Date: Mon, 2 Apr 2007 21:20:01 -0700 (PDT) From: Matt Wess Subject: Michael: Part Seven For what they are worth Michael wanted to give his opinions about the life as an adopted child, whose mother was actually alive all this time. When one comes to think of it, it is strange that such a person who is orphaned should spend his or her waking hours contemplating over the fact of the insignificance and hatred he has towards his non-biological parents. If orphaned children thought at all, they would long ago have started a search party for their own parents. But they do not think, because they have no leisure for it; their life has been made up of too much hatred for those presently around them. Michael, in his hooded sweat shirt and jeans, began to pack for his adventure early in the morning when he should have been getting ready for school. He removed the books from his book bag and placed them under his bed, figuring he would have no need for physics or world history any time soon. In place of the books he carefully slid folded clothes into the bag. The door-knob rattled, and Aunt Maude came in, her hair up in crullers and wearing her usual morning face. She balanced herself on the arm of Michael's desk chair, observing. "Going somewhere?" Uncomplaining, Michael folded another shirt and placed it into his book bag. "As a matter of fact, yes and you can go ahead and tell Rosa. In fact you can even tell Carlos about last weekend. I've told more truths in my life than they have." Aunt Maude shut the bedroom door softly. "Mrs. Jensen told me about last night. I figured one day you would learn the truth about your mother. But Carlos and Rosa wanted to keep you here because you were their ultimate link to legalization in the United States. I'm not going to stop you, Michael. Dios mio, you've caused enough problems around here. Just take care of yourself, huh? You're a good kid, just a little bit confused about life. I'll continue to pray for you." She smiled and headed towards the door. "I've never touched a cigarette in my life," he called out before she opened the door. "Just to clarify things," he added. "I know that, Chico. I just had to side with Rosa while she was around." She gave him a wink and left the room. Walking to school was usually a fairly odious routine-not tiresome, but boring. It was dreadful to think that in the early, early year's people's sole mode of transportation were their feet. Michael shifted his book bag on his shoulder and half-listened to Adam discussing with Macy about last night and his wound. Neither of them bothered to tell her that they were in actuality planning to head off for Ohio shortly. Knowing Macy she would come up with one hundred and one reasons why they should stay behind. Michael figured they would tell her eventually, just not now. The three pushed through the double doors of the school along with the other masses. Adam elbowed Michael softly in the stomach and nodded in the direction of the lockers. Michael saw the police man who took Adam in yesterday. He was standing completely erected, watching the group of students file into the school, waiting for someone to get out of line. "What I would give," Adam started in a menacing tone, but was interrupted by Macy's exasperated sigh. "What would you do, Adam?" she asked, not bothering to hide her annoyance. "Give him the old one, two? You said that about Professor Gorbis's car, too. Your attitude really won't get you any where far." "Would you be willing to place a bet on that?" Adam retorted, Michael could tell that his friend's blood was beginning to boil under his skin. And he knew what was coming next. "My attitude is getting me to Ohio, for your information." He said in a harsh whisper into Macy's ear so that no one else would over hear them. Macy stopped in her tracks and watched as Adam disappeared into the thick herd of students. Michael felt like the intermediary. He looked from Macy to Adam's retreating back, then back to Macy. Finally, Macy came hurrying up to Michael, no longer playing. "Michael! What did he mean by that? Is he really going to Ohio alone?" The late bell clang through the school and the remaining open class room doors shut with a snap. Macy and Michael were left standing in the hallway. "Listen, Macy, there's a long story to it. Can we discuss this during physics?" "Oh great! That's the perfect time to talk about problems! Especially while Adam hates that class to begin with so he'll be in more of a bad mood." But Adam didn't sit with them at physics. In fact at one point Michael was convinced that Adam was not going to show up, until he strolled through the door during the late bell. He nodded in Michael's direction and didn't even acknowledge Macy. Macy clucked her tongue indignantly as she watched Adam settle at a different lab table. "I don't think he's in the right frame of mind to make any decisions. He's going to Ohio because his father flipped out once." "It's been more than once," Michael corrected her soberly. "He pointed that out to me yesterday." "So you talk things out!" She said in an undertone, as Adam glanced back at them. Professor Gorbis began passing out worksheets. Macy handed one to Michael. "I just don't condone this any way shape or form. I think sometimes Adam becomes too impulsive and should think through his actions first." Unfortunately, today was a double period for physics, which meant double the lecture. Every so often during the lecture Macy would lean over and whisper another point as to why Adam should not leave, still unaware that Michael would be joining him as well. During the break Macy and Michael stood out in the hall contemplating over the situation. Michael wished he could get her to understand more before he dropped the other bomb. The pair of them filed back into the classroom with some anticipation to finish the second half of the class. Michael looked towards Adam's general direction, but was taken aback to see that he was not sitting there. "Did he already leave?" Macy asked in an incredulous tone. "Oh, Michael, we have to go find him! We have to stop him!" Michael full heartedly agreed, but for one reason or another they were propelled back to their lab table. Their intention was to find him. Then again there could be the fact that he was in the bathroom. However, half way through the class Adam still had not returned. Professor opened his mouth to continue the boring lecture-and a woman screamed from somewhere outside the room. The whole class grew silent at first, and then pandemonium erupted as people scrambled off of their stools. "Now class," Professor Gorbis called out in his soft voice, but no one was paying attention. Michael could hear a muffled commotion coming from what he thought might be the hallway. Somewhere from the hallway the woman screamed again. Michael and Macy were right along with the rest of the class as they pushed their way out of the door. The screams were indeed coming from the hallway; they grew louder as Michael emerged into the hallway. When he could see, he saw standing in a defeated state a lady janitor crying to the principal. Michael had seen this lady around before. At first he wasn't sure what she was saying, so he pushed through a crowd of students and finally heard it. "Somebody has been shot!" she howled. Michael felt his stomach drop about fifty feet and crash to the floor. He disappeared in the crowd again, allowing himself to be jostled around by the eager crowd. Gut reaction told him to run and find Adam. Suddenly a hand shot out from the thick crowd and grabbed Michael's shirt. Michael was yanked into the boy's room. Once he was inside the person released him and Michael found himself face to face with Adam. "Jesus Christ, Adam!" he exclaimed. "You scared the shit out of me! I heard about the dead person..." His voice drifted away. He noticed for the first time that Adam was shaking severely. A tear, from what seemed to be anguish, rolled down his cheek. "Is-is everything okay?" Adam ignored the question. "We have to leave-now." "Somebody was just shot," Michael said on a different note, implying that they should stay behind. He gestured towards the commotion that was going on outside the bathroom door. "This is serious." "And so am I!" He dropped his voice to a low whisper. He clutched Michael's shoulders. "Listen, I'm leaving. I don't give two fucks if you join me or not, but if you are joining me, then keep your mouth shut and follow me." From the other side of the door they heard the commotion subside slightly. Michael was willing to bet that no one was going back to class, rather evacuating the school incase something else would happen. Still he wasn't sure who was shot, why they were shot, and he had an awful feeling that Adam played a lot larger part than he was leading on. Adam adjusted his book bag on his shoulder and peered out of the bathroom door. He paused slightly, holding his breath as a couple of police officers scurried by. Finally he gestured towards Michael to follow him. They silently slipped out of the bathroom and took off at a fast pace down the halls, which were miraculously cleared. Blood was thudding in Michael's ears as they presently rounded the corner-and collided straight into Macy. She yelped in excitement and was momentarily confused. "There you two are!" she said, once her head was cleared from the collision. "Where do you think you are going?" She asked while Adam brushed past her and headed towards the luminous exit sign. Michael followed in hot pursuit, noting that Adam was still wearing Dylan's clothes that were provided for him last night. There was something arousing about that. Maybe it was because Michael had a small infatuation for Dylan and so he was seeing him in Adam. In actuality, Michael was rather jealous that Adam was currently wearing Dylan's underwear. Then again...Michael had slept with Dylan previously during the unspeakable nights, so maybe there was no need to be jealous. Macy brought up the rear, scurrying to keep up with Adam. "Are you seriously going to Ohio? I thought you would have snapped out of that phase. Jesus, something major has just happened at school and all you are concerned about is yourself!" Adam held up his hand to silence her, and poked his head out of the exit. His eyes searched the rear of the school. Satisfied that no one was around to stop them, except Macy, Adam slipped out of the back door followed by Michael and then Macy who was still grabbling for answers. The sun light hit them with a blast as they exited the school, heading directly for the woods across the vacant lot. Macy caught up to speed with Michael. "You're going with him, too, aren't you?" Michael didn't answer. "I can't believe it!" she exclaimed. "Leaving behind everything for nothing. It just doesn't make logical sense. I really think you guys should just stay around. Everybody has their bad days, but you don't see everybody running away from their troubles." She opened her mouth to say more-but across the parking lot came more shouting. Somebody was bellowing. All three of them stopped abruptly and saw a police officer pointing in their general direction. "There he is!" the officer was shouting. Without warning, Adam broke out into a sprint, diving head-long into the thick woods. Michael stuck with him and Macy was on their heels, but so was the officer. He leapt alive and darted after them, calling out for them to freeze. Michael's heart was pounding energetically as they tore through the trees. The rapidity of their footfall crushing the underbrush. The tree branches reached out and grabbed at their clothing, trying to slow them down. Michael frantically pushed the branches out of his way, breathing heavily, trying to make sense of why they were running. Macy was thinking along the same lines. She started to yell from the back, pleading that Adam stop running. "We lost the officer! He is long gone!" she continued to yell. Michael glanced over his shoulder and it was true, they had lost the officer. They were now so deep into the forest, though, that sunshine was having trouble to fully filter in through the canopy of leaves. He reached out to seize the back of Adam's shirt (or rather it was Dylan's shirt) and upon doing so he ultimately brought Adam to stop. In fact, Adam was halted so abruptly that he stumbled forward, his foot caught on an upended tree root and within the next few seconds he was airborne. He came crashing to the ground with a big "umph" as his face plowed into the dirt. "What did you do that for?" he asked angrily, springing back up. He brushed the dirt off of his clothes. "Because the officer is long gone and I can't run much further," Michael snapped. He returned Adam's angered glare. "I agreed to go with you, but you didn't tell me that we would be running from the authorities, which I still don't know why we are!" Despite his aptitude for weighing people up, Michael had never quite weighed-up Adam. Perhaps the fact that he was his best friend made him more complicated than others. Certainly he was of the same sort as Michael, never pretended otherwise, but somehow the essential ramifications of Adam's character evaded him. Adam was bold in many ways, an out-going kid who did not give two shits what society said. He was the sort that might suspect or even have definite proof that you were plotting against him. In fact, he may even try to take you up on it. But, all said and done, if Michael was getting on Adam's annoyance then it served him right. Sometimes he could be incredibly impulsive and impulsivity is the only logical explanation that Michael could conjure up on how they ended up standing in the middle of the woods after running from the police. Macy, who was usually quick to catch on, suddenly looked disturbed, as if a cold, icy hand had reached inside of her. "Wait a second, Adam. Did you have anything to do with the shooting at school?" Adam placed his hands on his hips, and hunched over, trying to catch his breath. "Don't worry about it," he said in between panting. "Fuck, Adam! Don't worry about it! How could I not worry about it! You shot a guy!" Macy said in an outraged tone. She began to pace back and forth impatiently. "And now none of us can go back, because of your stupidity!" "You can go back!" Adam hollered, turning red in the face. "Alright! Leave! See if I care! I didn't even ask you along!" Macy stopped short. "And what if I do go back, huh? They'll arrest me immediately, because I was seen running with you!" As usual, Michael was the one standing in the middle of their feud, trying to make sense of it all. He really didn't think Adam had the capacity to murder anybody, but that's not was pouring from his mouth. An ill silence fell over the three of them. Macy leaned up against a tree staring up at the sky, while Adam finished brushing the dirt off of him. Finally, Michael broke the silence. "Where's the gun?" At first Adam didn't answer right away. Then he gestured towards his book bag. "Incase we need it during our trip," he added. Michael closed his eyes, trying to gather together patience. "Who did you shoot?" "Remember that police officer who took me in for smoking on school grounds?" Macy and Michael cursed under their breaths in unison as the situation just got ten times worse. Adam had shot an authority figure. Its one thing to shoot a civilian, but shooting a prick with a badge is one hundred times worse. "Do you ever consider the consequences?" Macy exploded again. "That maybe you shouldn't have lost your temper on your dad, maybe you shouldn't have run away from home, maybe you shouldn't have shot the officer, and maybe you shouldn't have started smoking in the first place! That's what began this whole ordeal!" "Maybe you should keep your trap shut for just a second!" Adam responded in a curt whisper. "We're being watched."