A/N – Ok, so here is the first story in my response to the ipod challenge. I'm doing the version where it's a one-shot/drabble per song with no time-limits. This one-shot/drabble is dedicated to Obviously Insane, as she was the one who thought doing an ipod challenge for hairspray would be a great idea and posed it to us. So this is for you Insane! I hope you like it!
Disclaimer – The song 'Honky Cat' does not belong to me, neither does the characters of Hairspray. This is for enjoyment only.
'They said get back honky cat,
Better get back to the woods,
Well I quite those days and my redneck ways,
And oh the change is gonna do me good.'
(Elton John, 'Honky Cat')
Michael Gerald Louis had lived on a farm for the majority of his childhood with his mother, father, sister and his grand-parents from his mother's side. He loved it there. Being around nature and animals; and he enjoyed working there, helping with all the farm animals and crops. He and his little sister always used to amuse themselves by jumping about on the bales of hay. Always under the watchful eye of their old dog, Skippy. The farm belonged to his grand-parents and his father used to work for them. That was how his parents had met, working on the farm. They fell in love, got married and had two children; Mikey and his sister Abigail.
They lived happily until Mikey turned eleven. It was then that things started to go downhill. The relationship between his parents had become strained and they admitted that they were only still together for the sake of the kids. His mother spent more time working on the farm than she did before, and his father started visiting the city.
The city intrigued young Mikey to no end. It fascinated him and he wanted nothing more than to go with his dad on one of his trips. But he couldn't. He had to stay at home and look after Abigail. Still, he was determined to go one day.
About two years later, when Mikey was thirteen, his family was split apart. His mother had found someone else, none other than his father's best friend, so they were getting divorced. Abigail would be remaining with their mother at the farm but Mikey had the option to go live with their father if he wanted to. That would mean leaving the farm and going to live in the city. The city! The place the young lad had always dreamed of going. So, of course, he jumped at the chance to go with his father.
His grand-parents told him he was foolish. He would find nothing in the city with his father. He should remain with them at the farm. But Mikey was having none of it. He wanted to go with his dad to the city and that was exactly what he was going to do.
Soon Mikey said goodbye to his old life at the farm and hello to his new life in the city. The change would do him good. He could go to a new school, start fresh, actually have friends for once. Which was exactly what he needed.
It wasn't much longer before Mikey got his spot dancing on 'The Corny Collins Show' as one of the council members. He was earning his own money! If he had stayed at the farm he would be doing the same thing day after day but now, he literally was becoming a new man.
Unfortunately his father had trouble with keeping a job so most of their income was through Mikey. But still, he never regretted moving to the city. He was happy. And now, a few years down the line, he knew he definitely made the right decision.
Seeing the happiness on Darla's face and the love in her eyes as she attached his council ring onto her necklace, he was positive. Here he was, a young man with a great job and a fantastic girl, the girl of his dreams; and all because he chose to go with his father. Yep, the change definitely did him good.
'They said stay at home boy, you gotta tend the farm,
Living in the city boy, is going to break your heart,
But how can you stay, when your heart says no,
How can you stop when your feet say go?'
(Elton John, 'Honky Cat')
