Endangered/Issue 12 (Old)

This is a preview of #12 of Endangered and is titled Calm Before the Storm. It is the finale to Volume 1 and is scheduled to be released January 28th, 2014.

Calm Before the Storm
13 Years Ago, 2000

There he sits with a smile on his face, and his skin wasn’t pale. Bright blue eyes, bright brown hair, semi-muscular build to go with a small beard that sits on his face. While it’s hard to tell at first glance, this is Michael Nicholson; a much happier, younger one at least. The one who still had joy in life.

Sitting ever so casually on a worn out couch, including his feet on the coffee table and his eyes planted on the TV, he can’t help but glance over to the eating table, with a smile of happiness and pity. Currently at the table sits a young woman, right around his age, with long dark hair and a very pretty appearance. Yet still, she seems drained with her dark eyes and light latina skin. Still she wore flashy clothes, which bought out some color. This was Zoey Benjamin, the girlfriend of Michael.

Currently Zoey tries doing her schoolwork, considering she wanted to do her best this year; this was her senior year. Unlike Michael, she was trying to put an effort for her future; especially since they already have a baby girl. The baby girl, three year old Sarah, sits silently in the corner of their small apartment, just playing with her toys. They may have not much, being struggling high school parents, but they had enough for their daughter.

“How’s the homework?” Michael finally calls over to Zoey, who doesn’t even look up from her work.

“Fine. Geometry is a fucki-” Zoey looks over to see that Sarah is watching, so she corrects herself. “-freaking pain.”

“That sucks.”

“Yeah, well at least I’m trying.” Michael knew what those words meant, since he wasn’t even trying in school. Michael would rather badger off people and get unemployment than work, unlike Zoey.

“Meh, I’d rather just annoy the fuck out of Mr. Reynolds. Guy is a fuc-”

“Michael!” Zoey interrupts him in mid-sentence, before nodding toward little baby Sarah who watches the two. “Don’t curse in front of the baby.”

“Why? She’s gonna hear cursing every time she goes outside anyways.”

“Yeah but, I want her to be a good kid.”

“And we weren’t?”

“Is that even a question?” Zoey jokes; they were always bad kids. It was only know that she tried getting back on the right path. Getting pregnant at 14 sure did change her life. Zoey then looks over to Sarah, who goes back to playing with her toys. “She wants to play.”

“So play with her.”

“I’m doing work.”

“Well I’m, doing this.” He points at the TV, and she just stares at him with her ‘are you kidding me?’ look, so he sighs. “Alright.”

Hesitantly standing to his feet Michael first makes his way toward Sarah, but stops. Taking one look at Zoey he can see the stress all over her. The way her skin is pale, pale eyes, and just the way she is lately. She’s super stressed. Work, High School, Caring for a Kid, shit from her parents….. it was all building up on her shoulders.

So instead Michael makes his way to her and lowers himself across from her, while she only looks up annoyed. “Michael, I asked that you pl-”

“I just wanna talk with you real quick, don’t get your panties in a bunch.”

“Well, what is it?”

“I just wanna say that, well, we should have a day out.” Zoey rolls her eyes. “No, no hear me out. You’ve had so much stress with everything that you deserve a break.”

“I’m stressed for a reason Michael, all the shit-”

“For one night you deserve to say ‘Fuck that shit’ and have fun.” Zoey still looks unconvinced so he goes on. “C’mon you're seventeen, you need to have some fun.”

“We have a ki-”

“We can get someone.”

“What about-”

“Zoey! You deserve a break, c’mon.” Michael smiles warmly but Zoey still shows some discomfort, so he continues. “Just one night, please.”

Zoey looks up at him and their eyes meet; Michael’s life full eyes and Zoey’s drained eyes. He smiles, and after a minute Zoey does to. “Alright then.”

“Haha and the fun begins.” Michael jokes, before grabbing her hand. “I love ya Zoey.”

“Love you too Mike.” Zoey beams, for once, and Michael can’t help but feel warm inside. Still, Michael had no idea that the fun they have tomorrow would be the last they ever had.