Break Free

Chapter Sixteen

"I think it's time." Chester said softly. They had all successfully gotten jobs, moved into a bigger house, Chester dropped out of school, and they've been away from Arizona for a whole month. They guys did tell Mike and Chester about the call but they've had no sign of Scott.

"Time for what?" Mike asked and Chester rolled his eyes.

"Please don't play dumb, Mike. You know what." Chester groaned and Mike sighed deeply. He did know what Chester was talking about. Everyone had been trying to get Mike to confront his family ever since they got back. Chester would mention it the most and would basically beg Mike to just go home and tell his parents that he's okay and explain what happened or create a lie about it. 

"It's too soon." Mike shook his head and Chester almost laughed.

"Too soon? I think it feels like forever for them. The longer you wait, the more hurt they are. They're in pain, you have the power to stop it."

"Look, Ches, I don't expect you to understand this but if Scott comes back-"

"Which he won't." Chester interrupted firmly. 

"If he comes back and kills me, takes me, or does anything to me, my parents still have the slightest hope that I'm still alive." Mike sighed and Phoenix overheard the conversation and coughed nervously. 

"Mike, this is going to be hard to hear but I need to tell you. I'm sorry I hadn't mentioned it sooner, I didn't know why you wouldn't go see them." Phoenix said and gave Mike a sad, small smile.

"What is it?" Mike asked and Chester listened to the pair with interest.

"Jay stopped by the day we found you. He said that... He said that your parents think you were dead and that it'd be easier if he thought you were too because you could be getting hurt if you were still alive. They have no hope." Phoenix sighed, looking down at the floor.

"They think I'm dead?" Mike asked, his throat feeling as though it was being stuffed.

"I'm sorry, Mike. They'll be happy to know you're alive though. They need to know. They still don't know what happened." Phoenix said and Mike sighed.

"I know you're right and I hate it. I don't know, I'm just scared of how they'll react or if they'll believe a lie we'd have to come up with. Plus, I haven't seen them in so long, what if they just don't care about me anymore and that's why they think I'm dead." 

"They care about you, Mike." Chester insisted and Mike felt a bit angry. He simply didn't want to see them. He loved his family but he just wanted more time.

"How would you know? How would you know how a parent would act in this type of situation? Your family is either dead or horrible!" Mike lashed out and Chester couldn't hide the hurt in his face but it quickly went away. Chester remembered that Mike was on edge and he told himself he didn't mean for it to come out the way it did. Mike realized how what he said sounded and he relaxed and hugged Chester tightly. "I'm so sorry. I'm just so on edge."

"Mike, it's okay, I understand. And I know your family cares about you because I care about my family and if any of you went missing for that long, even if I resorted to the thought of them dead, I'd still miss you and have some slight hope." Chester smiled softly and Mike was confused.

"Your family?" He echoed, thinking about his deceased mother and abusive father. He then remembered he must've meant Toby.

"You guys are my family. You, Brad, Phoenix, Joe, Rob, and Toby. You guys are my family." Chester said and Mike couldn't help but grin and kiss him. The two almost completely forgot Phoenix was still there but he was smiling ear to ear, enjoying the happy sight of his friends together.