Chapter 9: The Problem
Death had only removed the infection from outside of Michelle's body, it turned out. She was still suffering with it on the inside. Her head was spinning and she felt nausea constantly. It was almost like being pregnant for her.
It was the morning following the drama with Adam and the bull and... that woman. Maybe Michelle was overreacting a bit, but she didn't like women who went around Skips. She felt bile boil in her stomach and climb up her throat every time she even thought about Sheena or Desdemona. She was in her room, feeling terrible (in more ways than one), and she was looking out the window and what did she see? Skips with Sheena. They were talking... and laughing... and Michelle couldn't stand it. She went away from the window and went further into the room. She stood still a moment, trying to think of what to do. She finally decided to go somewhere on her break.
So, some hours later on her break, Michelle went to the local library. She went inside and absorbed the smell with familiarity. It was a mix of musty pages, old people, and cleaning products. It was almost nice. Almost comforting. She went over to a section of mystery books and sat down to read. She really liked some of the older ones, but at the same time, she'd want to shout out :" 'It's him, you nitwit!' " She didn't though. The loudest she got was a loud whisper that sounded like strained screaming.
She just finished it by the end of her break. The book had given the idea that it was one guy, then threw away suspicion from that character, but then it turned out to be him all along. It was frustrating. Almost frustrating enough to help her keep her mind off of Skips.
Speaking of the yeti, Michelle came back to the park just in time to see him uproot a tree stump with his bare hands. Her mouth was agape in astonishment and perhaps, even, fascination. Uprooting trees was one thing, uprooting stumps was a completely different story. (There was less to grab onto with a stump than with a whole tree.)
Michelle walked up to Skips and spoke to him just as he set the stump in the back of a pickup. "Hey, Skips," she said.
"Hey, Michelle, where were ya?" he asked while wiping the sweat from his brow.
"I was just spending my break at the library reading an old mystery."
"Who was the author?"
"Agatha Christie; though I prefer the mysteries of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle more often."
"Oh."
"What do you like to read?"
Skips shrugged. "I typically read books that help me learn things, like how to fix stuff."
"And you certainly know how to do that, huh?"
"Eh, not really. I still have some problems with computers."
"That's normal. I talk to a lot of people who have computer problems. I was lucky enough to catch the computer in its early stages of development, so I understand some of the coding pretty well. I mean, I can get around easy enough."
"But can you... fix a computer? Like, can you get rid of viruses or errors?"
"No way. That's a little bit too much for me. I was just talking about basic things like getting on the Internet and understanding certain algorithms, particularly the ones behind some web sites. The language is still pretty foreign in some respects though. I feel like a person who only knows enough words in a language to talk for five minutes."
There was a pause after that. Michelle toed the ground while Skips scratched the back of his neck. Neither knew what to do, really. Then, the answer came to them in the form of Benson. "Hey, Skips, we're having problems with the wiring in the house. Do you think you could fix it?" asked Benson.
"Oh, I love wiring! One of my late husbands taught me how to do some basic wiring in the home," said Michelle.
"Why don't you come with me then?" asked Skips.
"Sure, I finished everything else I had to do," said Michelle.
"Really? You finished everything?" asked Benson skeptically/condescendingly.
"You give me woman's chores, Benson. Perhaps if you gave me a man's chores, I'd be busy longer," said Michelle.
"Whatever, just get it done," said Benson, walking away.
Once he left, Skips and Michelle began heading for the house. They went to the breaker box in the basement and checked the wires that way. Skips flipped the main power off and Michelle, flashlight in hand, directed the beam at the box. Then, the wires were checked. There was a group of at least five wires that were cut off.
"If I didn't know any better, I'd say these looked like they were bitten off," said Skips.
"You might be right, then," came a voice. Michelle and Skips turned around sharply. Michelle pointed the flashlight at the source of the voice and found Mr. Z standing there.
"Leave me alone," said Michelle.
"What song is on your mind right now?" asked Mr. Z, ignoring the request.
"I don't wanna talk about it."
"Of course not, because music is emotions and emotions can only be extended to people whom we trust." Mr. Z smiled his sharp-toothed smile.
Michelle's eyes immediately watered and she started sobbing. "I can't. Please don't make me do it."
Skips glared at Mr. Z. "You should leave." After he said this, the house started creaking loudly. The wires that had been bitten off buzzed with electricity and were mended. Lights flickered on and off and Skips headed upstairs to see if it was going on in other parts of the house. Michelle and Mr. Z followed, Michelle clutching her sides, still crying, and Mr. Z still smiling intimidatingly.
They wound up in the living room where Pops was huddled in a corner. "What's going on?" asked Skips.
"There are scary things going on with the house and the park," said Pops. Skips looked outside and noticed there were dark clouds and the wind was moving the trees really hard.
"Pops, we need to get everyone to the storm cellar, can you do that?" asked Skips. Pops nodded and shakily got up. Skips got supplies and soon, everyone was on their way to the storm cellar. The visitors of the park had since run home.
As they were on their way, Michelle collapsed to the ground on her knees. "It's happening! I can't believe it's really happening!" Mr. Z was laughing and seemed to be enjoying himself.
"Shut up!" said Michelle. She was shivering and clutching harder at her sides.
Renae and Skips came up to her. "Come on, Michelle," said Renae.
"I can't..." said Michelle. "My emotions are driving the environment to change. This happens sometimes... I don't even have to sing a note to influence things. Sometimes, it's all in how I feel."
"Well, you're not angry at anyone... right?" asked Renae.
"Get in the cellar. I'll be fine," said Michelle.
"If you're staying out here, then so am I," said Renae.
"That's a foolish gesture... even for a good friend." Michelle smiled and shakily stood up. "Mr. Z, I believe you wanted a song from me."
"One last song... before I die," said Mr. Z. "I recently got diagnosed with terminal cancer and I wanted to spend my last few months doing the things I love the most. Singing with you was one of those things."
"Really?" asked Michelle. The winds settled a bit, but the sky was still dark.
"What song would you sing if Adam were here right now? "
Michelle gave a short, bitter laugh. "Maybe he is here right now," she said sourly.
"Well then, perhaps something beautiful... like you." Michelle blushed a little. She had at least one particular song on her mind, among other songs.
It started to rain as she began. "No, I can't take one more step towards you, 'cause all that's waiting is regret... and don't you know I'm not your ghost anymore. You lost the love I loved the most. I've learned to live half alive and now you want me one more time. And who do you think you are, running 'round leaving scars, collecting your jar of hearts, and tearing love apart? You're gonna catch a cold from the ice inside your soul. So, don't come back for me. Who do you think you are?
"I hear you're asking all around if I am anywhere to be found, but I have grown too strong to ever fall back in your arms and I've learned to live half alive and now you want me one more time... And who do you think you are, running 'round leaving scars, collecting your jar of hearts, and tearing love apart? You're gonna catch a cold from the ice inside your soul, so don't come back for me. Who do you think you are?
"And, dear, it took so long just to feel all right. Remember how to put back the lights in my eyes. I wish I had missed the first time that we kissed, 'cause you broke all your promises and now you're back. You don't get to get me back. And who do you think you are, running 'round leaving scars, collecting your jar of hearts, and tearing love apart? You're gonna catch a cold from the ice inside your soul. So, don't come back for me, don't come back at all. And who do you think you are, running 'round leaving scars, collecting your jar of hearts, and tearing love apart? You're gonna catch a cold from the ice inside your soul. Don't come back for me, don't come back at all. Who do you think you are? Who do you think you are? Who do you think you are?"
The winds stopped blowing so hard and the clouds cleared. During the song, they had been going wildly, but now, the day was back to a typical, calm summer day. Michelle looked around for Mr. Z, but he was gone.
What hadn't yet disappeared were the looks of awe from Renae and Skips. Michelle toed the ground bashfully and said, "I, uh... I've had a lot of guys go before me over the years... it's not fun."
"There's more to it than that though, isn't there?" asked Renae.
"I don't want to talk about it," said Michelle. The crisis had been averted... for now. It was time to get back to work... or in the case of Mordecai and Rigby, get back to slacking off.
The two idlers worked for nearly 15 minutes before going to the coffee shop. While Margaret wasn't working there anymore, there was a certain mole that still was. A certain mole that secretly had the heart of a certain raccoon. Yes, Rigby. He had always liked Eileen (the mole) as a friend, but had come to like her even more over the course of the years. She was nice, smart, and had a unique personality that Rigby liked. Their relationship had become even better when Eileen had given him chocolate-covered waffle cakes. Those were the best... Rigby thought as he had a smile on his face and drool coming out of his mouth onto the table.
"Rigby!" said Mordecai, punching his friend in the arm.
"Ow!" whined Rigby. Punching was a sure-fire way to snap the childish coon out of his reveries. "What?" he snapped.
"Dude, you totally spaced out again!"
"No, I wasn't."
"Yeah, you were. What do you even think about?"
The answer came up to their table. "Hi, guys, I brought your usual coffees. Would either of you like a sandwich to go with it?" asked Eileen.
"Yeah, sure, I'll take a sandwich, Eileen," said Rigby.
"Oh, cool, I'll have it out in a minute," said Eileen, walking away.
After she had gone, Mordecai's eyes widened in realization. He looked at his little friend to confirm his suspicions and noticed he was watching after the waitress, a look of contentment on his face. "Dude, you totally like Eileen!" said Mordecai.
"What?! No, I don't!" Rigby immediately rebuffed.
"Nah, you totally like her."
"What proof do you have that I... that I might like her?"
"Dude, the pancakes, the spacing out, coming to the coffee shop more, watching Eileen; face it, dude, you like her." Mordecai listed everything on his fingers. He had been told of some of these things prior to this day and the other things came together in that moment.
Rigby narrowed his eyes and stared at Mordecai. This would have gone on, but Eileen came up with his sandwich just then. "Here you go, Rigby," said Eileen, putting the sandwich on the table.
"Thanks, Eileen," said Rigby. He had said it a little sourly because of Mordecai, but there was a piece of his tone that was sincere. "I'm just gonna take my sandwich to go. Some people don't appreciate a little thing called privacy!" Rigby harshly grabbed his sandwich and coffee cup and left. Mordecai groaned at Rigby's childish behavior.
"See ya later, Eileen," said Mordecai, taking his coffee in one hand while using the other hand to shell out the bill and tip. He then left to follow Rigby.
Rigby, meanwhile, was sulking. He had his head hung low and was hunching over his sandwich while eating it. He threw his recently emptied cup into a trashcan and kept walking. As he was muttering and munching to himself, he ran into someone: Michelle.
"Hey, Rigby," said Michelle. She sounded weary.
"Hey, Mich- whoa! What happened to you?!" asked Rigby, noticing her.
"Oh, you know... electricity." Michelle had places in her feathers that were either singed or, at the very least, blackened. "It's been a while since I've last dealt with electricity..."
"Right..." Neither of them knew each other very well, so the conversation capabilities began dwindling.
"I sense you're having a problem. Is there anything I can do to help? In one of my past lives, I was a therapist for soldiers returning from the war who were trying to get back into a normal lifestyle. It was during that time that I experienced one of my worst relationships." Michelle shuddered at the thought.
"I'm good, thanks."
"Are you sure? You look like a guy who's trying to get something off his mind. In my experience, this either means you're in love with someone or it means that you're having a serious medical issue."
"Uh..."
"Come on, it can't be that bad."
"Well, I..." Rigby sighed. "Can we just go somewhere else to talk about this?"
"My office is open 24/7/365, give or take leap years and time zones." Rigby smiled slightly. It was the type of smile one gave to indicate they understood it was a joke and they were being polite by acknowledging its humor.
Michelle and Rigby went up the stairs of the house and, oddly enough, out the window onto the roof. Michelle sat down with her legs hugged close to her and Rigby sat beside her. He still had some of the sandwich in his hand and ate it absent-mindedly.
"So...?" asked Michelle with a small smile.
"All right. I guess... I guess I do like someone," said Rigby.
"Cool. Anyone I might know?" she asked, almost conspiratorially.
"Nah, I don't think you met her." He paused and Michelle waited for him to continue. "Her name's Eileen and she works at the coffee shop down the street."
"Hmm... Eileen... Eileen... oh, yes, now I think I recall the person. She's a mole with glasses, right?"
"Yeah, that's her. How do you know her?"
"She got lost in the woods one year and I helped her with some survival skills. She's a fast learner and very resourceful. She has also gone on and on about a guy she has a crush on."
"Oh," said Rigby, his head hanging low in disappointment.
"Dude, it's you. She has a crush on a raccoon named Rigby and, last I checked, you were both raccoon and Rigby in one."
"Really?"
"Dude, she's been giving some pretty obvious signals. I've given her some pointers on getting guys to notice her, but somebody didn't notice very well. Rigby..."
"Okay, okay, I get the point. The problem is that I haven't been paying attention. I've... I've just never been interested in her like that until more recently. It just took time for me to realize what she really meant to me."
"If Eileen only knew, she'd be freaking out right now." Michelle shook her head, a wide smile on her face.
"Shut up..."
"No, I'm serious." She paused. "If the both of you like each other, but neither of you are willing to admit it because you both think it will ruin things, then someone else needs to make the move. I declare it is high time I throw another party... but not the rowdy type. More like the masquerade/costume ball type."
"A ball? Isn't that a little old-fashioned?"
"Old-fashioned is in the eyes of the beholder. I personally like grand dances like that. The costumes, the music, the lights, partner-to-partner, eye-to-eye, no one's who they really are because they all wear masks. We all wear masks..." An idea came to her then. "Yep, we're doing it." She got up and headed for the window.
"Wait, what?" asked Rigby, getting up to follow her.
"A ball. A masquerade ball. I'll talk to Benson about it right now. Plenty of the older, richer generation will pay through the nose for a party like this. Fancy, fancy. Yep, yep, yep. It's a done deal." They both left the roof through the window. Michelle did as she said she was going to. She went to Benson's office to talk to him about the ball. She made sure Pops was present for the proposal (to better seal the deal). Nearly an hour of negotiation later and she had her answer.
Sorry for the delay. I got busy with other things. So, what does this have to do with anything? Will there be a ball? Will some romance happen? Most likely... most likely... but we shall have to wait and see. The song from earlier is "Jar of Hearts" by Christina Perri. I do not own the rights to it at all. Please keep reading and reviewing, thanks :)