Disclaimer: I don't own anything affiliated with "That's So Raven."

Author's Note: Hey, I just realized that I didn't give credit to the song from two chapters ago. It was "The Scientist" by Coldplay, if nobody knew that. I'm just, ya know, keeping myself from getting sued. All right, read on.

Chapter 22

Michael was standing in front of his bedroom mirror, checking out how his bruises and cuts were healing. The cut above his now normal-sized eye was getting smaller, the cut on his lip was gone, and the bruises on his stomach were a yellowish-green color and not nearly as sore. He sighed, pulling on his black tank top.

He hadn't talked to Rocky or anyone else in days, and it was sort of killing him.

Rocky was the first kid to talk to him when he moved to San Francisco.

Michael had moved to San Francisco at age eight, when his real parents were deemed "unsuitable." The living arrangements here were better, but they weren't great. Grandpa Whitman was "on his deathbed" for quite a few years now, and Grandma was a little off. That didn't leave much room for a kid.

And then he met Rocky. He was in the third grade, Rocky was the school bully even back then. Rocky asked Michael for his milk money. Well, asked really wasn't the right word…

"Hey kid, gimme your money."

"No."

"Gimme your money or I'm gonna pound you."

"I said no."

Rocky punched him in the face, sending his lean eight-year-old body on to the cafeteria floor. Michael stood up quickly, already towering over Rocky at such a young age. And he punched him back. That was the one and only time Michael openly defied Rocky's wishes. And apparently, that impressed the bully.

"Stick with me, we'll be unstoppable."

They had been best friends ever since…if you could call it that. Michael was Rocky's second hand man, his sidekick, his "number two." Rocky showed him how to rule the school. He had power through fear, and Michael admired him.

Michael wasn't the brightest crayon in the box, he knew that. Things didn't come easy to him. School sucked. He wasn't slow enough to be put in the "special" classes, but he wasn't smart enough to keep up even in the remedial classes. Where did that leave him?

Rocky was smart. He knew everything about everyone, all of their fears, all of their weaknesses. He knew how to roam the halls at school without getting caught by the security guards; he knew how to get candy and soda out of the vending machine without paying for them. He had a fake I.D. and got everyone cigarettes and beer…and he was the only person who paid any attention to Michael.

And now Michael had gone and screwed it up because he didn't feel like bothering two girls that up until a few weeks ago, nobody even knew existed. It was his fault it all started in the first place.

"So Mikey, see anyone you like here?" Rocky rasped, motioning a hand over the crowd of students leaving Bayside High. Their little gang of four were standing against the school building, having a smoke when Rocky just started talking out of the blue. That wasn't unusual; Rocky sure did like to talk.

Michael scanned the masses and a wave of red hair caught his eye. He had never seen her before. He watched as she laughed with her friends, a boy and a girl. He wasn't really interested in her. She was pretty, but she wasn't gorgeous. If anything, it was her hair. That long, flowing, fiery red hair was just so…noticeable. It stood out.

So, he nudged his head in her direction and Rocky raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Red?"

Michael nodded and Rocky smirked. "I know that chick. She's in one of my classes. You like her?"

Michael shrugged. Rocky lightly slapped Michael's cheek, laughing. "Aw, shy? Don't worry…I'll help you out."

He put a cigarette in his mouth and turned. "Ladies!"

When the redhead walked off with her friend, Michael thought that would be the end of it. She clearly wasn't interested so what did it matter? But Rocky was having a ball. He'd found fresh meat, something that didn't come around until the beginning of the school year.

That day in the lunch room, Rocky was the one who told Mike to say something to Chelsea. He really didn't want to, but if he didn't, Rocky would make fun of him for the rest of the day. So, while the girl was walking to her table, Michael stepped in front of her. What better way to grab someone's attention than to step in their path?

He could see how scared she was and he was about to leave her alone when Rocky showed up and made a scene. And when Lawler caught them and gave them detention, Rocky was mad. He blamed Chelsea and Raven, but it was really his own fault. Michael knew that, but you couldn't tell Rocky he was wrong. Nobody told Rocky he was wrong.

And those girls haven't had a chance in hell since. Once you got in Rocky's sight, you better pray for a quick end, because he wasn't going to let up until you were begging for mercy. Even then, it was iffy. Michael felt bad for them really. They were just minding their own business when he started this whole thing. And he didn't care if they were gay or not.

But Rocky seemed to…and he took joy in ruining Chelsea and Raven's lives. That was the bad part. Boys were fun to mess around with and fight with. You could kick a boy freshman's ass and the next day it would be like it never happened at all. But he never messed with girls like that. And Michael had a feeling that Rocky might just hurt Raven and Chelsea, but he hadn't acted on it yet. Michael didn't want anything to do with that. Why would he? They were just girls. He didn't know them, he didn't care about them, and he didn't like them, so why would he want to screw them up like that?

At least, that's what he thought. Now, he was starting to regret it. Wanting no part in the massacre of two girls' lives had got Michael suspended for two weeks, a beating for being so stupid, and had cost him the only person he called his friend.

Michael didn't think he could make it alone. But he didn't know how to apologize to Rocky and the gang. He had been miserable for some time and was ready to beg for forgiveness, when he heard a knock on his window.

Opening it, Michael saw Rocky standing on the sidewalk. Rocky looked up, flicking his cigarette and smiling. "Hey Mikey boy. How ya been?"

Michael shrugged.

"How ya feeling?"

"Okay."

Rocky looked around, putting his hands in his pockets. "So, you ready to come back to our group?"

Michael felt the weight of the world slid off of his shoulders. He nodded, smiling a little.

"Great. But you gotta promise that you won't go against me again."

"I promise." Michael stated, his deep voice booming.

"So you gonna help me mess up those dykes or what?"

Michael frowned. He didn't want to, but what other choice did he have? Rocky was the only friend he had. He would be lost without him. "Okay."

Rocky smiled widely. "Come on out kiddo. I'll tell you what I have in mind for them."

Michael nodded, hopping out of his window. He smiled at Rocky, who smacked him hard on the back. They walked together, discussing Rocky's evil plan.