Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Hurricane was a small town.

Not many people people left and even less moved there over the years Michael had survived.

So he supposed it’s not completely out of the blue that Jeremy Fritzgarld, a coworker he talked to about once before they left due to being bit in the head, went to the same school as him.

They were the same age after all. And there was one school, so it only makes sense.

To push it back….

there was fire everywhere, and for once micheal had smiled. He heard three of his favorite sounds.

Henry’s voice, fire crackles, and muffled William screaming for help.

Micheal had taken his bear mask off, holding helpy in his hands against his chest, almost like he was hugging the mini figure.

He rested his other arm and head on the table, as Henry concluded his speech, and he was ready for this to all be over.

Then Micheal woke up.

On a dingy mattress. His body felt sore….

He was frozen for a second.

“What.”

He didn’t even mean to speak aloud, but his voice startled him, it was higher pitch. And louder then he would’ve liked. It was easy to speak.

Looking down he sees his skins not purple.

He’s younger, he has to be, that’s why he’s not a corpse, that’s why he’s wearing a horrible grey tank top with shorts.

He lets a breath in. And flinches at the feeling of cold air down his throat, that’s going to take some getting used to. He shakily lets it back out.

Micheals going to take this one step at a time. He’s going to get changed into long sleeves and pants.

Getting up onto the floor he is again reminded how the world feels, the tile is cold on his feet and is faintly dusty, and he almost doesn’t want to move, but he does, he’s glad he’s alone, because walking is so easy he almost stumbles into his dresser, it’s like lifting up weights for a long time then picking up an empty water bottle. He’s putting to much force into it.

But he’s made it.

After shifting through far to many shorts and tank tops, he finds one green shirt with long sleeves, he likes green. And one pair of black pants.

It will do.

He already feels better.

Second thing. Where the hell is he?

Well he’s in his childhood home, in his past body, is this hell…. Heaven? Some other third thing, or a before death delusion?

Micheal can’t decide. He’s dealt with possessed animatronics all his (after) life, so why should whatever this is be a surprise.

Micheals hair is still long, not as long as it was before. But it will do.

His hair has always been the best part of Micheal, the part that looks the least like his father, his father would never let his hair grow. He hated Micheal’s long hair, and as a teen Micheal hated it too, William never got them to cut it though, Micheal remembers at one point cutting it himself poorly, and being upset about how fast it grew back something that he’s sure he got from his mom.

To bad it just makes him look like ‘William but with long hair’

Micheal could name 100 differences from him and that man in appearance. His face was rounder, his skin was tanner, he was far shorter, his hair was a tad darker, although after he had died he had gotten a purplish brown wig.

Now he was in the past he’s sure he had a 1000 more differences.

But his eyes have zero.

He knows it’s his eyes that give it away. Evan and Elizabeth have similarities to father too, but they have their moms green eyes,

Micheals eyes where sliverish purple, they call it blue but that’s a stretch, they’re the first thing people always see. And surprise surprise, his father’s eyes are identical to his.

There’s a knock on his door. Then it swings open.

“Mike I’m hungry!” A voice micheal hasn’t heard in a long time, Elizabeth. “We can’t reach the top shelf and you know it!”

‘We’ did… did that mean Evan too.

Micheal was frozen

“Micheal afton you will go down to the kitchen and get us food this instant!” It could almost be laughable, she’s like what? 6? But Micheal knows she’s doing what she sees William do, and Micheal expression couldn’t change even if he wanted it to.

But she’s obviously getting annoyed, so without a word micheal gets up and follows her to the kitchen.

He’s too quiet, but what is he supposed to say? ‘Sorry the last time I saw you you were a ghost and the time before that your ghost killed me? Anyways I missed you a lot!’ Or is ‘I think I’m in hell or back in time because I’m not a zombie and also should be double dead due to fire’ better?

Looking outside the window it’s dark.

“Daddy says you have to walk us to the best stop, is it going to be cold?” Elizabeth asks.

Micheal almost forgets to talk back “uhm… I don’t know why do you ask”

“Your wearing long sleeves” she points out “and your acting weird, are you sick? If you are stay away from me, but know it’s not going to get you out of school!”

“I’m feeling good” it comes out of Micheal’s mouth faster then he would’ve liked, he didn’t even mean to say it but the thought of someone thinking about him puts him in an unease, plus he doesn’t want Elizabeth worrying about this. Whatever ‘this’ is anyways, she shouldn’t have to deal with it.

They are in the kitchen. And Micheal goes into the fridge to get them their prepackaged bought meals into their lunch boxes and get the cereal from the top shelf. It’s some bland knock off brand, not even the cheapest one but cheaper than the normal ones, but one with less sugar. If Micheal remembers right no one in the house actually likes it, but it’s all Willam buys for them.

Evans sitting at the table, not making eye contact with Micheal. Micheal doesn’t fear to start eye contact with him.

Micheal closes his eyes and hands over their bowls. Evan let’s our a quiet thanks, well Elizabeth just digs in.

To push it forward.

Micheal was stumbling through school now, he’s lucky he still has his schedule in his bag, the first period was math and honestly was a bore. But Micheal tried to think about it, because math was better than time travel, death, and future murders.

Maybe this is hell? After all was more torturous then making someone do math at 7am.

His second period a kid he vaguely remembers bullying glancing at him.

A pang of sadness goes through Micheal, this kid wasn’t the only one, he’d bully many of them.

But he doesn’t remember all of the people he bullied, and he kinda hates that, but he can’t stop that now.

No this guy is different. He’s familiar.

Wait…..

It’s not…?

Micheal thought until the name ‘jeremy Fitzgerald’ popped into his head.

It was his coworker, they both worked night shift, but of course rarely saw each other. Micheal remembers him joking about both having Fritz somewhere in there name.

Micheal remembers holding his tongue to not point out that technically they both share the name of a few kids that went missing at a Freddy’s.

Because of course Fritz was just a fake name Micheal had chosen, and Jeremy was just a different Jeremy. He of course had picked the name Fritz because the of missing children, but It’s just an odd coincidence Jeremy also shared a name. Micheal remembers feeling a bit bad for thinking it was kinda funny.

That was the only time they interacted that Micheal can remember. He had seen his name on the schedule, seen pictures Jeremy’s face on the walls in the backroom where all the employee faces were, he had never thought too much about him, mostly feeling bad someone else had to work the night shift, and that Jeremy would be out a job after he burned the place down.

But the face in front of him is undeniably the same Jeremy.

Jeremy glanced at him again, brown eyes meeting purple-blue for a second before Jeremy quickly looks away.

Jeremy had a button up shirt on. It was colorful, his hair hadn’t changed one bit. Jeremy was a lot taller than him. But so are a lot of things, even when Micheal had grown up he never got his fathers freaky height genes, but apparently to a 8ft tall robot the difference between 5ft and 6ft is unnoticeable.

He felt bad for bullying Jeremy. Story of Micheal’s life is feeling bad it seems.

He should apologize.

“MIKE MY MAN!!!!”

Micheal turned around immediately at the new voice…. Old voice?

He jumped, eyes widen in a panic when he saw Bonnie’s face, face to face with his own.

“Aw man dude where’s your mask?” A disappointed…… was it Kyle? Or…. Jacob…? Said to him.

Micheal knew him too well for someone he had been trying so hard to forget. Micheal didn’t know what to say, Kyle, Jacob, and Alice, he remembered their names, he had thought for so long he had forgotten them. He had hopped.

He knows it wasn’t really their fault what happened, they didn’t know it would happen… neither did Micheal but someone has to take responsibility right?

“Pffft dude you taking after your brother or something, Jacob didn’t scare you too bad right? How could you be a fearless leader then!” Another voice, freddy mask, this had to be Kyle then. Kyle laughed.

That didn’t mean Micheal liked them, his words left a poor taste in Micheal’s mouth.

“Dude what the fuck why are you in class” Jacob.

“I sensed Micheal’s fear a mile away, thought he needed back up”

“No the hell you didn’t, get to class man”

“Prude!” Kyle rolled his eyes walking away.

Micheal could also sigh in relief that he didn’t have class with both of them, he doesn’t know how he would handle this.

“Dude…. You forgot how to speak”

“What?” Micheals voice was a bit raspier than he expected.

Jacob laughed, way too hard, Micheal had to restrain himself from covering his ears. Background conversations, sounds of chairs, he feels wrong missing the creepy ambience of his office, but at least it’s quieter!

“You sound like shit man” Jacob continued to laugh.

“Tired” is all Micheal said.

A loud cough from the front of the room quieted it down, and Micheal was happy to hear his teacher talk.

They had a group assignment, Micheal didn’t remember it, obviously he didn’t, he has vague memories of doing many group projects, normally picking his friends, and being pissy and not doing work when his friends weren’t there. They of course never got anything done, he’d always get his friends to cheat or bribe some other kid to get their work done.

Micheal couldn’t deal with that, he’s struggling to talk to them now and he can’t just sit and watch them bully a kid into doing their work. But he knows Jacob would make a scene if Micheal suddenly started doing work.

The stare Jacob was giving him felt deadly. He expected him to return it.

The teacher called out names.

“Margret?” She called out.

“I’ll partner with Sarah!”

“Sarah?”

“Sounds good to me!”

“Alright what about Anthony?” She called, she seemed as done with it as Micheal had felt.

“Sam of course”

“Sam”

“No, I’ll go with Lillie”

“What?!” Anthony spit out.

There was laughter from the other kids.

“You don’t do work!” Sam said pointy.

“Boys boys, calm down, Lillie”

“Heh, yeah I’ll work with sam”

“Okay Micheal?” The teacher turned to the class

Every eye was on Micheal’s but he only felt Jacobs. Before Micheal could think he shouted out “Jeremy!!” It was far to quick and forced. He didn’t look at Jacob but he felt the disappointment, maybe even anger.

There was a pause, it was quiet, for a second Micheal feared that wasn’t Jeremy, what if he was miss remembering, and know he’s just made everything confusing.

The teacher gave him a dirty look. “Right…. Jeremy? Remember you can say no, there’s no hard feelings” she says a bit forced.

“I’ll… work with him” Jeremy nodded slightly.

“WHAT THE HELL MAN?!” The blow up Micheal was expecting from Jacob finnalt happened.

Micheal couldn’t look at him, he didn’t flinch when Jacob yelled but he was close, Micheal couldn’t speak, he’s lucky the teacher did before he could “LANGUAGE YOUNG MAN! You and Anthony will work together”

Micheal heard the groans come from his classmates, but he didn’t dare to look.

They wrapped up everyone else. With lots of groups of two and one group of three.

She explained the project, to rewrite the ending of Romeo and Juliet, for some reason, then preform it.

It sounds easy, Romeo and Juliet is popular, he’s glad they picked that because he at least kinda remembers what happens, if they picked nothing to abo about nothing or even Macbeth he’d be a goner! Plus there was a movie of immortal and the restless that was based off Romeo and Juliet, Micheal loves drama romances. Jeremy surely wont regret agreeing to work with him! This will go well.

There was a list of rules, but it basically boiled down to making it school appropriate, and make it at least somewhat all like Shakespeare. That’s something micheal could do, he’s sure….

Soon the teacher sent them off into groups.

Jeremy was hesitant, Micheal had bullied him, and now suddenly he wanted them to be in a group, of course Jeremy would be.

“Hey.” Micheal said far too quiet. “You… uh…. Work, uhm, so… the play?”

Jeremy just stared at him, his eyes wide, his eyebrows are up, and his mouth is slightly open.

Micheal didn’t know what to say, Micheal wasn’t good at talking to people, he didn’t get paid to talk to people, he got paid to live through haunted animatronics.

The most he’s talked is in interviews. Which he probably failed at, but no one else wants the night shift. And soap operas aren’t the best thing to base conversations on.

“So they uh…. Die at the end… should they… do that? Or should we…. Vote?” Micheal stumbles.

Jeremy blinks.

OKAY! This is no longer just Michael’s fault Jeremy’s not adding anything to the conversation.

“Bear mask guy” Jeremy finally spoke.

Micheal paused “what.”

“NO! Uhm sorry you just, reminded me of someone” Jeremy said immediately looking him in his eyes.

Micheal wishes he had sunglasses, or the bear mask again. He simply just looked down at Jeremy’s nose in hopes to focus on that other then his eyes looking right into his.

Micheal doesn’t want to raise alarms, or have Jeremy think he’s lost it, but if there’s a chance Jeremy’s roped into this for some reason Micheal wants to know, he can’t have some innocent guy handle whatever this was!

“You have memories of the future?” Micheal probably should’ve been more subtle.

But giving a glance up Jeremy’s eyes lite up. “Yeah!! Wait but your…. Gosh… I’m so sorry I don’t remember what your name was, but it wasn’t Micheal…. You are bear mask guy right? You have to be?!”

“Fritz, fake name” Micheal responded quickly. He couldn’t believe this was happening.

“I always knew there was something off about you… I just think think that you where my childhood bully” Jeremy chuckled “uh no offense, but like it’s just not everyday you see someone once at night, never in day, in a full suit and white bear mask”

“No no, I understand, I’m sorry about the bullying too, I… I’m not too sure how to make it up, but I promise I will!”

“As long as you don’t continue your off the hook, but your on thin ice” Jeremy winks.

Micheal suddenly felt an odd pang, almost sadness in his heart, but something else, something bittersweet, he hasn’t talked this naturally since….. probably since last time he was in school.

Even the last chat he had with Jeremy was clunky. He wouldn’t be surprised if that’s how Jeremy connected the dots, his speak switched from fast to slow, be mumbled far to much, and generally stumbled ever sense his death.

But Jeremy was a lot like him now. They both worked the nightshift at Freddy’s, and they’re both in the past at the same school. Laughing about time travel of all things.

But they aren’t the same.

Micheal had killed his brother, Micheal’s father killed more. Micheal had so much blood on his hands, Jeremy just had the bad job, Jeremy didn’t need more, Micheal could handle more.

But he can’t leave him now can he?

“Micheal? You okay?” Looking into Jeremy’s eyes again he was looking into his.

“Yeah. It’s just weird”

Jeremy laughed, not like Kyle’s, or joabs, his laugh was loud, but nothing about it was hard and forced, it was soft, somehow, maybe just in intent. Micheal couldn’t help himself from laughing back.

“I’m so glad your here micheal”

Micheal stopped laughing.

“I just… I’m glad to know what happened before was real… I mean obviously haunted animatronics existed so I guess time travel shouldn’t be where I draw the line but, it’s hard, to not think just maybe it was a dream”

“A nightmare more like” Micheal said with a smile, but he understood what Jeremy meant.

Jeremy smiled back “true…. They were haunted right? Like it couldn’t have just been a glitch one of them eat a chunk of my brain, I’m sure you heard, probably a good thing that place burned down heh, even though I lost my job”

“Missing kids haunted them” Micheal sighed “oh and I guess I should probably tell you I did that fire”

“Wait wait shit wait really?”

“Yeah…. To set the ghost free”

“You know what, thanks for that. If I stayed there longer I would probably be missing my whole brain, or dead. And I’m sure whatever ghost stuff was going on sucked for them” Jeremy waved his hand, there’s no denying whatever Micheal was saying, they literally time traveled.

The bell rings. Micheal frowns.

“You’ll need to come over to my house” Jeremy says quick “because I heard this project is a big grade” he smirks and puts one finger to his mouth.

“Yeah of course, I can’t make my grade any worse then it is” Micheal smiles back.

Micheal laughs softly, as he gets up.

“Micheal may I speak to you after class” the teacher asks. Micheal freezes.

“Yes” he nods. Giving Jeremy a wave goodbye.

“Micheal I want to start off by saying I’m not accusing you of anything”

Micheal throat is dry, but he’s able to let out a “okay”

“I just know how you are, and Jeremy is a good kid, if you think pairing up with him is an easy way to not get work done you are mistaken” she shakes her head.

“That’s not! I’m not…. That’s not it”

“Jeremy’s parents have complained a lot to me about you, you know, and they’re a big part of this community, and such kind people. I will not tell them I allowed their son to be with someone who will take advantage of him, Excelling in class is a good thing, and you shouldn’t leach off him just because he doesn’t, it’s hypocritical, you doing that then calling him a ‘nerd’ or whatever you say these days, and I will not tolerate bullying or lazy work from you young man”

Micheal knew deep down he deserved the distrust, but the ‘young man’ gave him such pit in his stomach, he just nods. Looking down

“You don’t want me calling your dad”

Micheal shakes his head quick.

“I trust you Micheal, but I will be checking in with Jeremy repeatedly, if there’s any funny business, and I mean ANY I will be taking action, it’s one too many times Micheal afton”

Micheal just nods. He feels like he can’t breathe, and he walks in the hall in silence.

“Dude what the hell man you look like you’ve seen a ghost” Kyle laughs “you also made Jacob SUPER mad!!”

Micheal turned to him “oh, uhh tell him sorry”

“I’m not doing shit for you” Kyle let out another laugh.

Micheal felt as if there was some in joke he was missing, but he’s sure this is just how they all acted. Micheal gives him a little nod instead of a goodbye, which he immediately regrets doing because he doesn’t think people normally do that, never the less past Micheal. But he walked away fast enough so he couldn’t second guess himself and make more of a fool of himself then he has already.

The day goes on, not much happens in third, history, and he’s no longer interested in gym for fourth, but it’s an easy class none the less, chemistry isn’t much better.

Then lunch. He looks around the big building looking for Jeremy, but quickly makes a turn back outside. It’s far too loud in there. He looks around outside, he wishes he would’ve asked Jeremy if they shared the same lunch.

There’s a lot of people, and Micheal isn’t good in a crowed, he walks to strong, so used to putting to much force in his step, hitting a pole, lighting bumping into someone with a ‘sorry’ mumbled so quiet there’s no way they heard, and even if they cared he walked to fast away the moment they turned he’d be gone.

Somehow he finds a quiet corner. He jaggedly sits down. One hand on the wall next to him for support.

He closes his eyes, and breathes. He’s not sure how long it’s been until-

“You sick or something?” That was Alice, the last of their group micheal had yet to meet again, chica mask.

Micheal opened his eyes, looking up at her.

Her smirk faded, then Micheal realized he had to respond “just tired-“

“‘Just tired’ isn’t doing it for Jacob you know, why’d you pair with the loser?”

“With…. Jeremy?”

“That his name? You did it cause he’s a nerd right? Can you just confess that so Jacob can stop being so pouty……. Micheal? Are you… okay?” Her tone shifted, before she sounded distant. A smirk on her lips, like she knew everything, maybe Micheal had taken to long to respond again, but her voice sounded more… grounded? Micheal never heard her voice like that before.

“Yeah”

“Oh that’s a relief! Whys are leader so frowny? What your brother rubbing off on you?” That was the second time his friends asked that, but something in Micheal almost lit up, better being compared to what his friends thought was a crybaby, then William.

“Long day, I’m good alice”

She stared blankly. “My…. My names Margret?”

Micheal just stares at her….. who….. who’s Alice then?? He was positive that was her name. Maybe his repression went better than he’d thought.

“Oh sorry, heh tired”

Margret burst out laughing the chica mask almost fell off her face that’s how hard she laughed “I’m telling Jacob that one for sure! Gosh, wish you luck on getting the grade, show that nerd what for Mike!” She continues to laugh, walking away.

The day dragged on. He supposed when not faced with constant fear of death (and double death) time moves by slower then he would have liked. But he finally reached the end. Getting on the bus, in the front he saw Jeremy, and a rush of memories came back to him, he always bullied Jeremy on the bus didn’t he. Him and…. There was Kyle and Margret again. Right in the back of the bus. Micheal quickly looked back at Jeremy. Hoping that Margaret and Kyle would’ve just thought he didn’t notice them.

Theyd probably still be upset. But Micheal doesn’t know how to talk to them right now. He’ll make it right with them…. Maybe. He’ll try, but Jeremy takes priority.

Micheal sits next to him, maybe he should’ve asked. But he glances at Jeremys face and he has the biggest genuine smile micheal has ever seen, Micheal almost looks behind him before realizing it really is him he’s smiling at.

“Hi” Jeremy says. “How was your day”

“Strange”

“Yeah tell me about it”

“Well my old friends keep coming up to me and I’m just not sure how to hold a conversation anymore”

“Well your doing pretty good right now”

“Then I guess I just can’t hold a conversation with someone who hasn’t experienced the horrors” Micheal smiles

Jeremy chuckles.

“But you know, I’m sure you remember how they act, how I acted

“Mean!” Jeremy says “but… let’s face one thing at a time, you coming to my house or mine to yours?”

“Wait today?!”

“If that’s okay?” Jeremy hesitates.

“Yes yes!! It’s perfect, uhm yes it’s good, I’ll… can we stop at my house so I can tell my siblings where I’m going” Micheal asks.

“Alright…. If you want you can stay the night, if it’s Friday it’ll work out, if not we go to the same school on the same bus”

“I’d love that” Micheal smiles.

Jeremy smiles back at him.

It’s silent for a minute.

“So… the puppet was the worst animatronic right?” Jeremy then asks, starting conversation.

“Oh well… no, yeah, in dealing with I guess she wasn’t the best”

“Huh? Who’s the worst to you?”

“Just at your restaurant or at all my Freddy’s jobs”

“Go all out, all of them!”

“Springtrap”

“….who?”

“The old spring Bonnie”

“Oh! Wow yeah, I never actually saw him, he’s still new right now right? I never really went to the old dinner, any reason why he’s the worst one?”

“Well I’m kinda biased. Cause I know about the uh…. Hauntings… the guy haunting springtrap was…. Bad”

“And the guy haunting the puppet was good?”

“She was!” Micheal smiles.

“Oh shit for real?”

Micheal nods, his smile growing bigger “yeah! She was just a little kid but she actually was the one that first tried to fight back the killer… I mean it’s bad for us, but she had good intentions, her name was Charlie”

“Huh… Charlie… that’s odd”

“We could meet her!!” Micheal said immediately, the thought just popped up into his mind. He’s sure he meant it more as ‘I could meet her’ but the ‘we’ just feel out, the more he thought about it the more he wanted him and Jeremy to meet and reunite with Charlie and…. Henry.

“Wait wait, like you knew KNEW her, sorry about that I didn’t know” Jeremy then said “but that sounds good, I promise I won’t hold a grudge!” Jeremy lets out a small huff out of his nose not committing to a full laugh.

“No worries. It will be good to know how Charlie is now, it’ll be nice”

Shuffling was getting closer to them, both Jeremy and Micheal paused looked at eachother quickly and turned around.

Coming face to face with chica Micheal’s hand automatically started to move up, before he realized he wasn’t at work, Michael was close to letting out a laugh when he glanced at Jeremy’s and he almost did the same thing.

This was Margret, sticking her head over the seat to look at Jeremy and Michael. she immediately asked “who’s Charlie?”

Micheal definitely saw her in the back before, he glanced behind her and saw the freddy mask on Kyle still sitting in the back… did she crawl over the seats to get over here?

Micheal suddenly feels bad for the bus driver, he definitely used to do shit like that at this time in the past… or old present? To get up to Jeremy to bully him.

“Henry’s kid” Micheal responded.

“Isn’t she like 3?”

“She’s evans age”

“And…..?”

“He’s 7” Micheal sighs.

“Dude who cares why do you want to hang out with toddlers, you’re already babysitting enough” Margret giggles.

“What are you even doing here?” Jeremy spoke up. “If you don’t have anything to add you’re always just free to leave

“Oh now your having the nerd stand up for you, you know I’m real worried your trying to replace us mike” she shakes her head.

“It’s not, I’m not…. Listen, something important happened, I’ll tell you… and the others, just give me time to figure it all out first alright?” Micheal said, slow and quiet.

Margrets face dropped. “Uhm…. Okay just uh… make sure to keep that promise man” she leans back.

“They’re suspicious.” Jeremy then said to Micheal, a statement.

“Yeah” there was no denying it, Micheal wasn’t too sure what else to add. “I don’t care if they are”

Jeremy nods.

———

Margret doesn’t go back to her original seat, she feels bad for leaving Kyle, but him and Jacob are gonna be at her house later anyways.

She tries her best to only focus on Mikes and Jeremy’s conversation in front of her. She doesn’t want the nerd taking him away from them.

And what Micheal said concerned her, she’s never seen him that serious before, that tired, from the sounds of it Kyle and Jacobs thought it was weird too…. And Jeremy saying they’re getting suspicious, they are, but what are Michael and Jeremy hiding?

Clearly it’s something they both know.

“I don’t want to tell them” Micheal then says after long silence.

“Of course not we’ll sound like we’ve lost it” Jeremy responds quickly.

“It’s not even that, if I had to choose you wouldn’t be a part of this either, it’s…. It’s bad”

“I’ve handled bad”

“It’s worse then you think”

“Listen Micheal, if you ‘had to choose’, I’m sure none of this would be happening, but you don’t, you can’t get rid of me now, let me at least be your phone guy”

Micheal then spoke “that guy died you know”

“Wait really?”

“At another Freddy’s I got to hear more of his tapes, foxy got him”

“I…. Don’t know why I’m surprised… that sucks…. So bad example, but you get what I mean right?”

It was Margret’s stop. She stood up, and walked off the bus, Kyle followed behind her, she did not slow down for him.

She didn’t say a word, lost in her head, she’d go to her room and tell the others her findings.

The day was nice, the walk to her house was warm. But every so often a chill gust of wind would fly by preventing it from getting hot. She her a repeating chirp of birds, right on que.

“What took you so long?” Jacob glared at her.

“Bus. What’s up your ass?”

“Micheal” he replied bluntly, Margret burst into a laughing fit.

Jacob made an offended face, then it turned back into a snear “oh shut it! I’m already having a bad day!”

Kyle slowed his running and panted when he finally reached the two “what’s…. Going….” He huffed “on” he looked between the two, and thought better not to ask “did you get something on Micheal?” He changed the subject.

Jacobs eyes widened slightly and he leaned in a tad closer to Margret.

“Yeah yeah have some patience will you? I’ll tell you what I heard when we reach my room.

She takes off her book bag and leans down slightly to take off her keys, she attempts to put the key into the lock twice before realizing that it’s the wrong side, she flips it and struggles to turn it…. She’s… shaking? When did that happen.

She walks into her house and klye and Jacob follow, she hears her mom’s voice from the other room “welcome home Maggie!!” It’s high pitch and overly sweet, Margret doesn’t say a word even as she hears the hurried sound of her moms slippers approaching the main room coming to greet her. She quickly walks up the stairs. And for once Kyle and Jacob are too eager to hear the news they don’t bicker once.

By the time she closes her door she hears faint footsteps getting fainter, as she’s sure her mom goes back to the room she was in before.

Margret takes off her bag and lunch bag and throws it in the corner, before taking a seat on her clean carpeted floor, she can tell her mom just vacuumed in here. She takes off her shoes and the others follow.

When she looks up she sees Jacob and Kyle’s faces looking at her, the masks down by her side, she takes off the chica mask as well and sets it to the side.

“So, you kept us waiting this long was it anything good?” Jacob finally spoke, annoynce in his voice, but he couldn’t hind the intrigue he felt.

“He sat on the bus with Jeremy instead of me or klye” Margret said first and foremost, klye nodded in agreement.

“So it is something personal huh?”

“Maybe he was just talking about the project?” Klye suggested.

“I… don’t think so, plus when has Micheal ever helped on a project, he definitely hasn’t for us, and he Youknow! Actually likes us!” Margret pointed out.

“And that doesn’t change the fact that he picked Jeremy out to begin with”

“Mike and Jeremy know something big, they’re…” Margret couldn’t continue if she wanted too, she didn’t know what they knew.

Klye and Jacobs faces are blank as they look at her.

“I crawled over to them to ask Micheal if he was still coming over, and both him and the loser looked… defensive? He flinched like the crybaby”

it wouldn’t be so weird if it was just Jeremy flinching, they bully him all the time, but Micheal too.

“It wasn’t just shock though, I’m not good with words it was just weird! Like a fight or flight but I couldn’t tell which one it was, it was in unions too, they moved in the exact same way, it was fucking weird” she moves her arms as she talks trying to think about the best way to describe what she saw.

Klye and Jacob both gave her a weird face.

“Alright enough about them being surprised did they actually say anything?” Jacob frowned, and urged her to go on, he’s getting impatient.

“Micheal told me something bad was happening, and told me he’d tell us after he figured it out, then Jeremy told me to go away basically” Margret says.

“Well, I guess that it then” klye said.

“No no!” She interrupts “it wasn’t like… lit hearted, or a prank, I could tell if it was a prank, he was serious…. I hid and listened to them before we reached out stop, he said he didn’t want us involved, or Jeremy, meaning it’s not something Jeremy made him do, but it didn’t sound like something mike made Jeremy do either. It just kinda sounded like it was something that just happened to them”

Jacob thought “so they’re hiding something…” Jacob eyes lurked around the room. Hoping that anything would come to mind.

Kyle’s eyes widened “wait” then then said “I know how this sounds but!” He looked over at both of them “do you think Micheal might be….” Kyle leaned in looking around before saying in a loud whisper “gay?”

“He’s not” Jacob said immediately.

Margret didn’t speak so fast.

There was a pause before Jacob repeated “he’s… not?”

“I don’t…. Think that’s the secret, they’re talking about a dead guy on a phone, and like robots and his dad’s business partners daughter” marget added on.

“Maybe they’re also goths?” Kyle said.

“I doubt that” Jacob glared “but… I think you might have a point, none of those things deny they’re…. Like that”

“I guess that’s true… he did sound…” marget thinks back to Michael’s face, slow and just worried. “I don’t think it’s out of the equation” she then said.

“But with Jeremy? When would that even happen?” Jacobs said.

No one could answer.

———

Michael and Jeremy soon reached Micheal’s house. Micheal came in and Evan and Elizabeth where in there rooms. He gets them down dinner for later and tells them he’s going to leave. And reunites with Jeremy outside.

It was weird but Micheal’s trying not to think about it.

Soon they walk back to Jeremy’s house.

When Jeremy opens the door he’s met with his mom and dad on the couch.

They both look at him, and smile wide with sighs of relief.

“Jeremy your late where were you?!” His dad asked, his panic tone fading every word.

“I’m fine I’m fine, I have to do a school project so I was just making sure Micheal told his family he’d be over”

They smile, as their eyes drift over to Micheal, standing awkwardly. His dad’s face goes stiff and his mother’s face grows to Disgust.

“I’m going to lead him to my room” Jeremy then says. He hasn’t hung out with his parents for a while, but they were never normally too upset. Jeremy doesn’t want to deal with that.

Jeremy starts to walk and his parents are oddly silent.

They soon walk into Micheal’s room.

“That was strange” Jeremy points out the obvious, trying to make conversation.

“Was it?” Micheal asks, he seems legitimately curious.

“Oh, well I guess you wouldn’t know, my parents are just, more outgoing normally, they used to beg me to hang out with people”

“But they don’t like me”

Jeremy gave him a confused face ‘didn’t like him?’ What’s that’s supposed to mean.

“Ms…… uhm the English teacher we have, she said that she was friends with your parents and Youknow…. I was mean”

Jeremy stares blankly before going “ohhhh” that made a lot more sense, he would normally feel comfortable enough to tell his parents about Michael and his little bully group. He didn’t really expect them to know what Micheal looks like, after all micheal is a VERY common name so he didn’t even think about his parents recognizing him…. Scratch that, he didn’t even think about his parents, he moved out pretty early due to his parents wanting to go back to their hometown.

Jeremy had always thought he should’ve gone with them. Who would willingly stay in Utah? but he had never been to Arizona, and the heat sounded horrible. His parents talked fondly about it, all the time, but anything can be glossed over with rose tinted glasses of childhood. Jeremy did the same thing.

He didn’t even have any real nice memory’s here, he doesnt remember much of middle or elementary school now a days, and high school was bad. But he couldn’t fathom leaving, until he didn’t have the chance anymore. When he was in his own empty small home that his parents helped him pay for, once his parents where back in Arizona and he no longer had the option of saying ‘I changed my mind I want to go with you’ of course that’s when he had doubts.

Jeremy didn’t know many people, he went to college, and tried to get any job he could.

It wasn’t any luck, it’s a small town, lots of times he’d get retail jobs for about a year and then the place would end up decaying and closed down, living by mostly minim wage and whatever his parents had sent him for special occasions.

As much as he knew they’d help more they weren’t that well off either, they had sold one house and bought two smaller houses, but even that took a lot out of them, he’s lucky that the house sold for quite a bit, they inherited it from their grandparents who had bought it in their early years when houses were more affordable, and they all kept such good care of this house. It was weird to be back.

The people they had sold it too seemed nice. Jeremy didn’t meet up with them but he saw them shopping once in a while when he still worked retail.

Getting the night shift at Freddy’s was easy, they seemed to take anyone. He ended up practically begging to get switched to day shift, that’s when the bite happened, they switched him back to night shift quick after, he wanted to quit but they convinced him to stay, he hadn’t wanted too, but where else would he have made money? He was kinda relieved when the place burned.

Swore to never work at another Freddy’s.

He technically kept to that promise, he never ended up working anywhere else after that, because shortly after he was run over, then he awoke here.

Micheal is just looking at him.

Jeremy opens his mouth, not to sure what to say.

“It’ll be fine” his parents won’t care too much, he’s sure. He can explain.

Micheal smiles, and all Jeremy can do is stare at him, smiling back, he’s never seen Micheal smile in the past but for a second Jeremy could almost believe that EVERYTHING would be fine, just from Micheal’s reaction to his statement.

“So… where do we start?” Jeremy then asked.

“Right” Micheal nodded, looking around “I guess the big thing out of the way first, my father, his name is William, he killed the kids haunting the animatronics”

“Oh.” Jeremy didn’t know what else to say, all of this was so strange.

Thinking back on Micheal in the past, well he would’ve thought it would be a prank, he couldn’t imagine 16 years old micheal with his bad haircut, tanktop, and ‘manly’ personality that just consisted of being mean, to ever act like this Micheal, he felt like a whole diffrent person, sure their face was the same, but Micheal had used to brag about his rich dad who owned Freddy’s. Jeremy remembers vaguely he was jealous of him.

Fritz on the other hand. He had talked to him about once, thought he was strange, but Jeremy didn’t want to push or judge. He knew how it hurt to feel left out or made fun of, if anything the creepy smiling bear mask could make him cooler. Fritz hair was also closer to how Micheal’s is now, it looks the same, though he’s pretty sure Fritz hair was a wig.

Thinking on Fritz that does seem like the type of guy whose dad would be a murderer.

Though of course what Jeremy thinks right now means very little, Micheal’s dad, this william guy, he is a murderer. He had heard of the missing children’s case but…. Wait a minute

“Doesn’t William own Freddy’s, or he did right?” Jeremy asked.

Micheal nods. “I have to kill him”

“WHAT-“ Jeremy didn’t mean to yell, he surprises himself with that and doesn’t like how Micheal freezes. “I mean that’s a bold move Micheal” Jeremy points out “would it be better to just make it so William doesn’t kill people, because then you don’t need to worry about the rest of your family or…. You know… crime?”

“It’s not that easy. I won’t ask you to join me either but he needs to be taken out, he won’t stop at anything and if there’s even a CHANCE that he might have his memories back more people will die then last time…. I don’t want to kill I don’t, but I just know it.” Micheal says “he’s not easy to kill either” Micheal says, Jeremy’s worried Micheal knows this from experience.

Jeremy’s heard the rumors, he’s seen the posters and the news articles, he’s also seen how the animatronics acted, they’re ghost of children… Charlie. Micheal knew Charlie, she was a real kid, with a real connection, they all were. “If it needs to be done I trust you” Jeremy says. “I’ll help”

Suddenly a knock at the door causes panic to raise in Jeremy, and seemingly Micheal too. What if someone heard them. They stayed quiet and the door hesitantly opened.

It was Jeremy’s mom, with a small smile, but her eyebrows curved in worry. And she stood stiff. She’s normally more confident, and a bit overbearing at times, but maybe that wasn’t all the time.

It was weird looking back at her, her hair was longer then it was in the future, still just as curly, she didn’t wear as much makeup in the future when Jeremy visited her as she is right now.

“Hi boys, hope I didn’t interrupt, I just have too” she looked outside the door and back at them “talk to Jeremy about something if that’s okay”

Did he do something wrong? Jeremy nodded standing up. Micheal didn’t know if he should follow but before Jeremy could tell him to come along his mom quickly said “he’ll be right back! You can wait here…. Micheal”

Jeremy followed her across the hall to the living room. His mind racing, maybe he got a bad grade? Or promised to do something that for obvious reasons he doesn’t remember now? Or is it…..

“Jeremy, are you okay?!” She said urgently in a hushed tone.

Jeremy nodded “yeah I’m fine?” Maybe something bad happened, maybe William remembers and now there’s been missing children.

“I heard you shout” she then says, oh, yeah he did do that “and well I wasn’t going to bring it up, but he’s the…. Mean kid right?” She phrased it like a question and Jeremy knows it was more of a statement, he doesn’t respond “he didn’t force you into a group did he, you will not be doing all the work for him, you can tell me anything you know that?!”

Jeremy nodded immediately, although he couldn’t help but it feel guilty for doing so, she meant that in a way of ‘if he’s being mean to you you’ll tell me’ and Jeremy isn’t worried about Micheal doing that. But they are kinda hiding the whole time travel, child murder, animatronic thing. But it’s not like he can tell her, maybe Micheal isn’t afraid of looking like he’s lost it to his old friends, but parents are a whole other thing!

“I know mom, he’s trying to be better”

She gave a look “listen, I like seeing the best in people too, but some people, well being means just in their personality, you can’t change that hon. I don’t want him to use you to up his grades well he does no work!” She shakes her head.

“I know mom, trust me, he’ll work just as hard as I will on this project, it seems like an easy one too, he’s trying. And I’ll let you know if anything goes wrong” Jeremy tries his best to comfort her. “He’s going to be staying the night if that’s okay?” She better say yes.

She sighs, with a nervous smile “alright, but my house my rules, if he tries anything…. Rude, then he’s going back to his house and I’m having a talk with Ms. Richard to change your partner alright!”

“We won’t need to worry about that” Jeremy says, that’s honestly the last thing he wants, but just to make his mom feel better “but alright, if something really bad happens”

She nods. “Alright, any ideas on food he likes?”

Jeremy thinks “maybe nothing with meat in it, and not pizza” he then says.

“Oh? He’s a vegetarian” his mom seems surprised “is it a new trend because he seems like the type of guy to make fun of stuff like that”

“Uhm he might be, I’ve never seen him eat meat” Jeremy has never see him eat, but working at Freddy’s even for the short amout of time Jeremy did makes you lose appetite for meat, with the rotting smell always somewhere in the building, and all the decaying pizza slices people just leave in corners and on the ground. honestly Jeremy just doesn’t feel like eating meat, and with how many locations with even more rotten corpses Jeremy can properly assume Micheal wouldn’t have much of an appetite for meat.

Plus with all the talk of killing, it’s putting Jeremy off.

“Alright, I’ll start on dinner then”

Jeremy walks back to his room, Micheal looks up at him, he seems worried. Jeremy gives him and smile and sits down next to Micheal again “she’s worried your bullying me” Jeremy then said.

Micheal nodded

“It’s all fine now, she’s making dinner”

Micheal nods again with a small “oh”

“I asked for nothing with meat and no pizza if that’s okay”

Micheal smiles “sounds perfect, I don’t think I can look at a pizza slice the same way ever again”

“Those costumers really just threw things on the ground didn’t they? Jeremey shakes his head.

“Not as gross as putting corpses in the animatronics”

Jeremy pauses “wait… they… THATS where the bodies where?!!?! How did they-… I mean… oh god that’s why they smelled bad?!”

“Oh…. Yeah” Micheal then says.

“God… that’s messed up”

“I know” micheal paused “but that’s never going to happen now”

“Right right, what should we focus on first, do you know how this whole thing began?”

“Yeah… it’s not going to happen now it was….” Micheal let’s put a sigh, he has to tell Jeremy, Jeremy deserves to know. “On my brothers birthday, in 83… this year I think, me and my friends ‘pranked’ him, er tried too”

Jeremy didn’t respond waiting for Micheal con continue.

“I put him… up to the freadbear animatronic, and it killed him” Micheal said “I’m not…. I was terrible. But I wouldn’t- not again… but that’s when the murders started”

Oh, that sort of makes sense why Micheal would stop being a bully, although Jeremy can’t help but wish it wasn’t a death that made him realize…. But it was this year, when he was a kid, Micheal clearly got more than the karma he deserved for that. “Alright… that’s good” Jeremy then said.

Micheal shot him a weird look.

“No no! I mean, that’s very avoidable! You’re already not going to…. Do that, so that means we don’t have to do much of anything” Jeremy says.

“Yeah I suppose” Micheal spoke, looking down.

Jeremy felt odd, Micheal seemed almost lost in thought, either that or he was spacing out, one of his hand on the sheet on his bed, half looking down at the tile, half at him, both with foggy eyes.

It must’ve been hard to say… actually all of this must’ve been hard for Micheal to say, Jeremy’s sure it will hit him later, but right now everything feels so distant and off it’s hard to focus on how messed up all of this is, plus Jeremy didn’t have much connection to these people involved.

Jeremy moves and Micheal’s focus seems somewhat drawn to him, Jeremy opens his arms, looking at Micheal.

Micheal moved slowly, looking at him for a couple seconds, before collapsing into Jeremy’s arms once he realized what Jeremy was offering.

Jeremy wrapped his arms around Micheal, holding him tighter when Micheal leans in.

Micheal holds him tight in return not looking at him, and to Jeremy’s surprise starts to cry.

Jeremy rocks them both slightly, he’s not sure how long they stay like that.

The door opens, his mom comes in with a cherry “foods done” once her eyes lay on them she gives a look, though Jeremy can’t tell for sure what it means. And she leaves.

Once she’s gone micheal mumbles a “sorry heh” and wipes his eyes, and takes a breath in and out.

“Don’t be, at all, this is a lot” Jeremy says “let’s eat”

———

Jacob was livid, he was Micheal’s right hand man, Micheal told him everything!

Just yesterday him and Micheal had went to town on bullying Jeremy, Jacob had two dollars in his pocket of Jeremy’s lunch money to proof it!

Micheal was JUST normal, he even called Micheal yesterday night, he remembers Micheal old man telling him off for being up in the living room so late, and Micheal of course argued back with him in return. They ended up laughing all about it for hours more until they both finally had to sleep.

Micheal and him planned on trying to get Jeremy and Mayeb some others banned from Freddy’s on that phone call, setting up some sort of vandalism and blaming it on them, it seemed like the perfect crime, sure the animatronics are for baby’s, but there’s no other fun thing to do around here!

Now it’s like everything they’ve built up is destroyed? Is he trying to pull a long con on Jeremy? Or was it Micheal’s and Jacobs friendship that was the fake one? Had he always been on Jeremy’s side? Laughing about the pranks they pulled on him being fake behind Jacobs back?!

Or did something happen after they got off that call? Maybe Jacob should’ve stayed just an hour longer?

Kyle and Marget didn’t care like he did, couldn’t care like he did! He’s the one who never left Michael’s side! And they want him to just sit and wait until mike tells them what’s going on? What if he never does?!

“Let’s not be rash, he said he’d tell us” marget says “we can try to get more information, but let’s not make assumptions just yet”

“I guess that’s fair” Kyle shrugs.

Jacob wanted to force micheal to tell him, surly he’d tell his best friend? Just push him a bit more, but the others would never allow him too.

“Fine, can we play video games or whatever we wanted to do in the first place” Jacob says, he isn’t going to gloss over Micheal, but he wants to change the subject, just in case he ends up actually doing anything about it he doesn’t want Marget and Kyle to link it to him.

They had all come here to play a four player video game anyways, but for now three players will do.

———

Dinner was awkward to say the least. Both Jeremy’s mom and dad wouldn’t stop staring at Micheal, and Micheal moved the food around on his plate slowly. He very clearly looks like he had been crying, but no one mentioned it.

Micheal felt the eyes on him.

Jeremy watched him slowly take a small bite and put it up to his lips, he hesitated before eating it.

“It’s good” he then said quietly, taking another small bite. He glances up at Jeremy’s parents, they give him doubtful eyes. “I have to eat slow, used to eat too fast” Micheal quickly says.

Jeremy didn’t know if that was true or not, he’s not actually too sure about any of the things that happened to Micheal when he was Fritz. But thinking back on Micheals old teen years he did seem like the type of guy to eat too quickly, so it’s not completely out of character for that to happen.

If so Jeremy’s glad he remembers to slow down. Eating too quickly can cause discomfort, and just overall be a pain.

His parents seem to take this answer enough, but the moment his mom opens her lips Jeremy braces himself.

“So Micheal” awful start “your fathers pretty smart isn’t he”

Micheal freezes, Jeremy needs to change the subject “let’s not talk about his dad” Jeremy says quickly “he just got away away from all of them, he’s got enough of his dad at home” Jeremy try’s to say in a joking manner.

It seems like the wrong thing to say because his mom narrows her eyes “now now Jeremy, that’s rude, why don’t you let Micheal answer” she almost flares back at Micheal. Jeremy feels worse, maybe it would’ve been better not to say anything.

“Uhm… Jeremy’s right, but yeah I guess he’s…. Done a lot…. You could say” Micheal mumbles.

“Right right…” his mom says taking another bite.

Jeremy knows his mom is just trying to stand up for him, but he wishes she would tone down, same thing with his dad, he hasn’t said a word, just been staring at Micheal, giving a stern look.

“How’s your grades” his mom pushes.

“Let’s- talk about something more fun huh?” Jeremy pushes back.

“It was just a question” he can hear his mom sigh. “School is an important part in both yours and Micheal’s life”

“Uhm…. Not the best” Micheal mumbles out.

“Micheal, what’s your favorite show?” Jeremy said immediately after, trying to get the question in before his mom can try to find an excuse to judge Micheal again.

Micheals was turned to Jeremy, eyes immediately lite up, it seems that was a good question. “I’ve been watching one show called immortal and the restless” Micheal smiles, and all Jeremy can do is nod, that’s more then enough for Micheal to go on “it’s about a woman named Clara and a vampire named vlad, the first season can be a bit slow, but it helps set up the characters really well, it’s mostly about vlad and Clara starting off their relationship, but in the second season it starts becoming clearer that vlad is literally the worst, refusing to do any work for their relationship, and brushing off Clara who is the best character, in that season finale it ends with the reveal that they had a kid, which then the third season is about how vlad is denying the kid is his, when it obviously is, and in the forth season they have a bit more of that, but an issue starts up when Clara’s family arrives in town and…. Uhm…. Heh, it’s just a good show”

Jeremy can’t help but laugh.

Micheal gives him an offended look, Jeremy wants to speak but he can’t because all he can do is laugh harder. “hey don’t laugh c’mon man! Soap operas are good it’s not my fault!”

“No no” Jeremy laughs out “it’s not embarrassing, it’s just cute, I like seeing you so enthusiastic” cute? Was that really the word Jeremy wanted to use, Micheal was definitely very cute. His smile wide, uncontrolled, but that just showed how genuine he was, with his grey-blue-purple eyes that seemed to sparkle like aluminum foil oddly enough, he could get lost in them. Micheals face pink.

He couldn’t think of a word other than cute… maybe pretty? But honestly that one’s context would be more embarrassing than cute, Jeremy couldn’t help but have his brain yell at him that his parents are not only still in this room, but where actively in the conversation.

“Thanks heh” the smile on Michael’s smile was smaller now, but no less genuine, his hand halfheartedly trying to cover it, hiding further away in his long hair, Jeremy watches him glance back at his parents. Most likely having the same thought progress as Jeremy did.

His father was no longer staring at Micheal, instead focusing on the rest of the food on his plate.

Jeremy couldn’t make out his mom’s expression. She smiles slightly, but she’s not looking at them. Instead staring at the wall right behind them.

Her eyes shift to look at them once she notices them staring “I’ve never heard of that show before” she then says, Jeremy could almost sigh in relief, her voice is more similar to how he remembers it, softer, more open. Less like she’s trying to give Micheal a test.

Although it’s not a total forgiveness. Hopefully that means she’s warming up to him. Micheal and him are definitely going to need to hang out together a whole lot, and her thinking that Micheal was still a big bully would cause some issues.

“Uhm it’s a bit….. obscure, only came out on tape?” Micheal gives him a look. Like he wants validation that was a good lie, the show most likely hasn’t come out yet, either that or it’s still newer and in its first season. Jeremy just gives him a small nod with a smile, hoping that it gives Micheal more confidence.

Jeremy’s dad stands up, and soon takes the plates, and goes out of the room to wash the dishes, turning the small tv on in the living room so the background noise of the news can fill up the space.

“Thanks for the food miss” Micheal said.

“No no, no need to call me miss” Jeremy’s mom said “that’s much to formal, you could call me Amy” her middle name, most everyone called her that.

Micheal gives a nod. “Alright…. Amy” the words came uncomfortably out of Micheal’s mouth, clearly not used to that much casualness.

“That’s better now, what was this project I’ve heard about”

“Right, it’s for English” Jeremy started “about rewriting the ending of the play Romeo and j-“

“Wait” Micheal called out, as loud as his soft British voice allowed him too.

Jeremy paused, confused as he looked ever at Micheal who had a finger to his mouth, his brows furrowed. His mom gave Micheal a look for interrupting Jeremy.

Jeremy didn’t know what Micheal was doing, he needed to hear something it seemed? Why else would be want them to be quiet, but there was no noise…. Except for the tv.

“-….missing child, again if you see charlotte Emily, please contact-“ they said a phone number.

Kids went missing all the time, and Jeremy didn’t know a Charlotte, he didn’t know if Micheal did.

Jeremy tries to think back to the rumors but he can’t remember if Charlotte was any of the names of the 5 missing kids. He doesn’t think they are, there was a girl with a c name but it wasn’t Charlotte, it was a shorter name, with an s right? Casey was it? Cassie? Jeremy can’t remember for sure.

“Charlie” Micheal mumbled.

Oh.

Oh no.

———

Kyle didn’t get what the fuzz was about, who cares if mike is gay, or hiding something horrible from them, well clearly Jacob cares, but Jacob is great at caring about things that matter very little.

He doesn’t mind the nerd joining their little group if it means more people, more people more fun right?

Kyle could see it being a problem if Micheal left them forever, but he doesn’t think the dude would, neither does Margret and she knows everything!

Either way it’s not like they needed Micheal, Margret is a great leader as well, plus her name starts with an M too!

Kyle knows he shouldn’t say that out loud, especially not in front of Jacob, he just doesn’t get what the big fuzz is about.

If Micheal says he’d tell them later, he’s most likely going to tell them later, if he doesn’t they’ll make him pay for it! Easy as that!

Though Marget keeps dying in the video game they’re playing, that’s not like her, she could beat anyone at streetfighter with her eyes closed. looking back at Margaret she’s distant, it almost reminds him of how Micheal looked in the morning…. Maybe it’s just looking tired?

But it’s more dull then that. Kyle had been in the back of the bus the whole while Margret climbed up to the front, Margret’s face had been smiling just before, it had been annoyed and irritated just before. Dramaticly rolling her eyes, and saying some vague threat.

Now it’s nothing. Lost in thought, no smile, no eye roll when Jacob yelled about her dying again. No…. Anything.

Kyle could almost think she was hiding something too. Like the flick of a light switch. What had Micheal really said to her? Or how did he say it?

One thing Kyle knows for sure is that Margret would never give the unimportant a second thought.

———

Micheal is shaking.

“Charlie? The same Charlie as before” Jeremy asks Micheal, all Micheal can do is shake his head yes.

Jeremys mom looks at them in concern “you know her? Well I’m sure she’s okay-“

“I have to go” Micheal said immediately, determined, starting to walk off to grab his shoes.

“Wait Micheal-“

“I- I left them alone- Evan and Elizabeth, I can’t- I left them with him, what if something BAD happened?!” Micheals breathing is too loud.

“Alright im coming with you” Jeremy bearly thinks before saying this, but he doesn’t need too, jeremy wants to help anyone can, and right now he can help Micheal, he knows more then most, Micheal can’t deal with this alone, especially not like this.

Micheal opens his mouth.

“No wasting time let’s go” Jeremy says.

Amy blinks a lot “wait no! Don’t leave! Just because it’s probably okay doesn’t mean you can leave, JEREMY! Come back in the house right now?!”

Jeremy feels bad, she sounds so worried, it must be confusing.

With that Jeremy and Micheal ran outside, Jeremy’s lucky Micheal had such short legs or else he’s sure he wouldn’t have been able to catch up with him.

“I don’t want you to be here” Micheal’s voice said, somehow softer then it was before “I don’t want you to get hurt” Jeremy realizes they are approaching Micheal’s house. “I won’t waste my time convincing you not to come along”

Jeremy didn’t know what to do, he knew if he stopped walking now he wouldn’t be able to change his mind, he had already gotten this far, he was going to leave Micheal.

And Jeremy didn’t.

Micheal rushed into his house, and Jeremy followed. It was much bigger then Jeremy’s, but much smaller then younger Micheal always described it. It looked old, unlived in. Maybe even a bit dusty, the only signs of life is a few toys that lay in the living room, Jeremy couldn’t get a good look at them but he could’ve sworn at least one of them was Freddy’s branded.

Micheal stopped in his track and swiftly turned around.

Jeremy didn’t know where he was going….

…….

Micheal knew his fathers killings got worse and worse throughout the years, the first ones where quicker, but later on he taunted them a bit more, after all that’s why the soul with his brother in golden freddy was much more upset then the others.

Micheal knew the code to Williams office, he had to go in to find the bunker the funtimes were in. He wondered if the bunker was built yet? Did it come with the house? If not how did he not notice it being built? This isn’t the time for this, Michael hopes he never has to go in again.

He put in the three numbers, the year William and Henry made Freddie’s, 1978.

There could be a chance Charlie is still alive, Henry hopefully noticed her going missing soon after she did, he’s always quick to worry, of course he’d call, and the news is slow.

And William, if he does remember what happened would be more extreme now, to confident that he can kill them so he’ll take his time.

With a click the lock popped off and the door opened, Micheal did not hesitate to walk in, Jeremy followed quickly after.

He wished he could beg Jeremy to stay outside, this isn’t his problem and Micheal can’t lose him too, but all it would do is waste time.

They were quick, but quiet. There was a phone on the desk in Williams room.

Micheal looked at it “Jeremy, get ready to call the cops alright”

Jeremy just looked at the phone, and nodded, making his way over to it.

Micheal carefully approaches the door to his closet, the light was on.

Jeremy had his hand hovering ive the last one.

Micheal could’ve sighed in relief at the fact the door was already cracked open.

Peaking in was Charlie, Micheal had almost forgotten what she looked like, with thick hair like Henry’s, going about to her shoulders, maybe a little above. Her eyes were wide, and of course there William was, facing away from the door to the closet.

He was saying something that Micheal didn’t dare listen too, he looked back at Jeremy and nodded, and Jeremy diled the finale number.

The phone rang, and it felt like forever, Micheal backed up moving towards Jeremy, hoping William didn’t hear.

They picked up, in a hushed voice micheal immediately said their address and that they found a kidnapper of Charlie Emily.

“MICHEAL” the door swung open, Willam.

Charlie looked at him.

Micheal took a step back, forcing Jeremy behind him.

“Father”

“I better get ride of you” William told himself, he glared at Charlie, he decided she could wait.

He moved slowly. Approaching the pair.

“You know exactly what’s going on don’t you-“ he was hit with a metal bar in the legs

Falling forward reveal Charlie, who, with a swing hit William right on the head.

Charlie didn’t looked panicked, she had before when Williams eyes where on her, now she’s calm, small smile.

“Cassidy would’ve liked that” she then said.

Jeremy realized that was the name of the missing kid he was thinking of.

She walks closer. “Henry doesn’t remember”

A pang of sadness went through Micheal, but honestly it’s probably for the best Henry doesn’t remember all the bad that happened. “Police should be here soon” Micheal said.

“Self defense” Charlie says plainly. Hopefully they’ll trust her, she’s a young child that should be missing.

Charlie moves closer

she turns to Jeremy “I’m sorry for attacking you” she then says “if you remember”

She turns to Micheal “I’m not sorry for attacking you” she then says. “But now we’re even.”

Micheal just nods at her. “I’m sorry about starting this whole thing”

“It doesn’t matter, it happened, and now it’s done, you couldn’t have known anything, but I’m not willing to argue that it’s anyone else fault but his” Charlie says giving a glare at Willam.

Micheal just nods.

They wait.

———

It took a few hours before micheal and Jeremy could return back to Jeremy’s house.

The walk home and slow and uncertain, William and Charlie are going to be taken in for more questioning, but of course they seen to wait for William to wake up in the first place.

Who knows how that will go. Elizabeth and Evan don’t remember anything either. They were in their room the whole time. They seemed okay.

It was late When They went into Jeremy’s house, but his parents were up, just bearly.streesed, saying they saw what happened on the news.

Switching between Saying ‘your a hero for saving that girl’ and also ‘what where you thinking’ and ‘Micheal was that your dad’ and ‘you two need to go to bed you have school in the morning’ both of them didn’t let them get a word out before Amy eventually looked back at them.

“Okay sense it’s so late just this once both of you miss school alright. Normally I would never do that for someone who isn’t my child but I saw what just happened with your father and… oh god” she shakes her head. “You can stay As long as Jeremy’s okay with it”

If that was the case micheal would never leave.

“I’m fine with it” understatement of the century.

“Just, make sure to work on your projects the whole day okay, or… half the day, or just… gosh just work on it okay, but I understand if you need rest, Micheal if you want take the couch”

“My beds big enough for the both of us as well” Jeremy quickly added “your choice though.

Micheal wasn’t used to things not trying to kill him in the night, so of course he said “as long as your okay with it” to Jeremy, Jeremy felt the same way.

“Oh alright then, if you say so!” Amy smiles. “Please get some rest”

They walk to Jeremy’s room.

Turing off the lights off they lay down in the bed.

They lay there for a while in the dark.

“Micheal” Jeremy suddenly speaks “I think… everything’s just hit me now” he softly chuckles at the end, trying to hide his fear.

Micheal shuffles, and opens his arms out, without much second thought Jeremy returns the hug.

“It’ll be okay” Micheal says in a whisper. “Once my old man is locked up everything will change… for the better that is. Hey maybe he’ll finally pass, without turning into a moldy rabbit” Micheal smiles “I’ll get his inheritance, big house, we could even sell it, try to get away from hurricane”

“I’d like that” Jeremy says “my biggest regret is not leaving this town! Though I don’t think I want to go to Arizona”

“I agree it’s to hot there!” Micheal chuckles.

“Then we’ll look for somewhere cold, anywhere that’s not Utah” Jeremy hugs Micheal a little tighter.

“And herny will be the main owner of Freddy’s, so he’ll be fine, I’m sure Evan and Elizabeth will live with him” Micheal then says.

“Sounds nice” Jeremy says, swiftly bringing himself to sleep, Micheal closes his eyes, he’s sure this is the best sleep he’s had in years.

———

“Micheal didn’t show up today” Jacob growled at lunch.

“Mikes dad is dead” Kyle said.

Everyone was quiet.

“….what?!” Margret finally spoke.

“It was all over the news guys?” Kyle said.

“No no please explain” Margret sounded desperate.

“You seriously watch the news? Dude Your joking right?! There’s no way that happened” Jacob snarls.

“He kidnapped his friends kid, I think it was Charlie, she whacked him with a metal pipe in like… self defense of something, killed him on impact. Cause she’s like 6 and Youknow…. Was kidnapped and didn’t mean it, she’s not getting much done about it I don’t think” Kyle tried his best to recall what he had heard.

“No wonder he’s not here” Jacob sighed.

“Wait…. Him and Jeremy talked about meeting up with Charlie before”

“Oh yeah Micheal and Jeremy where there they were!…. Uh witnesses I guess”

“WHY DIDNT YOU LEAD WITH THAT?!” Jacob yelled.

“I don’t know man, it wasn’t that important, they just said they confirmed what Charlie had said, and all the evidence like fingered prints and such also said they were telling the truth.”

“they were they hanging out after school” Jacob grumbled.

“Dude mikes dad is dead and your still worried about Jeremy, who cares?!” Marget said.

“I think he’s jealous” Kyle smirked.

“Well I don’t care! Something is clearly wrong with…. EVERYTHING?! I’m skipping” Marget said.

“Alright I’ll join too, where we going?” Kyle hopped it was the arcade.

“Micheals house!”

“Oh… alright, yeah let’s check up on him, Jacob you in?” Kyle asked.

“…..fine.”

—————

Evan and Elizabeth where in Elizabeth’s room. For once she was the one sobbing.

“I just can’t believe Charlie would kill daddy! I hate her!” Elizabeth repeated, again and again. “I won’t go! Henry’s not my dad! He’s not! I won’t go! Charlie doesn’t deserve to be our sibling!” She cried.

Evan didn’t know to feel about it. “Dad…. Dad did something really bad. All Charlie was doing was protecting herself” that’s what everyone had said. He hopped to calm Elizabeth down, because once Micheal comes here he’ll be mad, and he wants her on his side too.

“But but…. Daddy wouldn’t! He wouldn’t!”

“But he did… Charlie went missing, he tried…. He” Evan almost couldn’t believe it himself.

But he remembered being in uncle Henry’s house, they where kicked out due to their house being a crime scene. He had never heard Henry scream before, not once, not even at Charlie, not even when an animatronic broke down.

But there Henry was in the other room screaming at a cop. Elizabeth was too but she screams a lot, Evan was meant to be the next interviewed.

He couldn’t help but wonder closer to Henry who had screamed that his friend would never do such a thing, screamed that his daughter wouldn’t do such a thing.

But there was a tv, a monitoring tv. One for most of the house, his room, Elizabeth’s room, and a lot for Michael’s room, even the hallways for it.

One wasn’t like the other, right now it showed this room. But they could rewind it.

He’s in a lot of the footage, and was soon to realize he left his freadbear plushie in his dads room, and his dad took it further in. Hours were skipped pasted and it showed his dad…. William and Charlie.

It wasn’t in the best position to see but it was clear as day. His dad had a knife.

Some commotion happed and his dads attention was switched, that’s when Charlie hit him.

His dad tried to kill there friend.

“He almost did the same thing to her, but he meant to” Evan spoke.

“It’s not fair!-“ suddenly the sound of a window opening then another scream.

“HES NOT HERE?!” Evan recognized the voice, Micheal’s friend.

Footsteps down the hall, Evan fought the urge to hide.

“Great, a break in! Just what we need” Elizabeth pouts. “LEAVE NOW!”

She shouts right as they open the door.

“God that hurts, it’s just the crybaby’s, let’s leave” Jacob covered his ears.

“If you don’t want to be here then you can leave” Margret glared at him “tell us where Micheal is?!”

“He’s with a friend, I-i don’t know who” Evan responded.

“MICHEALS NOT WITH YOU?! Does he even have other friends? You think he’s missing too?”

Evan kinda hoped he was. “No I’m sure Micheal’s fine.”

“Why are you three in my house?”

Elizabeth’s hopes got up for a second, it sounded just like her father, just softer, but of course he was in the ground, it was just Micheal himself, and someone else evan and Elizabeth didn’t know.

“Can my room not be your meet up spot” Elizabeth crosses her arms.

Evan freezes.

“DUDE?! Where have you been?!” Jacob turns to Micheal.

“Jeremy’s house” Micheal points at Jeremy behind him.

“Sup”

“You know your dad’s dead right?!” Margret said.

“Oh yeah I was kinda there”

“I told you he was there?!” Kyle said immediately.

“Well we don’t trust you!” Jacob growled.

“That’s not… he’s just, WHATEVER CAN SOMEONE EXPLAIN WANTS GOING ON”

“Our dad’s dead because of Charlie!” Elizabeth starts to cry again.

“It- its was- uhm… kinda dads… umm…. Fault” Evan didn’t like how crowed it was.

“I’m just here to grab my bookbag” Micheal says.

“HOW ARE YOU SO CALM DADS DEAD!” Elizabeth yells at Micheal.

“Uhm…” Micheal glances at Jeremy who shrugged “he was a very bad man”

Evan was glad Micheal heard what had happened, hopefully he won’t be mad at uncle Henry too, he has enough of that with Elizabeth.

But he understands. He misses dad too… and Elizabeth and their dad did hang out the most, she was the only one allowed in his study’s, the only time he was allowed in is when freadbear is broken.

“Where here because you’re hiding something!” Jacobs shakes his head.

“What’s he hiding?!” Elizabeth speaks.

“Well if we knew we wouldn’t be here!” Jacob shoots back.

“Micheal afton tell us immediately what you are hiding!” She speaks in the same way William used to.

Micheal is painfully reminded how much he hates his last name. “Alright… sure fine, it’s done anyways”

“Really?” Jeremy says to him.

“Yeah, alright I’ll tell you everything, but it’s kinda uh…. Unbelievable”

Micheal has everyone sit down, unsure where to start Jeremy takes Michael’s hand, giving a soft smile.

In the mirror Micheal might see Williams eyes, but Jeremy just sees Micheal’s eyes looking back at him

Chapter Text

“Time travel”

“Time travel? That’s how you’re starting this? Do you think we’re dumb Mike!” Jacob glared at him.

“Honestly that’s not even the weirdest part of the story” Jeremy shakes his head.

Everyone looks at them.

“Okay okay, I’ll simplify it, me and Jeremy are from the future, and it sucks, dad kills people, he was also from the future, and a lot of confusing ghost stuff goes on” Michael says. Theres a pause to wait for him to continue. He then claps his hand and leans over to take his book bag.

“This some sort of prank….?” Evan speaks aloud what everyone was thinking.

“It obviously is, idiot.” Jacob glares at him.

Michael glares at him back “don’t speak to Evan that way”

“WHY DO YOU CARE!” Jacob screams.

“Listen! I told you what happened, I know it’s unbelievable, but” Michael shrugs “I mean, I could stand here and go in depths about everything I know about rement, or like…. Fazgoo, the scooper, but it’s not gonna help anything, I barely know what’s going on myself, I just know in the future a lot of bad stuff happened and now it’s not going to sense William is gone.”

“And… how did you time travel again?” Kyle gave him a look.

“I don’t know! I died in a fire then I woke up in bed”

“You’re sure that’s not just some… weird dream?” Marget finally spoke. “Forgive me for thinking this is a little you know… fake sounding.”

“Hey I remember it too! I died in the end as well, run over” Jeremy then says.

“William and Charlie did too” Micheal mumbled.

“Wait! What’s Charlie got to do with this?!” Elizabeth asked, annoyed.

“Yeah you mentioned her before, on the bus” marget pushed.

“She remembers the future as well.” Michael had sighed. “Alright we gotta go, Jeremy’s mom will be upset if where not back soon”

“I cannot believe you.” Jacob glared at him.

Michael didn’t ask him too.

“Okay” Michael shrugged, Taking Jeremy’s hand they both walked out the door of Elizabeth’s room, then out the house into the direction of Jeremy’s home.

The door clicked behind them.

“What are we gonna do about that?”

Michael didn’t know “…nothing? They don’t have to believe us”

“I guess, but having people think we’ve lost it probably isn’t a good look” Jeremy chuckles.

“People have always thought that about me”

“I guess they have before with me, I stopped trying to explain the whole Freddy’s thing when A-… my ex kept giving me weird looks” Jeremy says.

Michael paused “ex…?”

“Oh yeah” Jeremy let out a chuckle, and Michael didn’t move a muscle, his chest felt stiff and he didn’t look Jeremy in the eyes. Jeremy didn’t seem to notice continuing “a year or so after high school my parents were planning on moving away, they get like… really worried, so they set me up with this girl that they were friends with the parents of” Jeremy smiled awkwardly “she was over almost everyday and I kinda went with it, it was mostly just really awkward, she barely knew my name, I never ended up telling my parents we split though.” Jeremy thought aloud.

Michael nodded “think you’ll date her again?”

“No not at all” Jeremy laughs “though that wasn’t the first time they set me up with her, so if my mom mentions her I guess you knew how it could’ve gone”

“What was her name?”

“Alice”

Michael freezes again “Alice… I don’t… I don’t know her right?”

Jeremy gives him a weird look “no? You… uh I guess I wouldn’t know if you do? We don’t have the same ex right?” Jeremy chuckles.

“Oh no no! I never ended up dating anyone, I was sort of… ehhh you know.” Michael quickly brushes it off. “I just… know that name, I don’t know where”

“OH WAIT! I brought her to company potluck, you where there I remember you ate super weirdly”

“Yeah!… yeah.” Michael said “I must’ve heard her name” so that’s why he thought Margret was Alice.

“Must’ve!” Jeremy shrugged. “Alice was nice, but we didn’t go too well together, probably because I’m not into woman… I probably shouldn’t be saying that so loud in the 80s though”

“Yeah…” Michael says, chest feeling lighter, but still feeling awkward on how to respond. “Me too..?” It sounded more like a question then a statement, but lucky for him Jeremy didn’t seem too care much

When they reach his house Jeremy is the one to open the door.

Michael could hear the sigh come out of Jeremy’s mom’s mouth as they opened the door, and for a second he smiled, it was sweet she cared about them, well he’s sure she only cared for jeremy, but he’d let himself relax into a world where someone is relieved of his arrival, if only for a second.

“Jeremy are you alright?!”

“Yes mom” Jeremy smiled and shook his head. “We were just at Michael’s house, we need his book bag for homework.”

“You didn’t make any other stops did you?”

“No”

“And you took-“

“Took the way where cars face you and didn’t cross any major roads, of course mom”

She smiled, her smile faltered the moment she laid her eyes over Michael, but she tried not to let it show.

Michael tried not to laugh, maybe he was supposed to be saddened by it, but he’s very used to weird looks, and it’s kinda funny in a strange sweet way to have someone try to spear his feelings by covering up their clear distrust of him. She was sweet.

But maybe Michael’s standards are low.

“So… how are you…. Holding up Michael…?” She was careful with her words.

“Good” Michael said “thank you for letting me stay here”

“Oh of course!” She stood stiff but smiled at him. “When do you think you’ll be able to go to school again?”

Michael looked at Jeremy, but Jeremy just looked at him.

“Uhm…. I could go tomorrow… it’s near the end of the week anyways… as long as Jeremy’s okay with it, he was there too” Michael finished the sentence quickly and quietly.

Amy turns to her son. “And I’m sure you’re fine with it too.”

Jeremy nods.

“You two please head to work on your projects… if you’re up to it! I have a phone call to make, but please. If you need anything, it’s not important so it won’t bother me a bit!”

Before they knew it they were in Jeremy’s room again. Michael looked at the stained glass window. The room had always felt comfortable to him, he never fully looked around because of all the things going on, but now he was fully able to clear his mind and look around.

“Nap time?” After working so long as a night guard his sleeping schedule was fucked.

“Nap time.”

———

Marget didn’t believe that Michael time traveled. But she didn’t think he was a liar either.

She had wanted to stomp, but shaking the ground would probably alert her mom. She wanted to tug her hair, but that would hurt, so instead she paced violently.

Her mind switched sides constantly.

‘THAT?! WAS WHAT SHE HAD BEEN WAITING FOR? She kept saying ‘oooOoh no let’s wait it out! He’ll tell us!!’ And what does she get?! ‘Back to the future’?!’

Then another thought! Maybe Michael’s just crazy?! Maybe Jeremy is too! Maybe they should rush them off to the hospital! Maybe they just have a really bad concussion. Maybe SHES the one dreaming! Maybe Kyle was right and they’re gay and they agreed this is somehow a better decision lie to tell them??!

She sits on the bed.

Holds her head in her hands. Her friends voices ringing in her head.

‘What is he on about marget?’
‘What do we do marget?
‘Do we trust him marget?’
‘Has Michael lost it?’
‘Does he hate us?’
‘What’s happening marget?!’

she doesn’t know.

SHE DOESNT KNOW?!

They think they get the luxury of knowing everything! They think they can just bat their eyes and go ‘marget do all the work and give us the answer to every social situation! Make up every prank! Tell us why the fuck Michael’s the way he is well we sit here and look pretty!’ WELL THEY CANT! She’s done with it! She doesn’t want to come up with another prank, she doesn’t care to talk with him about it! And she has no CLUE what’s wrong with Michael?!

And she hates in her heart she’s asking herself the same question.

Because seriously… he’s up to something.

———
Michael’s eyes opened to the darkness of the room they stay in. He turns to look at Jeremy, who opens his eyes as well.

After a moment Jeremy leans in a tad closer, eyes still half shut.

“I don’t think they should die in our ending” Jeremy says softly.

“Huh?”

“Romeo and Juliet”

“Oh.” Michael then says “yeah.” He smiled “that sounds nice” he closes his eyes again. “Back to sleep”

“Michael we have to get up at like 5, if you want to keep a sleep schedule that kinda normal we probably shouldn’t sleep in the daytime anymore”

“Uggggghhhhhh”

“We could just ask my mom to miss school tomorrow” Jeremy then says.

Michael isn’t sure why he immediately says “no no” maybe he doesn’t want to be a bother, maybe he wants to get the pity looks out of the way, maybe he knows he has to go back eventually and holding it off feels like it would be worse then doing it now. “Just… tried”

“Alright” Jeremy sits up, hosting Micheal with him, forearms arms under his armpits and Michael face in his chest. “Let’s do something”

Michael doesn’t make an effort to sit up on his own, still leaning on Jeremy with his eyes half closed “what do people do? Watch tv? I think your parents are in the living room”

“How about we talk until-“ Jeremy yawned “-my mom comes in and tells us she made dinner”

Michael smiled at the thought. “Hmm alright” he finally sat up straight.

Jeremy started leaning away “I’ll turn on the light”

Michael grabbed his shoulders and tugged him forward “don’t you dare”

Jeremy laughed “alright Michael” a pause of silence. “How’d you sleep?” Jeremy then asked to prompt conversation.

“Very comfy… you know in my dreams I still work at Freddy’s… I’m purple and rotting, with a mask and bad wig”

“And…. Why are you purple and rotting?”

That caught Michael off guard “oh.” He blinked “I didn’t tell you? I was a corpse for a little while, well a lot a while… heh.” Michael says “kinda like a zombie… more like, a ghost possessing myself? You know?”

“Like how they possessed the animatronics? But you didn’t act like them… did you?”

Michael shrugged “No I didn’t, you knew me when I was, that’s why I wore the mask and all that”

“That’s wild”

“Yeah.”

The door opened

“Are-….” Amy started speaking, then got louder “oh! Good you two are awake” she turned on the lights and both him and Jeremy squinted. “I thought you two had already gone to bed, why are you in the dark? That’s bad for your eyes you know” for some reason she looked at Michael when she said that last part.

“Just… forgot to turn it on” Jeremy smiled at her. “Why are you here?”

“Oh! Silly me! I made dinner, rice and broccoli” she sings out.

“Sounds perfect” Michael says immediately.

She smiles at him “alright, let’s not let it get cold”

They nod and get out of bed to follow her out into the kitchen, all sitting together. Jeremys dad was at work, so it was just them and Amy.

She looked very awkward. And one quick glance to the turned off tv told both Michael and Jeremy exactly why.

Of course she’s still thinking of their last dinner, where the news told of Charlie’s absence, and they had run off to save her. Michael had wanted to comment on it, but he couldn’t think of a single thing to say.

And luckily enough for him, Amy seemed just as stumped.

“So…” she started and Michael prepared himself for anything “how’s the project going”

Michael tried not to show annoyance on his face, he had seriously forgotten how much life seemed to revolve around school when he was in high school. And don’t get him wrong, he likes Amy a lot! But jeez! Will she ever stop talking about it!

After high school had ended Michael never heard or thought about it ever again. Not that he was talking to many people. But memories, long forgotten, of the few times his father would poke his head out of his office, and the only words being ‘I was told about your grades. You’re an afton, raise them.’ Appeared in his mind like he never had forgotten.

There was a long moment of silence.

“Uhm… good” Jeremy shrugged. Michael could imagine that Jeremy’s in the same position as him. Michael thanked whatever time travel thing that brought them back here that they did in his last year of high school. If he was sent back to freshman year, or god forbid middle school, he wouldn’t have made it.

“It’s… it’s okay! If you haven’t worked on it…. Though you are graduating soon….” the first words came unnaturally to Amy’s lips, but she seemed sincere. “Maybe we could talk it out here! If you want help!”

Jeremy and him looked at each other.

“Or-“ Amy sighed, but smiled “right, schools stressful” she sounded more like she was telling herself that. Which makes sense, Jeremy and him already know for a fact that school is stressful. “Let’s focus on something fun” the words came out stiff. Looking over at Jeremy’s bland expression this wasn’t a normal thing she did.

She looked between the two of them and Micheal’s mind flooded with things to try to talk about. He does art? should he talk about that? Robots? No, he’s sure Jeremy’s sick of robots. Micheal is also kinda sick of robots, except for helpy. Should he remake helpy? Should he mention that? Is that fun?

Amy suddenly smiled naturally, her eyes lit up. And Micheal’s mind emptied, telling himself ‘oh good she has an idea’ and gave her his full attention.

“How about I bring over Alice!” Amy smiled wide. Micheal felt Jeremy sink into himself beside him.

“Oh”

Sensing that Jeremy clearly didn’t want to deal with that Micheal says “how about we hold off for a bit, just to let things feel like normal?”

Amy gives almost pouts. Giving Micheal a strange look, as Micheal remembers that even though he’s proven himself (enough at least). Amy would still pick Jeremy over him, still pick Jermey over everyone, and he had clearly said something that she thought was downplaying Jeremy’s emotions.

Micheal couldn’t find it in him to be mad. He’s pretty sure when the bite happened he had started to lose that ability (towards anyone other then William, of course) He had been hunted down by animatronics and he had never been mad at them. And even now, nothing.

Perhaps he should be upset, that he’s the one people look at as a ‘bad kid’, always assuming the worst intent (though that was mostly his fault.).

Maybe he should feel a little frustrated at her lack of understanding Jeremy’s emotions in the moment. But all he sees is a mom trying to defend her kid, doing it poorly, perhaps in this instance, but it was more than William ever did for them.

“Having Alice over is normal.” She says, trying her best to be calm, but so speaks with too much confidence to be monotoned. “What do you think Jermey”

“I think Micheal’s right-“ Jeremy says quickly.

Her face scrunches up, and Jermey seems annoyed.

“Is that really what you want? I know Micheal’s the guest here but don’t just agree with him if you don’t really agree” she’s again trying to stay calm. It’s sort of funny. William was always calm, condescendingly so, he’d treat you as if every show of emotion was childish. He’d never smile, or scrunch up his face unless he wanted you to see it, and even then it was a grin, or a sneer.

Here Amy is trying to be calm to make them feel better, but still honest in her emotions.

It must be hard. To raise a kid, to think you know them, to truly know them (for the most part) then to have something like this happen. Perhaps if this was truly 18 year old Jermey in senior year, he would’ve quietly nodded his head towards anything Micheal said just to get him off his back. The thoughts not nice to Micheal, but it’s true.

But no, this is an older Jermey, who survived deadly animatronics, who doesn’t care about high school bully’s. Who has bigger issues than he did before.

A sudden change, personality swap, from not only Jermey but Micheal as well. It must be confusing. Amy is just putting the pieces she has together in her head, but she doesn’t have any of the right ones.

“Maybe later” she then concludes.

“Besides, we have to work on our school project” Jermey smiles. And Amy does too, she almost seems relieved, that Jermey’s talking like he once did before.

Eventfully they had left the table, and headed into their room.

———

Jacob had stomped into school the next day. Pissed. His mind was still reeling about whatever shit had come out of Micheal’s mouth the day before.

Did Micheal think he was dumb? It seemed like the most straightforward answer! Had Micheal been calling him laughing internally the whole time, thinking of some long con.

Maybe Marget was in on it? Maybe Kyle was too? HELL MAYBE THE WHOLE SCHOOL WAS LAUGHING BEHIND HIS BACK ‘what a dumbass’ that’s surly what they’re saying.

Marget hadn’t said a word, not even a sound since it happened. And she loved sharing her opinion on things.

Even worse he had to partner up with Anthony Dancethony on the project. Everyone had hated him. Jacob hated him. He was snooty, he was the hall monitor, And on the basketball team. wannabe cool mysteries kid, and stuck up.

Always thought he was higher up than them because he did more things at school. But that just means he stayed at school more! Like a nerd!

You couldn’t be a ‘cool kid’ and a sweaty jock.

Anthony turned up his nose on Jacob and say ‘my mom was Samantha Smthony and she’s a dancer’
(note Jacob doesn’t actually know any of their last names, but in his mind it it seems like he’d be a Smthony)

Anthony would add ‘she’s more famous than William Afton, in Washington’ like that meant anything to anyone.

And worst part is Marget still got Sarah. A nerd, from every definition of the word. unpopular, self conscious, she’d agree with you on anything if you said it loud enough! Or pushed her hard enough. A nobody.

They had a good dynamic going for a while. Micheal and Jacob would make a team and wouldn’t do anything, while Marget would pair up with Sarah and force her to do the work and share it to the rest of the group! Then when the teacher would accuse them Marget would pull out the ‘I’m just an innocent girl’. Yes Jacob could keep this dynamic, but that would mean allowing Anthony to live in the luxury of doing no work.

His first classes were shit. He was lucky he had bullied Ryan no-guns into doing his math work for the quarter! And short stuff into doing his history. And he thinks he has some kid to do his chemistry work for him too.

He just can’t fucking believe Micheal?! Why? Why would he do this? To HIM!!! his best friend? They hung out every day, they would do the FUNNIEST rendition of Romeo and Juliet! Push the rules, make Mrs. Boyd regret ever teaching them! Make principal Nunez regret ever stepping foot into this school! Or at the very least get detention while trying!

Jacobs been mad at Micheal before but never like this

He sits and stares at a piece of paper, with handwriting that isn’t his own on it. The teacher comes and picks it up. And the bell rings.

He walks to English class.

Sound of laughter.

Soft, pure, horrible British laughter. He could almost puke at just the sound. No longer harsh, and raspy and loud, no longer by his side. but instead he sees Micheal, already in class, strangely enough not late, sitting next to Jeremy, of course. Covering his mouth to try to hide the sound.

He wants to scream at him to stop trying so hard. To laugh normally, to not show fear in hiding it. To not run to a stupid class he doesn’t want to be in hopes of not getting in trouble.

But something about how Micheal moves makes him pause. It almost frightens him.

His Micheal would never make any of those moves. If his Micheal tried too, surly something would slip, surely he’d walk the same, and talk with the same booming voice, and not hunch up like it was second nature. If you’d told him that was his brother in a Micheal suit Jacob would’ve actually believed it.

Jacob looks at the floor, and slowly walks over to his desk.

———

Marget arrived late to English class, as always.

She took the scenic route, but this time Jacob wasn’t there blocking the stairway like he always does, and Micheal wasn’t standing beside him.

Kyle was there. He didn’t look bothered, as he waved far too frantically, as if Marget couldn’t see him, as if Marget hadn’t taken this path every day.

“Hey!!! Marget” Kyle spoke to her like this every day, as if he happened to be standing there, and didn’t expect to see her. Dispute the fact his next class was in building one, all the way on the other end of the school.

“Kyle” she greeted him back with a sigh. It just didn’t feel right. None of it did.

“English time huh???”

“Yeah” she English used to be her most fun class. Sitting back and listening to all the dumb ways Micheal and Jacob would rag onto the lectures, and the teacher. Mrs. Boyd loved her, but Marget think Mrs. Boyd’s stuck up. She’d always give Micheal detention in that class.

“How’s the kid” Kyle asked.

“Which one?”

“The uhhh…..” Kyle looks at the ground, beginning to walk even slower “overalls?”

“Sarah.” She wore overalls everyday, like she was still in kindergarten. She isn’t the smartest, but she’s willing to take one for the team during a group project if Marget says that one day she’ll make her popular. “She’s fine”

“Nah I meant how’s her work? Can you sure it with me??? I got Boyd 7th but I’m not sure how shakespearean the writing should be? I was hoping to copy some of the words so that Ryan wouldn’t complain I’m doing nothing again.”

“I’ll give them to you”

“You’re the best man!!” Kyle puts his hand up for a high five.

Marget smiles “I know” she walks faster.

“Or not that’s chill too” he walks faster to catch up with her, and she can’t help a small laugh. “So… see you at lunch?”

“See you at lunch!”

“And maybe today I can come over?” Kyle adds quickly.

The bell rings.

“Eh I’ll think about it” is the finale thing she says as she enters the room.

“Oh! Ms. Marget! You’ve come to join us!” Boyd says, with a smile on her face.

Marget looks around. Micheal and Jermey are seated together, go figure! And Jacob’s already in his seat next to Anthony. It feels strange. Seeing them both on time. For a moment she can’t help but hope that the same think that happened to Micheal didn’t happen to Jacob.

Though Jacob glares at her, and she can tell that’s not the case. He’s upset, as usual. something in her heart softens at this, to know that one thing is normal.

She sits next to Sarah as class starts.

“So sense this is our final we should give it our all!!” Sarah laughs nervously “and maybe since uhh… schools ending and everything… you could tell everyone how helpful I’ve been… or something”

Another thing that’s normal. Though when Sarah speaks Marget no longer gets a pit in her stomach, and no longer has to suppress an eye roll.

Instead Marget looks at her. Her brown hair, her crooked, but honest, smile. Her juvenile clothing. Even her backpack, a dusty pink, with an ink stain on the bottom of it, with a cheap looking necklace sticking out of a side pocket.

Strangely enough Marget feels better hearing her voice than Micheal’s. It makes her feel as if everything is back to normal. As if she is normal.

“Maybe!” Marget smiles. And maybe this time she’s not lying?

——

Kyle was sitting in math class. Kicking his feet under the desk and hitting the metal leg of the table, making a nice metal sound. Instead of thinking on formulas, or prep for his final, he was thinking about what video games Marget would have them play at her house.

He knows Micheal is going through his whole thing right now, but maybe he’ll still join them! Kyle’s sure if Marget asked well enough Mike would say yes! Maybe he’d even bring Jeremy, it would be weird! But hey why not! It could be funny. Jacob wouldn’t like it though.

Jacob is probably mad.

To be fair Kyle doesn’t think this whole ‘time travel’ thing is true. But stuff like this happens enough where he doesn’t care. Yeah seeing Marget get stressed about it is a bit… strange.

But he knows in a week this will all blow over and they’ll laugh it off like nothing happened! Though I guess if nothing happened they wouldn’t be laughing, so instead they’ll laugh it off like the do when Boyd calls their parents! (Minus Marget on that one, Boyd really likes Marget for some reason?)

———

Anthony talked like Shakespeare. Jacob couldn’t help but think that the whole while he was going ‘I simply must not do any work, that shall require much time that I do not hold in my lifetime’. Which is knows is bullshit. The moment he pushes Anthony he’ll crack. Jacob almost wanted to see it Happen.

But Micheal wouldn’t care.

Micheal wouldn’t even look his way! And it wasn’t like he was trying to hold back, he didn’t seem any more awkward than the new normal Micheal, he just acted like he didn’t care!!

Jacob had now done the one thing he never had planned to do in all his 4 years of high school.

Write something himself.

It was one line of dialogue ‘oh no! Dear Juliet is dead! How ever could the sun come up again’

It was stupid. He had been thinking of Anthony fake fancy talk while writing it, and it had succeeded in making him want to puke in the same way.

“‘Oh no’ is too basic.” Speak of the devil. Anthony hovered over his shoulder. Crossing his arms.

“You’re too basic”

Anthony rolled his eyes. “We’re not getting graded on me, sadly. If you’re going to write something for me to say it better not be slop.”

“Who the hell said you’d be Romeo”

Anthony glared at him. “It didn’t need to be said.”

Jacob wasn’t going to be Juliet. He just wasn’t. They were going to do this play and he was going to be Romeo (though he’d really prefer to be no one).

Jacob glared at Anthony and wrote another line.

Juliet:
‘Oh no! My dearest lovely Romeo, thine live on!’

Then another.

Romeo:
‘Thee lives! Oh no! Witch-craft! For you are no longer my sweet Juliet, and must be tried for your crimes’

Juliet:
‘Oh no! Romeo! No, do not do this to thine!’

Jacob actually smiled. While Anthony glared harder at him.

Soon enough, to end his fun, Anthony snatched the paper up. Reading through “you! You did this to spite me! I’m not saying any of this!” Then Anthony had swiped his pencil too, erasing, holding the paper up, and out of reach and sight from Jacob. It took a while for him to snatch it back. Now the first line reading:

Romeo:
‘oh dear thee! Dear Juliet is dead! How could the sun raise up again, when the moon is set to rest. How could a dove sing morning tunes, without the trees, and dirt. Thee wait til daylight come by, but the light has sang its resting song.’

The rest of the page was now filled with nonsensical, flowery language much like this.

So of course Jacob wrote.

Juliet:
‘Oh no! I am being dragged away by my past love, Romeo! I swear, I swear I am no witch, Romeo-‘

Romeo:
‘That ‘Tis what a witch would say, love. We shall make certain to-night! Under the uprisen room! Get the guillotine!’

Juliet:
‘No! No! My love, I can’t kiss thee without a head’

Romeo:
‘That is thine point dear Juliet! Or should I say Julia the witch!’

Juliet:
‘Ahhh so you found me out!! Thine shall not rest until thee is slain Romeo’

Romeo:
‘Thee knew it!! But now thee will be no more! For Paris and these wizards friends are no more! Thee is outnumber!’

Juliet:
‘Paris wasn’t thine wizard’

Romeo:
‘then, wish him my finest regards once thee meet again!’

The paper got tugged on again. Anthony. Reading it with a gross look on his face as he erases and rewrites what has been written.

This goes on for a while. Until the bell rings. Jacob still cackling about soemnfo the things he’s written.

Then to break his mood, he sees Micheal. He glares at him. Micheal doesn’t respond “Hey dude!” He’s not going to let Micheal ignore him for the whole day!

“Oh…. Hey” Micheal looks like he wants to leave. That’s all he ever wants Jacob to do isn’t it?

“Just cause your weird doesn’t mean you can act like we don’t fucking exist”

Micheal sighs. “Okay.”

“I mean not just me! Everyone?!! You talked to other people than just this group!“

“To bully. Plus it’s not like I really remember them”

“Who cares HOW you know them! You clearly remember and…. Grossly like them.” Jacob points at the nerd standing next to him, Jeremy. He had remembered Jeremey’s name.

“Yeah we both worked the same job” Micheal shrugged and Jacob wanted to punch him. Job??? What is he 30? He suppressed the urge for now, but let it boil at the back of his brain.

“You really don’t remember anyone? C’mon you lived through this man! You don’t have amnesia”

“It was a long time ago” Micheal said quickly “I blocked it out”

“So was it a ‘long time ago’ or did you ‘block it out’???”

“Both??? I don’t know. I don’t want to talk about it right now” Micheal turns to leave

Jacob grabs his wrist and yanks him back “fuck no! You have to remember Mrs. Boyd? Old bitter bitch Boyd” Jacob laughed “or- Ryan no-guns? Stevie?? No hand Phil??? Hat-head Matt?? Lamp Jackson???”

“How do you get lamp added on to your name?”

Jacob smiled a little wider “Stevie’s party?” He laughed again “I got him to stick a desk lamp up his ass”

Micheal gave him a weird look. After a second he tugged his wrist away.

Why was Micheal grossed out? It was funny. It was hilarious! At the time Micheal had laughed so loud his face was pink for days, he’s pretty sure he blew his vocal cords.

It took a lot of time and effort too. Didn’t Micheal see that? Just how much time and effort went into it! He pestered Jackson for MONTHS, tearing notebooks, talking behind his back!! Tripping him down the hall, punching him when he was down! Taking time out of his day! To get him to make a funny joke for them! To make a funny joke for Micheal.

And Micheal hadn’t even bothered to remember it. Scratch that, he acted fucking disturbed when he brought it up???

Jacob knew this thing looked like Micheal.

But Jacob knew Micheal.

And this wasn’t him.

———

Being back at school was weird for Micheal. But having Jeremy laugh at the absurdity with him made it a lot more tolerable.

It sucked, being thrown back into classes with a bad grade, being told to study for his final exams he doesn’t remember learning. But he somehow passed this time. And strangely enough some subjects are a lot easier when you know how to make animatronics.

Like his engineering class…. Okay only his engineering class. He had an F in the class the whole year, but he does remember bringing in one of his dad’s machines and bullshitting through the final exam. The teacher 100% knew too, he didn’t know what basically anything in the machine was, but he thinks the teacher wanted him gone so badly he passed him.

His dad made him take that class. And as much as he HATES to admit it, because Afton and robotics go together like dead kids and knives (which does go together, but no one wants them too). But it helped him make helpy. And you bet he’s making helpy again for his final project!

Other than that math was hard, he didn’t remember the quadratic formula, or what ‘a squared plus b squared equals c’ whatever was for. But he hopes he can remember just enough to pass.

But he was lucky to be sent after his history, and marine bio class was done, as well as gym, which didn’t have a finale. And Other than that he had a ‘study’ period in the library his 7th.

Kinda wish he took an art class though.

English was more fun then math. And almost more fun than engineering. He doesn’t mind wild love stories. He watched soap operas for a reason. And being with Jeremy makes him feel so much better.

“Did you notice that only that one kid brought his Freddy mask” Jeremy asks him while walking down the hall.

He hadn’t. Truthfully. Now that he mentioned it, it is strange both Jeremy and Marget hadn’t brought theirs “oh, I hadn’t”

“They definitely think we’ve lost it” Jeremy laughs.

Micheal laughs back. “I’m guessing I won’t be sitting with them at lunch”

“I mean you could” Jeremy pauses “but not sure if that’s the best idea”

“It’s not” Micheal had said.

Instead they played it safe, and hung out in the cafeteria (the place deemed as a spot only losers sit at. Micheal and his friends used to only eat outside.).

“So…. Do you remember anything in math?” Jeremy asked.

Micheal shakes his head. Jeremy laughs.

“I’m lucky I was a smart student before, it sucks having to do all this again”

“How much time do we have until we leave anyways?” Micheal asks.

Jeremy thinks “like a few weeks I think? Then back out to the real world.”

“And away from Freddy’s forever!!” Micheal smiles.

“Exactly!”

…..

Gym had gone by uneventful.

And he knew the next class would be the same, yet still he walked in, and tried to remember were he sat.

The children around him turned their heads to the side, some staring blankly at the desk to pretend not to notice him. The teacher took attendance.

“And of course Micheal is… oh here! You finally showed up, I thought last week was just a fluke” the teacher smiled, maybe somewhat nervous.

Micheal nodded.

“Well again, congratulations class! You may use this time to study for other finals, or just to wind down… just try not to make any distractions. And if you need to talk about me about anything feel free!”

The room was covered in history posters, with cheesy phrases, the chalkboard up front was dirty with use. He hadn’t remembered what this room looked like until now. He hadn’t even remembered the layout of his school until these few days. He can’t help but wonder if they’ll be a time he forgets that tiny office he was in like he had forgotten these rooms.

The thought scares him. Just a little bit.

Micheal stands up. Way too forceful. He pauses, before, now carefully tucking in his chair. And looking at the scared faces of students next to him. Students he obviously made miserable, and students he forgot.

He had made his way over to the teachers desk. While he paused. Micheal hadn’t remembered his name. Mr. Cason? Carr? Carnes? Perhaps it was Dr.? Either way Mr. C looked at him, with a familiar tiredness on his face.

“Micheal, it’s good to see you” no it wasn’t. Micheal could tell, he made this teachers job a living hell. And Micheal knew what that was like.

He wondered if Mr. C won’t be mad, if Mr. C would forgive him, if he was ever mad. Micheal had never been mad at the missing children. Though he had control. He still wondered.

“Congratulations on passing!” Mr. C offered. Perhaps like a flashlight, in hopes Micheal would leave the hallway.

Maybe one day Micheal will work a job like Mr. C, maybe he’ll forget what it was like to sit in an office at 3am fighting for your life, maybe he’ll stop comparing normal everyday things to it.

“Thank you” he then said. Why had he come up here? To see the teacher better? Could he not wonder from his chair. “How did you know you wanted to be a teacher?”

Mr. C smiled at him, maybe in a nervous way, maybe a bit relieved “I just like teaching students! Sharing my knowledge”

Micheal paused, thinking “sometimes I feel like I’ve done something all my life. And it’s all I know. And I think it’s over?”

Mr. C laughed “school can feel like that”

“Is that why you became a teacher”

Is Micheal doomed to that fate? Cursed to seek out remnant, and murders, and overnight shift at creepy buildings, or god forbid Freddy’s. Just because that’s all he knows? Just because it would be weird to do anything else.

“Most of the people you see places went to school” Mr. C says “grocery store, the mall, a park. Even more people work behind the scenes, making foods, doctors, lawyers. They went to school forever, and they aren’t teachers.”

Micheal nods.

“You’re not a bad kid Micheal.” He pauses “and I heard what happened to your dad, but you’ve still got a bright future! The community misses him. I sure you miss him a lot too”

Micheal stops smiling. If only that were true. And Micheal can’t help it “no”.

“…no?”

“I don’t miss him” perhaps Micheal misses the chase, the destiny, the burden. Of having to find his father and burn him. But being able to say ‘that’s the end’ and close with the curtains. But they are closed and he’s standing in front of them. He doesn’t miss the show, he misses being a part of it.

Having a purpose. But in no sense of the word did he miss his father.

“He was a good man”

“He tried to kill Charlie.”

Mr. C didn’t say a word “it.” His voice went quiet “it was rumors.”

“I was there. He had a knife. He pointed it at her, he also told me he’d kill me.”

Micheal thought it didn’t hurt, he was used to it. Micheal had wanted to kill his father, it had only made sense his father would return that. Oooo

But maybe it had hurt, because he’s sharing more than he’d normally share just to prove a point, and as he said that his voice quivered.

“I’m sorry Micheal.”

“It’s okay, I’m sorry too.” Micheal was. He hoped Mr. C could see that. Even though he hadn’t remembered his name, and only now just remembered his face. He was sorry. “I shouldn’t have acted that way in your class, towards you or anyone here.”

The bell rang.

———

Marget had returned home.

She had rushed to her room, trying not to listen to her mom’s ‘welcome home Maggie!!’ From downstairs, rolling her eyes.

She slammed her door then locked it. She paused for a moment before rushing to her bed to collapse, shoving her head in a pillow and screaming the loudest she could.

She then stopped.

Then gave one more scream, banging the bed beside it. Then she had stopped again. Being mad about this wouldn’t change anything, it wouldn’t fix this.

She was just so pissed off at her school, at Micheal, at Jeremy, at Jacob, and Kyle, and mostly her cooking teacher Mrs Moore!

A knock came at her door.

“Oh Marget your friend showed up, I let him in.” Her mom called out.

After a pause she went to open it.

“Hey Marget!” Kyle… no she didn’t hate him. Maybe she wasn’t even pissed off. Because at just the sight of him all emotions in her deflated. She felt stress. Very stressed.

“Kyle”

He gave her a half smile, before walking in “what’s got you in the dumps.”

“Mrs. Fucking Moore” Marget groaned.

Kyle’s face turned into a whole smile. “oh yeah? What’d she do?”

“Caught me and Jacob fighting, gave me detention for tomorrow”

Kyle’s face softened, he breathed out. “Huh, alright, I’ll bite I guess. What was happening bro?”

Marget “you know how he gets”

Kyle laughed, maybe a bit too hard.

“He just wouldn’t stop asking me what was wrong with Micheal? Like how the hell am I supposed to know, it was so annoying you know?”

Kyle just nodded, he stopped laughing.

“Remember what you did at the sleep over”

“Which one man?” Kyle asked, slight smile. But his eyes curved up in concern for some unknown reason.

“The fucking one where you stuck his hand in boiling water.”

A chuckle came out of Kyle. “Ahh I see”

“Anyways I stuck his hand in boiling water”

“Learning from the great dude” Kyle looked away. Arms crossed, still a smile in his voice.

“I’d never call you that” Marget says.

“Hey you just told me you did what I did, and words speak louder than actions… or what a minute.”

Marget laughs. And Kyle turns and smiles at her.

“Well glad that’s over! What game do you want to play, I think that there’s a lot of two player games that we could take advantage of right now?” He paused “hey Marget put on your mask why don’t you?”

Marget wasn’t sure if she wanted to. But she looked in his eyes. “Okay.” She had said.

But she had paused.

“Kyle?”

“Hm??”

“Do you think Micheal’s right? About the time travel thing”

Kyle laughed a bit “man we’d figure out time travel eventually right? But like I could totally see it being a classic Mike prank. I was just waiting for you to figure it out”

Oh.

She had reached to grab the mask, covering her face with it. Then to the controller. Then to a games disk, and the console, starting it up.

———

Kyle actually didn’t mind this! Yeah fighting games are fun, but it’s honestly more fun when you don’t have to switch every time you die, and Kyle dies a LOT.

Yeah he misses the noise of Jacob and Micheal, but it’s just a fluke isn’t it? He stuck Jacob’s hand in boiling water and they’re chill know, so one day he knows he’ll look back on this and him and Jacob and Marget and Micheal will all be best of friends.

Marget never gets as mad as Jacob, or Micheal did, and Marget mad. So it’s kinda concerning, but he remembers all the funny shit Marget done before, to overalls girl, or to Jeremy, or no gun Ryan dude. One time she shoved a kid in a locker, movie style! Just because she’s a little less brass, more of their brains, doesn’t mean she doesn’t get mad.

He remembers when she organized a prank to switch all the teachers pencils to glue sticks. It was really fucking funny to see the teachers get absurdly mad over glue!

Marget smart. She knows way more then Kyle did, but she’s more focused on the stuff in the moment, maybe it is bad right now or something, but he once read in a book that stress and sadness are just a mindset (and books are smart so he’s sure it’s true). It taught him to just, be happy, when sad, which he still doesn’t really understand, but it sounds obvious! So he’s sure it’s true. It seems Marget doesn’t know how to do it either. But that’s fine, she’ll do it later, she always does!

Though to be honest she’d be able to do all this better than him he’s sure. Because he’s having a real hard time choosing not to think about all that’s happening, not for lack of trying! His weird ass brain is so used to bullying that it’s decided himself is his next target (and he think a book said that could happen too, so it’s probably true?). Maybe that’s the way it is? And he has to think about it all?

Because he knows he’s not the brightest, but like… it still kinda feels like Micheal’s gay? He knows there’s the whole time travel thing, but he’s getting the vibes (and the vibes are for sure a real thing, the book definitely mentioned that!).

“So what should we do about the uhh dudes” Kyle starts, because Marget will tell him if he’s being dumb, but he actually feels really smart right now, so he wants to know if he should stop thinking. “Mike my man, and uhhh jerm my Bern- burm? I’ll come up with something for him later”

“There’s not much we can do about them. I don’t know what they’re doing” it comes out forced, like Marget pissed to be talking about them.

“But like they’re like, happy you know??? They are each others right mindset”

Marget puts the controller on the ground, and looks at him. “What?”

“Like… okay okay, call me dumb if this is dumb, be real with me”

She nods.

“But I think the time travel is a metaphor”

“Kyle-“

“For- gayness? It sounded better in my head”

“I doubt it did” Marget said.

“I think I’m onto something!!” Kyle said “like really into something, think about okay!…. Have you thought about it?”

“Truthfully I had… uhh kinda” Marget said “but…” she sighs, and lays down on the ground “honestly I don’t care.” She groans “I just want to find out the time travel thing”

“Maybe he said it was like time travel, because people would maybe support them more in the future, so their relationship is before this time?”

“Kyle no.”

“Dumb?”

“Dumb.”

Perhaps he was wrong.

….

But he’ll keep it at the back of his head still.

———

“I need to visit Henry” Micheal was putting on his shoes. “I shouldn’t be gone long, I’ll be back in time for dinner.”

“Micheal I’m already ready, I’ll just go with you.” Jeremy chuckles.

“Your mum okay with that”

“She’ll be fine, we’ll be home before dinner right? “ Jeremy shrugs. “I’ll text-… well I’ll write a note or something”

Micheal laughs “alright then! But uhh fair warning, Charlie said he doesn’t know anything so he may be a little… freaked out about it all.”

Jeremy nods “yeah, that makes sense.”

Micheal smiles. Before they both leave the house.

It kinda felt nice. Scratch that, it did feel nice! Having Jeremy there, walking with him, following him. He hated the thought, because of course he should! If Micheal was a normal guy, living a normal life, he would not want to be involved in any scary animatronic murders. But now it’s all over right? So can’t he let that thought go?

No not entirely, but maybe he can learn to. After all it’s not like he was the one that made Jeremy remember, Jeremy just did. And if there was someone else in this moment, saying they knew more about Freddy’s, even if they did, and they told Micheal to stay out of it, Micheal wouldn’t. Perhaps Jeremy was the same.

It almost reminded him of when he was a teen. Which is a very funny thought because Micheal is, in some way a teen again (he’s 18, so technically an adult, but the same sentiment is there). He always had his band of bully’s with him, which he forced to wear those Freddy masks. They went everywhere together, he was always at Margets house wasn’t he?

But Micheal quickly got used to being alone, being a rotten corpse it’s not as if he had any other choice. He can’t help but wonder how Jeremy feels about this, maybe Jeremy feels the same thing clinging onto Micheal. Being a Freddy’s night guard is a very isolating job. Maybe it’s the first time Jeremy has ever felt something like this, he didn’t seem to have many friends in high school.

Henry, on the other hand, was different to Jeremy, and Micheal. He didn’t remember.

So as he approaches Henry’s house, seeing the lights on, He tried to keep his mind blank. Back in the original timeline Henry was ‘dead’ for a while. His house never sold, just rotted away, and whenever Micheal had passed it there was no sign of life. Making it all the more shocking when he had heard his voice on the cassettes at his Freddy’s job.

Now Henry will still be stressed, but not the same. He won’t know the true extent of William’s crimes, and he won’t know the pain of losing Charlie. It’s for the best, but a mean part of Micheal’s brain hurts at it.

They knocked on the door, he could tell Jeremy felt a tad awkward, he seemed stiff. Henry had opened the door, and for a moment his eyes closed and his face fell, a sigh came out of his mouth like a hiss, but then he covered it up with a Micheal “hey Michael” he sounded nervous “glad to see you” he didn’t sound glad. And Micheal’s sadness grew deeper.

“Glad to see you too” Micheal had said, a sentimental saying with a selfish intent. He had said it like a plea. To see something in Henry’s eyes that connected with him. He waited.

He looked deeper and waited.

It didn’t come. Micheal and Jeremy walked inside.

“Evan and Elizabeth are in the guest room, we’ve been expecting you to show up, the house will be given to you, but we can do all that paper work later”

Micheal nods.

“You uh” Henry looks at Jeremy, then back at Micheal, lowering his voice “doing well”

“Yes”

Henry nods.

The house was how Micheal remembers it, opposite to William’s in every way. The lights were warm, it was made of wood, and everything about it was small, and messy. There were cast aside projects everywhere. It was like walking in a rose tinted memory of a toy store.

Williams projects were for business, his house was grand, and minimalist, the lights were cold.

Henry made things to make people smile, that’s why he made Micheal and his friends their masks, that’s why he gifted Elizabeth the prototype for mangle, and he was the one who came up with the designs for the plushies that Evan loved so much.

But how could he and Henry have had a good relationship when he was a teen? Micheal was a bully in every way, he had showed Micheal basic kindness, but Henry is the heart of the Freddy’s operation, he was never good at being demanding, or cold. Young Micheal got under Henry’s skin, he remembers it, messing with the animatronics, and Evan, as Henry would try to calmly get Micheal away, taunting Charlie until Henry broke.

They had lived through the same tragedy, they had relations with every devastating news headline. Micheal had blamed himself for the murders, and some people had blamed Henry.

But both Henry and Micheal knew who picked up the knife and caused the missing children’s incident. Both Micheal and Henry had spend years of their life together with the man who had done it. They both knew of machinery, and ghost…

Now it’s just Micheal. And guilt is eating away at him. He’s glad to have Jeremy, he wants Jeremy, but he wants Henry too. He just wants everyone to live happy lives, but it hurts seeing his uncle so distant, so confused.

Maybe he misses Henry.

“Who’s the friend?” Yet his voice still speaks. “They’re not any of your little group?” Henry asks.

“Jeremy!” Jermey spoke “nice to meet you h… sir??”

“You can just call me Henry” Henry smiled more, he was genuine, though the nervousness didn’t leave him, maybe it never would “say do you go to Freddy’s? I don’t think I recognize you?”

“Uhhh no not really” Jeremy laughed nervously. Micheal let a chuckle out. Jeremy had most definitely been to Freddy’s before… though maybe had hadn’t been to fredbears. Now that Micheal thinks about it he used to hang out there the most, so why would Jeremy had showed up.

Henry nods “that’s too bad, but we’ll fix that” Henry had smiled more, and Micheal did not want to fix that. “Actually since you’re one of Micheal’s friends how about I show you something I’ve been working on?”

Jeremy looks at Micheal like he’s being beckoned by a man in a rabbit suit that wants to kill him. But Micheal nods. Henry would never hurt someone, on purpose.

“Okay Henry then… lead the way?” Henry sounds unsure.

Yet they follow him into his office. A place Micheal had been to more than his father’s office.

“Me and… well the team at Freddy’s have bought out an old store. Since fredbears was so successful we planned to open month or so… but I’m not so sure anymore” Henry explains. And Micheal remembers that.

Henry had a desk in the middle of the room. And the place had a lot of boxes and big towering things covered in blankets.

With smile he tugged the blanket off of them. Revealing Freddy, chia, and Bonnie. He looked at them like they were Charlie.

“We based the designs off the show! I had always wanted to do more characters, but we needed fredbears to be a success first!”

Micheal felt like he could throw up.

“Oh and Micheal!! Foxy has an area just for him! It’s going to be called pirates cove!” Henry then said “I’m sure you and your buddies will love it, but don’t worry, we aren’t going to sell those masks, it’ll be one of a kind”

Micheal wasn’t thinking that. Perhaps teenager him would’ve, and he has no choice but to believe that, simply because Henry does.

“I could make one for Jeremy if you two want” Henry then gasped “I have the perfect character too!” He rushed off, to another mount of blankets, ripping it off, grabbing a hunch of metal under it, and rushing to snap the pieces apart. Before rushing off in another direction.

“Is he uh… okay?” Jeremy asked.

“Yeah he just had an idea” Micheal chuckles a bit. He’s seen this before. Henry gets a sudden idea and rushes around his house to build the thing he’s thought of immediately.

“Is it weird I kinda like these guys better than the ‘toy’ ones?” Jeremy looks at Micheal “I mean most of my memories of these guys aren’t the worst… they did smell though… and that’s kinda disturbing from what you said before”

The main gang felt like they towered above Micheal, felt like all of his past, all of his regrets manifested. But at the end of the day they were still lovable mascot characters, at the end of the day he still had a favorite. No matter how many times foxy would bolt down a hallway, or try to rip his face off, he still drew him in his notebook.

“I understand a bit” he settled on saying. “I still don’t like them”

“I don’t think I do either”

Micheal could understand though, perhaps more then Jeremy thought. He knew the people behind the mask, every living soul, reduced to machines. How was he supposed to be mad at a robot who was just a lost dead kid. Especially when it’s his fault he died. Nostalgia, even for bad times, overpowered him. How was he meant to feel?

The door opened “here we go!!” Henry says with a big grin, holding up a mask. A white oval, with two holes, filled with black mesh. It’s plastic, and has a painted smile, with red lipstick, cheeks, and two tear streams out of the black eye socket.

Both Micheal and Jeremy recoiled back.

Henry did not seem to notice “It’s a new character! Or going to be, the security puppet! This face is the plastic shell for its prototype, but I’m sure you don’t care about the whole making it thing. It’s meant to protect the birthday kid! Maybe even be a little tour guide! Make the whole experience more personal!” Micheal remembers this, they had tested it out on Charlie, then she died, and it was found in the back alleyway destroyed, they remade it, and had it switch locations.

“Oh… uhh thanks Henry” Jeremy smiled, taking the mask hesitantly.

Hebert was smiling, again far too wide. Micheal could tell he was nervous. “Thanks” Micheal had said. He watched as Henry’s face relaxed just a tad more.

“So did you two need anything? Or did you want help with the house, or food, I could make something, or help transferring your stuff here?” Henry rambled, it’s not unusual for him, still somewhat troubling.

“I’ve just stopped by to say hi.. I wanted to know how you’re holding up?” Micheal then asked.

Henry laughed “oh don’t worry about me Mike”

“Why not?” Micheal challenged.

Another smile, trying to be comforting, then a nervous glance at Jeremy and hesitation “William was your father Micheal, I know thats a lot to lose, you have a lot to worry about already. And yeah, it’s really bad, but I want to make this as comfortable as possible, anything you or your siblings need, it’s on me! He was my friend too!so I know how you feel!“

No henry did not know how he felt. This was not the same man who had said ‘the darkest pit of hell has opened up to swallow you whole.’ To his father. He had wanted to scream ‘he almost killed Charlie! That man was not your friend’. But it would have no use.

Henry is telling him what he thinks Micheal wants to hear. He knows his best friend almost killed his daughter, and he knows that William was a bad man. Everything he’s been doing is for Micheal, the nervous glances to Jeremy, like he doesn’t want to embarrass Micheal in front of his friend. The mask, to try to keep things up to normal, and the insistence that he’s fine. A lie he would’ve believed back then.

Surly he’s had Elizabeth yelling about father all day and night too.

So Micheal smiles “then there’s no use worrying about me either, you’ve got a lot to worry about too” Micheal shrugs “I’m doing good, I may stay with Jeremy a little, but I’ll give you his number, uh home phone number that is. Then you can call me about the house paper work whenever your free”

Henry didn’t believe that. But how he? The worst part is Micheal meant it. Jeremy had gotten a piece of paper and wrote down the number.

“And thanks for everything Henry, I mean it” Micheal waved.

“Tell Charlie we said hi!” Jeremy smiled, gripping the mask.

Soon enough they left the house, and began their walk back. Not before Micheal had snuck a few animatronic parts into his pocket to use for helpy, he’s sure Henry won’t miss them.

Seeing Henry was strange. It didn’t tell him anything he didn’t already know, but Micheal has to remind himself that wasn’t the point. The point was connecting with his uncle. Even then he thinks he did a pretty poor job.

“I don’t know a place where I can put this it won’t come back to haunt me” Jeremy says, gesturing at the puppet mask.

“Burn it” Micheal says.

Jeremy laughs, then stops “oh I guess you’d be serious huh?”

“I mean that’s how you get ride of remnant, but maybe becoming friends with Charlie will help you fear it less” Micheal shrugs.

“Probably a better go too then arson”

“Hey now, arson can be very useful” Micheal says. And how could he not defend it when he spend most of his afterlife doing it!

Soon they make it back to his house. To immediately be welcomed by Amy.

———

Jacob sits in English class. Glaring at Micheal, who doesn’t even look back.

He sits like this for a little while, while Boyd talks. “We’re working on our finale project today again, you all should know by now how this goes, remember the draft is due Friday. And you don’t have to memorize it, but I would prefer you to have to not be constantly staring at your script” Micheal looks at her like hes paying attention, and the horrible thought that ‘maybe he is’ goes into Jacob’s mind. He could almost shutter!

Eventually Micheal stands up, heading straight to Jeremy in their little corner they always sit in. Jacob stands up too, opening his backpack to get out the lined paper he’s been working on, and a pencil. He pauses.

He smiles, then sits back down, Anthony can come to him. He again begins to write.

Juliet:
‘Oh no’ had to start it off with a classic.

Juliet:
‘I am Julia the witch, and I shall not decay from thine guillotine, for I shall never see Paris once more!’

Romeo:
‘This is thee fault dear Julia, if not for thee Paris would still be here.’

Juliet:
‘Oh no! For thine is right, it ‘‘tis be all mine fault’

Romeo:
‘Do you not wittiness now? Thine eyes fail thee? For you are not what you once were. yet you accept this tis your fault?’

Juliet:
‘I see, dear Romeo. Truly, I had once cared for Paris, be it small. Now thine heart is for you, truly.’

Romeo:
‘No! Thine heart is rotten. Protected by skin thee cannot hear your voice. Cannot know the true you. You are cruel, you are wrong. You are but a lier. BEGONE! BEGONE! A walking memory of the forgotten past, leave me be! for you take the face of my love, leave or go back… To think just last sunrise we had our voices mix in a sweet song. To think we had spoken. To think thee had promised to be there til death, yet unknowest death had yet come.’

Juliet:
‘Yet you are death.’

Romeo:
‘You speak nonsense. Yet I miss you’

Juliet:
‘I am still here’

Romeo:
‘No. You’re long gone. I do not know you’

Juliet:
‘I’ve forgotten you as well’

Romeo:
‘Does that mean you to are death?’

Juliet:
‘I suppose so.’

‘Stage directions (Romeo takes the person once known as Juliet under the guillotine. He lets go of the string. She dies)’

Romeo:
‘I didn’t mean it.’

.

.

.

The paper is snatched from Jacob, it takes him a moment to realize it was Anthony, his eraser ready.

“Hm. Only the beginning is bad” he mumbles to himself “quite dramatic. I like it”

That means he has done something terribly wrong. “It’s shit” he was quick to say.

“No it’s a piece of paper” that’s dumb. But on theme for Anthony.

“You just like it because you’re dramatic”

“Not saying no to that. it runs in my family, you know my mom is a famous dancer-“

“In Washington”

“In Washington! Woah, I didn’t think you’d listen when I talked”

“Fuck off.” Jacob hated Anthony.

He was the reason bitch boyd got her name. She caught Jacob trying to steal Anthony’s lunch money, and he shouted so loudly it got her attention. Anthony is just as bad as him, yet Boyd comes to his defense because he gets ‘bullied’ or something.

Actually “hey, do you think you could help me out with something”

Anthony gave him a weird look “and why would I do anything for you, you’re a in a group of jerks, and just told me to ‘fuck off’”

“Because” Jacob snatched the script right back from him. Holding it up, a hand at each end “papers really easy to rip”

“You wouldn’t, that’s our finale project.”

“I would! I remember what I wrote” he waits, then, a man of his word, starts to rip the top.

“OKAY! What do you want me to do?” Anthony rolls his eyes.

Jacob looks at Boyd then back at him. With a grin “I need you to tell her Micheal’s acting up.”

“Micheal…. The foxy one?” Anthony asks.

“What?” Oh yeah. That’s the mask he wears” Jacob confirms.

“Isn’t he one of your friends? You wear the bunny mask? Right?”

“Bonnie.”

“No one cares about the bunny guy”

“I do” Jacob sighs “never mind. I’m mad at Micheal, can you just do this”

“What’s his last name”

“Why the hell does that matter? It’s afton?”

“Oh right! He’s the ‘famous one’” Anthony says “I never liked Micheal, alright I’ll do this” and anthony walks off. Perhaps he’s more useful than Jacob once thought.

———

Evan didn’t mention his upcoming birthday.

Every time he thought about it all he could hear was Henry screaming, sighing, holding his head as if it hurt, the phone ringing over and over. Elizabeth screaming, running, hitting his legs over and over, crying. And Micheal and Charlie… well blank faced.

That’s all that’s it’s been since their dad’s death. He couldn’t imagine what it must be like for them. He has no clue what Henry’s doing, what stress he’s under. He just knows he doesn’t want that anger directed at him.

And William was never as present to Micheal and him as he was to Elizabeth. She was allowed in his office, sometimes dad would leave Micheal and him home alone. ‘Bring your daughter to work day’ happened much more then ‘bring your kid to work day’.

Yet Micheal and Charlie still have blank faces. Even through Elizabeth’s rage and Henry’s stress. But Evan can’t help but feel like the moment he’d bring it up they’d break. Charlie would scream, and cry. Micheal would torment him again, call him names, hit him.

Even if he had reminded them, they’d make him go to Freddy’s. He can’t go back there. He feels like if he sees Fredbear he’ll puke, then Micheal surely wouldn’t be happy.

Shouting from the other room “GET HER OUT! THIS IS MY ROOM NOW, WE ARE NOT SHARING, UNCLE HENERY YOU WILL KICK HER OUT THIS INSTANT”

Elizabeth, she must be in the guest room, or their room now, from the sounds of it Charlie must be in there too.

“I DONT CARE WHERE MICHEAL IS, THAT BLOODY LIER, I DONT WANT TO SEE HIS STINKY FACE AGAIN”

Where is Micheal anyways? Evan hadn’t cared before, it was just a minor moment of peace before the inevitable storm comes once more.

The last thing he said was that he time traveled, obviously a dumb prank, and he was with some kid they have never seen before.

Yet Evan feels empty.

No broken. He’s missing something.

A flash of fredbear flows to his eyes. Perhaps his doll? It must be in the guest room. But that means going to where Elizabeth is.

He sits up from his spot in a storage closet, he had remained here for most of the day. But if he wants to feel whole he must get his plushie back.

He puts his ear to the door. No ones coming by. As quickly and quietly as he can he opens and shuts the door. Leaving the crowded closet.

It was a smart move because Henry appears in the hall “oh Evan! How have you been” his eyes are tired.

Evan walks past with a simple “good” hoping to avoid any conflict that could arise. And luckily it does.

He makes his way to the guest room.

“EVAN! GET HER OUT OF HERE!” Elizabeth points at Charlie. “WE ARE NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER EVER EVER BEING FRIENDS AGAIN! NEVER” Elizabeth yells in Charlie’s face.

Charlie’s expression never changed “that’s okay” her voice is soft.

Elizabeth screams.

Almost emotionless Charlie looks right at him “Evan have you seen Micheal?”

Evan shakes his head.

“Too bad.” She pauses “have you seen the puppets face?”

Evan didn’t know what that was, yet a horrible image filled his mind when she said that. He shook his head.

“I’ll ask Henry” she walks out.

Elizabeth shakes her head “so improper!!! She didn’t even call him dad?? Did you hear that. I’m telling on her!!” Elizabeth rushes out, running past Charlie to reach Henry first.

Fredbear sits, now on the bed, Henry must’ve put it there. Evan picks it up.

.

.

.

It’s quite.

And Evan still feels empty.

———

“Jeremy, today after school I’m going to speak with you and your mother, you’re not in trouble. And Micheal, I expect you to come as well” Boyd says simply to them both. Handing them two pieces of paper.

Looking on it, it gave no information, just saying that they want to have some sort of conference.

“I’ve already called your mother, but i have to give out the paper” Boyd says.

She’s talking about Jermey’s mom. Obviously, he doesn’t think Micheal has a mom. He wondered if they called Henry, he’d assume so.

The teacher walked away.

“You think we’re in trouble?” Jeremy asks.

“You’re not” Micheal said. But that’s not exactly what Jeremy had meant. If Micheal’s in trouble, he’s in trouble, they’re too glued together now. He couldn’t think of living a life without Micheal, of his teacher forcing them apart for the project, of his mom forcing Micheal out of the house. How could anyone understand what they’ve been through. He’s been so alone, he’s spent his later half of adulthood thinking he was insane. Weird glances from Alice, bosses brushing off what’s happened at Freddy’s. He could live without Micheal, but he could also live without a frontal lobe.

“I know, but if something goes wrong-“

“I don’t think anything can go worse than what we’ve already experienced” Micheal says. And Jeremy paused.

“Yes” Jeremy says. And it’s true. It’s very true. Jeremy almost wants to laugh, he had panicked, in the same way he had when he was first bullied, or when the animatronics had first started to move, or when he woke up at home after being hit by a car, scared out of his mind that he was the one that was wrong. Scared because he couldn’t remember his classes, or the conversation he had with his mom the other day. But everyone else had acted like nothing happened.

And how could he not? Micheal was the the one thing to show what had happened was real? He was the humanoid red ruby slippers. Not just that, he was nice now, he had been nice for a long time. He was awkward and funny and pretty. And even outside of Freddy’s, Jeremy just liked him.

———

“What are you telling your friends anyways? I mean you don’t have to be telling them anything right now, but you can!!! But don’t feeler pressured too, you just always mention it. And I’m not sure, I’d just like to know what you’re saying if you’ve already said anything. And this is a dumb question, you don’t need to answer it, I’ll go back to writing” Sarah stops talking, facing down at the paper, which has fancy Shakespeare talk in nice handwriting.

Margret did always tell Sarah that she’ll put in a good word with her friend group. But that normally ended up meaning she’d say ‘oh Sarah can do our work, she’s some nerd’.

“All good things” she settles on. “What do you have written anyways?”

“Uh well Romeo dies in this, but Juliet decides to live on for him! Is that too cheesy?”

Yes. But marget doesn’t say that. “What’s she going to do to live on for him?”

“Uhm… well I haven’t figured it out yet… but uh she probably runs away and… fights crime? That’s cool right?” Sarah pauses “or does crime?”

“I think she should join a blood sport, they did that all the time in those times”

“You’re right!!” Sarah smiles, as easy as that.

Then the teacher walked up to Micheal. Why? She couldn’t help but lean in, and overhear what they were saying. How could she not?

.
.

.

Marget was still thinking about Sarah when she went to her next class

And on the bus.

And when she laid on her bed, sighing after a long day of school.

Jacob was mad, Kyle should be mad. And Micheal was different. Yet Sarah had still asked about what marget had spoken about her behind her back, something so in character it felt like she had asked it 100 times already. Something so in character she didn’t feel it necessary to think if she had said it before.

What would happen if Sarah had suddenly changed?

Would she notice? If Sarah suddenly didn’t ask what she had been saying about her? No.

No.

She wouldn’t.

Then another, far more frightening thought entered her head. One she would’ve called ridiculous if she hadn’t known it to be one hundred percent true.

I don’t know a Sarah.

Margets great grandmother had been named Sarah, if she had first met her she’s certain that’s who she would’ve been reminded of. But she hadn’t, because they had never first met.

Jacob had known her, Kyle had known her. But Mather never met a Sarah, and the spot sitting next to her had always been empty. And she always paired up with Lillie.

The more she thought about it the more she had realized. No one named Sarah had ever gone to her school. No one named Sarah had ever lived in hurricane in her lifetime? It was a small town she knew everyone by name. She would’ve known.

“MOM!” She called out.

Not two seconds later she heard footsteps rush upstairs, then a knock at her door. She was worried for a second, that maybe her mom never existed either.

“Come in” marget says.

Her mom comes in, soft smile on her face, not looking at marget.

“Hey Maggie? How was school?” She smiled too wide

“Good, do know a Sarah?”

“Your great grandma?”

“No, Sarah-“ marget cut herself off, what was Sarah’s last name? “Paxton?” She may have been wrong.

Her mom smiles, then shakes her head “sorry dear?… say are your friends not coming over?”

“They’re…. Busy today”

“Oh that’s good hun. Do you want to do something? Mother daughter day?” Good huh? Her mom never had like her friends. Though she’d probably like the new Micheal.

“The library, I want to look something up.” the library had a good documentation on all events in this town. They had a whole history section just for hurricane, every newspaper, birth, death, it’s in the library.

Her mom shakes her head “I’ll warm up the car, come down when you’re ready dear!” Her mom rushes off.

Marget stays lying there for a second.

She then gets up, gets her shoes, and walks to the car.

——

Micheal sits with Jeremy, and Amy in their car. Quiet.

Amy hadn’t said much, and Micheal didn’t know what to say. Having a parent conference meeting wasn’t very unusual, especially in a town this small.

What was unusual was being Micheal along. Though it’s not as if he really has a parent to go with him. Well… unless.

The car parks. Amy takes the shift and brings it into park, she twists the key, and turns off the car. Micheal and Jeremy exit.

“There you all are!” Henry rushes towards him.

That tracks.

“Thank you again Amy on driving him over, and caring for him in general, I wish I could do more but you know” Henry speaks to her, then turns to Micheal again “well ready to go in?” He seems nervous. Micheal almost wishes his teacher didn’t contact Henry, he doesn’t want to waste his time, and though he’s sure Boyd has some reason for this, Henry’s dealing with too much to be bothered like this.

They start to walk “you okay boys?” Henry then asked. Most likely due to their silence

“yes. Thanks for coming Henry, hopefully this will be quick” Micheal says.

Henry looks more nervous as he nods.

“Yep!!” Jeremy says, quick and stiff. No one here clearly wants to be in this situation. And though Micheal’s had his fair share of experience in having to talk with his teacher and dad as a teen, he can’t help but dread whatever is going to happen here, can’t they just skip the whole school thing and inherent and sell the house and live somewhere cold, but not too cold, and ghost free??!

It doesn’t matter. Because right now both Micheal and Jeremy are here in this moment. And they will be for however long this takes.

They walk into the conference room. Boyd is sitting there in her chair.

“Hello Mrs. Fitzgerald! Mr. Emily! Thank you all for showing up, it’s always nice to see such kind faces, though I wish we could talk in better circumstances” Boyd says “here take a seat, all of you”

Micheal and Jeremy sit together, while Henry sits near Micheal’s and Amy next to Jeremy.

“What is the issue Anna?” Amy asks.

“Please, this is a professional setting. Call me Boyd”

“Right then, Boyd?” Amy corrects.

“I’m afraid that this group project isn’t working out. You see young Anthony spoke to me the other day. Claiming that Micheal was making the project… how do I say? Uncomfortable”

“What??” Both Jeremy and Micheal spoke at the same time

“Who’s Anthony?” Jeremy spoke. Everyone paused.

“Anthony is your classmate dear? He’s in fourth period” Boyd spoke, forcing a smile.

“Don’t be rude Jeremy.” Amy then said.

“Sorry, there’s just so many people now!” Jeremy chuckles nervously. Boyd and Amy made strange faces, but didn’t comment.

“Try going to a public school in a big town, it’s much worse” Henry responds. And suddenly Micheal is very happy he never had to go to a big school. Though he does have to wonder if Henry did? He had never known much about Henry’s childhood? Had he lived somewhere else? Why did he move to hurricane? Perhaps he only knew someone who went to a big school and he always lived here? Micheal wanted to ask, but now’s not the time.

Everything died down.

“What did Micheal do?” Amy then asks.

“Nothing” Jeremy then says “we never told Anthony anything??? I never did” Jeremy looks at him, confused, but the look is more for show then anything.

Micheal then pauses realizing “oh yeah?! Me? I don’t know him” Micheal didn’t know him, Why would he??? He didn’t even remember Margets name when he came back here. But he needs to back up Jeremy.

“I didn’t say you told him anything, he overheard” Boyd says.

“Overheard what? Might I ask”

“Uncomfortable comments, I’m sure you know what I mean Micheal. if you want to share.” Boyd says.

Micheal did not know what she meant. But he’s dealt with dead kids, and murderous animatronics, and got scooped. He’s well pass embarrassment! So damn right he’s okay with sharing!…. But the question is sharing what??? “Uhm… was it…? Phone guys death???”

Everyone is quiet.

“I don’t know his name?” Micheal then says.

“Micheal” Jeremy says “I don’t think that was it, we talked about that on the bus.”

“That kid could’ve been there” Micheal argues. And it’s true! There’s less than 500 kids here! Who knows. Jeremy seems to think of this, they both look at Boyd.

“We’ll talk about whatever that means later. But no Micheal”

“I’ve talked about time travel?????”

Again quiet. And Micheal’s gotten so used to talking with Jeremy that he forgot talking with other people is hard.

“No.” The teacher says. Deadpan.

Well he’s out of ideas “I don’t know, what was it?”

“You threatened him for his lunch money” no, Micheal didn’t? “Shoved him into a locker” did they even have lockers in this school?? “And called him a queer” Micheal never said that, but to be fair he’s allowed too!

Jermey laughs loudly.

Then stops, covering his mouth. “Sorry. That’s not funny.”

Boyd shoots a glare at both of them.

“I didn’t do any of that.” Micheal says “well not recently, I may have before the project though, I don’t remember”

“Micheal that’s not a good case” Jermey says. And fuck he’s right. But what was Micheal going to do??? Lie?

“I’m not homophobic though” Micheal says.

“No one was saying you are Micheal” the teacher sighs “but you were mocking Jermey”

“Okay I wasn’t though, I didn’t say that, but like. Using queer to mock someone would be homophobic, unless I would’ve been using it as just meaning ‘weird’ but I’m not from the 17th hundreds”

Everyone’s quiet.

“Micheal didn’t do any of that” Jermey then speaks, which was probably the right thing to say in the first place.

Amy looks concerned “would it be better if we put Micheal out of the room for now? Maybe then you could open up to us Jermey?” She says.

“No” Jermey says “I’m good”

Clearly Boyd and Amy don’t believe this. And looking at Henry he seems stressed again. How could Micheal fix this? He didn’t know how.

Boyd then clears her throat “Mr. Carnes said you opened up to him, and said a few troubling things Micheal”

Mr. C?? Was that??? Micheal didn’t know.

“About your father” she then said “is that why you’ve been acting out?”

“Okay maybe let’s not bring that up right now” Henry then says “Micheal you can talk about it whenever you want to”

“Mr. Emily, I know this is a hard time for you and Micheal, but Mrs. Fitzgerald is my dear friend. And I do not tolerate bullying to young Jermey, he’s always been a sweet kid” Boyd says.

“Yes I know that.” Henry says “I don’t tolerate bullying either, and I know that Micheal has the habit of doing so. But it still feels a bit… too much”

“What did I say that ‘troubling’?” Micheal asks. He honestly doesn’t remember saying anything of the sort.

“He had said you had told him you didn’t care about what happened to your father. Now Micheal I know this is a hard time. And I know this may be the reason for this outburst. But just because there is a reason doesn’t make it justified”

Boyd was right of course. Or she would be right if Micheal was actually still his 18 year old self in senior year. Thinking he was too old to be taking care of Evan, and thinking he was above everything, when really he was still basically a teen.

“William was a bad man” Micheal says.

“I feel like this has gotten off topic” Jermey then goes in “Micheal didn’t do any of that stuff to me, and his dad… well I can’t comment on it, but I was there at the uh… death?? And it wasn’t good?? Can we go now or?”

Maybe Jermey had forgotten how to talk to people during his shifts at Freddy’s too? Or maybe Micheal was rubbing off on him. It made him smile.

“Jermey we still have much to discuss, and Micheal he was your father still”

“He tried to kill Charlie” that should be the end of it. William tried so many awful things. He did so many awful things, now the world finally knows! He has proof! Everyone knows the horrible man that is William Afton. And yet Henry’s mouth is closed, and he’s looking away.

“It’s true. He would’ve done it if not for me and Micheal distracting him” Jermey says. And what would Micheal do without him? He’d be alone, in a room with a guy he used to know, and two others he didn’t, agruinh something that seems illogical.

No one’s ever stood his ground before. Even the ones on the ‘same side’ of him were dead, in animatronic suits, and trying to kill him.

Now Jermey’s here. And though everyone’s faces did not change, it was nice. To be backed up by someone he loves.

Then the door opened with a loud bang!

Everyone snaps their head to face it.

“Marget? How did you get in?” Boyd asks, looking around, as if that will help solve the mystery. It doesn’t.

And of course now Micheal remembers the window in the teachers lounge they’d use to sneak out of. That must’ve been how she got in.

She’s breathing heavily “you- all of you, something” she looks away “something’s wrong, we have to go to the library” Margets hand is on the door, beckoning them to follow her out.

Boyd looks at her, then looks back at all them. Both henery and Amy seem stressed, they don’t say a word though.

“Uhm, marget honey, what’s wrong? We are in the middle of a discussion” Boyd then asks, in her sweet voice.

“It has to do with Micheal, and- and, a lot it’s- I can’t, I don’t know what it means, you have to just come and see if for yourself.”

“I think we should go” Jeremy stands up.

“Yes!” Micheal immediately stands up beside him, of course because he has to have Jermey’s back. But also it does seem important, and with all that’s going on. What if Williams back?

Amy then stands “I trust you Jeremy, if you really think we should go. But I we will be talking about all this later.”

Henry looks at her then stands “uh yeah, same Micheal”

Boyd stayed quiet for a moment “yes, I’ll be talking to you later Mrs. Fitzgerald, I believe we can all come to an agreement. You all may go with Marget.”

With that they all walk out, following marget as she rushes out, and bolts to the library.

Micheal and Jermey try to keep up, while henery and Amy seem to talk under their breath to each other.

Micheal and Jermey decide to do the same “what do you think it could be?” Jermey asks.

“I don’t know, I hope it’s not anything my brain comes up with”

Jeremy does a low chuckle “same.”

The library’s close by, but in a town as small as hurricane everything is.

She opens the door, and speeds to the back of the library. It’s a section of records and history of the town itself, almost more museum than library, or more like the internet to Micheal.

Every death, every birth, every slight thing of note. He remembers they had archived copies of newspapers for the bite of 83, for the longest time it was presented proudly in the middle of the section. They’re biggest news day. It always gave Micheal a bad taste in his mouth. Even without William there was something messed up with hurricane.

He walks to the center section, with a newspaper on display, about Williams death now. He reads a bit of it.

‘Inventor and Coowner of local restaurant fredbears family dinner found dead. Reports claim it was due to self defense after kidnapping of his work partners daughter, charlotte Emily…’

It goes on to talk about Henry, reports that the police gave, that Charlie gave. Even mentioned that Micheal was the one to call them. It feels surreal, seeing his father’s death. Finally known, finally real.

He takes his hand and guides it down the filing cabinet, through years events, he takes hold of the very last newspaper, and pulls it out. Just to see.

‘The bite of 83, will fredbears be shut down?’ It claims loudly on the top of the page.

A photo of Evan lay under it, in black and white. A photo Micheal was used to. A photo that never got taken in this time, used to talk about an event that never happened in this time.

What’s it still doing here? How is it here? A newspaper from his nightmares. Meant to shame him, for his crimes.

“Look over here!!” marget calls out, getting a slight ‘shhh’ from the librarians.

Micheal puts down the paper, and walks over to see what Margets talking about.

It’s a big book, of records.

“Sarah, from our class. She doesn’t exist here” marget said.

Everyone stayed quiet. Micheal didn’t even know who she was talking about, he’s sure Jermey probably didn’t either.

“Uhm this is just hurricanes records, maybe she wasn’t born here?” Henery then says, sounding a tad awkward.

“But then….” She turns near the front of the book “you’re henery Emily? Right?”

Everyone pears over, to see what she was pointing at.

The birthday was right, of course. But under that.

‘Deceased November, 24, 1985’

“And Charlie” she speaks, again the birthday is right. And again-

‘Deceased August , 7 ,1984’

“And then” she then turns the book to the very front. Pointing at the ‘A’s.

William ‘Deceased July, 3, 1996’

Micheal ‘Deceased December, 30, 1984

Evan ‘Deceased September, 4, 1983’

Elizabeth ‘Deceased May 19, 1984’

Everyone pauses, and how could they not.

“Williams death is wrong” Henry then says.

“Henry’s death…?” Amy looks at Henry “must be wrong too”

“Micheal’s death is wrong” Jermey then says.

“No my death is right” Micheal says.

Everyone turns to him.

“No? We met in 1987- oh. Wait never mind you’re right” must’ve forgotten about the corpse thing. Easy to forget… well not easy to forget for Micheal, but it must be weird for Jermey.

“So you two? Remember this? This is what you were talking about?” Marget says “but you stopped it right? Or you… or is this all some prank??”

“You think we went in the library and changed the records?” Jermey then asked.

“You think we could? I feel like I would’ve tried that in the past if I could” Micheal then says.

“Yeah… no we would’ve, we did. For something dumb, you don’t-…” marget groans “it doesn’t matter anymore, why didn’t this change?”

Micheal and Jermey shrug.

“Could you all fill us in… uh please?” Henry then says.

“Micheal said he time traveled”

Everyone’s quiet, then Henry sighs. “Okay.” He sounds slightly annoyed.

“The other kid also said it” marget then adds.

“You know his name” Micheal says.

“Yeah you’re right, Jeremy said so.”

Amy glares at both of them, Micheal more so.

Micheal wants to leave. This is all getting weird and of course henery wouldn’t believe them, or Amy. Maybe if they keep searching they’ll find the newspaper. Maybe that would make them believe… then they’d find out who caused the bite of 83. They should leave. They need to leave

“Well if that’s all good and done with can we head home.” Micheal shrugs.

A pause.

“Micheal, this is big?! If time travel exist? Well then… well I don’t know what!!! But it’s not right? It’s not… why haven’t…?”

“Listen marget” Micheal starts “I get you, but I’ve kinda had my whole ‘oh so this stuff is real’ sort of deal. So uhh…. I’m going to go” Micheal ends “good luck?? But it’s all kinda dealt with, so I would say you can just do what you’ve been doing!” Micheal gives her a thumbs up!

“I’m with Micheal on this.” Jermey says. The waves, starting to walk out, Micheal joins him, and hopefully Henry and Amy will come along.

They do. “Micheal. Could you go back to Henry’s house for tonight” Amy says.

Shit… she’s mad huh? Micheal nods.

They walk in silence, back to the school. To the cars.

Jermey faces him “see you around?”

Micheal nods “you know it!”

They smile at each other. Before having to leave.

.

.

.

Micheal sits the passenger side of Henry’s car. It’s been forever since he’s been in there. He almost forgot what it was like. It smelled nice.

“Micheal?” Henry starts “I won’t be mad at you, but please do tell me, did you do all that stuff to that Jermey kid?”

Micheal shakes his head “I’m sure I’ve done some of that stuff before, in the past. But not now, and I don’t plan to in the future. I know it was a sudden change” what is Micheal truly supposed to say? He can’t act all innocent, because he wasn’t. But it’s been so long, it doesn’t feel like him anymore, Jeremy knows that’s not him. They’re different people now. But everyone thinks they’re the same, and he can’t blame Henry, or Boyd, or amy for that.

Even if she seemed pushy, if anyone had heard it from Boyd point of view they’d agree with her. Micheal had done horrible things. He doesn’t blame her. He doesn’t think he can.

“And did you mess with the library? Again I won’t be mad, I’m just… curious?” Henry smiles.

And Micheal shakes his head. He really doesn’t know what to say to that one. “No.” He says “you know they’re protected, I couldn’t if I tried”

“Yes, I know.” Henry says. “I know” he repeats “I just thought maybe-… what’s, what’s the deal with this time travel stuff? You get it from a movie” Henry tries to smile, even add a light chuckle at the end. But Micheal can tell he’s scared.

A part of Micheal wants to nod, so Henry could sigh in relief, and be freed from worrying about this. But Micheal shakes his head. He’d hate if Henry left him out of something important.

“It’s just a thing that happened. It sounds unreal, and I don’t care if you believe me. The only thing I care about is that the stuff in that book never comes to light. And it won’t. So you don’t have to worry about it” Micheal says.

Henry nods this time. “Right, heh…” Henry looks intensely at the road, but at a stop sign he looks at Micheal for a moment. He grips the steering wheel. “How did charlie… and… it was just so soon?” He takes a breath “it’s not real, but how did that happen to Charlie?”

“What do you think?”

Henry is silent. “I need to know. Just in case”

“You don’t have to worry about it. It can’t happen now. It’s better if you don’t” Micheal says. Henry should know. He knew before. He knew.

It’s obvious.

“Okay… and me?”

“You lived longer than that. You faked your death” he still remembers the surprise when the voice he heard on the cassette tape was his uncle.

“That’s…. Good?” Henry said “if it was real anyways. But time travel doesn’t exist”

Micheal smiles “that’s the spirit”

Henry smiles back, the distant look still not leaving his eye “what not going to fight back? Tell me something only the real you would know?” Henry’s voice seems lighter.

“I think that’s for clones” Micheal adds.

“I think you’re avoiding the question” Henry smiles. Really this time.

“I’ll just have to show you my newfound talent at inventing” Micheal smiles.

“More like I’ll have to teach you” Henry laughs “that sounds nice actually? You have an interest in making animatronics Micheal?” He asks.

“I mean a little? The big ones are a bit freaky, but the small ones are nice”

Henry laughs “it’s very hard to make small animatronics Micheal” he smiles “the parts are too big, but we can try a hand or something”

Micheal smiles, then pauses “I’ve actually been working on a small one, or my engineering class”

“Really? I didn’t know they even had that class in high school. Wow, How the times change huh?”

“You should see the future” Micheal says. Henry doesn’t even know the half of it, though to be fair when Micheal died in the 2020s it wasn’t to behold, but compared to now, it’s a lot different.

Henry laughs.

———

Jermey has never felt this way before. Not as a kid, that he remembers, definitely not as an adult.

The tension in the air was so thick you could cut it with William Aftons knife.

Jeremy sits in the backseat. His mom in front, driving. She’s been quiet.

And Jermey misses Micheal. He misses him a lot. Jermey hadn’t done anything wrong. Micheal hadn’t done anything wrong. Why where their still obstacle? William caused the whole mess and he’s dead? And the animatronics are normal??? So like why does this feel so bad???

In the backseat, alone. Jermey remembers what it was like in his life before. Micheal used to be mean to him, that part feels otherworldly. Even the group of bullies Micheal used to be friends with don’t seem too menacing now. He kinda feels bad for leaving marget, if he hadn’t experienced all he did he wouldn’t believe in time travel either.

It makes it easy to side with his mom. He’d come home crying, basically everyday, his family felt like his closest friends. He had felt like he couldn’t get close to anyone. That they were just there

Then the ma and pa place he worked at was fun. But his family had left, soon the place shut down. And he was alone.

Then Freddy’s.

Everyone’s alone at Freddy’s. Especially on the night shift.

He got with Alice but she wasn’t really with him. He couldn’t talk to her, he couldn’t talk to anyone. He had spent his whole life trying not to get seen, not to get caught. Trying not to make a scene. Not believing his own brain. Then in the hospital.

He hadn’t realized. That he hadn’t felt alone since his death. Since Micheal called his name on the group project. Since he recognized the jumbled voice, of tones, of volumes, awkward and charming, and most notably British. AS the same as the bear mask guy.

And it wasn’t as if his life had no value before. Alice was a nice friend. And he remembers talking to coworkers, and calling his mother, and even feeling achieved by surviving the night at Freddy’s.

He had always tried to look for a bright side, but with Micheal he didn’t have to look, it was just there.

Right now he felt alone again. Not overwhelming, just that same sinking feeling. A whisper of a thought ‘what if I’m never able to see Micheal again’.

Perhaps it is ridiculous. Still it haunts his mind.

“I’m sorry about all that jerm” his mom then speaks. “That was a lot”

“It’s okay” comes naturally. He knows his mom. He knows she’s trying, he just can’t help but wish he could skip to the part where she trusted Micheal, where they didn’t have to worry about time travel.

“Did Micheal do all that to you?”

“No mom. He wouldn’t” Jermey says naturally.

“But he would’ve? At some point”

“In the past. But not now, and not again, I meant it when I said he was changing… and uh you know.” Jermey shrugs.

“Time travel” his mom says deadpan, a pause, then she laughs “that’s not- you don’t really believe that”

Jermey doesn’t want her to think he’s gone mad “I don’t think we need to worry about it, all of those people are alive right now. And that’s that”

His mom sighs “You do don’t you?” She pause again to think “I’m going to invite over Alice tomorrow”

“Can Micheal come too?” Jermey’s pushing his luck, but what else is he meant to do?

She blinks “you really want him over huh?”

Jermey nods “yes”

She thinks “okay, but just don’t invite him to the alter when you and Alice get married” she laughs.

Jermey laughs too, but for a very different reason.

———

Micheal looks at helpy. Almost completed. He thinks on weither or not to actually show it to Henry. If he did he could make it just as good as the original helpy, but if he did whose to say-

“Hey Micheal did you find your project-“ Henry locks eyes with helpy. Seems as if Micheal choice didnt matter in this situation.

“Yes” Micheal says.

“It’s…. So small? Can it move?” Henry gives it a weird look.

Micheal nods. Helpy crawls from Micheal’s hand to the table, doing a little dance.

Henry just looks at it.

“How…?”

Micheal shrugs. It was easy once he got the parts. Though he had found much more sophisticated parts in his fathered old office, perhaps they were sent back here from the future too? Like the newspaper? Or maybe his father had somehow made them. Micheal didn’t question it.

“You’ll have to help us upkeep the spring lock suits.” Henry laughs.

“Nope, we’re not using those anymore, just get a fabric suit.”

Henry laughs “that probably would be for the best, though your father would hate that”

“All more reason to do it” Micheal says.

Henry nods “sure” he says. “Anyways I have to check on the kids, uh your brother and sister that is… they’re having a hard time adjusting. I hope you don’t mind sharing a room with them, you could sleep on the couch, but it may be uncomfortable?”

With that Henry walks away. And Micheal allows himself a moment to think. Not on time travel or murders. But just about tonight, where he’s going to sleep.

Elizabeth kicks in her sleep, so he doesn’t really want to share a bed with them, plus Evan might still be afraid. But Micheal’s also been avoiding them as much as he could since he got back. Yeah he wanted them to be safe, but he honestly didn’t trust himself not to mess something up, or get too emotional about seeing them.

He doesn’t mind the uncomfortable-ness of a couch, he used to sleep on a tiny couch while watching his soaps. Maybe he’ll sleep on the floor. Close enough to try to rekindle their relationship, far enough to avoid getting kicked in his sleep.

He sits on the bed, while the room is still quiet. He has to mentally ready himself. His siblings could come in at any time.

He wonders if they’d get mad at him for hogging the tv?

The door opens “Micheal!!!” Elizabeth’s voice. Micheal almost flinches. Almost, he’s better then to make any sudden movements like that “I can’t believe you’re showing your face around here! After what you said last time! Shameful!” She crosses her arms, and shakes her head, far too hard “it seems I’m the only sensible one here!!”

“Sorry I bailed out” Micheal then says “and the whole… time travel thing? It’s silly”

“Well-!” Elizabeth pauses “well I guess if you’re really sorry” she walks forward.”

“Don’t forget silly”

“The silliest! I don’t know where you get all those ideas from!” She laughs. “It must be the Telly! You’re grounded from it! For a whole 2 weeks!”

“A week and a half?” Micheal tries to reason.

She pauses in thought “I could do that” she’s smiling, very wide now. Perhaps she was always trying to act like their father, imitating him. But she’s playing, she always has been.

Micheal then turns to look behind her, where, of course, Evan is trying to hide.

“Evan” Micheal says. And it feels as if the room goes quiet “I’m sorry too buddy”

“It’s fine.” He mumbles. “You don’t have to be here with us”

Micheal just nods. Because why would Evan want him there? He hasn’t done anything to proven that he’s nice now. Not really. And Micheal doesn’t think it would be fair to try and force Evan to like him.

“How about I see if Henry has any pancake mix?” Micheal then settles on.

Elizabeth eyes light up “pancakes?!! But it’s dinner time!”

“Breakfast for dinner?” Micheal shrugs.

“No!!! That’s… is that allowed???” Elizabeth says, but smiles widely.

“Pancakes are saved for special occasions” Evan then said. And it’s true. They’d always eat those off brand cereals for breakfast. Pancakes were normally saved only for Elizabeth’s birthday, and some sleepovers at Henry’s house.

The joy of being an adult is being about to make pancakes everyday. Though with the whole corpse thing, and the minimum wage job, the only thing Micheal had really eaten as an adult was pizza and butter. (And popcorn, a lot of popcorn, more than his dying body could handle).

With that they start their journey to the kitchen.

“Don’t worry, for your birthday I’ll make you whatever breakfast you want” Micheal says to Evan.

Shit.

EVANS BIRTHDAY??!! It’s coming up soon???? Micheal’s going to have to plan something, something good. He had been so focused on not causing the bite of 83 and the missing childrens incident he hadn’t even remembered the day it started, or more so what that day really meant.

Evan seemed to pause “even if it’s ice cream?”

“Whatever flavor you want” Micheal said, it’s the least he deserves.

“With brownies?” Evan then adds. “Topped with whipped cream? And chocolate syrup?” Evan adds.

“And cotton candy!!” Elizabeth grins.

“If Evan wants it, yeah!” Henry probably wouldn’t like it. But Micheal would clean up the mess, and take care of the two kids with a sugar high (or a stomach ache).

“What if I wanted just plan pancakes?” Evan then asked.

“I’d make that too, anything”

Evan nods. They reach the kitchen. “You’re not Micheal.” Is all he says.

Micheal is quick to find both a pan and pancake mix. What is he meant to say to that.

“You’re obviously Micheal” Elizabeth says “…but you are acting different. But your him. You just never showed how nice you were” she smiles at him. “Now if you’re going to spit in one of our pancakes do it in Evan’s!!”

Micheal laughs, turning on the stove, getting the mix ready, and putting it on “I’m not going to spit in any of it. But thank you Elizabeth. I-… I know this is weird. How about you two take a seat?”

Micheal makes more pancakes then needed for the three of them. (Three was a weird thought, but living body’s do need to eat). He made 5 plates, for him and his siblings, and Henry and Charlie.

Once he was done he placed the plates down on the table in front of Evan and Elizabeth.

He then leaves to look in the living room. There’s Charlie.

“Could you get your dad? I made pancakes” he asks.

Charlie stares at him for a second “okay, thanks Micheal” with a slight smile.

When Micheal returns Elizabeth is shoving food into her face, Evan is clearly trying too as well, but eyeing him nervously.

“Where did you go?” Elizabeth asks, still chewing.

“I was getting Charlie and Henry.”

She pouts.

Soon enough they enter the room, all taking a plate of pancakes.

“Thanks Micheal, you really didn’t have to do this” says Henry.

“It was no problem, thanks for uh… you know? Taking us in and such” Micheal says back.

“Tsk. He only did it because he had to.” Elizabeth glares.

“He’s being nice at least” Evan mumbles.

“Yeah. If killing our father is ‘nice’?” She averts her eyes from both Henry and Charlie.

“Henry didn’t kill your dad, I did” Charlie then says, unbothered. And Micheal feels slightly jealous that she’s the one that’s able to say that… gee if he feels jealous Cassidy’s would’ve felt fuming.

He can’t help but wonder if she remembers?

“Charlie, it… it was all an accident, well… he was” Henry stumbles “it was no one’s fault.”

“It was William’s fault” both Micheal, Evan, and Charlie say at the same time. Charlie’s understandable. She knows, yet Micheal looks at Evan. He understands that their father did something bad. Still the wording at the timing of it all weirded him out.

He notices Charlie is staring at him too. Evan sinks back “sorry, it’s just- well they- they said he kidnapped-… and a crime and… uhm. That wouldn’t have happened if he didn’t…” Evan mumbles. “He was still our father.”

“He still is.” Elizabeth said.

They continue to eat their pancakes.

When they finished Micheal took the dishes and ran them under the water in the sink.

They then returned to the old guest room. Micheal had taken blankets and pillows out from the closet. “You two can have the bed, I’ll take the floor”

“How gentlemenly!” Elizabeth smiles. She seems less stressed now that Henry and Charlie are gone.

Evan just nods.

Micheal puts the blankets on the ground, puts the pillows down, and shuts off the light.

He goes to lay on the floor when.

“Father used to tell me stories” Elizabeth said “before I went to bed. It helps me sleep.”

William had never told him a story. He doesn’t think he did for Evan either, though maybe he had and he missed it.

Micheal stood up, and sat near the end of the bed.

“Okay, once upon a time”

“You need to be creative Micheal.” She frowned.

Micheal laughed “okay then, how about….” He took a moment to organize his thoughts “There was once a girl, a princess, who had a plushie, she loved, very much. But one day when she was walking to school, a dragon came by, it had said to follow him, and he could give her a mountain of gold and candy. She had agreed. But this dragon had was tricking her, in reality he had wanted to eat her”

“Oh no!!” Elizabeth gasped, her eyes wide, intrigued by the story. Evan seemed interested too, but he tried not to show it.

“Luckily this dragon had a weakness. Plushies. They hold to much love in their heart, and it hurts him, so he rips the plushie in half. Stealing away one half. The girl is livid.”

“What does that mean?” Elizabeth then asks.

“Mad, very mad! She plots to take the other half back from the mean dragon. Though when exploring the cave, looking for where the other half could be she finds a tiny dragon, crying. She doesn’t trust him at first, she thinks it could be a trick, since he was another dragon after all. But when she asks what’s wrong he had said that the big mean dragon had stolen half of his plushie”

“So that dragon can be around plushies?” Elizabeth asks.

“Yes, because he had love in his heart too. The girl says she’ll help him out. And together they form a plan. The tiny dragon would fly her high up in the sky, and they’d look for the means dragons pile. But it hadn’t worked. It was too foggy to see anything up high. The mean dragon got them, and there was only one thing left to do They would sew theirs two sides of their plushies together, to make a whole one. But in doing that they could never make their original plushies again. Forever linking them. And so they did. They brought it in, but now the plushie had help twice the love, and the mean dragon couldn’t handle that. And went up in flames”

“Did they ever get their original plushies back?” Elizabeth’s then asks.

“No, but they didn’t need to, they were happy in the end anyways, and the mean dragon couldn’t hurt anyone ever again”

Elizabeth yawns. Then says “but aren’t they stuck together? Forever!! It wasn’t their choice.”

“But it felt like a choice to them. They didn’t need to help each other” Evan then says.

“Like us! We’re all stuck together too, but this feels like a choice. Because I like you guys” Micheal smiles.

Evan frowns “hm… almost.”

Elizabeth smiles “oh!!! I get it! Okay! Night time now!”

Micheal moves back to the floor.

He stares at the ceiling for a minute

He closes his eyes. Yet it feels odd. The night job really did mess up his sleep schedule, and the sudden shift isn’t making him feel better. He’s tired from not sleeping at day. But at night his body want to stay up.

He lays down with his eyes closed for quite a bit. Trying to force his mind to stay quiet.

“…Micheal?” A whisper, it’s from Evan.

“Yeah?” He wishers back, perhaps more rushed than he should have.

But Evan doesn’t seem put off by this “what was the princesses name?”

Micheal pauses. The story? “She doesn’t have one” perhaps it was a boring answer, perhaps he should’ve named her Clara and called it a day “do you want to name her?” But maybe that will help gain more trust. Evan was creative? Or would’ve been? Right, he loved those dolls. Normally kids that play with dolls are creative.

“How about…” Evans voice leads off into a mumble, but in the quiet Micheal can hear it crystal clear “Cassidy?”

Micheal paused, he didn’t know how to react. How could he? He blinked, staring at the ceiling for a moment. One question on his mind.

“Do you remember?”

.

.

.

Nothing.

Micheal sits up, to look at Evan on the bed. But he’s now asleep.

And Micheal lays back down.

———

Margret remained in the library far longer than she had planned. Alone in the history section. Staring blankly at the big book of records. She must’ve stood there for hours, or at least that’s what it felt like, it was dark outside now.

But she just couldn’t understand?! How everyone could brush it off so quickly. If Micheal was joking about the time travel thing he would’ve been shocked. If he put this stuff in the library he’d laugh and brag about how he was able to do it.

He had to rack her brain to remember what he had said?

He didn’t seemed shocked at all, didn’t he say his death was right? But Jeremy thought it was wrong, but they realized something… she wishes she knew more.

Micheal wasn’t a very good actor. That was her. Or Kyle, well klye wasn’t a good actor, he was just so chill, and said everything the exact same way, truth or not, so it made it hard to tell if he was lying. Admittedly he’s pretty airheads too, so it’s easy for him to trick people. And margets good at playing innocent, at least to people who don’t know about her schemes.

Micheal’s not like that, Micheal will come up with ideas, or brute force something. He’s much like Jacob. Micheal also has the ability to do stuff. He’s steal money from his dad, get them free pizza from Freddy’s, even the ridiculous masks they have, they all got from Micheal.

Needless to say, micheals not fooling her for this long. Maybe a short prank he could pull off, but it would’ve been more akin to placing a plastic spider on the ground than weeks long manipulation.

“Maggie!! There you are sweetie! The history section? Do you have your finale soon?” Her mom, she’s been in the library, far away, reading books. By now she’s probably read a whole novel

“No, I already took the test for that class” she says, Mr. Carnes had done a project, it was about making a randomly assigned time period into an amusement park. once you turned it in you were done with the class. She didn’t actually do work for it, she just stole some kids and changed it up a little.

“Well are you ready to go home dear?” Her mom asks.

Margret nods her head.

The car ride home is quiet.

She just doesn’t understand.

The sun is down, and trees race by.

She couldn’t understand.

Her mom glances at her, but looks away

Is it real? Is it all real.

.

.

Margret went to bed early that night

.

.

.

When she awoke she had a slight fear she’d somehow end up somewhere else. In the past, or maybe the future. If Micheal had done it, who’s to say it couldn’t randomly happen.

It sounded ridicules.

She had woken up today, in the same room, at the same time. On a date that made sense. Like every school day, she got out of bed, washed her face, brushes her teeth, put on clothes, and ate breakfast before walking to the bus.

The bus came at 6:03am, the same time everyday. And today was no different.

Of course it was. How could she expect time travel to happen, it’s never happened for the rest of her life. Why would it suddenly happen now? Just because she knows it may be a probability… if it is? She sounds mad.

She goes to her class, making the school paper. And finishes up her final project.

Then the next class. Gym. and plays basketball. Thinking of time travel, of course she’d be in her senior year thinking of time travel of all things. 18 years old yet believing in unicorns, is what it feels like. Wildly going from paper to paper, breaking into school to yell at teachers ‘IT EXISTS’.

Yet Micheal’s the one who supposedly experienced it. Maybe he did- yet you don’t hear him yelling at them. Trying and failing to get his point across to them, to convince them it’s real.

She’s a fool. Trying to convince a man who told her he time traveled that time travel is real.

Does she even believe it herself?!

She needs someone else… someone else.

Looking across the court is Kyle and Jacob. They used to love all having gym together. They had only wished Micheal was there, his gym is after lunch.

She goes to them “Kyle! Jacob! Let’s skip!” She says.

“Like, okay” Kyle drops his ball and shrugs.

“You can’t mean now?” Jacob looks around. “It’s the last pep rally”

She had forgotten about that “fuck the pep rally?” They where annoying, she thought the baseball boys where try hards! (Jacob knows, Anthony is like the most ‘wanna be cool guy and jock at the same time’ dude in the world) and the cheerleading are annoying, they made fun of Sarah for wanting to join them? Like they’re above her? Coach Thomas doesn’t even look at the kids. He won’t notice

“I think he’s talking about Mrs. Goldman” Kyle then said.

“Oh. Right.”

Marine biology.

A fine class in all honesty, but who could forget Mrs. Goldman during the pep rally? She’s always been a bit eccentric, but normally that just goes to talking about fish. which is fine, it kills time. But something she was just as excited about is the pep rally.

Margets not even sure how she finds them. But whenever it’s pep rally day she always scouts out kids who are skipping. It’s happened to marget more times than she can count! ‘Do you have a hall pass’ still rings in her mind.

“Then we have to be careful.”

Jacob pauses “I have an idea” a rare accorance. For a moment marget suspects he too may have time traveled, trying to fit in.

But that’s absurd. This is getting to her, far too much.

“Can we wait til 4th?”

“Yeah” Marget could, Mrs Boyd would let her get away with murder. And they have the same class… well her and Jacob do.

They look at Kyle “Mr wright doesn’t give a fuck, I’ll just walk you there, like i normally do” he shrugs.

.

.

History felt much longer than it should have.

And marget was alone with her thoughts.

.

.

.

“Hey marget!” The same spot, Kyle stood, ready to walk her to class. Though if Jacob’s plan goes well hopefully they won’t have to experience said class.

They walk, before Jacob joins them. If they had Micheal here it really would be like old times.

“Okay let’s go in the hall! Quick before the bell rings!!” Jacob rushes off.

“What’s his deal?” Kyle asks.

Marget wasn’t sure.

low and behold he stopped. At the hall monitor kid. God they hated that kid.

“Anthony’s part of our group now” Jacob says, gesturing to him.

“Hey” the hall monitor. Anthony, says.

“Who’s Anthony??” Kyle asks.

“The kid who doesn’t do his work in English class” Jacob says.

Kyle stares.

“…okay!” Kyle then says

Both the boys were so dumb. She’s not going to state the obvious. “We should get Sarah too then” Margret thinks aloud.

“She’s a nerd??!!!l” Jacob proclaims, offended!

“So is Jeremy and he’s in our group” Kyle shrugs. “More the married! Something like that?”

“More the merrier” Marget mumbles.

“Same difference”

“Jeremy is NOT in the group” Jacob groans.

“There doesn’t need to be a ‘group’ we can all just be friends!” Mather then says.

“Oh yeah! You’re right! Thats why you’re the leader” Kyle smiles.

“No Micheal is!! Was-! Ugh!!!” Jacob sighs.

Meanwhile Anthony, who has been standing here the whole time “listening I don’t know what you’re all talking about.” He sighs. “I’ll just keep watch in the hallways well you guys leave” Anthony says “take a hall pass”

he seems like he wants to get rid of them. Margret is offended… but kinda understands.

“Thanks.” She says, deadpan.

Meanwhile Anthony, who has been standing here the whole time “listening I don’t know what you’re all talking about.” He sighs. “I’ll just keep watch in the hallways well you guys leave” Anthony says “take a hall pass”

he seems like he wants to get rid of them. Margret is offended… but kinda understands.

“Thanks.” She says, deadpan.

.

They venture through the hallway, though really it was more of a stroll. After all they have a hall pass. So most of the teachers don’t care.

They make their way towards the teacher break room, and make their escape! No Mrs. Goldman, or wright, or Boyd or whoever to stop them!

“So, we going to the arcade or?” Kyle asks.

“No!” She then says

“Aw man”

“We’re going to the library!” She smiles.

A pause.
.

A very grand pause.

.

“Don’t tell me you’re a nerd too now.” Jacob puts his head in his hands “I JUST got Anthony to help me try to take down Micheal! All to go to the stupid library!”

“Nah maybe they got games there… or something cool? What part of the library?” Kyle asks.

“Glad you asked” Margret has already began walking. “History section, like town history, not history history.”

“And that makes it better? Not even nerds like that area?” Jacob hisses.

“It has something there that- it’s weird. Like Micheal weird. It has to do with him too” Margret says.

“Okay I’m in! …I guess” Jacob says, trying to backtrack his interest.

“Sweet! Library time!!” Kyle cheers. None of them feel like commenting on it.

It wasn’t too long before they reach the library. Everything’s close by in this town. it’s one thing that’s lucky, it gives cops less time to find them and drag them back to school.

Kyle opens one of the two doors with grand windows on them, while Jacob and Mather make their way in.

The Liberian sitting at the counter doesn’t even look up at them, head glued to a book they’re reading. What a nerd. Though that’s somewhat hypocritical now.

Marget makes her way to the back, the history section.

“Cool! The news! “ Jacob says sarcastically, rolling his eyes “can’t wait for new dinner to open up, oh and it’s going to rain soon? Unheard of” he flicks a newspaper. Now that she thinks about it she didn’t even check the newspaper.

Maybe later, instead she drags out a big dusty book, and places it on the table in the spot she put it last night.

“The records of everyone in town?” Jacob asks, cautiously.

“From 1892 onwards!” Kyle adds “woah! That’s old, do you think they’ll change that when they make a new book?”

“That’s not my main concern” she opens the book “what’s Sarah’s last name?”

Everyone was quiet for a moment.

“Paxton” Kyle then says

“Bingo” she starts to turn the pages.

“I thought it was Paxton??” Kyle turns to Jacob and asks.

“It is.” Jacob groans out.

“See look! The ‘P’ section! No Sarah! Anywhere!” Marget grins.

“Okay, she was born outside of hurricane then? What’s the fucking problem?” Jacob’s crosses his arms, tapping his finger.

“Okay then, let’s rush though it. this will be something you like.” Margret smiles

She turns to ‘A’ revealing all the aftons. Theirs no longer fated, fates.

Jacob reads it. Kyle does too.

Quite for a moment.

“How did you change it? Why didn’t you tell me you could figure it out?!! Did the librarians stop giving a shit? What the fuck marget!” Jacob glares.

“What about me?” Kyle then asks.

They stop.

“What?” Jacob asks.

“Go to ‘B’. I want to see my name.”

Marget hadn’t thought of that before. Scratch that it had popped up for a second, but she dreaded to imagine her name.

She flips to b. And turns the page. Oh. There it is.

‘Kyle Belva born Jan 30th, 1965’
‘Kyle Belva deceased Jun 9th, 2023’

Oh.

“Ey I lived longer than Micheal!!” Kyle smiles “and almost to 60 too right? Not bad!!”

She looks at him. Unsure how he could be so content in his fate.

“Okay. Marget you’re next. Then mine” Jacob says.

Marget flips to W, and closes her eyes.

“Huh.” That didn’t sound good.

“Is it bad? Is it this year?” She can’t help but ask.

“It doesn’t say” Kyle then says. She opens her eyes. And all it says is.

‘Marget Webb born May 7th, 1965’

Strange. She quickly turns to Jacob, and nothing.

“So why is it only Kyle? And Micheal and all and whatever?” Jacob asks.

“Maybe Kyle’s the only one who dies… uh soon? That’s the furthest date I’ve seen. Maybe it stops at a certain year” marget doesn’t know. But that has to be close right?

“And then they make a new book!” Kyle smiles.

“…maybe??” She shrugs.

“Henry has a date too. So does Charlie.” She says.

“And Jeremy?” Kyle asks.

She forgot about him “what’s his last name start with?”

“K? No!!! Wait ‘f’!!”

She turns to the section labeled f. She sees a something odd, but much like the others “Fitzgerald right?”

Kyle nods.

“2014” she says, they peer over her shoulders. He dies in 2014.

‘Jeremy Fitzgerald deceased may, 18th, 2014’

“He lived longer than Micheal too I guess… but not longer than me!!” Kyle grins.

“No wait.. they said something weird” marget then says.

“They?! You talked to Micheal?!!!” Jacob glares.

“And Jeremy?? Without us??? Without me?!” Kyle then says.

She sighs “yes, it was late, I- there was a lot going on. Micheal and Jeremy seemed unsurprised. But Jeremy said Micheal was wrong because they met in…. Uh… I think he said 87? But he got cut off? Maybe it was 89? Point is! I think he was trying to say he met Micheal at a later date!” Margret said “but then he remembered… something??? And was like ‘oh nevermind it makes sense”

“So their cover is slipping?” Jacob asks.

“Or there’s more to the story?” Margret shrugs.

“They’re not smart enough to change books. Not even we can do that. And I highly doubt that nerd could, or would even agree to it.” Jacob sighs “meaning…. Well I don’t know” he looks at the book. Plain as day, saying deaths that once happened.

“Is there any other people in that book that have weird deaths?”

Margret pauses. Then looks closer at the people in the same section as Jacob.

It’s a big book, made in the 1800s, but hurricane is still a small town. So it doesn’t take long until she finds one.

“Susie, dies 1895” that’s not that long from now

“She’s a child” Jacob then says.

She hadn’t even looked at the birthday, she’d have to be 7 By now? Give or take.

Marget shakes her head before looking, she found a list of names of people who had deaths in the following years. Mostly older people it seems, but a few younger adult. Dave, Carlton, Jessica, Ralph, Delilah, so on and so forth.

“This newspaper says 5 kids went missing in 1985” Kyle then says. They turn to look at him.

He lifts up the paper.

“There’s another, about Evan’s death too, this year, well later this year. Well this week” Kyle then says, showing another newspaper.

Her eyes widen. “Give me that!!” She takes the newspaper with the kids. Susie’s name is on that list, the dead kid from 1985. 4 other kids are mentioned. Gabriel, Fritz, Jeremy, and Cassidy.

It’s a different Jeremy. but it did make her heart jump for a moment. It read that a man lured them to the back wearing a mascot suit. And killed them. ‘The same suspected murderer who killed charlotte Emily outside of the newest Freddy’s establishment.’

William. He killed them didn’t he? He tried to kill Charlie didn’t he? He tried to do it again… did he remember the time travel too?

“MICHEAL KILLED HIM?!” Jacob shouts, getting a light ‘shh’ from the librarian.

Margret looks at him.

“It says we did too” Kyle adds.

Mather of course looks at the newspaper in his hand. The bite of 83, it claims.

‘Evan died, due to a prank. By his older brother, and his friends.’ Is a summary of what happened.

Oh. That is them. Isn’t it?

‘They shoved him in fredbears mouth, to scare them.’ That’s what the paper said at least. They had been planning a prank for Evan on the days leading up to his birthday. She could have never guessed it would lead to his.

That somewhat explains Micheal doesn’t it? Why he suddenly cares for the crybaby? Why he’s weirded out by their bullying. Even reading this marget wants to never laugh again. Never pull a prank. Just shut up and stay in place, and never try anything again.

The feeling quickly passes. But if that had truly happened, she could only imagine the feeling would stick around.

“Oh.”

That’s all she could say.

They all seemed speechless.

“That would be my fault.” She then says, thats the only way it makes sense “I always come up with the prank ideas” did she kill Evan?

“It’s Micheal’s fault. It’s his damn brother.” Jacob growls.

“It’s didn’t happen though? Not going to anyways, even if it… should’ve happened? Because of like… time travel? Is it real now? I’m confused?” Kyle then says.

Right. It won’t happen. Because they know, because they don’t want it to. “I think it’s confirmed” Margret says. What else can she say.

“That’s dumb” Jacob says.

“So how do you explain this?” Margret asks.

He stays quiet. Then opens his mouth. Then shuts it “okay.” He then says, sounding the most defected she’s ever heard him. “Maybe… it is true…. Or something” he sighs.

“Well…. Arcade?” Kyle asks.

Marget just stands there.

“Nope” she decides.

“Aw man.”

“Fuck this, we need to talk to Micheal!” Margret says.

“But he’s still in school?” Jacob asks “I’m not going to sneak inside of school, that’s the most loser thing I’ve ever heard!!”

“We’ll wait til there out!” She says “in the meantime we can lay low here, try to see if any of the other newspapers are still here”

———

Micheal brought helpy to school today.

He had to keep checking inside his backpack in math, just to make sure he was okay. (He knew helpy couldn’t suffocate, but still can’t a man worry???).

While marine biologists was as intense as ever, due to the pep rally being the only thing Ms Goldman wanted to talk about.

But then the class came. 3rd period, engineering, with Mr. Lee.

Micheal felt weirdly nervous. It was kinda funny. Actually it was really funny. He has set multiple buildings on fire, and got his murder dad arrested, and died. And he’s always been pretty whatever about it. Now here he is, worried about a grade that won’t matter. He doesn’t even know how he passed this class in his actual senior year, he’s sure he glued tape to string and passed based on pure stealing assignments alone.

So when the teacher asked who wants to go first, Micheal raised his hand. Just to get all the silly fear out of him.

His mind filled with images of helpy malfunctioning as he takes him out of his bag. Biting a kid, leaving bloody and traumatized.

But he looks down, at the tiny animatronic, who’s been there through him managing a pizzeria, who was there when it burned. He couldn’t stick a kid in his mouth, and his bite would feel like a tap. Disputethe afton curse, helpy should be fine.

And he brings him up, and sets him on the table.

“It’s based on my fathers design” Micheal starts “I made it smaller, but he can walk around, dance, sit, listen to verbal instructions, and file out lawsuits and is good moral support”

The teacher just looks at him.

Micheal turns to help “dance”

Helpy boogies. Micheal gestures at him.

“Okay now stop” Micheal says. Then looks up at the teacher “you have any lawsuits?”

The teacher glared at him. Probably deserved. “Nevermind, you got any old like… financial literacy homework?”

He teacher stars at him for a second “yes, I’ll get my second periods stuff out” he turns and grabs a sheet of paper, revealing a question on taxes, and a fake W2s attached to it.

He gives it to helpy, with a pencil. And helpy, the little angel he is, lays down, kicking his feet, reading and filling out the form. Micheal smiles.

Soon enough the paper is done. And the teacher, giving him a weird look, takes the paper, and looks it over “oh… yes, that’s all correct….” He continues to look at it for a moment. “Impressive… very… uhh.” He stares at the paper.

“His dad probably helped him out” a kid in class mumbles.

The teacher pauses “let’s not-!!! Uhm.” He clears his throat, clearly nervous for Micheal’s response.

In which Micheal has none.

Mr. Lee continues “due to recent… circumstances, I do find that unlikely. But still Micheal, could you explain how you did it. I hope you understand the uncertainty with how your father was… and really that little machine is impossible, I want to know how it’s done”

Micheal shrugs. It seems far to him. And he explains. Explains for the whole rest of the class, every joint, air pressure, electrical part, and whatever sci-fi stuff went into making his little guy. The teacher watches with almost awe.

“That’s all impressive Micheal, very. I’m glad to see you not only doing your work, but excelling, now who’s next?”

No one raises their hand.

Luckily for them the bell rings.

And Micheal leaves, onto the next class. His new favorite. English.

.
.
.

“My mom said you could come back over today!” Jeremy grins at him “she’s definitely weirded out though, she’s making Alice come over too”

“Dang” Micheal shrugs “I mean, if I didn’t know id be too.”

“Yeah” he laughs “but I don’t think there really is a way to make her know that’s not… uhhh that won’t turn out horribly you know??”

Micheal nods. “I know, I’m lucky Henry stopped asking questions… though I think a part of him believes it, it’s weird”

The bell rings, and they head to their seats, weirdly enough, as Micheal just notices, Mather and Jacob are missing.

The teacher begins to talk “today we will continue to work on our finale, go on” she says, then adds “Jeremy, Micheal, could you could over to my desk?”

Of course. She couldn’t just let go of their conversation yesterday. Micheal knew it was coming, but he still hoped it wouldn’t.

They begrudgingly made their way to her desk.

“Heyyyy”

The teacher stared at them. Then sighed “you two can work together, if that’s still what you want. But this is your last warning”

“Thank you so much” Micheal says, Jeremy says something similar at the same time, but changes the wording up a bit.

.

.

The rest of English is spent writing cheesy romance diolog for Romeo and Juliet.

.

Then gym where not much gets done.

.

He had taken out helpy again in Mr. Carnes class, just to look at him, do a little dance.

“Did your father make you that” Mr carnes voice. Micheal head suddenly hurt.

“No, I made him” Micheal says.

“Very impressive, he must’ve taught you a lot”

“Nope… all Henry” okay that’s a lie. But William didn’t teach him either! He had to learn how to mess with animatronics on his own trying to figure out how to free the souls, it was mostly things laying around the house and books that really taught him.

And Reddit and YouTube when those came out. By the 2020s he could find any problem he had solved on Reddit. (Too bad he died 5 years in. But honestly it might’ve been for the better).

“That’s nice, he and your father were close”

Okay, Micheal sees what’s happening. Honestly what’s been happening. Micheal looks at him.

“Doing this is making me feel worse” Micheal then says. Hoping it’ll clear things up. And really his head bangs with pain. He never got this in his corpse stage… really then everything hurt, but it hurt so much it became numb, like water getting so hot it feels cold.

“Sorry Micheal” Mr. Carnes says. “Everyone just wants to support you, and I know how the news is, and I don’t want you to feel like you can’t miss him”

“Thanks” Micheal says “but really, I’m doing well. Honestly my siblings need more right now, not that you can do much about it”

Mr carnes laughs “it’s a small town Micheal! Even when you’re graduated you and your siblings will still have me”

Micheal just nods.

It feels false. Unreal. The moment he graduated last him he was thrown into everything. But he guesses this time, if he really wanted too he could ask his past teachers for advice. It feels off to him. And he won’t do it, he doesn’t know these teachers like he would have, and he wants to get far, far away. But it’s nice, to show it’s different than before. To maybe even believe it’s different from before.

Mr carnes walks away.

And his head still hurts.

Micheal looks around the room. Students staring at their desks.

Then he notices a sharp pain. Strangely enough only to the extreme when he looks at a certain kid, a girl with short hair and overalls.

He stands up, and walks to her.

“Hello”

“Micheal!!!!” She jumps “oh! Yes! Did Margret tell you about me? Or uh! What did you want to say”

Micheal may have seen her with marget, maybe in English class? He doesn’t know.

Micheal shrugs

“Oh…” she looks dejected.

“You’re necklace” Micheal says outloud when he looks at it. He’s seen it before on her backpack. It’s a heart locket. But something about it is off. And it calls to him, and tune that hurts his ears, then his mind.

“Oh uhm… yes it’s… pretty right? Hehe” she laughs nervously, almost like Micheal caught her in a lie.

“Where did you get it?”

She freezes like a deer in headlights “uhm…… do you… uhm…. I’m sorry”

Micheal tilts his head.

“On a robot in the dump” she whispers “I know it was probably your family’s but-… I’m sorry to ask, but can I keep it? Maybe?”

Something about her as a whole is off.

“What’s your name?”

“Sarah” she mumbles.

Sarah. That was the girl Marget said didn’t exist. Couldn’t exist.

She’s from the future. Something about it feels obvious.

Or she should’ve been, but maybe, just like the newspaper, and the records, they brought her back somehow?

But that’s unimportant. The necklace. It’s familiar, and it’s weird, and it kinda hurts is eyes, but just bearly, and is Sarah taller?

Oh.

Oh…

He knows this, if it was anyone else they’d never catch on but he knows this far too well.

And illusion disk, he used them for himself for job interviews, or light grocery shopping, he could get them working, but they never masked the smell well enough to be permanent. And they kinda freaked him out.

“Do you know what that locket is? Really?”

She just stares at him. Then glances at the necklace. She slowly shakes her head no.

“Can I take it… for a moment”

She’s quite “…she told me not to take it off…. Or else it wouldn’t work”

“Are you…. Hiding something?” Micheal asks.

She shakes her head. Then pauses “I-… I don’t… I don’t…. Know?”

“It’ll work if you put it back on, just let me see it for a minute” Micheal says. That’s true too. All it does is let out sound that tricks your eyes. It’s not like taking it off is going to break it. Though whoever ‘she’ is. Is worrying.

Sarah glups, then shakes her head. She takes off the necklace, to give it to Micheal.

His mind goes foggy for a second, then he sees clearly, legs replaced by metal.

Sarah sees it too.

She starts to scream, but Micheal covers her mouth.

“Hey! Hey it’s okay! I know this is weird. Who have you that necklace? A robot?” Micheal asks.

“I- uh- I…” she breathes heavily. “I don’t- yes. She uh. She said- she’d uh… make me… beautiful… but I-“ she sniffles “I don’t-“

“Okay, where is she?” Micheal asks “it’s okay, I’ve been through this before”

She looks him up and down “you have?”

“Uh… kinda yeah, It’ll be fine, you won’t die” he didn’t… kinda.

“Okay-….. she’s at my house still.”

“Okay that sucks, that’s bad. But that’s okay” very bad, actually, majorly bad. The most bad something can be.

“Is it????”

Yes!!! Micheal wants to scream but doesn’t “do you got family in the house?”

Sarah pauses. And stops.

“I- no- I-… where did they go? I thought I did? But I can’t remember… I can’t remember their faces, or them being home. No.” She looks at the ground breathing harder.

“That’s good!!! Very good!!!”

She looks at him with wide panicked eyes.

“Eh could be better, but still good!” He says. “Now do what you would do if there’s a spider in your house and you lost it”

“….?”

“Leave the house, and call pest control”

“I don’t- I uh okay. Who is pest control in this?” She asks.

“Me! And don’t worry about your legs, I’ll make you some better ones, but uh” he hands her back the heart necklace “just be careful with showing in the meantime I guess, you should be fine! Got a place to stay in the meantime”

“I’ll text marget” she mumbles, still looking at her legs, they now look normal, but she knows what they really are.

“Sounds good!” Micheal smiles “wait. It’s 1983, texting is not a thing yet”

She pauses “oh god… what even am I saying? Something weirds happening today”

“Nah you’re okay” Micheal shrugs. “Just go to her house, her mom will let you stay I’m sure.”

Well now Micheal had a plan. Go to Jeremy’s, get him, and kill that robot in Sarah’s house… oh and deal with Alice he guesses, now he’ll have to ask where Sarah lives.

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Micheal rides the bus home with Jeremy. Filling him in on all the details of Sarah, his personal theories, and plans on how to kill robot in her house.

He agrees far too easily to all of this, the wonderful man he is. But first they have to go back to his house.

So they do. The open the doors and are greeted with Amy… and some girl????

“Oh good! You boys are home, Alice just got here” Jermey mom smiles, not looking at Micheal. “It’s been a while since you two last met”

Micheal’s sure that’s an understatement for them.

Jeremy just stands there.

Alice just stands there.

There’s no way in hell Micheal’s getting involved so he just stands there too.

“Uh.” Jermey clears his throat “this is Micheal, uh Micheal this is… well you know that’s Alice”

Now Micheal looks closer he thinks he vaguely recognizes her face, though maybe that’s his mind grasping at straws? He knew they had met before. But it’s hard to tell if he really remembers her, or if that’s his mind tricking him because he should remember her?

“Uh hey…. I’m Micheal” Micheal says.

“Yes” Alice says, her voice sounds nice enough, it’s on the deeper side, and her hairs in a ponytail, and she’s wearing a simple blue shirt. “have we met?”

Micheal knows they have.

“I don’t think so” Amy buts in “but uhm he’s-…” she turns to her “the one I told you about”

Dang. Micheal can’t do shit. Technically his fault, he gave himself that reputation, but still slightly stings.

“Micheal’s chill” Jermey says. And Micheal feels like he could cry, Jeremy’s so cool.

“I believe that… now what do you want to do Jermey?” She asks.

“Let’s all head to my room first”

Amy smiles “okay, but leave the door open!! Have fun!” She walks off.

They walk to his room. In horrible, awkward, silence.

“How have you been… it’s been…. So long… uhm… Jeremy?” Alice asks.

“Good. Very good, me and Micheal have been hanging out a lot more”

“Yes, my- your mom told me” Alice says “i think she likes him. But she’s trying not too”

Jermey pauses, probably thinking about that, then nods “that’s a good way to put it. I promise he’s cool now” he says.

“Yes, I believe you.” She stares at the couch. Seemingly not one for conversation.

“Have you been talking to anyone.”

Alice pauses “yes- a uh… guy. Named Sam.”

Jermey nods “that’s cool.”

“Very.”

Wow. This is horrible to watch.

Micheal’s almost felt relief when he hears the doorbell ring.

“I’ll get it!” Micheal says.

Jermey and Alice seem to follow him anyways.

Opening up the door reveals a glaring marget. “Micheal you have some explaining to do.”

Ah. Well his relief ended there. “What.” He says, deadpan.

“We found the newspaper.”

Oh. That one. He assumes it’s that one at least. Chekhov's gun or something.

“Ah.” What else is he meant to say??

“And more people who….” Marget glares at Alice. “Nevermind, you’re coming with me, and I’m getting answers!”

“No thanks. I’m with Jeremy right now, me and him have to go fight a robot” Micheal shrugs.

She glares harder “I’ll help you find Cassidy”

Oh. That actually would be helpful. Evan does seem to miss her, and actually his birthdays coming up. Micheal was just going to try to make a ‘fur real friend’ type doll robot thing, but getting the (now not)missing children there for a party could be very sweet.

“That would be nice, but how do you know avoid her?” It’s a logical question.

“I’ll answer if you come with me and Kyle and Jacob!!!” Marget grins.

Micheal thinks. “Maybe later, me and Jermey have plans-“

“Micheal” Alice spoke, before Jermey can. “Me and Jeremy could do it. If it’s uh… fighting a robot?”

Micheal looks at Jeremy.

“Yeah I can handle it, fire right? I’ll try not to burn her house down.” Jeremy says with a shrug.

“Yeah alright” Micheal says.

“I’m not even going to ask about that part” marget sighs “c’mon Micheal!!!!” She drags him out.

———

“I’m going to ask about that part” says Alice to Jermey when the doors shut.

Honestly she’s a lot more chill than Jermey remembered, she was always fine, but she never believed in any of the haunting she went through. Which to be fair he wouldn’t have believed if he didn’t go through them.

“A girl put a malfunctioning robot in her house, and it’s making a mess of the place” Jeremy says.

She nods.

She’s a lot more quiet than he remembers too.

“We should probably go now then. To speed it up I guess” she says.

“I have the address! We can go!” They soon put on shoes, open the door, and began their walk over there.

The day felt nice, the sun was warm, and the wind was chill.

They walked side by side.

“Jeremy?” She asked. “You really like Micheal right?”

“Yeah” Jermey said.

She nods “that’s really good” she smiles faintly. Then pauses.

“Okay, I don’t know what’s going on” Jermey then says “are you uh…. Okay?”

“Yes!” She says far too quickly “yes of course. I’m sorry, I’ve been… having weird dreams”

Jermey nods “it’s alright, I’ve been too!” All of Jeremy’s dreams are weird. Though to be fair his waking world is just as weird.

She chuckles “yeah maybe… it’s- it is nice to see your face.”

He looks into hers “it’s nice to see yours too” honestly he’s not even lying. He never felt much about Alice. She was a fine friend, though they were really just put together by his mom, and stuck around for her. They never fought, but they never cuddled up on the couch to watch movies. They never really got annoyed at each other, but they didn’t share a bed.

Honestly all their moments together were just… plain. Boring? Maybe? Nothing bad… but that doesn’t mean it was nothing good friendship wise.

She was always nice, he was always nice back, they backed each other up enough at social events. Sometimes they made each other laugh. But they were always into too different of things to really bond.

Jermey wanted to leave hurricane, she didn’t. Jermey dreaded working any sort of business job, she didn’t. Jermey loved horror movies, she didn’t.

But, after all this time. He couldn’t lie. He did kinda miss her. Just knowing she’s there. That’s nice, even if Jeremy doesn’t really care to hang out.

“Jeremy your mom’s really sweet you know?” She says.

He nods again, looking at the paper Micheal wrote on, he smiles at the handwriting. Then looks up trying to match the address to the nearby houses.

She nods, for no real reason.

They continue walking.

“Okay, I’m ripping the band-aid off I like Sam! A lot!” She then says.

Oh.

Oh, That’s nice. Really nice.

“Oh!! Nice!” Jermey smiles. That actually fixes a lot of the nervousness he’s been feeling.

“I know your mom’ss going to hate it though” she chuckles. “I just, didn’t want to hurt your feelings”

“I like us as friends” Jermey then says.

“Yeah, me too. I uh… do miss you though. I didn’t realize how much I would with you gone. But I’ve never felt that way” Alice says.

Jermey couldn’t help but agree. “Oh! This is the house. I got a match, a flashlight, And we’ll get some water inside”

“We have to… burn it?” Alice then asks.

“Yep!”

She pauses “okay.”

They head inside. The lights are out, but Jermey is quick to find a switch.

“There!!!” Alice yells.

And something rushes off.

She sticks to his back.

“You really think these things are evil huh?” She nervously laughs.

“Not normally, they don’t mean to be this way, but sometimes it happens” Jeremy says. After what Micheal told him about Charlie how could he think that. “Maybe sometimes they mean it, but not normally” he can’t forget William though.

They walk through the unfamiliar home.

“Sarah” a voice sings out.

Jeremy and Alice snap to the side it’s on. Before sneaking down the hall.

Jermey catches a glimpse of red, robotic, pigtails, in a design he thinks he recognizes?? But it’s slightly off.

“There she is” Jeremy says. “I’ll light her up, you find the kitchen”

Alice shakily nods.

Jermey gets in close, shines his flashlight on her. She looks at him. A clown like face.

“Where’s Sarah-“ she bends her head, as a robot voice, now strained, asks him.

“Over there” Jermey gestures to the right. And has to stop himself from laughing when it works, he then. As quick as he can, gets out a match, and sets her ablaze.

At first Jeremy thought her plastic wouldn’t light as fast as the fur covered animatronics. But she seems to catch fire just as well.

She slowly collapses.

Just as Alice comes back in, and sets out the fire just in time.

They drag the robot out of the house, and continue to rip it apart.

“I think I’m never going to Freddy’s again” Alice says.

“Smart move” Jeremy says.

She looks at him.

“You… you don’t remember working there?” She asks.

He pauses “I do???”

She looks at him confused.

“And being together? You remember that?” She asks.

“Yeah. The whole uh…. Time travel thing.”

“Yeah” she nods “I thought I was going crazy… until I met Sam again and he said the same thing”

“Nice to know it isn’t only me and Micheal then” Jeremy chuckles.

“That makes a lot of sense…. I got married. To Sam. After you died…” she then said “I felt so bad, when your mom called. I was worried you’d remember and expect us to get back together”

Jermey laughs. Jermey laughs hard “i was kinda worried about that too!”

Maybe their relationship wasn’t the best. Now that he’s thinking about it. It had always just been ‘fine’ that’s why they never ended it. They always thought they had already built up and done everything, they had a pattern, and his mom liked that pattern.

Back then he never would’ve imagined leaving her. Just for convenience.

But now, looking back. They were both unhappy weren’t they?

“Dang, we really work better as friends I guess” Jermey says “my moms going to freak”

Alice laughs “she’ll get over it. I don’t think she means harm”

No she doesn’t. She thinks they have crushes on each other. She thought they were happy. That’s the only reason she pushed.

Suddenly Jermey felt lighter. Alice seemed lighter too.

And they talked about Sam, and Micheal, on their way back home.

——

Micheal answered every question he knew the answer too. And in return got the adress of Cassidy. And the other missing children.

He was relieved she lived close by. Though in retrospect he should’ve assumed that, with the small town and all.

He’s already made a plan in his mind. Send out a card saying there’s a neighborhood party for Evan afton, and hopes she remembers or they at least want to go to a community event.

If all goes right it’ll work out, if it all goes wrong… maybe Evan will like helpy?? He’s not that scary???

“So time travel is real? That’s what we’re all agreeing on right?” Kyle asks.

Michel is sitting down, in Margets room now. (He hears Sarah’s voice downstairs taking to Margets mom).

Everyone sits across from Michal.

They all look at him.

Marget looks away and sighs “I guess so?” She pauses “but Evan…? We pranked him, right? It went wrong. That’s why you hated us”

“Yeah pretty much… but it was my fault in the first place” Micheal says.

“But it’s your fault it’s not happing so it cancels out” Kyle shrugs.

That’s a nice way to think about it. Micheal will try that.

“So you killed your brother?” Jacob glares.

“Yeah. I didn’t mean to. I spent my whole life… and after trying to make it all up”

“After? When did you really die??” Margret asks.

“Was it before or after 2023?!” Kyle smiles

“Uh after?” Micheal says “2025, then I burned”

“DAMNIT!” Kyle says, hitting a pillow “you got two more years then me”

“Uh okay.” Micheal says “can I go now?”

Marget looks at him. And pauses, her gaze softens.

“I mean yeah I guess… I don’t know what else there is.” She says

“What do you mean??? There’s so many other things?! I mean time travels absurd?? Make him prove it!!” Jacob says.

“I already believe it, even if I don’t want to. I guess… will you still hang out with us?” marget asks

“No probably not”

Everyone went quiet.

“Alright” said marget “you can go”

“WHAT?! You can’t just let him leave-“ Jacob is quick to yell.

“We can’t force him to stay” says marget. “It’s… i don’t know, I don’t control everything! I don’t know anything, and I’m sick on being the one to do things. We know what’s going on now, and it’s a lot more than I can handle. I’ll miss you Micheal. But you don’t have to stay here.”

“Be free! Like a bird!” Kyle then says “bring Jermey around sometime though, don’t be like, don’t pretend you don’t know us.”

Micheal pauses “maybe we’ll meet up again. I’ll try to do that alright”

With that, Micheal takes his leave.

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.

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“How was Alice’s visit!” Amy smiles “did you like her Micheal” she definitely seems in a better mood now.

Honestly Micheal missed most of it, but Jermey filled him in (it sounded really awkward until the end so maybe marget stealing him away wasn’t so bad??).

“She was nice” is all Micheal said.

He’s just glad he got everything under control.

He’ll have to see his old gang again at school tomorrow, but soon enough he’ll be moving out of this place. With Jermey. And maybe they’ll meet again.

It’s not a goodbye forever like last time. And that’s kinda nice. Jermey seems to have gotten everything under control, and maybe Cassidy will even come over soon. Evan will really like that.

This birthday will be different, a happy day. The happiest. Hopefully Henry will be able to calm down, and Elizabeth settle too.

But for now, Jermey and Micheal have to head to his room. They have a show to practice for. Their ending of Romeo and Juliet…

And so they practice.

“Oh sweet Romeo!” Micheal smiles “it’s glad thee remains, away from deaths embrace”

“The only embrace thee shall remain is mine” Jeremy says, they lean close, looking each other in the eyes. Then the distance around them vanishes. And they kiss.

Only because that’s what Romeo and Juliet would do.

They soon pull away, laughing. They’ll probably cut that part out in their actual performance.