Twenty - Four

Scott sat at his desk, notebook rested under his hand as his pen danced in rhythm on his cheek. The sudden downpour has come to an halt as the sun slowly peeked out from behind the clouds. The view looked amazing, the golden orb dancing behind grey clouds. Its rays glistening against the droplets of rain that settle on his window. Scott was inspired, and that inspiration was put to work. He'd never thought he would be able to put his pen to the work; write a poem. Everything was possible these days for Scott. Love was possible.

Its been four days since he started dating Elijah. Four short days but he felt like he's know him forever. Everything felt right when he was with Elijah. Scott has been elated these past few days but they were also cloud of sadness hovering over his head, not much longer before it rains. Its been three days-- seventy two hours since he's had a proper conversation with Maddie.

It was still hard to wrap his head around the fact that Mikey was Simon's father. His younger sister and his former best friend. Just how did that happen. Scott shook his head lightly, turning to look at his half finished poem. He was running low on inspiration. He closed the notebook, he could always go back to it later. Crossing his arms and resting his head against it, he closed his eyes. Each time he did, flickers of Elijah would flash through his mind. His smiling face that Scott loved to see. His light blue eyes that held so much love. Was it possible to love someone so much?

Scott loved Elijah, he loved him so much but his love couldn't compare to the one Elijah has for him-- years of love. Did Scott even deserve such a thing? Elijah had spent all those years waiting for him. He was glad, but the pain Elijah must have been through; he could only imagine. All those years of trying to get his attention when Scott was blind to what was happening around him. His friends even noticed the love sick Elijah while him-- he was caught up in the flow of life.

What if he had met Elijah then-- he had the guts to talk to Scott? Would things have been better-- would they both have escaped the pain it bought? But it was that pain that bought them together. It bought them unbreakable happiness and love. He opened his eyes which settled on a photograph of him and Maddie when they were younger. They had taken a trip that summer, standing on the beach with a beach ball in hand and Maddie with seashells in her hand. Scott remembered after taken the picture he filled Maddie's hair with sand. She was mad at him, chased him around the beach then gave up when she couldn't succeed in getting revenge. Maddie started to pout, her eyes welling up with tears. The sight made Scott usher towards her and started brushing most of the sand from her hair. She of course then hit Scott with her small sand bucket, smiling in satisfaction behind the tears.

He hated Maddie being mad at him. And him sitting here not taking the effort to go over to her room and talk with her was making it worst. But what was he going to say? He hated how he sucked at things like this. Maddie was always the better one at such thing. Scott knew he would always be there for her, every step of the way. Even if his parents refuse to accept the fact that Mikey was the father of their grandchild. He knew his mother wasn't fond of the now Mikey and as for his father he didn't know what he thought. He could also share the same opinion as Gianna but that was only an assumption. However the situation turned out he would always be on Maddie's side.

A knock sounded on his door. Muttering a small 'come in' he raised himself from the desk. Stretching his limbs.

"Hey" Maddie announced, closing the door behind her.

"Umm...hey" Scott said, watching as Maddie took a seat on his unmade bed. He didn't expect for her to come to him. He was only just wondering how to approach the current situation between them.

"You should tidy this place up" Maddie patted a section of the bed, chuckling lightly. Scott knew that it was still bothering her. She was forced to say something she didn't want to.

"I should" Scott replied, flipping through the pages of his notebook.

"Were you writing" Maddie raised a brow. "A poem perhaps" she said, smiling. And in that moment he got a glimpse of his cheerful sister again. Even if only for a second.

"I was trying" Scott replied, trailing his hand over the cover of the notepad.

"Then let me see" Maddie was quick on her feet, grabbing the notebook from under Scott's hand and opening it within seconds. "This is....this is deep" she said, looking up from the book and at Scott. "Is it about..." Scott nodded, knowing what Maddie was going to say. After all his name was a taboo in the Finnegan household. "I'm thinking Elijah too?"

"Yeah" Scott muttered. He was still trying to make well with the ending but nothing came to his mind. "It's still not finished yet" Maddie handed the book back to Scott. "Maddie, about what happened..." Scott said as he rested the book to the side.

"How are things with you and Elijah" Maddie said before Scott could continue.

"Good. This isn't about me and Elijah" Scott ran a hand through his hair. As much as he would love to indulge Maddie in his newfound romance this wasn't the time. "It's about you, Mikey and Simon"

Maddie gave Scott a sad look. She fiddled with her thumbs, sighing and looking around for some sort of distraction. Scott knew it wasn't going to be easy, that much he knew and he wasn't going to helplessly watch as his younger sister cry again.

"There's nothing more to say" she breathed out, finally looking back at Scott to show him a hint of the strong wall she's built up back over the last few days. But Scott could see there were still work to be done, that her walls weren't as good as she thought.

"There is Maddie" Scott said, getting up from around his desk and moving forward towards Maddie, taking her hand in his. "There's so much you have to say and I'm here for you"

"Scott..." Maddie said in a shaky voice. "I don't know what to do" Scott wiped away Maddie's tears before it could fall. "Mikey he--"

"Did he do something?" Scott asked. Maddie shook her head, trying to calm herself. "Does it have something to do with Simon?" That was the only other explanation.

"He wants to see him" Maddie said, running her hand through her long brunette hair. "He wants to be in his life after so long and I don't know...." She trailed. "He's not the best person and if mom and dad finds out...Scott I --"

"This isn't about mom and dad" Scott interjected. "This is about you, what do you want? Whatever you do I'm on your side"

"I said I don't know what to do Scott!" Maddie yelled. Scott knew she didn't mean to, she was beyond frustrated at this point. "He's persistent and he said his mother--"

"His mother?"

"Yeah, he said something about his mother" Maddie said.

"Does she want to meet Simon?" Scott asked.

"I don't know. I wasn't listening as soon as he approached me and started talking about Simon I flipped"

"You should go" Scott knew how crazy he must sound to Maddie right now. "I think Simon should meet his other grandmother" Scott had first hands on how his own parents adored Simon. It was only fair that Mikey's mother get to know her grandchild. He's met her a few times to know how nice of a person she is. "It all comes down to what you decide Maddie. He's your child and this is your decision"

"Will you come with me?" Maddie squeezed Scott's hand in her own.

"Of course I will"

**

They spent the last half an hour getting ready. Maddie got Simon ready and packed a diaper bag. She rid her puffy and eyes from any trace of crying. Scott had suggested the idea and it was good no doubt. But he had worries about how it would all turn out. This meeting could lead to something bad or good. To the point their parents found out. They would at one point but Maddie wasn't ready for that. She already thought they didn't love her as much as they did.

It still pained Scott that she said those things about herself. They were so caught up with him and the incident. He was so caught up with getting better that he didn't notice the walls crumbling around his sister. Now that he was he could help her with everything he has.

"Where are you going?" David asked when he saw the two including little Simon slipping out the door.

Scott looked to Maddie, he knew he was the one who had to come up with the excuse. "We're going over to Elijah"

"Why's Maddie going?" He raised a brow. Scott always went to Elijah's apartment alone and David didn't understand why Maddie had to go this time.

"Ahh, Elijah said he wanted to meet Simon and....you know" Scott tried to find a proper excuse, looking between his dad and Maddie. "Maddie wanted to evaluate Elijah. Plus she doesn't trust me to go alone with Simon because I might....with Elijah around" he started doing some weird hand gestures.

"Okay, have fun" David said, laughing as he entered the living area.

"Really" Maddie said, walking out the front door that Scott held opened for her. "That's your best excuse"

"You do it next time" Scott said, closing the door behind him. His excuse was not only lame but embarrassing. What he and Elijah did, he hoped his dad or Maddie didn't get the wrong idea. They haven't got that far yet. "Where are you going?" Scott asked when he saw Maddie continuing down the walk way.

"Walking, what else does it look like"

"No we're not" Scott said, pointing to the car parked in the drive way. "We're driving"

"Since when do you drive" Maddie walked up beside Scott.

"Elijah helped me out a bit" if it wasn't for the small trip they took and his rush of courage, he wouldn't have been able to do it. The ride wasn't easy. Flickers of the incident and his mind conjuring up bad scenarios made with worst. But with Elijah everything was okay. "And you of course" Scott added. Maddie had encouraged him when he said he wanted to drive to the destination.

"You've broken out of that shell of yours" Maddie said, putting Simon in his car seat.

"I guess I have" Scott smiled. He's broken out and it felt really great.

After getting Simon settled in, Scott took the drivers seat and Maddie in the passengers seat. She gave him a worried look and he told her everything was going to be okay. He's driven Elijah once he can do it again. He won't let anything happen to his sister and nephew.

"Does Mikey live the same place?" Scott asked as they drove out the driveway. Maddie nodded, her nervousness starting to show.

**

Scott remembered how he used to hang out at Mikey's house after school. The countless sleepovers they had and memories shared in this very house. Mikey was an only child so he enjoyed having Scott over and if he wasn't over he would be hanging out at Scott's house. The house was exactly like Scott had remembered it to be but it wasn't the same as he pulled up in the driveway. It was somehow clouded in sorrow?

They exit the car, Maddie looking at the house. Scott knew she was wondering if it was the best idea to have come in the first place. She took a deep breath and walked forward with Simon in her hands. Scott knocked a few times on the door, waiting for some form of signal that someone was home.

The front door soon opened revealing a shirtless Mikey with a pack of cigarettes in his hand. He looked between Scott and Maddie, his eyes settling on Simon.

"Are you going to let us in" Scott said.

Mikey opened the door further, stepping to the side to allow them entrance. Maddie pushed on in, her expression not pleased in the least. Scott gave Mikey a look that said they had to talk as he closed the door behind the two.

"Mikey, whose at the--" Scott eyes came upon a familiar face that he couldn't forget even though she's changed so much.

"Is that you Scott and is that--" Mrs. Downey clasped her hand over her lips. She was too excited to the verge of tears.

"Hello Mrs. Downey" Scott greeted. The woman he knew before was now seated in a wheelchair, her skin pale and fragile body. He looked towards Mikey who ran a hand through his hair, already feeling the rush of questions coming his way.

"Don't smoke that in here" Maddie snapped.

Mikey looked at her long and hard before putting the cigarette back and putting the whole box away. Scott nudge Maddie, signalling to her to bring Simon over to the waiting Mrs. Downey. She was giggling at the fact that someone could stand up to her hard headed son.

Scott took the opportunity to have a chat with Mikey. If he remembered correctly he was heading in the direction of the backyard. "Aren't you coming?" Scott said over his shoulders. Mikey gave his already messy hair a ruffle then followed Scott into the backyard.

Scott sat on the steps, looking around the familiar scenery. The once garden was now unattended to but that didn't make him forget the memories made here. How him and Mikey played catch plenty of times here. Mikey sat beside Scott, leaning back on his elbows.

"Remember when I told you I was quitting baseball" Scott said, staring up at the evening sky. "You started crying and asking why"

"I didn't cry" Mikey said. "You were the one crying saying you'll miss the team"

"We both cried" Scott concluded, laughing-- even if it was only for a few seconds. "What happened Mikey?"

"What happened with how I got your sister pregnant or what happened with my mother" Mikey said, shifting in his position a bit.

"Both" Scott replied. "But I want to hear about my sister first"

"If you want to punch me in the face like that boyfriend of yours did go ahead" Mikey chuckled, stopping when he realized how serious Scott was. "Fine. I came home from university after I got kicked out. We started hanging out and one night we did it. Nothing really happened after that, we hang out a few times but that was it. I didn't even know she was pregnant or that the kid was mine until recently and she said I should just stay away"

"Why now?" Was the only thing Scott could ask. "Why try to get involve after so long?

"I wanted to know him-- my son" Mikey replied. "I'm trying to get my shit together and I want to be in his life even for a short while before something happens to me"

Scott noticed how he sounded like something was going to happen to him. "About your mom" Scott decided to move pass it. Mikey was his friend but the other side of his life wasn't something he wanted to get involve with. If he asked would Mikey even tell him.

"She's sick"

Short and simple. "Where's your dad?"

"You sure have a lot of questions Scotty" Mikey sat up, ruffling his hair yet again. "He left sometime ago. Found someone prettier and younger" he forced a laugh.

"I still don't understand Mikey. How did--"

"How did I end up in the wrong crowd" he finished. "I needed money and me coming home, going to community college while my dad walked out on us and my mom was at deaths door wasn't helping. I did what I had to do"

"You could've asked my family for help" this time it was Scott ruffling his hair from frustration.

"I just go to your family borrow thousands of dollars then what Scott" Mikey slammed his hand on wooden stair. "Life would just be all good again. I finish up college get a job in this small town, taking care of my mom while I wallow in depth all the way up to my neck. It doesn't end Scott, I have to make sure she's okay and for that I keep needing money"

"I could've helped you Mikey and you knew that. I know it must've have been hard but we could've helped, you wouldn't have to worry about paying back"

"You weren't here Scott" Mikey stood in front of Scott, his eyes gleaming with anger and sadness. "You were out there living to the fullest then what? A stupid accident got you running back home. It was too late Scott"

"You knew...that's not possible" Scott breath caught in his throat. There's no way he could've known.

"Advice from your crappy ass former best friend" Mikey started to walk back inside, stopping just behind him then said, "Dump that boyfriend of yours before it's too late"

Scott sat there, by himself and in silence trying to collect his thoughts. Mikey knew....he knew about the accident. There's no way Elijah would tell anyone, he trust him. Mikey's words turned his world upside down in a split second. Why should he dump Elijah?

**

They got home to an empty house. Maddie went straight to her room exhausted and so was Scott. He needed to rest his mind after the events of the day. Entering his bedroom, he noticed a letter sitting neatly in the middle of his bed. He took up the letter and opened it. Something fell onto his bed when he opened the note, picking it up he realized it was a clover. Scott fell to his knees not able to believe his eyes.

He opened back the note and read it. Scott felt like he was brutally pushed off the edge of everything he's built over the pass month. He was being shattered all over again.

I told you, you aren't allowed to leave me.

P.