Chapter Text
Rumors spread like wild; Abby knew this since the first day at Fillmore when the girl sitting next to her pointed at the kids whose shoe was untied. “People say his brother hated the sound of his velcro shoes, so one night, he left the shoes by the spooky pizzeria and said if he didn’t wear laces, he’d be gone too.” Abby had giggled at the ridiculous rumor before returning to her drawing for Mike. It was a funny story, and there was no actual harm done. It’s not like there was anything for them to say about Abby.
That was until weeks later when everyone had brought something in for show and tell. From the moment the teacher announced their monthly show and tell, Abby had decided to gather every drawing she had and show them off. Mike had always said she was talented; this was her chance to show her classmates. The whisper of her always being alone to draw because she was friendless would fade. Rather, they would realize that her illustrations were so amazing that they simply had to become friends with her.
When Abby walked home holding Max’s hand, all she could talk about was which drawing she just had to showcase, which she would select, and if she should touch any of them up; they had to be perfect, after all.
“I can’t just choose any drawing, Mikeee, I have to choose one that captures me, my whole,” Abby was stumped on what word to use as she laid out over twenty drawings on the living room floor, placing them into categories and rankings.
“Essence?” Mike asked, tilting his head as if he was focusing on the drawing, most depicting the pair in some mundane place like the front yard or the grocery store. “You know, Abby, this seems like a tough decision.” He paused, getting down on the ground and placing his hand on his chin as if he were thinking about which ones he would choose.
“I think the best decision would come after a long night of sleep.” He said, looking directly into Abby’s eyes, like he had read on some parenting website while at the mall.
“Noooo,” her lips began to quiver at the thought of being unprepared tomorrow, showing up with B-tier drawings at best.
“Abby.”
A tear swelled in the corner of her eye. Mike wasn’t his father, so he sighed and let Abby discuss why she’d bring a particular drawing over the other. “In this one, we aren’t only in the kitchen, but it’s when you bought me that easy bake oven, which is why you are making pasta, and I’m working on dessert.” It wasn’t til half an hour later that they had picked out all the drawings, and Abby officially headed to bed.
Abby had worn her red sweater, black sweater, green skirt, and white tights alongside her shinest shoes for the show and tell. She had even managed to put two mismatching bow clips into her hair.
“Wow, Abby, you’re up bright and early. You must be early excited for today.” Mike said, sipping his cereal milk.
Abby nodded, not even finishing half of her toast out of pure excitement, “You know how busy I’m gonna be after today? I think I need a calendar for how many playdates I’ll have.”
"Well, at least make sure you have some time for me left in." Mike smiled, Abby just countries nodding and shaking in excitement. Mike wasn't even sure if she heard. After Mike was dressed, he placed the drawings under cautious eyes neatly into Abby's school bag before walking and waiting with her at the bus stop.
When she got on the bus, Abby waved goodbye to her older brother like always, and Mike said good luck in return. Boy, would she need it.
She was near the end of the roaster when it came to the present. The whole time the other kids presented, she was so excited that she could practically bounce off the wall with pure joy.
"Abby Schmidt, you're next." Said Ms.Scotter, and Abby leaped out of her spot on the carpet and tried her best not to run to the front of the room. "Today, me and brother picked my best drawing to show you guys," She smiled with all five drawings close to her chest.
The first one she showed was her and Mike having a hula hoop competition in their front yard, "I won by at least ten points," she said, turning the drawing so the whole class would see. The next four were her and Mike doing what the other kids considered boring tasks.
The last one was the one that would be the fuel to the rumors, the theories that were already being whispered. It was Mike in front of Freddy's Pizzeria saluting and Abby drawn with a camera in hand. "I'm super proud of him, which means he can pick me up from school now." She smiled, already thinking of what she would tell Mike when he arrived.
The first hand went up.
"Why is your brother the only one you draw and not your parents?" before Abby could reply, the teacher interrupted with an excuse about a bathroom break. That was when the whisper got paired with the points and stares. Abby didn't return to her original spot; instead, she chose to sit in the back.
Abby also chose to sit in the back when it was lunch time; it wasn't because the kids were staring at her or because she could hear their snide remarks.
"I bet that's why she always only has ham sandwiches."
"Do you think she'd disappear at Freddy? , if she did, we could get a new student.
"What happened to her parents? She has to have one. I mean, it's the law.”
Abby wanted to scream that parents aren't any better than a bother like Mike, but instead, she let her tears turn her sandwich soggy with each bite. For the rest of the day, she would just sit in the back and draw in attempts to drown out the chatter again and again.
When Mike showed up late to pick her up, she was grateful he wouldn't have to hear what the other kids were saying about them, about her.
"Woah, Abby, you must've really missed me." He said when she ran into his legs for a hug. He must've noticed the tears that dropped onto his jeans. "Abby, is everything okay?" Mike asked, which she could only nod to.
When they arrived home, Mike kneeled on the stepping stool where Abby stood in the bathroom. He drew silly outlines of soapy figures on Abby's face, using a cleanser to wash away the stains her tears left behind. He gently used his hands to guide the water across her face three times. "Do you wanna put shaving cream on me?" Mike asked, and Abby gladly nodded and smiled making mountains of shaving creams on his head and face, even thought mike didn't have time to shave.
It had been later in the night when Abby had fallen asleep infornt of her drawing pad that Mike saw the pizzeria drawing, his heart dropped, was he the reason that she came home crying? Was she embarrassed?