Warning- talks of self harm and scars and suicide

Michael had faked sickness so he could get out of school. He didn't want to see Jeremy again today. If the other boy had wanted to talk about what happened, he would have come to Michael already. But he had been avoided. All day. He couldn't take it anymore, and Rich was not helping with his 'advice'. Michael opened the door to his house, pissed off and tired. He just wanted to go to sleep, or simply get high. He decided he'd go with the latter. Being high would help make this disappear. When he walked into the kitchen, though, he realized that wasn't going to happen.

"Michael, may we please have a discussion." Both of his moms were there, evidently waiting for him.

"Yeah, sure," he mumbled, waiting for his SQUIP to pop up and tell him to say no. He cautiously sat down at the dining table, and looked over at his moms. He knew exactly what was coming. "What do you need?"

"Honey, we want to talk about what happened last ni-"

"Jeremy came to see me at my office today. Would you like to know why?" Robin asked, cutting off her wife. Michael frowned. Actually, he was sort of curious why Jeremy had gone to her.

"Yes, I would," Michael responded in a monotonous voice.

"Well, he wanted some advice. He told me that he had some, ah, feelings for another man," Robin told her son. Michael's face was devoid of emotion, but he was having some intense feelings of his own on the inside. Jeremy had told her he had feelings for another man? Did he mean Michael? "Then he told me he was in love with you." That borke Michael's silence.

"I'm sorry, but what? He told you that?" Robin raised an eyebrow at him, looking critical

"Yes, hi did. Then he told me about last night. Michael, you should have known better then that." Michael frowned. What the heck did she mean by that? "Why would you kiss Jeremy? It is completely against our no inappropriate touching rule, and you just confused the boy more then necessary." Michael wasn't sure how to feel right now. Sure, his mom had a point, but did he really want to admit that? And he felt kind of bad, too.

'Get mad.'

'I'm sorry, what?'

'Anger. React with anger.'

Michael wasn't sure how, but something in him snapped. He wanted to scream at the thing in his head, but he suddenly felt numb, and he wasn't yelling at the thing. He was yelling at his Mama.

"Oh like you actually care!" he yelled. Michael tried to stop himself, but his SQUIP was forcing it out. And if he was being honest, he had been waiting to do this for a long time.

"Why are you raising your voice at me, young man?" Robin asked, raising her voice as well. Alice flinched at both of their statements, wanting to intervene. But she didn't want to get yelled at either. Michael noticed his mom's little movement, and actually became angry. At this point, he decided he was not going to fighting his SQUIP. He was helping it.

"You aren't even my real mom! You don't have any reason to tell me what to do, or to even care!" Michael yelled, tears already forming in his eyes. Why does she even care about him? They didn't share DNA. He didn't share her blood. Robin's eyes widened.

"You need to take a step back young man!" she yelled back. "You are my son, whether you like it or not. And you are part of this family, and you will abide by it's rules or so help me-"

"Or you'll do what?" Michael cried out. "Ground me? It's not like I go to parties. Not let me hang out with Jeremy? Pretty sure he doesn't want to talk to me ever again!" Michael was crying now, and he stood up, pointing harshly at Robin. The SQUIP wasn't helping him anymore either. It let him go, saying what he wanted. "I guess you could always postpone my top surgery! Oh wait-" he forced the fakest laugh he had ever heard- "sorry, we can't afford that anyways, right? Nothing says 'I love my son!' like spending the money you could use to help him not hate himself on a third car!" Michael wasn't even thinking about his words now. They were just coming out. Robin stood up too, trying to remain as calm as possible.

"We've been through this. Your mom starts work soon, and unless you want to ride the bus everyday we have to get another car. Besides, your hormones are expensive too, Michael. We can't afford all of this." Michael laughed, but it held no humor. It was hallow and empty, and it scared the poor women.

"Oh I'm sorry, that's an option? I would take riding the bus everyday if that meant I could finally look at myself and not loathe what I saw!" He continued to yell. His voice cracked, and he let out a sob. "Do you know what that's like, Robin? To look in a mirror and just want to scream? To scratch at yourself till you bleed because the pain clears the thoughts in your head? To want to just end it-" Alice let out a loud gasp, and put a hand over her mouth. She was sobbing, and Michael automatically felt bad. He hadn't wanted him mom to cry. He hadn't wanted this. Why did he always have to fuck it up? He tried to wipe at the tears going down his face, but they just kept coming. He glanced at Robin, but she was looking down at the table. And she looked pissed.

"Michael. Go to your room. Now."

"Robin, wait-"

"Shut up, Alice," Robin snapped. She looked back up at Michael, and was glaring at the boy, who took a step back. "I said now, Michael. GO." Michael nodded and rushed away, to wanting to push his luck. He slammed his door shut, and let out a sob. God, he should have thought that through. He tried to contact his SQUIP, but it wouldn't answer him. He felt alone. And then the arguing started.

"Robin, we have to help him! He... he mentioned self harm."

"As he mentioned, he is your son. Not mine. I will not help nor fund this."

"Robin, please! I don't earn money yet, and even if the paperwork isn't done, you still have to pay child support."

'Child support?' Michael questioned to himself.

"That has not started yet. He is your son. You deal with this."

"Robin, he almost said he wanted to end it all! That is a suicidal thought! You can't just let our... my child go through that. Not after you've raised him for so many years."

"All kids his age are overdramatic. He's just saying stuff that isn't true for attention."

"God dammit Robin!" Michael flinched at the sound, and suddenly wished he hadn't heard this conversation. But it wasn't his fault their house had paper thin walls. "You know how high suicide rates are for kids his age! And I know you remember what happened to that Murphy kid last year!" Alice said, her voice accusing. "And you know how high those rates are for kids like him."

"Alice, I sincerely doubt that he has ever hurt himself like that. He-"

"How do I know? He wore that damn hoodie all the time, and now he wears that stupid jacket. I haven't seen his arms in years, Robin. Years." Michael couldn't tell what Robin said next, but whatever it was it made his mom even more upset. "Well if you really don't care, fine! Just stay out of it then!" Michael heard angry footsteps coming towards his door, and he jumped away from it and onto his bed. He almost fell off when his mom burst in, eyes red and huffing like an angry bull.

"Mom, I-"

"Take off your jacket Michael. Now." Michael opened his mouth to protest, but she glared at him. This side of his mom scared him, and he didn't really want to argue anymore. Whatever the SQUIP had done to make him so angry before had worn off now. So he just slowly shed his jacket. There was no use in trying to hide the scars. They wrapped all the way around his arms, and they went up and down too. One particularly bad looking one went straight through his Pac Man tattoo. Alice's eyes widened and she let out a small sigh. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't want you to worry."

"Does anyone else know?" Michael paused. Jeremy had known in the beginning of course. But he thought Michael had stopped. And he had. For a little while. And that Murphy kid had too. Before he had died. He had once walked in on one of Michael's breakdowns, and offered to let him smoke with the older boy. And of course Michael had accepted.

"No," he lied. "No one else." His mom nodded. Michael wanted to ask about the whole argument between her and Mama, but she looked sad enough. "Mom, I'm... I'm sorry."

"I know you are. You stopped, haven't you?" He could hear the hope in her voice, and he didn't want to let her down again.

"Yeah," he lied. "I stopped a long time ago."

Alright, there's that. I'm really sad right now and I'm not sure where this came from but hey, it's here. Thanks for reading!