Anchor

Record shops hold lonely people who wish not to be lonesome anymore // Chapter 2

Collin and Co. Records. Of all the names in the world, that's what he choose. He's always been like that though. Collin Michaels is a character for sure, he was my home until I was gone. A lot changed then, hopefully he is one of them. He was incredible, dreaming up unimaginable things and coming up with intricate stories, but only for him and I. He never wanted to share the wonderful things about him with the world for the fear that the world would cave in on him. They way dad did, the way I did. 

If I could take it all back I would, I would go back forty five years and I would keep myself from getting pulled away, at least tell him goodbye. Hug him one last time. My head dropped so far that my chin hit my chest. The grey cement of the sidewalk pooled around my feet as if it hadn't set yet and was the reason I stood out here for forty minutes instead of it being my fear that he wouldn't want me here. That he grew up and got over me, that he forgot.

And that's when I heard it, his voice. Broken like he was on the verge of tears, but not young and meek like the thirteen year old boy I never meant to leave behind. 

"Rosie?"

I looked up to see him standing about six feet from me, in the entrance of the doorway to the shop. He looked so different. He stood at least a foot taller than me (all things considered this wasn't much of an achievement but I digress), his once light blond hair had darkened to a sandy color. But the most prominent change, was his eyes. His eyes always held sadness in them, having seen so much for someone his age, but it was different now, they held a heaviness that showed true abandon. And that was on me, I did that, I put him through that.

"Yeah looser, who else?"

He took a few steps toward me, unsure of what to think. He was a full grown man now, but I on the other hand looked like I hadn't aged a day since the last time he saw me. 

"How are you- What are you- I can't Rose. What is happening? Where have you been? How the hell are you still thirteen?!" He said this so loud a few passerby's had turned to see the conundrum, honestly I didn't judge them, I would too.

"I'm not thirteen, and it's a long story,"

"I've got all day,"

"Yeah well I don't there's places I need to be, people I need to find,"

"You just got here though,"

"Come with me then Collin, I'll explain on the way,"

"To where Rose?! I haven't seen you in seventeen years-"

"-been a bit longer than that-" I interrupted.

He continued talking, "and I can't just up and leave right now I've got a shop to run."

"Thought you had all day? You're gonna wanna come where I'm going anyway. Please,"

He sighed, glanced back at his shop, and fixed his gaze back on me, "Where are we going?" He seemed a lot calmer now.

"Can you get me to our old house from here?"

"Well yeah sure, but why would you want to go there?"

"There's someone I hope is there,"

He looked exasperated at this point, "Who the hell are you looking for?"

"Um," I thought for a moment on how to put it in simple terms, "A friend."

"And why would they be at our old house?"

"They aren't, I'm hoping that they're next door..."

"Next door? That weird Umbrella Academy thing? The old billionaire dude died a few days ago, he was the only one left living there, whoever you're looking for, you aren't going to find them there,"

I chuckled to myself, "That old bastard had it coming." He really was an idiot. Six children with supernatural abilities and another brilliant child wasn't good enough for him, he had to pay my father to take me hostage for hours on end. He never treated any of us right, although I had the better end of the stick, I didn't live with him. Although my father wasn't much better. I shifted my focus back to Collin, "If he died, I'm definitely finding the people I'm looking for."

He sighed and his shoulders dropped in defeat, "Give me fifteen minutes wait here."

I watched him walk back inside. Sir Reginald Hargreeves is dead. That sure is an interesting thought. But I knew this family, even if they didn't know me. The entire Hargreeves family would be there for a funeral. It'll be easier to confront them all at once about the thing. I sure hope that son of a bitch Five is thinking the same thing. 

I just saw my brother for the first time in forty five years. One of my abusers has a life sentence, the other is dead. I need to find my best friend and partner before the commission does. I have to tell a family of super-humans about quite a few things, including the fact that I'm the secret member of their fun little Academy thing. And to top everything off, the world is ending in seven days unless we can stop it. 

All the things I've seen and it's only eight in the morning.