My body shook, a voice calling out to me as I stirred, grunting before peeling my eyes open. I glanced around sleepily, blinking repeatedly until my vision cleared. In front of me stood a gruff man whom I recognized as Henry. His gaze was locked on a figure beside me, causing me to glance to the side. Brown fluffy hair filled my vision and I reeled back, realizing I was leaning on Michael.
I tensed up, whipping my head around in alert. Henry chuckled. "Sorry for waking you, but it's well past the end of your shift and William is getting a bit antsy about the whereabouts of his son," The man said, placing his hands on his hips. Michael groaned, stuffing his face further into the crook of my neck, wrapping his arms around me. He mumbled something about not wanting to leave and being tired. My face flushed and I flickered my gaze to Henry who raised his eyebrows in a teasing manner.
"What time is it?" I croaked out, rubbing my eyes. Henry looked down at the watch on his wrist. "Around six-thirty," He told me and my eyes widened. "My mom's gonna kill me..." I breathed out weakly, her angered voice ringing through my head. "Don't worry, kiddo. I'll drive you home. I can talk to her if she gets mad," He grinned and I smiled up at him. Michael's grip on me suddenly tightened. I nudged him.
"Michael, we have to go." I whispered, but he ignored me. I frowned. "C'mon, Michael." I persisted and he grumbled in response. I looked back up at Henry. "Help," I simply said and he chuckled, placing his hand on Michael's back. "Hey, bud. We have to go. Your dad's getting worried," He said, hoping it would convince him, but the boy simply shrugged his hand away. "Bullshit. That man wouldn't care if I didn't come home," He mumbles sleepily. "Well, sadly, my mother cares if I don't, so I need to go."
Michael, being stubborn, doesn't move, instead clinging to me tighter. "Well, that's too bad because you make a great pillow." I attempt to pry him from my body, failing. "Michael!" I whine, bonking his head repetitively until he begins chuckling, pulling away from me. "Okay, okay. I'm up. You can stop," He says, rubbing his head. I bonk his head once more, snickering as he swats my hand away.
Henry grins at our antics, outstretching an arm to me. I take it and he hoists me up, grunting. "There you go. C'mon, Michael. We have to go!" The man says, motioning for Michael to get up. The boy rolls his eyes, but does so, grumbling. The three of us exit the room, entering the main area to see Mr. Afton standing near the main entrance, biting his inner cheek while bouncing his leg. When he sees us, he perks up, pushing off the wall and walking over to Henry.
"You found them! Where were they?" Mr. Afton questions and Henry rubs the back of his neck, sending us a quick glance. Nervousness wracks my body, knowing that if he told Mr. Afton about us being in the office, he would be furious at Michael. Said boy averts his gaze to his shoes, biting his lip. "Um...They were in the back alley. Apparently they fell asleep," He lies, chuckling. He leans over to Mr. Afton and whispers something about Elizabeth, causing the man to sigh.
"Okay, it's fine, but I do want to talk to you Michael." Mr. Afton says sternly, causing Michael to roll his eyes. "About what. How irresponsible I am for not doing your job for you," He glares at him, causing his father's eye to twitch. "Watch your tongue, Michael Afton. (Y/N), how are you getting home?" He questions, turning to me. Henry cuts in before I can speak. "I'll drive her home," He says and Mr. Afton nods. "Okay, well you better get going. It's getting late."
Henry chuckles, patting my back. "Of course. C'mon, (Y/N). Let's go." Michael and I say our goodbyes, me following Henry out to his car. I hop into the front seat beside him, staring out the window as he drives away from the building. It was painfully silent, considering we barely knew each other. The only thing I said were directions to my house. He suddenly cleared his throat. "Um, so...How has Michael been holding up? You know, with Elizabeth going missing and everything," I glance over to him, sighing.
"Not too well." I pause for a moment. "It kinda seems like he's turning his grief into anger. He's mainly angry at his father and C.C," I say and Henry raises a brow. "Why would he be mad at C.C?" He questions. "Well, he thinks that it's C.C's fault that Elizabeth is missing. He says that C.C could have done something, but didn't." I explain and the man hums. "Ah, well, I guess I see where he's coming from. Ever since Charlie was found dead I've been so angry at myself. Thinking of all the ways I could have prevented it," He says, his knuckles turning white as he grips the steering wheel.
I sunk into the chair. "Um..I thought you said she was missing..." I said quietly. He lets out a sigh. "Oh, yeah. I didn't want to scare C.C and Michael. They are, er- were quite close to Charlie. Plus their sister was missing. It would be cruel to say that," He said, his mouth stretching into a thin line. "Oh...I'm sorry," I whispered and he waved me off. "It's okay. You didn't have anything to do with it. I just hope that the monster who hurt my daughter pays."
Silence fell over us again, almost more awkward than before. I mean, how do you react to someone telling you about the death of their daughter? He suddenly chuckles. "Ah, sorry about that. I didn't mean to make this awkward. So, you and Michael, huh?" He nudges me, my face flushing slightly. "Yeah? What about us?" I question, keeping my gaze focused on the window. He laughs again. "Oh, c'mon. You know what I'm talking about. You two were asleep on each other. I also saw the way you blushed when he hugged you," The man teased.
I let out a groan, sinking further into the car seat. "We're just friends. I don't like him like that. I'm also not used to people other than my cousin hugging me, so it was...I don't know, flustering." I explain and he smirks, nodding. "Uh-huh, sure. Very convincing. Anyways, we're here. I'll walk you in." The car slows to a stop in front of my house, Henry pulling the keys out and exiting it. I follow suit.
The two of us walk up to the door and I turn the knob, sighing as the door opens. I see my mother on the couch, her knees pulled to her chest as she stares at the television with intense concentration. "Um- mother..?" I questioned and she snapped her head to me, startled. "Oh! Jesus, (Y/N)! Don't scare me like that....O-oh. Who's this?" The woman inquires, brushing her hair down with her hand and putting on a charming smile. I look behind me at Henry who smiles back with a wave. I glance back to my mother, noticing a blush spreading across her face. I gape.
"Mom! He's my boss!" I say with disbelief, earning a scoff. "Yes, and he is a very attractive man! Just because you don't have a love life doesn't mean I can't have one!" She says back, crossing her arms. I throw my hands up. "You're one to talk! You got divorced- You know what, no! I'm going to my room! Sorry about my mother, Henry." I disappear around the corner as the man chuckles, saying that it was perfectly fine.
I heard their voices from my room, but didn't listen, burying my face in my pillow instead. It was a long day. I missed Elizabeth, but I didn't believe that she was gone. There was no way she was dead. My hand balled into a fist as I thought. We would find her.
-------------
My eyebrows furrowed as I made it to Fredbear's Family Diner, the lights shut off and the parking lot empty. I noticed a figure in front of the doors, quickly recognizing him as Mr. Afton. When he saw me, he perked up, a small smile on his face. "Ah, (Y/N). I was waiting for you." He said and I nodded, stopping in front of him. "Fredbear's is closed for today along with Circus Baby's. In fact, I'm most likely going to shut down Circus Baby's, but don't worry, Fredbear's isn't closing anytime soon. It's just been...hectic with the recent events. Sorry, I didn't inform you yesterday. I was so wrapped up with Michael. Stubborn boy..." He explained, mumbling the last part. "Ah...okay. That's completely understandable." I rub the back of my neck, slightly uncomfortable.
He nodded, suddenly holding his hand out to me. I noticed a stack of papers in it and furrowed my brows, skimming over them. I quickly realized that they were missing papers, a picture of Elizabeth printed on it with basic information about the little girl. My lips pressed into a thin line. "I was wondering if you could help out with hanging up missing papers. I would do it myself, but I'm a bit busy with moving the animatronics out of Circus Baby's," He says, causing me to take the paper from him. He sends me a charming smile.
"Thank you, (Y/N). You're sweet." The man walks past me, heading for his mustang. I glance at him. "Uh- yeah. No problem," I call and he waves, hopping into his car before driving away, leaving me alone with a stack of missing person posters in the middle of an empty parking lot. I let out a sigh, walking over to a nearby telephone pole. I was about to put the poster onto it, but then realized I had nothing to put it up with and groaned. "Now I have to go to the store and buy tape...Dammit, I was looking forward to getting that upgrade for my gameboy," I muttered, an annoyed look on my face.
I trudged my way over to the local supermarket. As I searched the aisles for tape, I noticed a familiar mop of black hair, causing me to pause and stare at the boy. He notices me and lights up. "Oh, (Y/N)! Hi," Mark says, walking over to me with a cheerful smile. "Hey," I say back, mustering a small smile. He glances down at the papers in my hand and furrows his brows, confused. "Isn't that Michael's sister? Is she missing? What happened?" He questions quickly, causing me to pat his shoulder.
"She's fine. She just got lost and we're trying to find her," I explain and he nods. "Okay, do you need help hanging those up? Seems like a lot," He offers. "Oh, yes please. I also need tape...which is why I'm here," I grimace. Mark chuckles. "We can just get some from my dad's workshop. I'm sure he won't mind." The boy shrugs and I perk up, smiling. "Fuck yeah. I don't have to use the money I'm saving," I sigh in relief and he chuckles. "Are you saving for the battery upgrade?" He questions and I nod. "Yeah. A certain someone keeps using my gameboy and draining my battery, so it would be very useful."
Mark smirks, nudging me. "Your little crush, Michael." He teases and I roll my eyes. "He's not my crush, idiot. Besides, I don't wanna hear shit coming from someone who has never dated before," I poke his nose, causing him to reel back, an amused look plastered on his face. "Uh-huh. And like you have." I blink, crossing my arms. "You don't know that. Maybe I've dated multiple people and just never told you." He raises his brow, obviously not believing me.
"Sure, like you wouldn't tell your only friend. Besides, you literally never talked to anyone. How would you get a partner?" He questions and I think for a moment, eyes squinted. "I have my ways. I'm just charming like that." I shrug and he laughs. "Uh-huh. Yeah, sure."
"Okay, whatever. What are you here for?" I question, gesturing to the small paper in his hand. "Ah, just some groceries. Wanna help? It can be just like old times," He said with a smirk, causing me to smile back. "Yeah, back when your parents would send us here to get groceries. As ten year olds, might I add." I recalled and he hummed with a smile, leading me to an aisle with bread.
Together we collected groceries, paid, and left to go back to his house. It was a short walk and when we entered his house, we were greeted by his parents. "Oh, honey. Thank you for getting the groceries for me!" Aunt Susan called from the kitchen, poking her head out and brightening up as she saw me. "(Y/N)! Oh my, it's been so long since you've come over!" She exclaimed, walking over to us with a kitchen rag in her hands. "I was over here recently to fix a table, Aunt Susan. It hasn't been that long," I responded, sending her a smile.
"Ah, but still! I miss seeing your cute little face!" She pinches my cheeks, causing me to groan and swat at her hands. She pulls them away, giggling. "Okay, well, come bring the groceries into the kitchen. You can have some cookies if you would like! I just baked them!" Aunt Susan says happily, walking back into the kitchen. I pick up the bags I set down and follow after her, Mark close behind. "I wish you were my mom sometimes. My mother is....a deadbeat, to be honest." I said as I placed the bags on the counter, Mark doing the same. He pats my back.
"Yeah. I don't really like your mother much. And then you could also be my sister which would be really cool!" He exclaims, shaking my shoulders. "Oh yeah! Remember how we used to come up with scenarios about what it would be like if we were siblings? That was fun," I reminisced and he quickly nodded, jerking his head up and down. "Yep! We said that we would have a bunk bed and that I would get top bunk and you would get bottom!" I furrowed my brows at his words, squinting.
"No, we said I would get top bunk since I'm older and you would get bottom bunk," I corrected, poking his nose as I did. He wrinkled his nose bridge, squinting as well. "No, we definitely said I would get the top bunk." He shot back and I opened my mouth to reply, getting cut off by his mother. "You too already bicker like siblings." She commented with a sigh. The woman pauses unpacking the groceries, turning to the two of us.
"What brings you here anyways, (Y/N)? I mean, of course just simply dropping by is nice, but is there any other reason?" She questions, tilting her head. I nod, shifting my gaze to the papers in my hand. "Yeah, we needed tape to hang up these...missing posters," I say, holding them up for her to see. She leans forwards to see it, her eyes widening. "Oh my. Afton? Isn't that your friend Michael's last name?" The woman questions, covering her mouth in surprise.
"Yeah...This is her sister, Elizabeth. She...um- went missing at the new restaurant that Mr. Afton opened," I explained to her and she nodded, a pity filled look on her face. "Oh dear, that's horrible. I hope you find her soon." I nod in agreement. My eyes trail down to the little girl's face on the poster, her smile forever captured on the paper. She looked so happy. I wonder where she is right now. If she's scared. If she's lonely. Maybe she's happy where she is now. But it really didn't make any sense. Where would she be? She loved her family, so why would she hide from them? Maybe she was taken, but I didn't want to think of that possibility. But then again, it would make sense and there was no way C.C's story was true.
Somebody suddenly shook my shoulders, causing me to snap my head upwards, seeing Mark in front of me with a worried expression on his face. "(Y/N)? Are you okay?" He questions and I take a moment to adjust to my surroundings before nodding, placing a hand against my forehead. "Yeah, I'm fine. I just miss her. I'm...thinking about what might have happened to her." I respond and he sighs, running his hand through my hair like I did for him when he was upset. "Hey, I'm sure she's fine. Like you said, she just got lost."
I glance back down at the poster, Elizabeth's smile greeting me as I did. "Yeah....but what if she got hurt. Henry said his daughter was murdered, so what if...." I trailed off and Mark pulled me into a hug, his mother soon joining. I squeezed my eyes shut as tears collected in them, wrapping my arms around him. I sniffled, trying my best not to cry. I heard the back door squeak open, footsteps following. I attempted to pull back from the hug, but Mark kept me there, causing me to whine.
"Mark! Let me go," I complained and I felt him shake his head. "No, you're sad and it is my job to make you feel better." He said simply, causing me to lightly hit his chest with my fist. I let out a sigh, dropping my hand and shifting my gaze to the opening of the kitchen. There stood Uncle Tom, a soft smile on his face. "Is this a group hug? Because if so, count me in." He said, walking over to us and wrapping his large arms around the three of us. I groaned.
"I'm not sad anymore, Mark! Let me go!" I exclaimed, flailing my arms against him. He chuckles, obliging before cupping my face and wiping my tears away. I grunt as he does, pouting. When he's done, he lets go of my face, patting my head. "Are you okay now?" He questions and I nod. "Yeah, after you attacked me with your love, I think I'm okay." I say, earning an eye roll.
"Why was (Y/N) sad?" Uncle Tom asks, causing Mark to place a finger against his lips, shushing him. "We don't need to talk about sad things right now, but on a completely unrelated note, can we borrow your tape?" The boy says and his father raises an eyebrow. "Are you going to kill the person who made her sad?" I begin chuckling and Mark joins, shaking his head. "No...well, not yet."
"Mark, no."
"Mark, yes!"
-------------------
Lol I did digital art of Alana :)