Final Chapter: Tyrant (Summer)
Michael wandered around the park, with misty eyes and strange memories that he can't remember if he blocked out or not, all he knew was that there was something….about that park, that drew him to that cold spot on the bench. It was going to be a beautiful day, he was sure of that, the weather man even said so, but at the moment it was as cold and dark as any cynical dream he could've ever had.
Maybe because that was the way he felt.
Or the fact that it was 3am.
Tilly slept quietly inside the carriage, him pushing her back and forth gently with his foot as he idly looked around, dull and bored with how his life was going, but then again, he was never really satisfied with what he had to begin with. He could remember even back to Adrian, how whenever he would get something, the joy was short lived and there was no exception here with Tilly.
He could only pray that someone would be crazy enough to snatch her from that very carriage while he looked the other way.
Then she could have a happy life without someone being over her shoulder to ruin it.
But then again he promised Adrian that he'd take care of her, no matter what. He pulled his jeans jacket closer around his neck, the trees above his head swaying back and forth and tiny hints, very small hints of the sun poking through the clouds above, which were a dark midnight complexion. Maybe the weather man was wrong, and it was going to rain today.
"What are you doing here?" A small and quiet voice asked.
Michael numbly turned around," Jake…" He frowned in the darkness, suddenly feeling even worse than before and began fiddling sadly with the draw strings of his jacket." I was just um…wait, what are you doing here. Don't you live like, 20 miles away from here?"
Jake shrugged," I like this park"
"So much as to wander around here at 3 am?" Michael asked, raising his eyebrows and wondering how he was able to do anything properly around this messed up kid, and he just had a feeling, a burning feeling that he was going to end up getting into a fight with him over something, as usual, because that's just the way there were. " Ah…last time I talked to you, you had gotten out of…that place, so how do you feel?"
Jake sat down on the bench and looked and made a silly face at Tilly, pulling his ears and sticking out his tongue at her. She made a dull face at him before turning around and sleeping again. " I don't think she likes me" He pouted a little as Michael laughed, despite himself." She's tired, Jake, it's 3 in the morning and how come you haven't answered my question?"
"I'm fine" Jake said quietly," I'm fine, fine, fine, fine"
"That's too many 'fine's to sound secure over" Michael pointed out.
"I know, but enough about me. How's your life?" Jake asked, shifting around on the bench, looking at his shoes and around the place, feeling strange and confused as usual, but he was really starting to think that the place that he was in, really fucked with his brain, but he didn't say anything , because he knew that Michael would always catch him in the act, which is sad but he knew he couldn't deny it:
Michael knew him better than he knew himself.
"Did you just…ask me about myself?" Michael asked, beyond shocked.
"Yeah, I uh-" Jake stopped short by the look on Michael's face and suddenly felt even lower, because he just realized he asked Michael something about himself for a change. " How are you doing?" He asked, somewhat shaken, " I want to know everything, Mikey, tell me about you"
"You've got to be kidding me" Michael snorted," What did they do to you?"
"No- nothing" Jake stammered. " Why, do I seem different?"
"You're acting like a strung out crack addict" Michael said dully, still reeling over what Jake said from a minute ago. " You look like you're about to pass out and what the hell happened to your arm?" He pointed to the brace around his wrist as Jake sighed," Oh, I got into a fight with some and Alex had to yank me out, violently may I add" Jake rubbed his wrist," But I want to talk about you"
"No!" Michael snapped, looking and staring him down." Why do you keep saying that?"
"Because I do…" Jake trailed off
"No, Jake, you don't"
"I don't?"
"No," Michael said tearfully," This is just another phase in the Jake Sheild "I'm Trying To Fix Myself Again" program and I don't want to try and believe you again"
"What if this was the last time I went through all of this, what if I actually meant it this time?" Jake asked quietly.
"You sound like me…"
"Broken" They said at the same time and Jake looked up with moon shaped eyes and a pale face and Michael almost fell off the bench because Jake had become the one thing that Michael was sure that he would never turn into:
Himself.
Jake was now a shadow of Michael, Jake was what Michael was hiding away ever since he got out the hospital. And what scared Michael even more was the fact that…he thinks that he put him there. But the again, they always knew that had this weird twisted co-dependency issue, hell, Michael had said it himself quiet awhile ago, but he never, never in his wildest dreams, and hopes, and fears, thought that this would ever happen. He didn't want to switch roles, have Jake be the weak and pathetic one, that spot was taken.
"I am not broken" Jake murmured out. " I'm a success in progress"
"Or a kid in denial" Michael murmured back.
"I didn't come here to argue" Jake sighed," I don't even know why I am here…I'm…"
"What?" Michael snapped," What the hell are you here for then? What could you remotely say that could make me feel better? Or fix any of this…this hell, that you've created, because Jake, I think that there's nothing you can say! Nothing you can do! Think. Breath. Write or whisper that will make me forgive you, feel sorry for you, make me want to…"
"Want to what?" Jake said slowly, quietly, he didn't trust himself to speak at the moment.
" Love you again" Michael said plainly and you mines well had stabbed Jake as well.
"I'm sorry"
Michael blinked," What?"
"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, God, I'm sorry, Mikey, Michael, I'm sorry, I don't know how many times you want me to say,. But I'll say it forever, I am sorry, sorry, so sorry, so sorry, do you think that I wanted to do this? Be this way? Did you really think I did all of this on purpose? I can't control it, Mikey, I cant control anything thing, anymore…" Jake stuttered, crying in front of him.
Michael looked away.
Pathetic.
"No" Michael shook his head.
"I give up, Mikey" Jake said, raising his arms in the air," I'm tired of running"
"No…"
"You're right"
"No…"
"Yeah…"
"I don't want to be right" Michael said, shaking his head.
"Aren't you tired of hurting each other?" Jake quoted. He answered his own question as he nodded," Yes, I am"
Michael looked to the floor. He was….giving up? He was giving up? No! No! No!
"No!" Michael finally said, standing up," You are not taking the easy way out, you're supposed to be chasing me"
"I have been for 10 years" Jake murmured." I'm done. I hurt you."
"So what?" Michael snapped," What the hell is wrong with you?"
"I don't know"
"Stop that!"
"What?" Jake asked dully.
"STOP ACTING SO INSECURE" Michael yelled at him," You know and I know that you aren't that"
Jake shook his head," I'm sorry"
"Stop apologizing!" Michael yelled at him again. " Just stop!"
" I don't know what to do, so I'm going to…do something, go off somewhere, clear my head" Jake smiled sadly," Knowing you and me, we can't away from each other for long…" He paused and wipe a tear away," Okay Mikey?"
Michael looked away.
"Mikey, you gotta smile" Jake said using his childish voice with Michael, which made him blink because he hadn't really heard it in a long time. " Come on Mikey"
That just made him feel worse.
"We'll see each other again, this isn't good-bye" Jake smiled at him. " It's more along the lines of…um…well, it's not good-bye" He stood up, brushed off his pants from sitting on the bench and walked over and stood in front of him. " Mikey?"
Michael looked away again, sinking lower into the bench and kicking Tilly's carriage away." Just stay away from me" He seethed.
Jake sighed and sat back down next to him again," Look at me" He pulled at Michael's jacket and made him look him in the eye. " Mikey" He paused to breathe, staring him down darkly into his eyes, swirling with so much sadness and desperation Michael suddenly realized that it was him all along that was the messed up one.
Michael was innocent.
Jake's tossled hair fell into his eyes as he shook a little, holding onto Michael, for support…for…anything really and he laughed.
They laughed together.
Nothing was funny.
Nothing was always funny. Michael hugged him, tightly and sadly,. Because he was afraid if he let Jake go, he would never come back, that he couldn't make it back, because that's just how bad he was." I love you Mikey" Jake murmured softly.
Michael had a severe flashback of being with Adrian as he whispered flushly into Jake's ear," I love you too Jakey" He pushed him away slightly,." Just don't stay away for too long, okay?" He wiped his nose with his sleeve as Jake kissed him on the head and sighed," You know I never can"
And Just like that.
The game was over.
That's it. Is the game really over? Can it ever be? No, it can't. I'm taking things to a new level with this story. A new twist. A new setting. A new Idea. I can't write happy endings, not yet. I would love to thank all of you for reading this story, it means so much to me to actually have people who appricate me. Especially you Azury, you've been there from the bery very beginning. So here's a sneak part of the new story. New characters of course, and the time warp is slightly different now, we're a few years into the future. If you're confused, then good. Because I can't write things any other way
Page 47: Act IIVX
Jude: Matt are you okay? I'm so sorry, I didn't see you there.
Matt: How couldn't you, I was behind the curtin the whole time, I can't believe he hit you
Jude: It doesn't matter, are you okay?
Matt: Yeah…I got scratched a little, that's all… (Places a hand to Jude's face) Does it burn?
Jude: Like hell, but I'll be okay
Matt (Kisses Jude's bruised cheek) I didn't mean for this to happen
Jude: It's okay… (Lingers for a moment) I just wanted to make sure
you're okay. Because nothing can happen to you, you know that right,
while I'm here, nothing bad will ever happen to you.
Matt: I'm scared though Jude, we have to leave now, tonight…
Jude: Wh- why? What's the sudden rush
Matt: You're not getting abused anymore, I won't allow it
Jude: (Smiles) Matt, you worry far too much. But we will leave tonight
if that's what you wish. I don't mind leaving at all now that I think
about it, we'll be together finally. At last
Matt: Yeah… (bites his lip) I hope.
Jude: No, you must believe it, we have no time for hopes and dreams in this sad reality!
Matt: …
Jude: (Takes Matt's hand) Tell me. Look me in the eye and tell me you believe it
Matt : I…I believe it…I believe we'll make it. We have to…we will.
Roscoe looked over the page once more, fixed the last line and then wrung his hands together with a smile. " Brilliant" He murmured to himself, figuring out who was going to play the lead role oppside Andrew. It'd be the best act yet. Of course Jake would have a problem with that , but fuck him. Rosoce owned Jake anyway.