was told. From the looks of it, it looked like Spider and his mother were arguing about something. The closer they got the more she could hear, and from that interaction alone she knew his mother was a piece of work. He looked like he wanted to be anywhere but with her, and Mickey wished that was true.

Mickey wished they would go inside already. She had her bag on her shoulder and her duffel in her hand. They were getting closer and she was getting more anxious about being seen. But the three nightmare bringers were deep in conversation.

"Mickey?"

Fuck.

She turned to look at Spider and just the look on his face was enough to put her into motion. Screw this, she thought. Mickey pushed past the short woman and up the stairs of the group home, wanting to get as far away from Spider and his mother.

Something told her that they had both witnessed something they wanted to keep secret, and she could only hope that they would both keep their mouths shut.

Just from the snippet of their argument, which was more one-sided, Mickey could see how Spider ended up behind such an asshole. His mother believed the worst of men, and she put the burden of all of her issues and opinions onto her son. She believed he was just like every man she'd known, and evidently Spider decided to give up on convincing her otherwise.

He became what she was convinced he was.