Figuring Out Foster

Chapter 19

Michael's blush deepened the longer that the silence between us grew. Suddenly, he casted his eyes away from mine and leaned back in his chair taking the frozen peas with him.

"Uh... why— would you think that, Maggie?" He asks in a polite tone, and then finally looked back to me. After placing the package on the table, he stayed quiet for moment.

I wanted to think about anything other than Foster.

"It's just that Jess and you are getting along lately." It was a long shot, but I was really curious about their relationship, "Do you have any feelings for her?"

Michael looked uncomfortable, but he'd calmed down from my seemingly random question. Although the look on his face caused me to feel guilty so I tried to backpedal the situation, "I'm so sorry, I don't know what I was thinking asking you that. You don't have to answer—"

"No, it's alright. I was just surprised." Michael said, grabbing the cold package of peas off of the table and moves it around in his hands for a moment. "I just don't think she would like me very much?"

Oh, if he only knew...

"Why would you say that?" I asked.

He shrugged, "I just...force myself to do all these things: to work, to volunteer and get good grades. I never really dated anyone before. I was always this person that worked hard at school, or did hobbies that would look good on a college application, because I wanted to be my dad. My only motivation was to go to law school like he did. So I never was interested in anyone growing up, not even going as far as to have friends."

I let that sink in for a moment, "You want to be a lawyer?" I asked him curiously.

"For children's rights, just like my dad," he suddenly smiled sheepishly gazing away, "When I was younger, I never really understood what my dad did. He would always be in his office or out of town. But then during a 'bring a parent to school' day, he went up to explain what he did... it was boring." Michael laughed a little before looking into my eyes.

"Then, someone else's dad came up. He was a firefighter. This dad said he'd saved a child from a house on fire the night before. I thought he was so cool, and I really wanted to be a firefighter after that. So when school let out I asked my dad why he wasn't a firefighter like that other dad."

The cold pack slightly fell away from my injury and Michael looked at skewed frozen package. He readjusted it before looking into my eyes again.

I smiled at him to continue.

"My dad told me that he was a firefighter that saves children from burning houses, but unlike the other dad he has to use his mind to put out the fire and save those children. He also can save more in one day than any firefighter in the world." He gave me a small smile, "My dad...he was a super hero to me, then."

Michael was quiet after that, deep in thought. I didn't speak up. I wanted to let him go at his own pace.

He sighed, "This nice helpful guy, sitting in front of you now, wasn't always like that. I never wanted to get close to anyone, and always focused on myself... until Foster moved in."

"What happened when he moved in?" I asked him quietly, suddenly curious.

"Foster was a stranger in my house. He always kept to himself... sleeping or just plainly in his room all the time. At first, I didn't really care for him. I never saw him because when I would go to school, he would stay home with my mom, and when I would come back from school he would be locked up in his room."

"You guys are close now, so when did all that change?" I asked, interjecting.

"My dad told me to treat him like a brother, and I always listened to what he said...so I tried. But Foster was only around me whenever forced to by my parents, like dinner or if we went somewhere as a family. Whenever my parents were around he would put on a smile, which now I know wasn't real because when he's truly happy he smirks. Though, I didn't know that then. So it made me upset that he actually never talked to me at all. Much less smiled at me. I didn't understand why he was avoiding me. When I got older I found out why—" Michael stopped talking all of a sudden looking uncomfortable.