The Island

Part 8 - 5

Five:

It was close to midnight when Michael found his bedroom. To no one's surprise, he had been drinking like the world was about to end. Brock and Taylor had kept awake with a game of Monopoly and some soda. Brock and Taylor both turned their heads as Michael walked in. He held a bottle in one hand and his forehead with the other. He stumbled a bit, but he felt his way to Taylor's bunk and plopped his butt down. Taylor and Brock watched him almost with smiles; they knew he was really drunk. Michael leaned over and set his almost empty bottle to the ground. He then hugged his knees and put his forehead between his legs. "You alright there, Michael?" Brock asked with a smile. Taylor smile fell into a curious look. "I got a few problems." Michael said very sloppily. His took his head and looked to Brock and Taylor. "You mind listenin?" "Um, sure." Taylor said. She stood up and glanced behind her. With one step backward, she sat down on Brock's bunk. Brock observed her and followed. They sat side by side, both waiting for Michael to continue on. Across from them, he sighed. "Man, I don't think I can do this anymore." Michael said, looking to closet doors. "I mean, I know I got picked, but I didn't know all of this drinkin' was gonna happen." "Well, have you considered stopping? That seems like a simple solution." Taylor replied. "No way, Tay." He looked to her. "I drink because it numbs my pain." "What pain?" She inquired. "The... The internal one." "Could you be more specific?" Michael sighed. "Ever since ol' Adin got killed, I have felt this big feeling of guilt... Like, I coulda stopped it or something." Taylor nodded. "Well, you don't have to drink to take those feelings away. Everyone was them here, including us." Taylor gestured between herself and Brock. "For sure." Brock jumped in. "It's better to talk it out with the people you trust instead of drinking it away. By God, if the Varsity coach found out about what you're doing, you be off the team and suspended." "I think once this story spreads throughout town, all of us are kind of royally screwed in sports." Taylor added to Brock's comment. Michael pointed at Taylor. "And that's another problem. I don't wanna live to see my family or anyone else back in town after this. We've seen what losing someone close to all of us does to our parents-" "Michael, let's not talk about that. It's too depressing." Taylor interrupted. The three of them paused. "How about I change the subject. I don't think Brock and I properly thanked you for what you did." "What did I do?" Michael blinked slowly. "You let us off on the trial." Brock clarified. "Oh yeah, no problem." Michael said. "No problem?" Taylor perked up. "You let us go free for a murder that basically sets us up for it." "I said no problem." Michael looked at both of them lucidly. "Besides, I know you didn't do it." "What?" Brock said. "What do you mean-" Taylor tried. She was cut off by the squeaking of the door. Barely poking his face in, Randy glanced at Taylor and Brock and quickly retreated back in the hall. "Hey!" Michael leaned back in the bed and looked around one of the bunk's post. "Come back here!" "Who was it?" Taylor inquired Michael. He didn't reply; he focused on the door, waiting for Randy to come back. "Hey!" Michael yelled. There were footsteps, but it was unclear if they were coming toward the door or away from the door. "Michael, who is it?" Taylor asked again. Michael looked over quickly to her. "It's that traitor Randy." He spat. Taylor raised her brow. "I can go get him-" Before Taylor could finish her sentence, the door opened widely. In the hall outside stood Randy. Michael shook his head. "Get in here." Michael said to Randy. Randy stepped in, revealing himself to Brock and Taylor. He went to the foot of the Monopoly board, letting all three of them take good site of him. "Now, explain yourself." Michael commanded him. "Michael-" "It's not his fault-" Brock and Taylor both cried at him. Randy still stood there, looking down at the floor. He looked miserable. "Well, go on." Michael hurried Randy. "I can leave-" Randy attempted to reach for a blanket on his bunk, but Michael stood up and made him freeze. "I'm not going to ask you again. Explain why you show up here in the middle of the night-" "Because I don't want to be in here." Randy cut Michael off. "Well, you're free to get the hell out. I'd like having an extra bunk in here." Michael replied. "The problem here really is you. I don't want to live in the same room as you." Randy suddenly said. His bravery was starting to empower him. "Excuse me-" Michael attempted. "Yeah, I'm tired of you scaring everyone here into agreeing and following what you preach. You're nothing but a bully-" "Get the hell out." Michael said very seriously. "You scared all the people that voted for you into voting for you, especially them!" Randy pointed at Brock and Taylor on the bed. "And I think you know that too, Michael!" Randy's yell lingered in the room for a minute. Michael's breathing was heavy and full of anger. "Get out, and don't come back." Michael now looked away from Randy. "Get OUT!" Michael screamed. With that, Randy ran past Michael and snatched his pillow and ran out the door. Brock and Taylor still sat on the bed, almost petrified at Michael's actions. Michael stood for a moment, listening to Randy's footsteps run down the long hall. Once he lost the sound of the footsteps, he sat back down on the bed and focused to Brock and Taylor. "Now, where were we?