Only Time Will Tell

Collarbone

I blasted upright, sweating from head to toe, another bad dream.

It was early, too early to get ready for work but too late to go back to sleep so I went downstairs and began cleaning the dirty small cramped kitchen until the sun finally rose.

"I'm off to work" Roni smiled as I waved tiredly goodbye, she was finally back but she wouldn't tell me where, she said it's an office job but I highly doubt that.

"School" I yawned as I opened Mikey's bedroom door to wake him up but he was already awake, his overhead lamp switched on and a book in his hands, "I couldn't sleep" he explained as I simply accepted it and placed the brown lunch bag on his desk.

"Can I have lunch money instead?" He asked, he never asked for money, he never even ate what i made him, "I'll see what I have" I replied in confusion just accepting it, I never thought the day would come where he'd eat cafeteria food voluntarily.

"I have 6 dollars and 50 cents" I offered, handing him the loose change and one dollar notes, "thanks" he smiled, giving me a hug and making his way up to the roof where the bus was waiting noisily.

-

"Hey Jim?" I asked as I signed in early,

"Yeah?" He sighed in his usual depressed state.

"I've been working here for the past seven years and I think I'm ready to be promoted, i never asked before cause money wasn't a problem but it's starting to be" I suggested as he turned around in his wheelie chair,

"You do, do you?" He smirked, crossing his arms, "you realise that being promoted to front desk causes you to hover around all day even just standing behind the desk" he chuckled, knowing I hated h-vo heels.

"Yes sir but I have a family I need to provide for and I feel I've proved myself enough" I stated,

"Give me a few days, Daniel wants a promotion as well so I'll think about it" he shrugged, "please Jim? I've been here five years longer than him" I pleaded,

"I'll tell you what, if you get me a burrito I'll give you the promotion" he chuckled as I rushed off to feed his needs.

I finished getting dressed into my new uniform that sadly included the h-vo heels and went to stand with Mariah at the front desk which as per usual was pretty busy.

"Miss I need to check into my room" a speaker asked, "name please?" I asked bluntly, hating when people didn't physically come to the front desk,

"The Pullman sweet please" He asked as my heart jumped and my eyes opened wide, "Yes Mr Pullman" I smiled even though he couldn't see me, "You head up and I'll get your luggage sent up to you" I offered as he left without thanking me or even saying goodbye. I couldn't believe myself, I was rude to one of the top lodgers we take in, he has his own sweet just because he comes so often and I was so casual with him!

I was booking a couple into a room when my watch began buzzing with a call from Jefferson Middle,

"Hello?" I answered, making Mariah take over for me.

"Ms Merrell?"

"Yes?"

"We need you to come in to pick up your son, he's been involved in a fight" the other line sighed, "Mikey?" I asked in confusion,

"Michael Merrell" they corrected me, "I'll be right there" I sighed, hanging up and leaving Mariah alone at the now empty desk, "I'll cover a shift for you, I promise!" I smiled as the taxi stopped outside the door and took off as quickly as it could to Jefferson Middle.

I arrived in the school doors, assuming Mikey had once again lost his temper and punched another student, "I'm here for Mr Parker" I informed the secretary who directed me towards the office doors which opened on command.

I stepped into the office and shook the principals hand, "I'm sorry about Michael" I immediately apologized, "sorry?" He asked, "Michael didn't initiate the fight, he was the victim" Mr Parker replied as my heart began to race.

"I'm sorry that we pulled you out of work Ms Merrell but we thought Mikey's condition wasn't the safest to keep him in school, "Can I see him?" I panicked,

"A few students ganged up on him at recess and shoved him against the wall causing a slight concussion and when he woke up he complained about a serious pain in his shoulder, the nurse thinks he simply tore a ligament but recommends you get it x-rayed" he explained.

"Who did this?"

"Lucas Finnerty, Adam Wills and Sebastian Russo" he stated as he led me to the infirmary where Mikey sat with an ice pack against his shoulder and resting on the top of his head. Tears stained his cheeks as he stood up and ran into my arms, crying hard into my shoulder,

"I want those boys expelled" I ordered as I took Mikey's hand and led him down the hallway, my heels clicking behind me, "Ms Merrell that isn't possible in this school" he apologized, running after me,

"Than I'm pulling Michael out, Bushmire's seems like a much healthier environment for a young child" I shouted, turning on my heel and facing Mr Parker, "I recommend you change your ways in this school or I'll get someone on this" I threatened, pulling Michael by his uninjured arm and getting him into the taxi, "Accident and Emergency? I ordered as the cab took off.

-

"You got a quick heal?" Roni asked in frustration,

"I had to, having a broken collarbone heal is painful, you would know and I didn't want him to go through anything else" I sighed as she pushed a cup of hot tea under my nose.

"I'll work extra hours" I promised,

"No need, dads health card will cover this but for the lawyer, I looked into it and nobody wants to work with this family, not even with Dad gone" she sighed, patting my back and getting up to leave when the doorbell rang.

I opened up the door, my focus on the person's shoes, you could tell a lot about a person from their shoes, this particular person had worn basketball shoes on his feet but it was easy to tell they paid a lot of money for them. "What are you doing here?" I asked, still focusing on his shoes that were now tapping nervously on the doorstep.

"I heard about what happened to Mikey, I wanted to stop by and see how he was" he spoke up, his shoes now coming to a standstill,

"I dropped him off at my cousins for the night, my aunt is a nurse and insisted she watch over his quick heal" I apologized, midway through closing the door when his shoe reached out and stopped it from closing any further, I lifted my head and looked Chris in the eyes, mine burning with tears.

"Can I come in?" He asked as I nodded and pulled back the rusty door, it wasn't used to being used manually at all.

I brought him up to my room and let him sit at the foot of my bed while I sat on the opposite side,

"I haven't been in here for years" he chuckled nervously, looking around the clean dark room, "Yeah" I simply agreed.

"Nessa I-" Veronica barged in but quickly closed the door and left after noticing Christopher,

"Are you ok?" He asked as I slowly shook my head, allowing the tears to flow freely. "I shouldn't have kept him Chris" I sobbed as he pulled me into his shoulder, "he could have had a better life with another family" I cried as he rubbed my back.

"I should have been there for you" he apologized, "but we were young Vanessa, neither of us understood what was happening and we still don't" he joked causing me to laugh a little,

"We might not have intended to have Michael but you can't say that it wasn't a good thing, imagine life without him? I would just have been the guy you used to rebel against your parents and you would have continued living under their control, not pursuing your dream of owning your own hotel someday. We would have gone our separate ways, probably moving out of Missouri but Mikey helped us stay in contact, I like talking to you Vanessa and I like sharing a kid with you, even if that means not getting to see him anymore" he explained, hugging me tighter.

(Any theories on what might happen next?🤔😆❤️ thanks for reading❤️)