What Should have been

83

A young boy hides in his bedroom, hoping he won't be dragged out to be forced into that restaurant again.

But it's unlikely that he'll get to stay here all day, because today Is a special day. Today is his birthday.

He huddles up into a ball and holds his plush close, he's absolutely nervewracked.

Then There is a loud and sudden knock at his door, it makes him jump in the air with fright.

"Hey hey birthday boy open up!"

"Go away."

"Come on little man, you have to go, it's your party!"

"Go away Mike." He says through gritted teeth.

The door swings open despite the lack of invitation.

"Get up."

"No!"

"Just. Please just this once why do you have to make everything so god damn hard you know we're supposed to be there by 12!"

"Elizabeth doesn't have to go"

"Elizabeth is visiting Mom, what do you expect her to do? Fly all the way back to Utah for your damned Party?"

"Charlie isn't going"

"She's got a damn Job you little mongrel, not that you'd know anything about that."

"Go away."

Michael walks over and drags him off the bed by force, probably not the best start to a birthday...

"LET GO OF ME"

Michael continues dragging him by the arm all the way down the hall.

"LET GO LET GO LET GO!"

"Calm the hell down and get your shoes on, we're going now."

"No!"

"You listen to me you little brat, Dad's not around and I have the god damn say now so get your shoes on and March your ass out of that damn door right now or so help me God I will light all of your stupid toys On Fire."

The boy takes this seriously, Michael usually means what he says in the way of threats, he gets his shoes on and he stands at the door staring at Michael with a justified fury in his eyes.

Michael walks up and opens the door nearly dragging the poor kid all the way to the diner.

"LET GO I can walk myself."

The boy rips his arm out of Michael's hand and walks ahead of him.

They stop every once in a while and Michael lets him talk to some of the neighboorhood kids, but time is running short and his patience very thin. So he pushes the boy forward until he annoyedly starts heading towards the diner.

By the time they finally get there, everything is all set up. The only invitees are Michael's friends, it's pretty safe to assume that the small boy doesn't have many, which would explain the horrible turnout.

The group loiters about while Michael acts like a jackass and shows off to them for ten full minutes, the young boy hides under a table the entire time. He begins to cry.

Michael stops chatting it up and takes notice to this, he walks over to him and kneels down.

"Come on, get up."

"No!"

"Please."

"I hate you"

"Look just get the hell up, you're making a mess of yourself, you don't want them to start laughing again do you?"

"Leave me alone."

Michael sighs and walks back over to cavort with His friends, but as he's talking he hatches an idea. He takes them and gathers them around in the bathroom to tell them his plan, the ultimate gift to the birthday boy.

The young boy notices he's alone and he crawls out from under the table. He sits on the ground and pulls his knees into himself and rocks back and fourth a bit. When the gang finally comes out of the restroom he tries to crawl back under the table but he's quickly snatched up by Michael. He kicks and he screams, there's snot and tears running down his face.

The animatronics on stage are singing That's Amore by Dean Martin, but the calming music doesn't make the young boy any less anxious.

Michael lifts him up in the air, he's grinning. The boy is absolutely inconsolable at this point.

Michael then, despite all the kicking and screaming manages to hoist the small boy onto his shoulders.

He stops crying.

He's confused.

"Happy Birthday Twerp."

Michael carries him around the place while belting out the most tone deaf rendition of Happy Birthday to You, the boy is absolutely stunned.

When he gets finished he sets him down, but Michael frowns because the boy is just staring, he thinks he's done something wrong and hasn't helped the situation one bit.

But the small boy, he suddenly bursts into a fit of laughter, he laughs so hard that he starts to tear up and he falls to the ground.

"Come on little man, get up." Michael extends a hand out to him, and he takes it.

They all laugh and act like fools that day, the group even lifts the boy up and throws him into the air while all singing completely out of tune.

By the time the boy gets to sit down for cake, he's completely winded and can barely blow out the candle.

When he finally manages it he wishes for things to always go like this. And despite having some minor setbacks on occasion, the brothers manage to get along better throughout the years.