Birds || Fuenciado

Chapter 14: The Plot Thickens

"Okay," I say softly, matching his tone. "Okay, mocha it is. Sure thing. So, uh...where are the other two?"

And just as I ask, the cafe door opens again and Nick and Jordan enter. Nick is off crutches now, and as if to replace him, Jordan is sporting a broken finger from ice skating up north with his family. But even they aren't smiling - I don't get a chance to laugh at his injury. I don't think I even want to.

"Mike!" Nick exclaims, walking towards him. "What the hell? You ditched us! Why'd you leave so early?"

"Guys, please," he pleads, rubbing his forehead, looking exasperated as he turns to face them. "I'll explain later okay?"

"What's going on?" Jordan shakes his head. "This isn't like you."

"I don't want to talk about it right now," Mike pleads, and puts his head in his hands. "I just want my coffee and I just want to sit in our booth and I want to comfort eat. Vic, can I have a cake as well?"

"Of course you can," I nod, trying not to look annoyingly concerned, but at this point, it's kind of hard to hide. For my brother, who smiles in the darkest of times and makes it his mission to collect and lift everybody around him, his behaviour is so out of character it's almost frightening.

"Mike," Nick says softly, less pissed off now and more worried, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Are you feeling okay? Did something happen?"

"Did I see Phil Green with you after music?" Jordan asks, brow furrowed, and as I put the mocha together I feel my heart drop into my stomach which drops into my abdomen which drops into my feet.

Phil Green.

"Guys..." he whispers, trailing off, completely out of energy and drive to even speak, and he just turns away and faces the counter, shaking his head, waiting for his mocha.

Before I even know what's happened, the mention of that kid's name makes my blood start to bubble. If he's hurting Mike again, if he's so much as said a word against him, so help me that bastard is not going to be walking into school tomorrow because I'll have kicked his ass so hard his backside will get sucked back into his spine.

Nick and Jordan decline from ordering anything other than a glass of water each, more concerned with trying to comfort Mike for some unknown problem than with their choice of coffee this afternoon. Once Patrick has handed me a saucer to put the coffee on I slide it across the counter, and Mike puts the full cash on the counter. I push it back. "My treat. Yeah?"

And he just looks up at me with eyes I barely recognise, eyes that just want the planet to stop so he can get off, and then he leans across the counter and wraps his arms around me as best he can, and I gladly reciprocate, ruffling his hair as I do so. "Thank you," he mutters.

They're about to go and sit down at their table subdued and quiet, and then the door opens once more and in comes Tony, walking quickly like he's on a mission, Doug at his feet. "Don't worry," he says quickly, suddenly not caring about being seen or heard by other patrons or staff. "Don't worry, don't worry, don't worry..."

Mike is suddenly animated and straightens up, quickly putting his coffee back on the counter, and Tony bends down as he walks and scoops up Doug. Once he reaches Mike he outstretches his arms, Doug dangling from his hands, perfectly willing to be handled like a football, and Mike gladly takes him in his own arms and cuddles him to his chest the way Tony does. For the first time, he manages a small, sad smile.