Chapter Text
April 4th, 1986.
Mike picks up his clothes, folding them slowly and carefully before putting them in the box. the words 'Mikes clothes' are written on the front of it with a permanent marker. Mike never quite liked packing up and moving away. Seeing a house that used to be all happy, messy and lively become all sad and deserted left a pit in the boy's stomach. The place that he grew up in. Now just left vacant for new people to live in and for the cycle to continue.
What made him hate moving the most is the fact of what it would mean. Change. Leaving home.
Luckily for him, his friends would be coming along and living in the new town that they are going to. Although it doesn't actually make it much better, but hey, can he complain? It's better than going alone.
Where is he going? well, just some silly old town called Derry, Maine. The town that Mike just so happened to live in back before.
Wait.
Oh no.
Mike's going to have to face his old friend group, he's going to have to go up to the party and tell them about it. What is he even going to say? "Oh hi, just to let you know, a killer clown tried killing me in Derry and my name used to be Richie Tozier." That's just something that sounds like a huge lie and also, he doesn't think he is ready for that yet.
"Mike hurry up! It's time to go!" Nancy shouts while walking past his door, breaking his thought pattern.
"COMING!"
Great, now I'm going to have to deal with all this. He thinks to himself before getting up and grabbing all of his boxes, placing them on the dining room table one by one, with all the other boxes. Karen says that it's more efficient which he can't disagree with, not like he wants to anyway.
Mike loads the boxes that hold his belongings in the moving truck. Carefully placing them where they should be, as if he has all the time in the world when really, he just doesn't want to leave. Of course, its for the better. Leaving all of the bad memories of the upside down behind in this hell of a town. The thing is though, close bonds were made here, where he met will on the swings back in kindergarten.
Mike's thoughts stop abruptly as he notices Lucas in the distance, walking up to him. Lucas and him have been close neighbours ever since Mike moved. Mike looks over at Lucas' house, spotting another moving truck.
Mike felt a pang of disappointment; of course, he knew that they were moving to Derry but seeing his friends pack up gave him some sort of realization that this is really happening. He is really going back to his old home. Well at least he thinks so. When he was taken away to go live with his aunt Karen they said something about not selling their home. Mike isn't too sure why, it was pretty long ago for him to remember everything that happened.
He has no clue why CPS came to his door at 7 in the morning, really no clue. Maybe the neighbours thought my parents were neglecting me. Which unfortunately for him, they were correct.
When the service came, they noticed all the hints that were screaming "neglect!". If he was to be honest to you, he didn't really mind living like that. Of course, having to do side hustles like selling his things or pet sitting to buy food and things he wants was a pain, but at least he didn't have strict parents up his back saying things like his friends being bad influences. In fact, he IS the bad influence.
But yeah, CPS coming and taking him away was for the best. Mike doesn't really know where his parents are right now, probably not jail since it's not like they killed someone. Probably just somewhere else, they probably don't even know he's gone.