Chapter Text
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June 16th, 1979
♪ " Give him a pair of eyes with a come hither gleam — "
♪ " Give him a lonely heart, like Paglicce — "
♪ " And lots of wavy hair like Liberace ! " ♪
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" —rie!"
"Laurie!"
The teen jolted, almost crashing her skull into the chin of the older woman who stood over her; the woman had ripped the walkman headphones from the girls head. Lauries hand smacked over her mouth, eyes wide like a deer who had ran in front of a car.
"You scared me half to death!" Laurie tried not to sound harsh, but unfortunately in her semi-winded state, the statement left her lips just as cross as she felt. Her hand clutched her chest, being somewhat dramatic.
"Shame on your father for buying you such a distractible device. You couldn't even hear me calling you! What of it was an emergency?" Lauries mother tugged on her girls ear, lecturing her — lengthening their encounter. Laurie rolled her eyes, her lips contorting into a frown.
"Well, I'm sure it's not." She crossed her arms, fixing her hair (after her mother had torn the headphones from her head, it tugged and pulled the poor girls hair with it). Lauries mother sat down beside her, a relaxed smile replacing her previous, disappointed pout.
She cleared her throat.
"I have some important news."
Laurie cocked a brow, eyeing her mother up and down before biting her bottom lip as if saying: "Go on."
"You're going to have a brother!" Mrs. Strode chimed happily, opening her arms as if inviting her disgruntled teen into a big hug. Laurie sat there and stared.
...
"What?" Laurie stuck her pinky in her ear and twisted it, she thought she must've forgotten to clean them, and thus was going deaf. She must've been mistaken her mother's words.
"A brother, Laurie!" When the girls mother realized the hug would not be reciprocated, she hugged her arms around herself with a giddy smile. "We must go pick him up tomorrow. Your father and i volunteered for this rehabilitation program... You know? We adopt a nice young man being discharged from Smiths Grove, and make sure he can make it back into society lickity split. Doesn't that sound nice, Laurie? You've always wanted a brother."
Laurie was mortified. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. At eighteen years old, she never would have thought her parents would even consider having — nonetheless caring — for a child they didn't procreate themselves. They were barely present for her, anyway.
"... from Smiths Grove? Isn't that a funny farm?"
"Now Laurie! Where'd you learn to speak so foul. I bet it's those skanks you hang around." The woman turned her nose upward as she stood, putting a distance between them. "I met him in person last month. He is a nice boy."
"Then what was he there for?" Laurie couldn't hide the displeasure on her face. She was sure she would be absolutely ecstatic to watch her mother fawn over another child over her own who she barely loved; or so Laurie felt. Mrs. Strode went quiet for a moment as she stood in the doorway, twiddling her thumbs.
"16 years ago he murdered his older sister. He has been at Smiths Groove ever since. He doesn't talk." The woman spoke solemnly now, her aforementioned smile having completely dissipated. Laurie went quiet, unsure of what emotion to let out first, or whether she should try to argue at all. It had seemed her mother already made up her mind. "Personally Laurie, i don't think it could've been the boys fault! Just imagine how that girl must have been treating him. Plus, a sanatorium is no place for a growing boy..."
It was too late to convince Mrs. Strode otherwise. The woman left Lauries bedroom, clicking her tongue and shaking her head slowly. Laurie sat, listening to the quiet hum of Mr. Sandman by The Chordettes play through her headphones that lay beside her. Thats when she realized, it was going to be a long summer.
Laurie put away her music, getting up to change into her pajamas. She had a newfound dread for tonights sleep, but she didn't have much of the energy to stay up pondering the worst, either. Once changed, she laid in bed, staring at her atrocious popcorn ceiling. She counted the stiff peaks of asbestos repeatedly as if they were stars decorating the night sky; she stared so long the texture eventually began to put strain on her eyes. It was better than letting out the inevitable tears she felt curse the corners of her greys, squeezing her eyes tight and shoving her head into her pillow.
She would try to go out to Lyndas tomorrow, the least that girl could do was listen to her — rightful, in her opinion — complaints. Who would want a murderer for a brother, anyway? Not that Laurie would be recognizing him as such. It would most definitely take a miracle for Laurie to welcome him as a part of the family.
Laurie let out a frustrated growl, pulling the comforter over her head roughly as she finally turned in for the night, quickly drifting off to sleep.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
June 17th, 1979
Morning sun poured through the cracks in Lauries curtains, illuminating her cozy bedroom with a warm glow. She basked in the stillness for a moment, knowing any minute her mother would burst through her door to remind her of laters impending doom.
She waited.
She waited another minute that felt like hours.
Her mother never did come through her door to awake her. Laurie arose slowly, raising her arms as she got out a good stretch. She was slow. Deliberate, as if any sudden noise was raise Hell. The completed her morning routine before heading downstairs for breakfast, on her way she peeked out the front window into the driveway.
The Strode family cornflower blue, 4-door wagon was no where to be found in the driveway. Laurie shrugged it off, assuming her parents must be combining their Saturday errands into this absolutely ridiculous, dismally foreboding day. She decided to toast up three toaster waffles for herself instead of one today.
After practically inhaling the buttery, mapley, carb riddled goodness, Laurie practically ran her way over to Lyndas. Well, first a run, before she realized she must look quite odd to everyone else enjoying the bright, warm summer morning. The girl adjusted herself quickly into a brisk walk, keeping her head down somewhat — she had given herself a migraine by rolling the thought of this new 'brother' over and over in her head.
Without thinking much about Lyndas parents or anyone else in the house, she rapt on the door rather obnoxiously; standing with her weight off center and her hand on her jutted out hip. She couldn't be anymore impatient. After a moment of tapping her foot, Lynda answered: her hair half up messily, in an oversized tee shirt and shorts that were WAY too short for any occasion (in Lauries opinion). Lyndas brows strung together, somewhat disappointed.
"You look disappointed." Laurie observed, looking at the other teen from head to toe.
"You're just not who i expected to see, wanting to come in so badly." Lynda fumed, moving a stray stand of hair from her face, before standing out of the way to let Laurie inside. "You're not typically the one for unexpected visits."
"Yeah, sorry I'm not Bob," Laurie said somewhat sing-songingly. "I am however not sorry for being better than Bob." Laurie smirked, giving Lyndas behind a gentle pat as she passed her on her way inside the Von der Klok home. Lyndas face flushed before she rolled her eyes, shutting the door behind her.
"Okay, okay. Thats subjective." Lyndas smile curved her lip upward slightly, showing her tongue slide over her teeth. "Why are you here anyway?"
Laurie made herself at home, wandering into Lyndas kitchen to sit at her bar counter. She propped her chin up on her knuckles, her other hand in a fist.
"Oh, no reason, you know? Life is just peachy. The usual, just my parents are going to be adopting a class A criminal today." Lauries voice was flat and unenthusiastic, highlighting her fiery sarcasm as the words left her lips.
Lynda looked shocked for a moment, eyes wide and mouth agape. Then she started twirling her hair around her perfectly manicured finger.
"Well if you can let him off on good behaviour, send him my way! Ive had plenty of wet dreams about sleeping with bad boys." Lynda shrieked out a manic giggle, bending herself over the marble countertop and gasping dramatically as she put on a grotesque show for Laurie to growl and roll her eyes at.
"A murderer, Lynda! A cold blooded killer!" Laurie scolded, slamming her hands down on the counter and standing from the stool as Lynda looked up at her from her uncomfortable position.
"Ooh, even better." Lynda giggled, smirking and basking in Lauries frustration. "Like i said, if he's hot, give me a call."
"Im sure he looks like a toad that unfortunately fell asleep in the bottom of a trash bin in the hundred degree heat in the middle of August." Laurie barked, her words coated in a disgust Lynda swore up and down she had never heard leave Lauries mouth before. "On top of that, mother said he's dumb, too." Lauries nostrils flared as she exhaled aggressively, trying to pin every point she could against the stranger she hadn't even seen yet.
"I once thought you were a sweet girl Laurie, but this is next level..." Lyndas lips curved into the shape of an 'o' as she was left shocked, surprised by her friend's next level hatred. "Is this because you couldn't get with Ben Tramer? I know how a long term dry spell feels, girl... I'm sorry but you cant just take it out on others." Lynda stood, putting her hands on her hips.
"You don't get it, Lynda. This could ruin my reputation for real and i'll NEVER have a chance with Ben Tramer! I see it now: 'Strode Girls brother is a psychotic dumbo sister murderer.' Doesn't that make a great headline? I'll go to college next semester looking like a fool, and Ben Tramer wont even be able to face me. Actually, thats assuming i live through the summer at all!" Laurie snapped, hands closed so tightly into fists that her knuckles turned white; making haste for the door. "Good day!"
Laurie slammed the front door to the Van der Klok household a little harder than she intended to. She heard the shutters on multiple windows rattle against the glass as she made her way to the sidewalk in quick strides. A part of her hoped Lynda would pop her head out the door and yell something catty after her; to let her know she wasn't mad. But she didn't. Lynda stood in her kitchen in a daze, shocked my Lauries newfound hostile behaviour. She had never snapped like this at her before, or anyone for that matter. Her palm pressed to her forehead as she began to finally worry.
Laurie didn't find her way home until about 3PM. She figured the library or thrift mall would serve her mood much better than sitting at home weeping. Immersing herself in a fantasy novel where she could imagine herself as the main character always found a way to brighten her mood, no matter the woe. Using some of her saved up money, she bought herself a beautiful gold necklace with a sweet little flower charm on the chain for cheap at the thrift. She always prided herself in the neat little treasures she found, and always thought it a shame that someone didn't want it anymore.
As if she had forgotten about what ailed her, she gave a good shout when she entered the Strode home.
"I'm home!" Laurie hollered as she closed the front door with her foot. She had brought a stack of books home from the library, since she had just finished last week's stack anyway. Despite it being somewhat early in the afternoon, the smell of dinner filled the air. Something rich with beef, perhaps a nice stew. Laurie followed her nose into the kitchen, met with her mother and a stranger sitting at the counter.
Laurie froze in her tracks, examining the foreign, grown man in her home.
"Well look who finally decided to show up." Lauries mother chided, adding some chopped vegetables to the big pot on the stove. "Laurie, this is Michael. Michael, Laurie."
Laurie almost dropped her books as her mouth fell open — it all hit her, she remembered what she had been dreading. He was huge, even though he was sitting, he had to clear Lauries height by nearly a foot. His black eyes were under an overcast of thick brows, his strong jaw framed by curly, brunette locks. He wasn't staring at Laurie, she could tell — but rather through her, and beyond the wall behind her.
He was terrifying.
Some would argue handsome. However Laurie wasn't so easily fooled by looks. She knew that man was a monster.
"Laurie! Close that mouth or say hello! You look daft!" Lauries mother scolded, pointing a wooden spoon in her direction, making Lauries spine involuntarily straighten out.
"H-Hello Michael! It's nice to meet you." Laurie sounded almost robotic, her joints locking up as she forced the words through her barred teeth. Michael just stared through her, not even acknowledging her existence. Laurie cocked her head to the side at her mother, unsure of how shes supposed to react to the lack of reaction.
"Go ready up for supper." Mrs. Strode didn't even acknowledge Lauries plea, waving her off as she tended to her stew. Laurie figured she wanted to dine early for the strangers sake. Her mother never made fancy meals if it wasn't a holiday or special occasion. Lauries nostrils flared as she turned to head upstairs; in her peripheral she swore she saw Michaels eyes every so slightly change their focus and stare right at her.
The dinner table was silent. So silent, if a pin dropped upstairs, Laurie was sure it'd crudely break the ritualistic silence. Mrs. Strode stared at Michael, watching him move like a machine; spoon to lips, spoon to soup, and so forth. The routine of his movement didn't falter, even when Laurie 'mistakenly' dropped her spoon to the floor.
"Whoops." She had to break the eerie silence somehow. She leaned to her side, picking the silver from the floor. She saw how Michaels strong legs were firmly planted to the floor, strictly grounded. No crossed legs, no relaxed legs. Firm at a 90° angle.
"Laurie." Mrs. Strodes brows strung together, bothered by her daughter's sudden clumsiness. Mr. Strode was quiet, briefly making eye contact with Laurie. Laurie pleaded with her eyes for him to say something, anything for Gods sake.
"Well," With a mouthful of beef, Mr. Strode tried not to choke as he spoke through his food. "I saw Ben Tramer today." Laurie perked up, as if her father activated her like a sleeper agent. Mrs. Strode side eyed her husband, putting her spoon down into her empty bowl.
"Lets teach Michael good manners." Mrs. Strode almost snarled, her side eye turning into a glare. Mr. Strode swallowed and cleared his throat.
"Of course, sorry." Lauries father hung his head in shame, looking into his stew.
"Have all of you forgotten how to act all of a sudden?" Lauries mother scolded in a hushed tone, as if Michael couldn't hear her. He could. The man quickly finished his food, and continued to stare ahead of him as if nothing else existed. "I need you two to set a good example for our new boy."
Laurie was already prepared to challenge Michaels intellect. To challenge whether he really would be a threat to her or not. She had been worrying this whole time, and she just realized — for what exactly? Michael seemed like an empty husk.
"'Our' new boy? How are you already attached to a son that isn't yours? Have you ever thought of prioritizing your real child for once?" Laurie stood, calmly surprisingly despite her retort, staring down at her mother with a fire burning behind her eyes.
Mrs. Strode sat there in shock, her eyes darting from Michael to Laurie with so much haste, Laurie thought they might pop from her skull.
"Thats it young lady. Go to your room!" Mrs. Strode commanded, standing with such force that the chair beneath her fell backward and crashed to the tile.
"Make me!" Laurie shouted as she already started off, stomping up the steps aggressively. Laurie was angry beyond all means because she knew in just a matter of time her mother would put the work of taking care of Michael onto her, and she didn't desire to do so. If Michael killed his sister all those years ago, and was still perceived as a possible threat, why would they give him a second chance at life if his sister didn't get such an opportunity? Laurie bet he didn't even hesitate to kill her. There was nothing human about him, other than the shape he took.
Laurie slammed her door hard. Harder than how she slammed Lyndas. For a moment, the whole house shook; then there was silence. Laurie stared at herself in her vanity mirror before breaking out into an ugly sob, wiping her eyes with the backs of her hands as she fell to her knees on her vintage shag carpet.
She felt all out of sorts since yesterday, with it only getting worse the more she dreaded her new 'family member'.
The dining room once again fell silent, Lauries muffled sobs from the upper floor being the only disturbance. Mrs. Strode picked up her chair, taking all the dishes to the kitchen to tidy up. She beckoned Michael to follow, in which he obliged, taking his place back at the counter. Mr. Strode dismissed himself else where.
Hours later, Laurie awoke on her floor. She must have cried herself to sleep, exhausted from the day. A part of her felt somewhat of a remorse for what she had said about Michael earlier. The girl sat up slowly, wiping the crust of her tears from her eyes. Michael must have taken the guest bedroom, she thought to herself.
The teen couldn't go back to bed like this. She knew she would have a bad breakout in the morning if she didn't wash her face now. She crept into the hall slowly, acknowledging the quiet, all the lights turned out. Everyone must have turned in, it was late after all. She knew her eyes weren't at all adjusted to the dark when her face planted against a solid object that should not have been in the middle of the hallway. She held back a confused grunt as she put her hands up on the mound, feeling the solid mass. It was warm, rose and fell. It was a person. A silent person. Laurie gasped quietly as she looked up, squinting her eyes as a means to adjust them faster.
"Michael...? Why are you up?" Laurie whispered, for some reason all her previous anger had left her, her hands lingering softly on Michaels chest. Just in case he tried to move, or hurt her, her hands were her guide in the dark void of the hallway. Or: thats how Laurie was trying to cover up the secondary thought in the back of her sleepy mind — the fact that she had never been this close to someone before, never had laid her hands upon a thick, towering chest.
Of course, he didn't respond. As Lauries ears adjusted to the nighttime silence, she realized she could hear his breath. Rhythmic and steady, in time with the rising and falling of his chest. His breathing, accompanied by the chirping of crickets leaking inside from the open window, was quite peaceful. It was an unassuming night, after all.
"Let's get you back to bed, okay? We can talk in the morning." Laurie trailed her hand down Michaels side, searching for his arm, his hand, grabbing it carefully. His hands were huge. Thought his exterior was cold, every part of his body was overwhelmingly warm. A soft 'mm' like noise left Michaels throat in response to Laurie touching his palm, leading him back to his room for bed. He walked with her obediently. The man sat on the edge of the still made bed, his fingers lingering around Lauries hand as she tried to pull away.
"Michael?" Laurie questioned, her head tilting to the side. Michael copied her, tilting his head the other way before slowly letting her out of his delicate grip. Laurie sighed softly as the somewhat comforting warmth left her palm. She turned to leave. "Goodnight, Michael."
Laurie closed the door behind her, heading into the bathroom, clutching her chest once she shut the door and flicked on the light. Why was her heart beating so fast? She thought herself ridiculous, her poor little brain reacting so dramatically just from the touch of Michaels hand. The girl splashed cold water on her face, smacking her cheeks.
'Wake up, Laurie. Nows not the time for funny feelings.'
Laurie used the toilet and washed her face before quietly sneaking back to bed, where she dreamed of caressing the chest of former classmate Ben Tramer.