Imagines 2.0

the old woman and the dog ~ 70's!Michael

summary: in which, darlene makes small talk with Michael for the hundredth time while he sits in jail for the hundredth time.

triggers: slight mention of an abusive relationship, brief mention of a fist fight & blood, curse words

word count: 3, 358

pairing: Marlene (Michael x darlene)

a/n: here is the introduction to Michaels story in the au! hope you like it, and I also changed up the dates so instead of 1974 its 1978. enjoy! 

august 27 1978

"Oh come on chief! I barely touched the guy." Michael bribes as he gets pushed into a jail cell for what seems to be the fourth time this week. "You put him into a concussion." He stumbles into the cell and turns around, waiting for the sheriff to take off the hand cuffs.

"You know the drill. You'll be out in a couple hours if you behave." Michael sat on the ground and leaned against the wall, "I always behave." he sighs and makes his feet flat footed, and closes his eyes.

Darlene, the sheriffs daughter (whom Michael has had an awful crush on for quite sometime now) walks in the office and sets a to-go bag on the desk opposite of her fathers from the bakery/coffee shop that she works at.

Everyone around her says that the only reason she works there is because she has an awful sweet tooth and sometimes she gets to take home a few left over deserts, but you ask her she will always say that she works there because the pay is good, too good.

"Hey, i brought this for you." She slides a plastic box in the small tight hole in the cell door that is meant for food. Michael smiled and stood up to grab the box, he opened it to find a slice of strawberry cheese cake, and his mouth watered at the smell.

"You didn't have to darlene." He says, looking over at her, "Oh don't worry about it. we had a couple pieces left over, so i gave them to you and dad." She sits down in the chair next his cell and pulls out a cherry flavored Lolli out of her purse.

"So, who said what to get you in here this time?" She asks, making Michael smirk a little. "He said my hair looks like a bird nest, and i knocked his teeth in." darlene laughs and looks at Michael taking a bite of the cheesecake. He groans at the delicious taste, "Did you make this?" He asks, licking some of the whipped cream off of his lip. "Oh Lord no. I just make the coffee and stick the cookies in the oven. I could never make a cake that tasted that good."

"You have the worst temper of anybody i know." She changes the direction of the conversation and licks the sucker and Michael watches her do so, "I have another one in here if you want it." She noticed him staring, but as soon as she speaks he blushes, "Oh no, this is fine."

Its quiet for a few moments, "How come i never see you at the bakery?" He sets the half eaten piece of cake on the cot next to him and looks up at her. He knew the question was bound to come up. He had known darlene for almost a whole year and the only time they see each other is when he is behind bars.

"Every time i see you, you're locked up. I mean, the bakery is in the middle of town, not hard to get to and were open from seven to five." She takes the sucker in her mouth and swirls her tongue around it, gathering the flavor of cherry.

"I don't fit in." He slides down the wall and looks at her through the gaps of the cold metal bars. "Explain." Michael sighs, and looks up at the stained ceiling, "I'm a run-away. People don't like run-aways. They don't like outcasts, people who stand out in the crowd. I just simply don't fit in with the crowd."