- He would understand.
•••• •••• ••••

August 2015.

Michael walked down the same street he's been on many times before with a fresh set of eyes. Everything looked the same but felt different. It was as if they all had a new meaning. Maybe it was because he was out the house without his grandmother for the first time in his life, as he was no longer a toddler.

Ever since he woke up yesterday morning to find himself over 6 feet tall, and ten years older, his grandmother left him be. With his new age, came a brighter mind and it was clear to him that Constance was distraught over waking up to find that her four year old grandson transformed into a young teenager overnight. So, he decided that it would be best to give her time to mull it over and while she did so, he wandered off to familiarize himself with his town.

He looked around in wonder, eyes wide as he took in the clothing option worn by others of his appeared age. "Woah." He muttered under his breath.

Michael continued to follow the large group in front of him, and mimicked their action of stopping before the crosswalk. His first instinct was to trail behind the teens and study their behavior but his legs had other plans. He turned to his left, and walked down the sidewalk that led into a cozy neighborhood. 

His blue eyes roamed the semi-busy area, the sight of more kids his age met his vision, causing Michael to bite back a smile. He's never seen so many kids before since his grandmother kept a tight lock on him.

There was a school bus slowly driving down the street, stopping a few feet away from him. The stop sign on the side of the bus stood erected from the vehicle's side. Soon, the doors creaked open and small children piled out, running towards their parents who were waiting across the street. Following a few feet away from them, Michael walks to the other side of the street before breaking away and making his way down the neighborhood.

To Michael, everything he was witnessing was fresh, and simply amazing.

The sound of laughter met his ears, causing him to look to his right and see another group of teens his age clutching onto the straps of their backpacks, as they were chatting amongst themselves. 

The curious blonde's eyes then fell onto the boy who seemed to be the leader. The dark haired teen stood in the middle of the circle, his smile bright as he finished the punch line of his joke.

It made Michael break into a small smile. He wanted to know what it was like. To have friends. To have people want to be near you, and surround you as they cling onto your every word.

"Stop. I'm done, Xavier." Michael saw a girl with red hair wheeze out. She shook her head, while trying to control her laughter. "I can't breathe!"

"I'm serious, Rebecca. That actually happened." The boy, who Michael now knows as Xavier, said.

This caused another round of laughter to erupt throughout the crowd of friends. As Michael stared at the group, he could clearly see the admiration in everyone's eyes.

"Shut up, Rebecca. That's not even funny. It's just stupid-embarrassing, and really sad." A new voice interrupted.

A girl that resembled the boy pushed her way to the group, the teen's short locks blew in sync with the leaves. Her bright eyes focused on the colorful cube that she was trying to solve. 

By the looks she was getting, it was clear to Michael that a lot of people were not a fan of the girl, and by the response they were all getting from her, the same could be said for them.

"People nowadays think anything is funny. It's making us as a society not focus on what's really funny, and that is kicking puppies." She drawled, before walking out into the street without looking both ways. A series of gasps fell from the group of eight graders as a car came close to hitting the girl, who she didn't even flinch as she continued to play with the Rubik's Cube.

"She's kidding, by the way. About the puppy kicking." Xavier told his friends, who stared at the girl with wide eyes.

All of a sudden, Michael wasn't interested in the groups of kids his age anymore. The blonde wanted to know more about the  cute brunette with the golden eyes.

Unaware that she was being followed, Mae entered her house without locking the door, and dragged herself to her room. 
It was days like this she hated going home after school, which is saying a lot.

When at school, Mae receives pitiful looks from her fellow classmates and teachers. All claiming that they are available for her and her family in their time of need, which is a load of steaming shit in her eyes.

It's been six months since her mother walked out on them. Another six months, and it will be a year. Mae thought that after two months, the stares would lessen but the Hart's were still the talk of the town.

As if being at school wasn't hard enough, Mae dreaded going home due to her grandmother.

After her mother left and Parker went into a downward spiral, Lana moved in to help with the twins which ultimately fucked Mae over at the end. When under the same roof, Lana gained some sort of power over her grandchildren. She was able to give them chores and discipline them, without asking Parker for permission. This meant that if Mae did anything that Lana didn't approve of, she would be punished.

She was currently in the middle of another punishment.

Before school, Mae was sentenced to one day in her room by her grandmother with no electronics. Earlier today, Xavier complained about not being able to find his Walkie-Talkie's before pointing the fingers at his sister.

They had been a gift from Lana, who told Xavier how the Walkie's belonged to Parker when he was a boy. The second he received the ancient communication device, Mae ridiculed him for having one. To her, it didn't make any sense. Xavier had a cellphone. The 'toy' only worked when there is certain distance between the two talkies, so if you're were 15 miles away from one another, it was practically useless. But her brother was ecstatic to have them. He claimed that he was now able to have conversations without them being recorded.

Although she denied everything accusation hurled her way, and there was no proof that Mae had taken them, at the end of the day it was her word against Xavier's.

As Mae sat on her bed, messing with the Rubik's Cube she found on the walk home from school, she heard Ms. Little's dog barking.

She brought her face up, and stared at the open window ahead with a glare. She hated her room in moments like these. Her bedroom faced the neighbors, making it hard for her to have her window open seeing as whatever happens in that backyard, the sound tends to travel into her room.

As the barking went on, Mae pushed herself off the bed and stomped towards the window. Her hands curled along the pane and was about to push the glass down when her large eyes caught sight of wild golden curls that reflected the sun.

She wasn't sure what possessed her to lean forward to get a better look at the boy but the second their eyes met, everything changed.

To both parties, the other person was by far, the most gorgeous person they have ever seen. There was no physical flaw to their beauty, but somehow the pair knew that they were more than good looking people. That maybe they both came from the same flawed fabric. The two unaware that it was their powers linking with one another.

The young brunette raised an eyebrow at teen, curious as to why he was just standing in Ms. Little's yard.

However, her suspicions flew out the window when the boy raised his hand and waved at her. The gesture, along with the smile on his face, had been so innocent it reminded her of a young child.   

It was then, Mae wanted to come down and talk to him but she knew that if she even tried to leave the room, her grandmother would add another day to her punishment. For a second, Mae actually thought if he was worth getting in trouble for when an idea popped into her mind.

Mae held her pointer finger up at the mysterious boy and ran to her bed. She dropped onto her knees, and pulled out her 'runaway' luggage from under her bed, and shuffled through her random treasures before bringing her recent assets out from the bottom of the chest. Her grip on the talkies tighten as she ran up to her open window and waved the item around. She watched as Michael's eyes lit up as he began to put two and two together.

Mae chewed on her bottom lip at the thought of everything she was about to do. It was reckless and could get her into more trouble but she was already halfway through her plan, so she thought why stop now. She waved one of the talkies one last time before tossing it out the window. Michael had been close to the fence separating both house's backyards, so Mae prayed that he was able to catch it and not damage her brother's gift.

She had been so focused how she was going to explain to her father and grandmother why Xavier's missing gift ended up pieces, that she didn't see Michael raise his hand up and cause the walkie-talkie to float.

"Hello?" A soft voice suddenly came through the talkie's receiver, making Mae jump before answering it.

"Holy shit! This worked!" She squealed into the device as she stared out the window and waved at the boy. She giggled when seeing him return the action before talking again. "I'm sorry for not coming down by the way. I'm in big trouble and can't leave my room."

"Why?"

"My stupid grandmother. She grounded me, which I don't think makes sense. I don't even think she has the right to do that. You know?" Mae commented, her words firing out so quick she was surprised Michael was able to understand her given the static in the background.

"Grandmothers can be stupid."

"So, what are you doing in Ms. Little's yard? I mean, her and her son are out of town for the rest of the month, so no ones home..." Mae asked.

Although, this was his first interaction without his grandmother by his side, Michael knew he can't say he was out in the yard staring at her. That he wanted to be close to her, because he feels a connection between them. A connection that wasn't based on her appearance, but on something more. Something he couldn't explain.

"I-uh..." He stumbled on his words, before Mae cut him off.

"Oh, are you the new sitter? You know, for Carter? Ms. Little told me how you were coming over to feed the dog and will be sitting for her son Carter when they get back. I was suppose to let you in, but I see you found you're way in. The house key is under the gnome holding the pink flower." Mae explained, making an idea pop into Michael's head.

With a quick nod, Michael responded with a yes. Before Mae could ask anymore questions, he asked, "So, did you do anything wrong? I mean, since you can't come down and have this conversation face-to-face."

Mae fell silent for a minute. How could she tell a boy she just met that the reason she's in her room all day is because of the object he was currently holding in his hands.

"Well..." She trailed off, meeting Michael's eyes for a second time that day. "I may have stolen my brother's walkie-talkies and hid them from him."

She broke into a small smile when seeing a grin spread onto his face as he squinted up at her with his eyebrows raised, "And why did you do that?"

"Because he was being such an ass. You know, being all happy and annoying and all." She muttered. "I know what you're probably thinking, that was stupid and mean."

"It sounds like he got what he deserves. Sometimes people need to know what sadness feels like."

The comment made Mae feel slightly better about her selfish action. She liked talking to Michael. In some odd way, she felt as if he would understand her and the things she would do, things that her grandmother likes to call 'fits'.

"You get it." Mae said.

When hearing Mae happily sigh, Michael broke into another grin. He truly did understand, which means she may understand him.

"Are you going to be coming here more often?" Michael heard Mae asked, who was curled up in the corner of her bay window and staring out into Ms. Little's backyard, where he stood leaning against the fence.

He perked up at the question. He really wanted to.

"Hopefully. My grandmother doesn't trust me out by myself." He answered, his voice showing a little resentment.

"Let me guess. She treats you like a freak, am I right?" Mae sighed, when hearing a sharp intake of breath, the brunette felt for him. "I know the feeling. My grandmother fawns over my looks, but hates everything else about me. She thinks, I'm... a bad girl." Mae smoothly changed her last response. Her grandmother thought of her more than just a bad girl, but there was no way she was going to tell someone she just met that her own flesh and blood thinks she's evil.

"My grandmother does the same too. Looks like we have some things in common."

"You don't irk me, nor annoy me. So, it looks like I have a new friend." Mae asked, making Michael freeze. He never had a real friend before.

"Yeah...friend." He uttered back.

Mae's face scrunched up a little at the horrid background sound. The static was very rough, it made it hard to hear Michael clearly. "Hey, the static is super crazy. So, maybe you can give me your number and we can talk on the phone?"

"I don't have a phone. My grandmother is quite old school, and doesn't think I should get one until I'm a certain age." He smoothly lied. However, this time his voice came out the receiver crystal clear.  

"Oh? Well, I can hear you perfectly now. So, if you want, you can keep the talkie. But I doubt it will work with large distance. It can be a backup, for when I ever get in trouble when you're here babysitting Carter." She knew she was rambling, but Mae could care less. She was ecstatic to have a new friend. One that hadn't been arranged by any grown up, and one that hadn't irritated her.

"Definitely."

Suddenly, Mae heard the front door open and father yelling for her. She sat up from her position on the bay window before speaking, "My dad's here early. Judgment day. So, I'll see you later." She spoke in a rush as she heard her father come up the stairs.

But before she pushed the walkie-talkie's antenna down and turned off the chunky device, Mae brought the large 'toy' close to her and whisper one last thing. "My name is Mae, by the way."

"I'm Michael."

~

Mae's fingers curled around the red ball she found the other day in the hall, and raised the item up to her eyes.

When Mae woke up thirty minutes ago, everything around her was hazy. Her mind most of all. She wasn't sure how long she had been asleep. She turned to lay on her stomach with her two bedside lamps were on, they brightly illuminated the dark corners of her room.

"Okay." She breathed out, "Let's see if what happened today was real." She whispered, before chewing on her bottom lip.

Her gazed focused on the bouncy ball.

Mae wasn't sure how any of this works, and if she had to put a certain emotion into her 'power', if she could even call it that. Granted, what happened with Justin may have been a fluke, a part of her wondered that if she was truly responsible for pushing him through a wall: what else could there be for her to uncover. Mae owed it to herself to try. To make the ball move with her mind just by her own bidding, and not because she was emotional.

Mae could hear the cheerful commotion from below. The voices of the Lawrence family, Xavier and Parker met her ears, causing her to smile at the sound of her father's happy tone.

It was clear to the brunette that she hadn't been easy to deal with for the past two weeks, and no matter how hard her father tried to hide it, she knew about his recent habit of drinking wine during the day. A part of her wanted to go down and join them but her mind soon wandered into other field of thinking.

For the first time in weeks, her nightmare changed. For weeks, she saw the same littered streets, and toxic air as carnage took place around her. Only for it to all end staring into the face of the devil himself, laughing at the pain and fear he was causing.

Then, everything became more clearer.

She got a name of the ruined building she always seemed to be attracted to. Miss Robichaux's Academy for Exceptional Young Women. The name seemed to ring a bell, but she couldn't pin where she had heard it from.

Mae also saw another person in her nightmare. Although, the mysterious blonde did die in the end, there was something about her that made Mae want to look more into her dream. Unlike the other faceless figures, the woman was aware of her of what was happening like Mae had been. The woman seemed way too real just to be a figment of the teen's nightmare.

Then, there was the star of her nightmare. The demonic face she saw every night, sending her into a restless sleep. Instead of running for her life, like she did every night, Mae stood by his side.

But even after witnessing new, and disturbing additions to her nightmare, all Mae could think about was Michael, and why she uttered his name while staring into the face of evil.

The last time she saw the blonde was a few weeks after he moved in with his foster mother. She wasn't sure what happened in those following weeks, her memory a little hazy but the calls between the two stopped out of nowhere, which hurt her a little. Not that she'll ever admit it to anyone. To her family, Michael was just some friend she made who exhibited serial killer tendencies. But to her, he was someone who never judged her. Someone she could tell everything to.

Her thoughts were soon cut short when she felt something tap her forehead. Her golden hues shot towards the floating ball and a smile broke out onto her face. "I did it. How can I do this?" She muttered to herself, before shaking the negative feeling away.

Mae thought that she should enjoy this for now, and worry about everything else later. She moved her eyes away from the ball, and took in the condition of her room.

Articles of her clothing that were sprawled on the floor, books she had been assigned to read for school and other personal possession placed around her room were up in the air. All floating about, causing Mae to gasp.

"If only Michael were here to see this. He would flip." She giggled