Chapter Text
Michael ran through the streets, his breaths labored as the heavy footsteps of the boys behind him grew louder.
"Come back here sissy!" One yelled but Michael barely let it register as he bumped into someone not bothering to look as he continued speeding towards the abandoned apartments. All the faces blurred together as he searched for refuge while the fear swallowed him whole.
He ran up the eroding stairs before finding an open gate and hiding. His heart thundering in his chest as he heard the boys downstairs yelling obscenities.
He locked himself within the apartment as the boys began banging on the door aggressively.
"Come on Little! Don't be a sissy bitch!" A shoe was flung at the barricaded window then some rocks.
He sat on the dirty floor, hugging his knees as the yelling finally quieted down. His heart rate calmed for a moment as he took in the abandoned apartment. The broken glass and discarded items all over the area made him curious.
He stood up from his place, taking a few steps before picking up a long empty vial then suddenly he heard knocking again which made him back up immediately. His heart rate picked up. Was it those kids? Did they come back?
He saw the wood covered window open, there stood a much taller man adorning a black durag and a gold chain with a single diamond earring.
"What you doing lil man?" The man questioned taking in the small boy in the apartment which was one of his dope holes, definitely no place for a child.
Michael did not reply to the man, remaining silently in place.
"You don't talk to strangers?" He asked taking a step forward to which Micheal instinctively took two steps back. Questioning if he should escape or not.
He stopped in his tracks, raising his hands in surrender "It's cool, we cool." He said with a chuckle, his grills gleaming as he tried to show the boy he meant no harm.
Yet Michael still kept his distance remained guarded, trust was a luxury he awarded to nobody, especially not a strange man.
The man looked around awkwardly at the abandoned apartment not knowing how to deal with this situation. "You wanna eat?" He asked with a smile as Micheal looked him up and down.
He opened the front door, the light hitting Micheals skin before turning back to him. "Come on man, can't be worse out here." He said.
Micheal finally stepped out with him, following the man into his car.
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Micheal took bites of his food, while Juan sat across from him sipping on a soda—legs crossed leisurely as he watched the boy scarfed his food down.
"So you not gon tell me your name?"
No awnser
"How bout where you live..."
Juan asked but Micheal continued to eat ignoring his question
Juan sighed quietly before taking Micheals tray of food and pushing it toward himself
"I gotta get you home lil man, can't have you hiding round these dope holes."
Micheal finally looked at Juan before pouting quietly at the loss of his meal which made him laugh. This kid really was strange.
"Aye my bad, you know I won't do you like that. I'm just trying to get you to day sum." Micheal looked up at Juan extended his hand to apologize.
He stared at it until Juan retracted his hand.
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They drove down the road in silence, Juan keeping his eyes on the road while Micheal stared at his hands.
He parked at a pretty white house which he didn't recognize.
"Don't worry Teressa will make you talk." He said with a chuckle as Juan walked out of the car to a beautiful woman who looked in his direction before walking toward the car and entering it as if she's done it a hundred times.
They sat in silence as she stared at the young man, taking him in while he stared at her. Her cocoa butter scent is what he noticed first.
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"My name is Micheal but people call me little"
Micheal slowly chewed his chicken while Teressa and Juan watched him.
"He don't talk much but he sure can eat." Juan laughed which made Teressa chuckle quietly.
"You alright there little?" Juan asked
"Well imma call you by your name, Micheal.”
"Where u from?" She asked gently
"Liberity city"
"Do you live with your mother?"
Micheal swallowed his piece of chicken
"Yes" he replied quietly
"What about your daddy?"
Micheal set his fork down placing his hand on his cheek quietly, he never knew his father. Not a name or face and his mother never once mentioned him in their house and Micheal never bothered to ask about someone who couldn't be bothered to stay.
Teressa and Juan understood quietly.
"Do you want us to take you home?" Teressa questioned.
Home, Micheal thought of his dirty house, the laundry and dirt everywhere. Then his mind moved to his mother. That place was nothing but the place he slept at, not home at least not to him
"You can stay with us for the night." She added which made Micheal perk up a bit
"Would you like that?" She asked which made him nod silently.
Juan looked at teressa with a bewildered expression "resa'" he whispered before shutting up when he saw Micheal silently nodding.
That night at her house, he slept well, better than he could remember if he was honest.
Not long after he woke up and had breakfast,Juan drove him home to Micheals quiet dismay.
Once they got to his apartment block he knocked at the door a few times waiting for his mother to open the door.
"What happened huh?" He heard her familiar voice from his left making him and Juan turn.
Juan paused for a moment recognizing the woman while Micheal stared at her blankly as she walked towards the two.
He recognized her but schooled his emotions for the sake of the child in front of them.
"Why didn't you come home like you supposed to,huh?" His mother questioned again, her eyes worried before she looked at Juan—she stiffened for a moment before putting Micheal behind her back.
“Found him in a dope whole on 7th. He wouldn't tell us where he lived.” Juan said.
"Lil man" he tried to pat the child's head but she immediately pulled him behind her again.
Micheal didn't really get why but then again his mother was kind of weird.
Juan paused, staring at her before eventually walking off with Micheal staring at his back. For some odd reason he wanted to go with Juan.
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"You a real damn prize Micheal." His mother said pacing their living room slowly rubbing her hand on the back of her neck, scratching it as she used her free hand to point at him.
He stared at her quietly taking in her actions, his mother always fidgeted, he never really understood why but she always did.
"You gots to come home when you meant to come home."
"You hear?" She added knocking him out of his thoughts, he remained silent as she sat next to him holding him close—cradling his head before kissing it.
"It's alright baby." She cooed lovingly.
"I'm just glad you're home."
Mj freed himself from her grasp—moving to turn on the TV to distract himself.
"Nah uh, TV privileges are revoked." She said laying her head on her arm tiredly
"Go find something to read."
Micheal shuffled around the house quietly looking through the mess for something to do when he found an old copy of The Jungle Book, beaten up and worn probably from years of use. He didn't even know something like this existed in his house. It may have been old but it was readable.
He picked it up flipping through the pages, trying to understand what each word meant
Somehow he got sucked into a world far from his house, his mind opening up to the different scenes.
Soon enough he grew enamored with the book, his hand gliding through each word as he entraped himself in his own little world.
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The afternoon on the field was like usual. The other boys played that stupid game, routing one another up–thier laughter loud and carefree as they tackled who had the ball next.
Soon enough Micheal grew bored of the game, walking away from the group on his own.
"Hey Little!" A voice behind him said, which made him turn to see a kid around his height with thick black famed glasses and messy mousey brown hair and reddened cheeks from running around.
"Hey Peter" he said quietly.
"Why'd you leave?" Peter asked curiously as they began walking away from the group together
"Got bored"
"Yeah it does get boring after a while" Peter agreed with a shrug.
Micheal noticed the scratch on Peter's cheek—curiously he gently held his face to inspect it.
"Is it bleeding?" Peter asked—adjusting himself letting Micheal hold his face.
Micheal modded quietly which made Peter chuckle quietly.
"You're funny," Peter said—circling Micheal.
"Why'd you let those guys pick on you?" He added watching Micheals eyes follow him.
"Wachu mean?"
"You always let those guys pick on you." Peter stopped with a grin
"So? What should I do?"
"You gotta show em’ you're you're not soft y'know?"
"But I ain't soft." He replied simply
"I know but it doesn't mean anything if they don't know it." Peter shoved Micheal waiting for him to retaliate but to no avail
"Come on, we can't let those guys pick on us every day."
Micheal and Peter stared at one another for a moment before Micheal grabbed Peter throwing the both of them onto the floor.
The grass and dirt pricked their skin as they wrestled, the two laughing as Peter tried to get the upper hand.
After a while they both grew tired, laying on opposite sides of one another trying to catch their breath.
Peter stood up first, picking up his glasses from the floor and putting them back on.
"See little, I knew you weren't soft." He beamed
Micheal stared up at him from the floor, his heart still beating quickly from their wrestling match.Peter helped Micheal up from the floor before the two boys began running around together.
Somehow with Peter everything felt easier. Peter didn't make him feel like something was wrong with him.
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A few days passed since dropping Michael off—Juan drove into his front yard, recognizing the little figure in his front garden. No way this lil nigga found remembered where he lived.
He got out of the car seeing it really was him.
Micheal found himself and Juan's residence again, sitting on one of the chairs outside. He didn't really know why he was there, he just knew he didn't want to go home.
The two stared at one another for a moment, neither really knowing what to do or say in this situation.
"Come on man,let's go." Juan jerked his head towards his car and Micheal followed without much hesitation.
Because somehow this man earned Micheals trust, he had no clue why but he felt comfortable enough going wherever Juan wanted to go.