Snapshots | ✓

Thirty Four: Micah

Wednesday, December 23rd, 2015

His phone started ringing shortly after 11pm, earning loud booing from everyone else in the room. He'd received calls from work during their yearly gathering before and had had to take the time to explain something in his report to his boss, and while it hadn't ruined the evening it had put him back in the work mindset which was not the right mindset to be spending time with one's family. Finn shouted something about how it better be a booty call, earning a scowl and driving Micah completely out of the room away from the loudness of the group.

"Hey, what's up?" he asked after he checked the caller ID and answered. He wasn't sure why Hayes was calling him but he wasn't about to ignore her call.

There was a pause. Cars kept driving by her in the silence, and when she did speak she sounded unsure. "Mickey?"

"Yeah?"

"Sorry, I wasn't sure if I had the right number for a moment there. You sound like you're actually having fun."

"I'm with my siblings. Is everything okay?"

"Sort of. I may have left the party and I also may now be trapped at a vaguely sketchy 24/7 McDonalds with a broken heel and no money. I just needed to hear a friendly voice, and let someone know where I am so they have a starting point in the investigation into my inevitable disappearance and murder."

He closed his eyes and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Where are you?"

She told him the nearest intersection.

"Okay, stay inside and I'll be by to pick you up as soon as I can."

"You don't need to—"

"Hayes."

There was a beat of silence. "Yes?"

"Don't leave the sketchy McDonald's unless you absolutely have to." He made her agree then reluctantly hung up, heading back into the main part of the apartment. They had quieted down since he'd left and now regarded him expectantly.

"So? Who was it?" Finn asked, still smiling teasingly.

"My roommate," he responded, then asked for directions to the intersection Hayes was near. He shrugged into his coat as Cameron gave instructions and several secondary options were those options too slow or otherwise blocked.

"You're leaving?" Leo inquired.

"Temporarily."

"What does your roommate need from that area? Aren't they in DC?" Finn asked.

"Hayes needs to be rescued after fleeing a family function."

"Bring him back here, the night isn't done," Leo said, earning a questioning look from the girls. He doubted they were going to correct the assumption and he was already closing the door behind him, so he told himself it didn't matter that Leo and Finn didn't know who Hayes was and left the issue for another time.

--

Hayes sat silently in the passenger seat, the shoes she'd complained about having to buy sitting in her lap with one of the heels snapped off. Over top of her fancy blue dress she was wearing a long black coat and a pale purple scarf made of a light material Gelsey would know the name of. They'd been idling outside her parents building for a few minutes and she hadn't made any moves to get out of the car, instead just staring straight ahead and breathing deeply — in through the nose, out through the mouth. He recognized the technique as one to ward off anxiety attacks.

Her inhale caught in her throat and her shoulders hunched forward. "Please don't make me stay here."

"'Here' where?"