living or existing | mgc

twenty one (pilots heh)

Michael's POV.

I didn't know how to feel. My father, the man who hasn't been a part of my life for however many years, has been erased from it. Completely.

I knew I should feel sad, devastated, upset, but I didn't. I didn't feel anything.

And that left me standing in the kitchen, holding my now sobbing mother, and being as confused at myself as possible.

I pushed my mothers loose hair from her face, tucking it behind her ear as she shook with tears.

"I st-still loved him Michael, I still loved him even when he l-left me. I've always loved him, I always wished he would c-come back, I-" She let out a loud cry, wrapping her body around me, and I mentally slapped myself.

Why was I not feeling the same way? This man was my dad! I continued to question myself as she broke down.

Let's just say we stood in the kitchen together for a while.

---

Darby's POV.

After everyone had left the house, Luke and I were left lounging on the couches in the living room, just talking. At this point in time, Luke was ranting about how he can't beat his high score on TempleRun. He had his phone out and was demonstrating how hard the game was.

I nodded in agreement, even though I wasn't really paying attention to anything he was saying. My mind was on Michael, and only Michael. How was he? How was he doing?

My fingers played with the stringy bits of my jumper, twisting them around in boredom as Luke continue to play the game.

"Luke - I think I should call Michael. I have to see what's wrong - he seemed a bit shaken up when he left," I spoke over Luke, cutting him off halfway through his game and making him look at me.

Luke agreed.

Exiting the room and dialling Michael's number, I pressed the phone to my ear as I waited for Michael to pick up.

It only had to ring twice before Michael's voice sounded over through the speakers of my iPhone.

"Hello?" He asked, his voice shaky.

"Hey, Mikey. It's Darby. How are you?" I replied, chewing on my fingernails as I listened to his breathing, soft but full of energy as he thought of an answer.

"I'm fine - are you okay?"

That's what I loved about Michael. He was so selfless, even when he was in this state, he was asking me how I was doing.

"Yeah, I'm good. I'm just talking to Luke. Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, I-" he stopped, sighing as he did.

I waited on the other end of the line for him to finish.

"No, not really."

"Want to talk about it?" I asked, walking up the stairs to my bedroom to get some privacy as he replied.

"I - well. I got home and mum was r-really upset, and I asked her to tell me what was wrong, and um-" he didn't finish, and I heard his heavy breathing take over his speech, a cloud of mixed emotions crossing his body.

I wasn't expecting what I heard next.

"M-my dad died."

---

Michael's POV.

"Oh Mikey - I'm so sorry," she breathed, and I could hear rustling on the other end of the line as she did so.