Mending A Broken Soul (Mavin)

Chapter Nine: Real Me

Chapter Nine:
Real Me

Two weeks since Michael's awakening have proven to be tiring and stressful.

I was released from the hospital a week before Michael was. Geoff didn't trust me staying in the apartment by myself so he had Rosie stay with me until Michael came home.

Slowly, I began to warm up to Rosie. She told me stories of her depression and how she overcame it. It was amazing the things that she had to go through, and how she actually eventually pulled out of it. She explained to me that I just have to start working toward it, getting there step by step.

Eventually, our conversation took a different road.

"Hey, Gavin. You'd consider yourself a role model... Right?" Rosie asked me one night. I paused the game I was playing and looked at her.

"What do you mean?" I asked her back.

"Like... Do you think people look up to you?" She asked me. I stopped to think for a moment.

"Well... I guess some people do. But I wouldn't consider myself a role model. That makes me sound narcissistic and cocky," I muttered, unpausing the game.

"What if I proposed an idea. You can decline it of course, it's just an idea. But, what if you came out to the viewers about your depression and... Maybe even your relationship with Michael. Then we can show some of the people out there that are also struggling with depression that it's possible to overcome it," She suggested.

I thought about it for a moment. It wasn't a bad idea at a first glance. In fact, it was quite a noble thing to do. However, once I started thinking about it, I began poking holes in it, realizing all the things that could go wrong. Like, what if overcoming it became too much of a struggle and I couldn't do it? Then what would happen to the people that looked up to me?

"I don't know..." I mumbled quietly.

"You don't have to make a decision now. Just think about it though," Rosie told me, getting up to finish making our dinner.

...

A few nights after that conversation, Michael came home. He was obviously incredibly tired and he didn't do much all day. I mean, I didn't blame him one bit. I was just glad to have him back.

Michael was incredibly awkward when it came to romance. Slowly, but surely he got used to it, trying his best to be the hopeless romantic he had always been.

However, I couldn't help but feel like I was hanging around a different Michael. This Michael didn't know the things he helped me get through. And... This Michael didn't love me as much as the other Michael did.

I should really stop this... It's starting to give me a headache.

One night, as we were laying in his bed, Michael was having trouble falling asleep. I stayed up with him, despite my exhaustion gnawing away at every last bit of energy I had.

"Gavin, how did you know you loved me?" Michael asked me. He was comfortably staring up at the ceiling, hands clasped across his stomach. I was facing him on my side, trying my best to keep my eyes open.

"Well, I always loved you. Since the day I first met you," I told him drowsily.

"Will you always love me?" Michael continued.

"Yes, Mi-cool. I will always love you," I whispered, closing my eyes slightly.

"Gavin... Do you... Do you think of me as like... I don't know, a different person?" Michael asked me.