As the bus took off into the proverbial sunset, Mickey couldn't do anything. His body was frozen in place. His feet too heavy to lift from the ground. His body ached. And it was a pain he had never felt.
Sure, Mickey has felt pain. The numb, face bashing, knuckle tearing pain. But never this tearing, throbbing burning pain. This was new. With all of his other pain, his instincts would kick in and move his body for him. But this? It had him nailed. 'Don't go' was all he could get out of his mouth, without a simple sound to his voice. Just words forming on his lips. And with that, the pain got worse. The worse the pain got, the more heavy his body became. Mandy's words rang in his ears, like a train had run over him. 'Your such a fucking pussy'. He invited the words in, because he was in fact, a pussy. He couldn't get the words out to get Gallagher to stay. He didn't know how to get them out. And in the back of his mind, he felt if he had even gotten the words out, life wouldn't change. Because he was still married, and he was still going to be a father, and Gallagher would still be going to the army.
'Don't go' he said again, but this time, with a little more determination in his throat. By the third time he said it, he could feel the words screaming in his chest. Finally, after one more try, the bus came to a screeching halt.
Mickey still couldn't move. He didn't even know if his words were loud enough to be heard. Because lets face it, He is a pussy.
He stood there, watching the bus, as Ian stepped off, back pack strapped over his shoulder, head facing the cold cement ground, as the bus started its path again.
Ian didn't see Mickey. He didn't see him standing there, with tears in his eyes. Ian was too busy walking away. The further Ian walked, the lighter Mickey became, and soon his feet were able to move.
Mickey was too much of a pussy to tell Ian not to leave. He was too much of a pussy to not let Ian on the bus, and he was too much of a pussy to scream out at Ian after he had gotten off. But he wasn't too much of a pussy to not see where Ian was going.