i've noticed // rikey

i've noticed

Word Count - 881
Oneshot//Rikey

"Mikey."

The blond boy was in some sort of daze. He stared into nothingness, his eyes wide with bags beneath them. His lips quivered slightly.

"Mikey!" the boy, Ray, repeated, louder this time.

"Huh? What? " Mikey confusedly asked, finally snapping back into reality. They were in the cafeteria of the highschool.

"Well for starters, you were looking intensely at absolutely nothing," Ray replied with a small smile. "Unless the floor was really interesting to you and you couldn't stop staring at it."

Mikey laughed slightly, realizing the daze he was just in. But his smile dropped when he noticed Ray's smile fade.

"But something's wrong,"he said, sitting up straight. "I..I've noticed something about you."

"W-what? I haven't done anythin-"

"I mean, not necessarily something. that you did. Actually, it's something you haven't been doing that's bothering me."

"And, uh, what would that be?" the blond asked with obvious nervousness in both his voice and eyes.

"Eating."

Mikey's heart skipped a beat, and his eyes quickly went wide for a second. "E-eating? What do you mean I haven't been eating?"

"Okay, hear me out before you interrupt me, Mikey, but I'm just a little concerned, okay?"

Mikey nodded slowly, his breath caught in his throat at the moment.

"So, like, you've been looking pretty skinny lately. Not the 'I work out!' fit-skinny. Like, 'I'm starving myself skinny.' It just kinda, or really, if what I'm getting at is the truth, scares me."

Mikey's lips trembled, and before he could say anything, (which even if he wanted to, he couldn't, because his throat was incredibly dry) his friend Ray continued.

"You don't eat school lunch or breakfast. Gerard notices this shit, too, man. He says you don't eat at home, and if you do, it's barely anything? And, like, whenever Gee, Frank, Bob and us hang, you never eat. I'm...I don't know how to not bluntly ask this. Micheal, are you starving yourself?"

It wasn't even ten seconds before tears began welling up in Mikey's eyes. He brought his arm up, wiping his eyes. Trusting his best friend Ray, he nodded again slowly, which only resulted in more trembling from him.

For his friends' sake, Ray kept his composure. Seeing Mikey cry within those first few seconds though was pretty rough. It wasn't often that the friends brought up serious topics like so, they were usually pretty idiotic and screwed around a lot in class. But it was pretty obvious that something as wrong with Mikey.

"Mikey...why though?? You're hurting yourself as you do it." The worry in his voice made Mikey feel guilty, and he silently sat for a few seconds, trying to think of how he could even explain why he was doing this to himself.

"Don't make anything up, either. Don't rush. I.. I didn't mean to make you cry but it's obviously a dire situation."

Mikey shrugged. "I mean, I..." he sighed, still crying a bit because he knew it was obvious that he changed but he didn't want anyone finding out. "I just do, okay?"

"Nobody just starves themselves. "

He sighed again, because Ray was right. He did have a reason, but he didn't want to say. "I do."

"Mikey," Ray had said a bit for sternly this time, but still concerned. "Why do you hurt yourself like that?"

"Because I fucking chose to, okay? Is it that important to know why? It's because I fucking hate my body, so I starved myself. There." he was now crying full out, but not loud enough for anyone to hear besides Ray, who was taken aback by Mikey's sudden harshness.

"I...I'm sorry." Mikey quickly said afterwards. "I shouldn't have been so fucking harsh. I understand if you hate me now." he placed his elbows on the table, putting his head into his hands.

"Mikey, I don't hate you. I'm just really scared. I don't want you doing that to yourself. I don't see what you see. I don't understand how you could even hate yourself at all." his voice was soft and sympathetic.

Mikey raised his face from his hands, using the bottom of his palms to wipe away his tears. "I doubt it. I'm sorry I'm a douche. I don't know why I act like that around the only people that care. I'm sorry."  He had to have apologized about seven more times.

"I'm sorry you can't see how perfect you the way you are." he gave a smile with that, reaching over the table and grabbing Mikey's hand giving it a small squeeze. "Because you're perfect to me."

He cringed at what he said last, because it felt awkward to finally let out, but he really meant it. And he figured Mikey really needed to hear it, even if he didn't believe it.

Mikey replied with a light blush on his face. "Oh." He smiled wider, laughing quietly. "Thanks. I..thanks." He couldn't really comprehend the words just said to him, and he went from a crying mess to a flustered smiling mess. "Same to you, Ray. I, uh, I really appreciate it. I, um, yeah." He gave one of his goofy half-smiles, the one where one of his eyes squinted cutely.

He was never really good with words when he was flustered, but Ray just laughed in return. "I think I get what you mean."