AN: After a long stint in the hospital, Michael returns home, and Miley wants to go and talk to him, but his family has a few choice words for her in the process...

Chapter Four: A Bad Homecoming

The thing that really ate at Melody the whole time that she sat out here was the way that Miley and Michael interacted. The minute that he saw her, his eyes lit up in a way that she could not have imagined would have happened in the whole time that she knew him. Maybe it was in a way that Melody was jealous that Michael had a thing for Miley instead of her. She shook that feeling off, but there was something that everyone in his family could see, and it was the fact that Miley was flat out using him. She made him do things while stringing him along. It was obvious that Michael had some romantic feelings for Miley, and she either knew that and didn't care, or she knew all about his crush on her, and used that to make him do things for her.

Michael went on trips with her, basically was a servant to Miley and she was too damn ignorant to see what a great guy he was. Nobody said anything about it, but Melody and Charles could see that he was hurting behind his blue eyes. He smiled and everything, but he was really hurting on the inside.

The only thing that Miley could do was watch. She watched as Marie and Charles helped Michael into a wheelchair, and rolled them into his home. Miley felt her heart literally hurt that he was now in a wheelchair because of her. If she had not asked him to walk home with her, maybe this will not be happening. Then again, maybe Miley would be dead right now. Miley contemplated walking over there and saying that she was sorry for everything that happened to the two of them.

"Miley, if you are thinking about going over there and talking to Michael, you might want to rethink that." Jackson said appearing in her doorway.

"Why? What's going on over there?" Miley asked him.

"Well, for one Mike's getting re-situated over there." Jackson said. "Two, Melody told me that no one over there besides Michael is really on your side right now."

"Really? Why does everyone over there hate me?" Miley asked him.

"Wow, you are really asking me that?" Jackson asked. "Think. Miley. Why would his family be mad at you?"

"I don't know why." Miley stated honestly.

"Jesus, and they called me dumb." Jackson said under his breath. "Look, even though it is not your fault that Michael got shot, they don't see it that way. Look, plain and simple, this is not the time to head over there and try and talk to them, because they are all hurting right now. Just sit back and wait until the right time comes up."

"When will that be?" Jackson asked.

"No idea, but it sure as hell isn't now." Jackson said with a smile, leaving his little sister to think alone in her room.

Miley just sighed, and continued to watch the house across the street where Michael lived.

The one thing that Michael came to hate about being in a wheelchair was the fact that he was unable to go outside. Michael sat in his new room in the lower part of the house, and just stared outside at the lovely day that was happening without him. He felt himself growing bitter and hateful for what was happening to him, and what happened to Miley.

Michael wheeled himself over to his computer, and read the news article that was on the internet about the shooting that he was the victim of. Of course, they had printed information in the local social news media, which was fine enough. Michael checked the St. Louis Post Dispatch, and it had a picture of him on it with info about what happened and the fact that there was no suspects to be heard of.

"Mike Mike?" Marie said, appearing in the doorway.

"What?" Michael answered irritably.

"Come on, don't be like that." Marie asked.

"How in the hell should I feel then?" Michael asked, anger rising in his voice. "All of the crap that has been happening to me, and now I can't walk again. I was shot in the head when I was three, and since I survived that, some bigger power has another test for me to go through, spending the rest of my life as a goddamn cripple."

"Michael, look, things are looking bleak, but things are going to get better, count on it." Marie said with a smile.

"Go feed that bullshit to someone stupider." Michael said turning around, and wheeling himself back to his computer. Marie sighed irritably, and turned back to leave herself.

A few days later, Miley and Lilly decided to pay Michael a visit at home. He has not been in school for a while, and Miley just wanted to make sure that he was okay. Miley took a deep breath, and knocked on the front door. To Miley and Lilly's surprise, a short old lady with faded hair answered, and looked at both of them, but mostly Miley, with a look of hatred.

"Great, what in the hell do you want?" Rachel asked them.

"Uh, is Michael home?" Miley asked, slightly on guard.

"Yeah." Rachel stated. "Charles! The tramp is here!"

"Nice, Grandma, I mean really now." Charles said, pulling his grandmother aside. Then he began to talk in a whisper.

"You two better clear out of here, no one is in a mood to talk right now." Charles whispered.

"Why? What's going on?" Lilly asked.

"Big sis Marie is on a war path." Charles said.

"Charles. Look, I am really sorry about what happened, but I am not responsible for Michael getting shot. That creep that shot him is the one that you should be mad at, not me." Miley said, trying to defend herself.

"Oh, that's rich." Rachel said in the background.

"Hey!" Charles screamed back to the house. "I'm sorry, but it is just not recommended for you to be over here right now."

Miley just smiled, and stepped off of the porch, and began to walk back from her house. Lilly smiled and waved, and followed Miley.

"Miley?" Lilly said, catching up to her.

"Let's just go home." Miley said, tears forming in the corner of her eyes.

It was late at night, and Michael was sitting in his bed, looking at the moonlight floating into his room. The only thing that he could think of as he sat there was his future, and Miley, of course. For some odd reason, every time that he thought about Miley, he would get angry. That is something that he didn't want to happen, but it did for some reason. Michael hated himself for feeling this way, but how was he supposed to feel? Some people have been telling him to turn the other cheek, but no. That is not going to happen ladies and gentlemen. He just hoped that he was not going to die a lonely and bitter young man.

Michael sighed, and went to sleep.

AN: Sorry for skimping out on a confrontation between Miley and Marie, but it is coning next chapter. Count on it. See you then!