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"Y'know Mike, sometimes you sound just like him." Sam said angrily before storming back up the stairs.
Michael took a moment to process that. Something about Sam's words cut deep, normally he wouldn't let a tiny thing like that hurt him, he's been told worse. But it hurt coming from his little brother, the person he had tried to protect from that monster. Accusing him of being like their father.
Am I really like that? Michael thought, sitting back down at the table and picking at his bacon. He wasn't hungry anymore.
He went back up the stairs, leaving his breakfast at the table. Sam was back in their shared room, doing something or other. Michael was reluctant to go into the room but he needed clothes before he went out. He sighed and opened the door, Sam glared at him from where he sat.
"What do you want?"
Michael rolled his eyes. "Can't I get clothes from my room? Or is that bothering you too much?"
Sam huffed. "It's not your room, Mike."
"So what? Why does it matter to you anyways? I'm just trying to find something to wear."
Sam rolled his eyes at Michael. "Leave me alone, you've done enough." He grabbed one of his stupid comic books and angrily left the room.
"I didn't even do anything!" Michael shouted. He was ignored, but what does he care anyways?
Looking through the clothes already out as well as the others still in the boxes, Michael went deeper into his thoughts. He thought about what Sam had said over and over again, repeating the sentence in his head.
You're like him. You're like him. You're like him.
The voice of Sam was replaced by his father's voice, yelling at him over who knows what.
"Stupid fucking kid! Can't do anything right! God I raised you to be better and look what you've done! Messed everything up!"
Michael flinched instinctively. He took a breath before sitting on his unmade bed. "It's just something Sammy said in anger, he doesn't mean it. He doesn't mean it." He said quietly to himself. "Calm down, take a breather, you're overreacting Michael."
He grabbed the edge of the blanket, closing his eyes. Michael could feel the incoming headache. This was not his day, first he'd pissed Sam off which in turn pissed his mom off. Then he stormed off leaving Lucy to clean his mess before going to work, how helpful he was.
"Goddammit..." Michael ran his hand through his hair before going back to the earring. He thought of Star and how she had run away from him yesterday. That was his fault too, man he just could not get it together.
He got up and threw on some pants, laying back onto his bed. He thought again of the previous night. He thought of that singer. He intrigued him, the way he acted, the way he talked, his voice...
David, that was his name.
Sam burst back into the room, Michael looked up from his bed. "What?"
"Shut up Mike, I'm just grabbing something." Sam said.
"So we're just going to skip over the fact that you compared me to dad. I am nothing like him Sam, you know that."
"You were the one yelling at me, Mike."
"Listen I'm sorry okay? It was dumb of me to say those things, even if I was angry. You don't mean what you said."
Sam crossed his arms. "Sorry's not gonna cut it, Mike."
"Whatever. I'm going out." He grabbed his jacket and the keys to his bike and leaving the house. He spotted Star on his way to the boardwalk, she was standing by the billboard advertising Santa Carla. Michael brought his bike up next to it.
"Hey Star! Check out the earring David gave me!" He said excitedly as he climbed up the ladder.
"Michael you shouldn't talk to David, he's trouble."
"What why? He seems nice. Along with the other three. What's their names? Marko... Dwayne... and Paul?" He played with the tiny dagger hanging from the chain of the earring.
"Their dangerous. Don't go near them."
Michael scoffed. "Why? They seem cool. I want to have cool friends. Then I'll be cool."
"No, Moonbeam, you won't be. You're a dork."
Michael chuckled. "Yeah? Well you're the one that's friends with them. You're in their weird emo band!" He elbowed her lightly. "So would you put in a good word for me with David? I know, I know, you said he's dangerous but I think you're just trying to keep me to yourself." He winked at her, smiling as she pushed him away.
"Ew no. Go away. Walk the boardwalk or something. You'll come across one of them. Maybe."
"Fine if you want me to leave so bad." Michael got up and climbed back down the ladder from the billboard. He hopped back onto his bike and waved to Star as he drove off in the direction of the boardwalk.
Michael wandered aimlessly through the crowds, passing a strange comic store and an arcade. He wondered if Sam had been in either of the stores yet, knowing him he probably had visited both. He walked by the video store his mother worked in. Michael stopped at a concession stand and bought himself a soda before starting to walk again.
He was starting to doubt if Star was telling the truth when she said that David or any of the other guys would be here. He wanted to see at least one sort of familiar face. Though he didn't understand his desire to befriend these weirdos in a band. Maybe it was because he just wanted to be needed, to belong somewhere.
A sharp whistle was heard over the crowd, Michael whipped his head around to look for where it came from but saw nothing. A cold hand landed on his shoulder and he flinched, jostling his bruises. He winced lightly, looking up at who it was.
"Michael..."
Michael felt himself smile, though he didn't know why. "David, hey."
"It's getting dark out, where's your mom, hmm? Your brother?" He smiled slyly.
"Leave Sam alone." Michael snapped.
"Feisty aren't we? Well I wasn't going to go after him. Don't you worry, Michael."
"Sorry." Michael said quickly. "Just precautions of sorts... I guess?"
"You flinched when I touched you. What is the matter? Something at home bothering you? Or is it deeper?" David questioned, his eyes traveling to Michael's midsection, where the bruises hid under his shirt.
"It's none of your business, David." Michael crossed his arms. "I don't have to tell you anything. I don't even know you."
"That may be so but we could get to know each other. How about you come to the show tonight, hmm? Then we'll talk." David flicked Michael's earring lightly. "Suits you well."
Michael blushed, looking away from him. "Thank you."
David's arm wrapped around Michael's shoulders and he walked with him along the pier.
"So Arizona, what's got you all tense. Now don't get mad at me for asking again, I mean no harm."
Michael raised an eyebrow skeptically. "Really? Get the memo that I don't want to talk David. I barely even know you, why would I tell you something that personal?"
"Because you trust me?"
"No, I don't trust you." Michael pouted. "Would you drop it?"
"Now Michael, you know better than to pout."
Michael leaned more into David, though he didn't want to. His ribs were killing him. He groaned lightly. David's eyes tracked his every move, he pulled Michael to a bench in a secluded part of the boardwalk. "Sit." He ordered.
"Bossy much." Michael teased. He sat down, letting out a sigh of relief.
"Tell me what happened." David's hand touched Michael's side gently. Michael tensed, before relaxing again. He leaned closer to David, laying his head on his shoulder.
"Back in Arizona my dad... wasn't the best person." Michael played with his hands, refusing to make eye contact with David. "He got really mad a lot of the time... liked to punch walls among other things..."
David nodded, playing with the ends of Michael's hair. Michael went on. "My mom decided she had enough and we moved out here. To the house grandpa left behind." Michael shuddered. "That house is so creepy, man. Ugh."
"Show's starting soon, you should go see us. Or just go for Star." David teased. "Maybe after you can come backstage." He pulled Michael up off the bench, stealing Michael's forgotten soda and taking a sip before making a disgusted face. "It's flat. How do you drink this?"
"Wasn't flat when I bought it, asshole. Give it back." Michael snatched the soda back. He took a sip himself. "Ew. That's nasty."
David laughed. "See? I'm right." They started walking back the way they came, towards the stage. Michael threw out the soda.
He teasingly pushed David. "Shut it." It's was darker now than it had been when Michael left home, he thought of something Sam had said. About vampires or something and people being murdered. God his brother was weird.
Speaking of Sam, they walked by the comic store and through the window Michael could see two kids in military gear waving around wooden stakes at his brother.
"What on earth are they doing." He paused by the window, watching this happen.
"Probably telling him about the 'vampires' around town." David said.
"Vampires aren't real, silly. They're a myth. What are they warning against? Count Chocula?"
David shrugged. "We should find out." He opened the door, holding it for Michael.
"What a gentleman." Michael teased. He looked at the two strange kids talking to his brother. "Who are your friends, Sam?"
The boys looked up and looked between David and Michael before going back to David. They both started shouting in unison, pointing the stakes at him. "VAMPIRE!!!"
"Edgar! Alan!" Sam said. "Don't wave stakes at random goth people!"
"Your friends are weird, Sam." Michael said, laughing.
"Why are you here? I told you to leave me alone." Sam said angrily.
"Maybe I wanted to talk to you." Michael pointed his finger at Sam. "I didn't try to be mean, you said what you said not me. I told you that I was sorry. What can I do to help?"
"No sibling drama in the comic shop." Edgar said.
Alan spoke up. "You're one to talk."
"Who are you people?" Michael asked.
David put his hand on Michael's back, moving him to the side. "They hunt vampires Michael. Some kind of superheros."
"We're the Frog Brothers!" The two boys said.
"And you hunt vampires?" Michael asked skeptically.
"We'll be heroes once we catch them!" Alan said proudly.
"Ookay..." Michael pulled David by the elbow out of the store. "Think Sam isn't angry at me anymore." He said proudly.
David hummed. "Show's soon, wouldn't want to miss it now would we?" He wrapped his arm around Michael's shoulders.
Michael smiled. "No, we wouldn't." When they reached the stage Marko and Paul were helping set up. Dwayne was somewhere backstage, searching for something.
"You finally made it! About time." Paul said.
Marko looked up from his guitar. "And you brought Michael!"
"Found it!" Dwayne walked onto the stage, holding the mic stand. Star was nowhere to be seen.
"I should get out of your way so you can practice." Michael rubbed the back of his neck shyly.
"No, no, Michael you should stay. Watch us. Practice the guitar more." David said.
Michael picked up a guitar and strummed a few chords. "Okay, thanks."
The show started soon after, Michael standing in the front row, watching Star and David as they sang. Sam appeared behind him, insistantly poking his shoulder. "Mike! Mike! Mom said we have to go!" He shouted over the music.
"I rode my bike here! I'll go home after the show!" Michael called back.
They argued briefly before Sam wandered off, leaving Michael alone. Have To Have You was playing, Michael watched David, mesmerized. David met his eyes, staring at him and only him. They finished the song and the crowd cheered, the show was over. David disappeared, along with the others. He sat on the stage, kicking his feet.
Star joined him a little while later, sitting next to him. "Hey Moonbeam."
"Hi Star."
"Why do you continue to hang out with David? He's dangerous. They all are." She asked.
"What's your issue with them? They seem fine to me." Michael said defensively.
Star let out a sigh. "Whatever, Moonbeam. I gotta go." She stood up fast and walked away.
"God Michael... you're a mess." He put his head in his hands.
"Michael."
He instantly knew who it was, still startled though. "Jesus Christ! David!" He sprang to his feet, smoothing his shirt.
David cackled. "You scare easy, Michael. Or is it... Moonbeam?" He teased.
Michael flushed. "Shut up..."
"Do you ride?" David asked
"What?"
"Do you ride? A bike?"
"Oh! Yes, I do."
"Great!" David clapped his hands together and smiled.
"I don't like the sound of that."
"Don't you worry, Michael. You don't have to be faster than me. Just try to keep up." David turned around and led Michael to where he and the other's had parked their bikes. Surprisingly close to Michael's. The other three were already on the bikes with Star on the back of Paul's bike. Together they rode back to the ironworks.
The rest of the night was a blur, Michael remembered drinking this weird wine out of a fancy cup while the others chanted.
He sat with David on the couch, watching the others fool around. Whatever was in that cup knocked Michael out, he slumped against the back of the couch and was fast asleep in no time.
He woke up dazed and confused. He was back in his bedroom, having no clue how he got back. Michael rolled over, eyes catching on a note that laid on his beside table. He picked it up, examining it carefully.
You fell asleep, brought you back home.
Bikes safe in the garage.
Come back to the ironworks tomorrow
-David