Lovers of Freedom

Chapter 2: No Choice

AN:
Before the chapter starts I want to thank HxppyLxttleMC, bloxiegirl123 & minecraft_weirdo for their comments!

Music tip:
Dream Koala – Saturn Boy
(look at the beginning of the chapter!)

Lovers of Freedom

Chapter 2:
No Choice

"Mitch, can you get the bread from the kitchen please?"

A sigh escaped his lips, as he nodded and returned from the garden into the big house. It was one of the last warm days of the summer and currently his family was having a small party. Some friends and neighbors had been invited and so far they had a lot of fun. The only disadvantage was the fact that his mother had forbidden him to look on his mobile phone. No Twitter, no Instagram, not even a message to Jerome or Ryan. Live was cruel.

The temperature difference between their house and garden was a pleasure. His skin was burning from staying too long in the sun and the cold air helped him to cool down a bit. As he arrived in the kitchen, the voices from the outside died down and Mitch could enjoy a few minutes alone. He loved the company of their friends, especially when he could be with his family, but sometimes he needed those few minutes to come down.

He was a happy and carefree guy, but since the break-up of Team Crafted a few months ago, things had been... different.
All too often he would think back and remember their times together. Back then they had thought it would go on forever. Minecraft, YouTube, their friendship...
Up until now he had admitted to no one that he missed all of it badly.

And it hurt to read the comments.
The haters were convinced that he was responsible for Adam leaving.
Some still couldn't forgive him for what happened to Seto, even though they never heard the full story.
And others were pulling him down with senseless, but nonetheless painful comments.

He never talked about it, but they all knew.
His family, who sometimes tried to talk to him about it.
Jerome, who never approached him about the topic but could read the look in his eyes far too well.
They all knew, so they gave him those few minutes alone to get all sentimental and emotional, but sometimes even that wasn't enough.

In a sudden urge Mitch grabbed his phone, clenched his teeth and took a swing. Just smash it, a voice in his head insisted, smash it and be free for a few hours. No news, no messages, nothing. It would be heaven, Mitch imagined, being invisible to the outside world for some blissful hours. But he couldn't do it. Of course he couldn't. It was irresponsible, he had to be there, be present to the community and show his trademark smile.
When had he lost the fun in all of this? The answer in his mind came straight away: Some months ago, as the Team had fallen apart because Mitch had failed them miserably. Every thought about a possible reunion was hopeless. How could they ever forgive him, if he even couldn't do it himself?

The phone in the living room rang, but he paid it no attention. His hand lowered the undamaged mobile phone and slipped it back into his pocket. One second later Mitch put his head into his hands with his elbows resting on the kitchen counter. Desperately he gasped for air and tried to hold back the tears, which would come sooner or later anyway. Every once in a while he had to give in to the pressure and break apart a little bit more.

With Adam it had never been a problem.
As soon as those thoughts had crept into his mind, Mitch had looked for him and they had talked whole nights about it. Afterwards he had always felt better and had gotten things straightened out with himself. Now he had to deal with the pain on his own, because Mitch didn't dare to talk about his feelings anymore. It had already ruined a precious friendship, he wouldn't risk another one.

The ringing of the phone in the living room stopped.
A door was opened, footsteps followed, until he could hear a voice from the doorway to the kitchen.
Every other time Mitch would have leaped up and tried to look as if nothing had happened, but this time he couldn't bring himself to do so. It was hard to keep up the act of the always smiling Mitch. He was tired of it.

"Mitch? Did you get the phone? We heard it ring- Are you alright?"
His father.
Mitch didn't trust his voice, so he refused to answer him. Obviously he got worried and approached his unusually quiet son.
"Mitch?"

The tone in his voice betrayed him. He knew exactly what was going on. Mitch held back a curse he couldn't have voiced anyway. Nonetheless he forced out some whispered words to keep his father at distance. Due to the shaking of his thin voice it actually worked.
"Please- don't. Just go."
Of course the older man denied his request and instead his father heaved a sigh and opened his mouth to reply, as the phone in the living room rang again. "We are talking about this Mitch. This can't go on any longer. Wait here." The words of his father were final and his stomach turned, as he thought about the upcoming conversation. A conversation that wouldn't come any time soon.

"Mitch? It's for you."
Absolutely surprised Mitch lifted his head up and blinked against the sun. Who would call him on his parents' phone? Everyone he could think of had the number of his mobile phone. Slowly he walked out of the kitchen and into the living room. His father was standing near the sofa and he had a hand over the lower half of the phone. He had put on a frown and asked in a hushed voice, "Do you know a person called Tom Murphy?"

While shaking his head, Mitch got closer and reached out for the phone. "Never heard of him before, as far as I know. What does he want?" Before his father gave him the phone, he shrugged his shoulders. "He didn't say anything else."
With a mixed feeling in his stomach Mitch cleared his throat and tried to forget that his father saw him falling apart just a few seconds ago. As he turned away, he felt the lingering glance on his back and saw his own, pale reflection in the window. Quickly he turned around again.

"Mitch Hughes?"

"Oh, Mr. Hughes. What a pleasure to finally talk to you. Tom Murphy my name, I'm working for Microsoft. You've probably already heard of the pleasant news."

To be honest Mitch should have noticed it already with those clear words, but in his current state of mind he paid no attention to it. Instead he frowned and walked back to their suite of furniture, from where his father was watching him closely. "I'm afraid that I've no idea what you're talking about. Care to enlighten me?"
The threatening tone in his voice was unintentional. Maybe it came automatically because of the feeling Mitch had when the older man was talking. There was something eerie about him that felt like a warning to him.

"I'm surprised. Well Mr. Hughes, I'm pleased to be able to tell you that just this morning Microsoft bought the very famous game called Minecraft."

As his legs gave out Mitch was glad that he was standing in front of the sofa.
With barely hidden shock he stared at the table in front of him and didn't dare to breathe. That was it. He was doomed, his career gone. No job, no qualification... He was ruined. They would stop his account immediately. Maybe they already did.

Still being in a state of shock, he could hear his own quiet voice. He didn't even notice the strong hand of his father on his shoulder, who was worried and without any clue about what exactly was going on.

"How long?"
How long until I have to say goodbye to my fans-
and my beloved memories?

AN:
Check out my Twitter account for more info about my stories and me: @ Milumaus
Also have a look at my other Team Crafted/Skyenja fanfiction called For You! It's about the break-up of TC, a possible what-could-have-happened-back-then and a solution through all of this.