Rose & Thorn|M.A. x Reader !!!ON HIATUS TIL AUGUST 10 2024!!!

Chapter 17| Drop-outs

august 1983

Michael hadn't left his room in 4 months. Sure, he showered and brushed his teeth every once in a while, but he had no motivation to do anything else. William was a horrible person. The man had gone insane. He beat and hit Michael. Going as far as stabbing him with beer bottles.

He had only hit Y/N twice. Both times Michael hit his dad back, and things escalated severely. Neither of the hits had caused horrible damage, but it does hurt to get punched by a 39-year-old.

The pizzerias were also experiencing a decline in sales. The community had been shaken by the disappearance of several children, and Henry's own daughter, Charlie, had been missing for an extended period of time. As a result, he decided to distance himself from the franchise. William, on the other hand, was still heavily involved and often returned home in the early hours of the morning, leaving others to wonder what he was up to during those late nights. The situation was concerning, to say the least. No work was getting done.

Y/N still lived here to take care of Liz and Michael. She was pretty amazing. She kept the house clean, did laundry, and hung out with Michael, all while never complaining.

"Michael? Have you showered today? Eaten some food? had some water? I made some sandwiches if you're hungry, even if you aren't I'm still gonna make you eat." She sat next to Michael, who was lying on his bed, face buried in his pillow. He grumbled something. "No." Y/N rolled her eyes. "C'mon. Eat a sandwich and I'll take you to the mall. Remember when we went there? I won't make you carry anything this time, I promise." Michael slowly turned over. People say a crisis brings out the best in people. While it was true for Y/N, it sure wasn't for Michael.

He sat up. "Alright, alright. I'll shower after this." Y/N smiled. She had gotten better since Chris' passing. Michael had been making slight progress. When Evan first died, he wouldn't speak, move, eat, drink, and he tried to kill himself twice. Now he just needed to eat and drink a bit more and move around.

Y/N watched Michael as he took small bites of his sandwich. But before she could really register that she was staring, Michael looked up at her, and she quickly averted her gaze. "What?" he asked, a slight frown on his face. "Do I got crumbs on my face or something?" Y/N shook her head quickly. "Oh! No, no. Just...thinking," she replied, her cheeks flushing slightly as she turned away, feeling embarrassed for staring at him for too long. 

Michael finished and Y/N dismissed herself from the room. He took a shower and dressed in some comfortable clothing. He lit a cigarette with a black lighter when he was finished, making his room reek of smoke.

He walked out of his room and took a deep breath. It was clean, and there was no smell of alcohol, so his father wasn't home. Michael winced as his bruised shoulder graced the door frame. He got that last night after telling William to go eat a rock.

Y/N smiled widely and hugged Michael. "Ohh! You're out of your room! I'm so proud of you!!" Michael smiled. "Yeah... sorry about the wet hair."

"Oh, no worries." Y/N took the car keys from the counter. "Since when did you know how to drive?" Michael raised an eyebrow. "I've learned. I'm pretty good at it too." They headed outside. "Wait, where's Liz?" Y/N explained that she took her to a daycare and that she was safe." Michael sighed. "Everything looks different. More greener. It feels weird being outside, but also good." 

"I'm glad." Y/N buckled up. Michael threw the dead cigarette out of the window.

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Michael was having fun, thank God. He bought some clothes and useless stuff he didn't need. Y/N was practically chasing him in each store, though she didn't mind. It was his first time going out in a while.