Rich Goranski - The Aftermath Of It All

Chapter 5 - Back to Reality

TW- panic attack if that counts
-verbal bullying idk man. I probably should have put 'bullying' as a trigger warning in the first chapter I'll fix that
- Michael POV -
I woke up in my basement and checked the time on my watch. 6:45 am. Ok good I didn't oversleep. I hadn't noticed but when I looked down Rich was still asleep and he had his arm around me. I blushed as I woke him. "Hey Richie wake up." He woke up and realized he was lying on me so he quickly got off as he also blushed. "Good morning!" He said to me. "Good morning!" I said back. Rich was still wearing my sweatshirt. "Do you think I could wear your hoodie to thchool today?" I looked at him and laughed. "As long as we spray it with air freshener first."
- Time skip because I haven't thought this chapter entirely through yet -
- 3rd person POV thing -
Michael and Rich walked into school and headed to their lockers. On the way, once again, Rich ran into Dustin. "Hey Goranthki, how's your leg?" He said chuckling. "Back off Dustin." Michael said to him. "Aw is your boyfriend gonna stand up for yo- oh god dude what happened to your face?" He was referring to the burn scars that were covered up the day before. Rich really wasn't in the mood to roast, but what was he gonna do, start crying again? "Just almost died in a fire. Can you explain what's wrong with yours?" He was getting better at controlling his lisp. He grinned back at Dustin. "Dude you look like craaap." He wasn't wrong. Rich had Michael's sweatshirt on with a pair of random sweatpants. Unlike yesterday, he had no bandanna on and he hadn't bothered to fix his hair. "And is that your boyfriend's hoodie you're wearing?" Rich grabbed Micheal's hand and looked at him. "Yeah it is." He stood his ground. "You got a problem with that?" To Michael, this was incredible. Rich was small yet so strong, even on crutches. Dustin walked away. "Dude that was awesome!" Michael said. The bell rang just as the boys got their stuff from the lockers.
- another time skiperoony -
- Back at Michael's house -
- Rich POV-
It was a decent day at school. I was in Michael's room changing into pajamas while he changed in the bathroom. I took his sweatshirt off and put it on his bed. I then took off my muscle shirt and saw all the burn scars on my torso. I thought back to what Dustin said. Dude you look like craaap. It kept replaying in my head. Over and over. It really started to get to me. I'm an ugly piece of crap. That's how everyone sees me as. I started having a panic attack. I hadn't had one since freshman year. I heard a knock on the door. "Hey Rich can I come-" Before he could finish his sentence I opened the door and collapsed onto him. He walked into his room and sat me down next to him on his bed. "Rich Rich what's going on?" I realized my shirt was still off. "LOOK AT ME! I'm an ugly piethe of crap!" I shouted. I stood up to showcase my scars but immediately fell to the floor because of my leg. "Rich, RICH!" Michael screamed as I fell. "Rich you are not an ugly piece of crap." He said picking me up and sitting me back down on the bed. "Yeth I am! There are thcarth all over me and they'll never fully go away! Even my fathe ith all methed up! I can hid everything elthe but not my fathe!" (Yes I am! There are scars all over me and they'll never fully go away! Even my face is all messed up! I can hid everything else but not my face!) I put my head in my hands and looked away from Michael, still breathing heavily. He turned me towards him and lifted my face. "Richard Goranski, you are the most beautiful human I know. You're scars are a part of you, they make you, you. They may bring back painful memories, but's that's the past. You have to focus on what's to come. And I don't care what Dustin or anyone else has to say. Your scars are beautiful." I hugged Michael as tightly as I could, burying my face in his chest. "What would I do without you?" I said. He hugged me back just as tight. We stayed there like that for a long time, til I started to feel sleepy. "Before I fall asleep, I'm gonna put my shirt on." Michael handed me my tank top and I quickly put it on and came back to the hug. We both fell asleep, my arm across Michael and my head on his chest.
- In the Morning -
- 3rd person POV -
Rich woke up to see that his human pillow was gone. He looked around the room. I guess he went to change or make breakfast or something. Rich decided he should change in the meantime. He locked the door. While he took his sleeping tank top off and threw the weird blue eyeball one on, he made sure not to look in the mirror. Instead of cargo pants he threw on grey jeans today. He walked out to the bathroom to fix his hair and wash his face. Hmm I guess Michael is downstairs. He fixed up his hair but didn't feel like wearing a bandanna today. He walked down the stairs and into the kitchen where he saw Michael making pancakes. "Good morning Richie! Feelin' better?" I came around and kissed him on the cheek. "Morning Mikey! Yeah I actually feel better than I have in a long time." Michael was happy to hear that. "Great!" They ate the pancakes and got their school bags. Michael gave Rich a dark blue zip-up sweatshirt to wear while he wore a grey hoodie. They walked out the door and headed for school.
- time skip -
- still 3rd person -
Rich had a great attitude throughout the school day. It was fourth period and the English teacher was sick so they had a free period. Rich hadn't really talked to anyone but Michael in the past few days and he was ready to branch out. He walked over to his old pal Jake and they started chatting. They talked the entire period. For Rich it felt great, he was talking with his lisp freely and Jake didn't tease him for it.

At lunch he talked to the whole gang. They talked about hanging out after school and were trying to decide where. Brooke suggested Pinkberry, while Jenna suggested the mall. Michael said they could hang in his basement if they wanted. Rich thought it would be cool if they went to Guitar Center. Not a lot of people knew it but Rich loved to sing and play electric guitar. It was voting time. Chloe and Brooke voted for Pinkberry. Michael and Rich voted for Guitar center. No one voted for Michael's basement. Jenna, Jake, Jeremy, and Christine voted for the mall. "The mall it is!" Jenna exclaimed.
Decently sized chapter. I apologize if it's a little wonky I kinda winged it. I usually have everything planned out before hand but whatever. Lol.
-Katie