This idea was created by the ever so wonderful mountaindewred- (thank you again for letting me write it!)

I was debating whether to make this a longer story that really dives into Jeremy's new relationships or a short fluffy thing about Jeremy and Micheal and I've decided to do both kinda. This will start with some set up about Jeremy and his mom but the fluff will be immense just you wait.

This will definitely be a two parter and there will be boyf content
•••

"I'll be- what, four days? At most? You'll survive without me" Jeremy remarks, throwing his backpack into his dad's car trunk.

"Dude we're on the final level of Apocalypse of The Damned" Micheal follows him around the car like a puppy. "I'm not gonna be able to think of anything else until you get back so we can finish it!"

"I'll see if I can get out early, I promise" Jeremy leans against the small car, his elbow propped against the roof. "The less time I spend with my mom the better"

"I thought you guys were getting along again"

"She didn't invite me to her wedding" Jeremy says bluntly, looking to the ground with a sniff. "It's kinda clear that she doesn't want us to get along"

"Jer" Micheal puts a hand on his shoulder comfortingly. "She's extending an olive branch. I know both of you are bitter and petty and stubborn but give her a chance. You only get one mom"

Jeremy laughs sharply.
"Says the guy with two moms to a guy with two moms"

"Yeeaaahhhhhh I don't know why I said that" Micheal shoves his hand back in his pockets, offering his friend a smile.

"You'll be fine, be back soon, I'll miss you" he adds.

"It's a few days. You'll survive without me" Jeremy smiles.

"I make no promises"

Mr Heere honks the horn, making Jeremy jump.
"I'll see you man" Jeremy pulls Micheal in for a quick hug. They pat each other on the back like the bros they are.

"See you soon"

Jeremy climbs into the backseat. He waves at Micheal as he car pulls out and takes off down the road. It's at this point that Jeremy realises that he could've gone in the front seat but he instead chose the backseat for some reason.

He presses earbuds into his ears and sticks on a cast recording that Christine keeps recommending. Anxiety brews in his stomach as he watches out the window. Why now? Why does his mother chose now to reach out to him?

He barely remembers a life with his mom. His parents divorced when he was . . . two-ish? The earliest memory he has of his mother is Christmas Eve at her old apartment. It isn't a good memory. Though they tried to distract him with a red bauble, his parents couldn't hide their rage at each other. They spent the whole day screaming in the kitchen over who gets Jeremy for Christmas Day. Jeremy doesn't remember who won the fight. He also doesn't remember why they celebrated Christmas that year when all of them are Jewish.

Since then, his only interactions with his mother has been late "Happy Birthday!" emails, burnt Thanksgiving dinners and gift cards instead of presents.

Back then, he never would've described his relationship with his mother as bad. Not at all. When they did talk, it wasn't that awkward sometimes.

He never fathomed that it was bad enough to be excluded from her wedding.

He can't help but huff at the thought of the wedding. He can understand not meeting his mothers wife while they were dating; no one wants a grumpy anti-social teenage boy ruining date night. But he wasn't even told about the wedding! He found out about it through an email his mother sent while on her honeymoon.

At least it's just a few days. If he's lucky, he'll duck out early and get to be with Micheal.
Micheal.
Just the thought of him eases Jeremy's frustration and fear. He wants nothing more than to call him and listen to his voice for the whole car journey.

The way his voice gets higher as he gets excited is more melodic than any song on Jeremy's phone. Or the way he laughs at his own bad jokes, or how you can hear the toothy grin in every word he speaks.

Being able to go home to him is the only thing keeping Jeremy going. If he spends four days in some awkward, high-class social nightmare, he'll spend infinite days in a relaxed, dark, smoke-filled basement.

His mind wanders to Micheal's baseman for the rest of the car ride. His face turns red as he imagines the things they could get up to.

He's only snapped back to reality when the car judders to a stop. Mr Heere doesn't budge from the front seat. He doesn't even lift his hands from the steering wheel.

"Ready to go, son?" He asks.

"Yeah" Jeremy sighs, stretching his sore back as he grabs his backpack off the floor.

"Jeremy, before you go in" he's stopped as he opens the car door. "Tell your mom I said . . ." Mr Heere thinks for a second. "Tell her I said congratulations"

Jeremy smiles a tight lipped smile.
"I'll see you dad"

He closes the car door behind him. Mr Heere wastes no time pulling out of the driveway. Jeremy watches the car disappear into the busy road, getting lost among the sea of others.
It's time for him to look at the house now.

It's semi detached and a clear upgrade from Jeremy's own home. That said, the house is nothing special. Jermey takes it all in as he walks to the doorway. It has a tidy garden and looks clean and bright, just like every other house on the block.

But this isn't just any house on this block. It's Amelia Heere's house.

He presses the doorbell. The door swings open and he's greeted with a woman he's never seen before.

She grins large. "Jeremy? That you?"

"Y-yeah" Jeremy feels like his throat is closing up.

"You look just like your pictures!" This strange woman pulls him into a motherly embrace before stepping back and getting a good look at him. Her light eyes trace his face, taking in each freckle and eyelash. Her short blonde hair shakes as she laughs in excitement.
"Wow. You are definitely Amelia's kid. Come in come in, your mom's just in the kitchen"

So. This is his mothers wife.
A short, blonde woman who looks worn yet alive. She perfectly matches the aesthetic of the house; bare but homey.

She points Jeremy to a door at the end of the hallway, apologising as she disappears up the wooden stairs. Jeremy looks down at the door. His mother's in there. Just past the faded blue rug and bare hallway table.

Jeremy grabs his backpack straps for support. One foot after another, he walks to the kitchen. Why is this so hard? Why is it so difficult to see his own mother?

He opens the kitchen door. That is in fact his mother. Her hair is shorter, definitely. It used to tumble past her elbows, but now it's barely tucked behind her ears. She isn't as pale. In fact, her usually pasty skin is tanned and . . . vibrant? I don't know. It's hard to describe a woman who is usually stressed and on the edge as happy.

She smiles. "Jeremy!"

"Hi, mom"

She makes no effort to hug him. Instead, she remains at the kitchen counter, chopping carrots for some stew she's cooking. Jeremy slides his bag onto the ground. His eyes trace the plain kitchen, feeling beyond awkward.

"Come over here, let me get a look at you" She seems excited as Jeremy steps to the other side of the counter. She takes him in. "You are still getting taller. At this rate you won't be able to fit in the house"

"Yeah" Jeremy chuckles awkwardly. Fuck it. He might as well be the one to address the elephant in the room. "So . . . I met your wife"

Amelia is quick to respond. "Heidi's a sweetheart, isn't she?"

Heidi. She has a name.
"She seems really nice, yeah"

"Have you met Evan yet?" Amelia empties the chopping board of carrots into the pot.

Jeremy barely has time to react. "Evan?"

The kitchen door swings open. Heidi enters with her motherly charisma. She approaches her wife, greeting her with a kiss. But Jeremy doesn't give her a second glance. He's distracted by the teenage boy trailing behind her, picking at his cast as he stares at the floor.

"Jeremy" his attention snaps back to his mother. "This is Evan, Heidi's son"

Evan looks up at the mention of his name. He can't be older than Jeremy, but he could be taller than him if he straightened up. Evan takes a breath, sticking his hand out to Jeremy.
"Hey I've- uh, I've heard a lot about you! Fro-from Amelia, I mean"

Jeremy's jaw can't help but hang agape. He quickly shakes Evan's hand, hoping his new step-brother doesn't notice how sweaty it is.
"Yeah I've heard about you too" he can't help but side-eye his mother.

Heidi and Amelia exchange a look. Heidi cocks her head a little, egging her wife on with her eyes. They seem to have a whole conversation without talking before Amelia speaks up.

"Dinner is nearly ready, so, Evan, do you want to show Jeremy your room?" Amelia requests rather than asks. She looks to her (biological) son. "You'll be sharing with Evan, if that's okay. We're kind of tight on space here"

"Sure" is all he says.

Without looking at him, Evan leads Jeremy up the wooden staircase to the second floor. Amelia was right; they really are tight on space. Evan's bedroom is cramped. It barely fits a wardrobe, a desk and a bed. Oh, you can't forget the camp bed on the ground.

The walls are painted baby blue, but the rest of the room is plain. No pictures on the walls or drawings. No posters or printouts. Only books crammed into every free space.

"Your room is nice" Jeremy says, deadpan.

"Y-Yeah" Evan chuckles, even though what Jeremy said wasn't funny. "I'll leave you to . . . uh . . . get settled"

Evan couldn't leave the room quicker. Jeremy sighs. He flops down on the pullout bed, staring at the fake stars plastered to Evan's ceiling. His phone buzzes under his butt.

Micheal
Hey Jammy how r u settling in?

Jeremy sighs. His stomach twists and turns like a washing machine full of tornados.

Jeremy
If u start driving right now u could be outside this house in the hour
Honk the horn twice and I'll escape to you and we'll drive into the sunset

Micheal
Yesssss that sounds awesome

Jeremy would love nothing more than to escape with Micheal. Just drive down a long straight road in his cosy PT Cruiser, camp under the stars and live off Bob Marley and McDonalds. He'll spend the days with his feet on the dashboard, admiring how the sun shines on his laughing face. God, he wishes that's how he could spend the days.

but I think ur relationship with your mom is more important then running off with me

Oh Micheal if only you knew.

Jeremy
*than

Micheal
Oof you nerd

There's a timid knock at the door. Evan edges it open, peeking into the room like he's entering a lions cage.
"Dinners ready. It's pasta" he says.

"I'll be down in a second" Jeremy says more dismissively than intended. He doesn't know why he's being such a dick to Evan. He seems like a solid kid- sure, he's a bit on edge but Jeremy's not going to held that against him; at least, he doesn't intend to.

Jeremy
Ugh I'm being called for dinner
This is your last chance to save me

Micheal
Mmmm not today
Enjoy dinner 😋😋😋😋

Jeremy turns off his phone with a smile on his face. He leaves it face up on his bed, glancing at it for what feels like the final time as he leaves the room. You're going to see your phone again, Jeremy. It's not like this dinner will kill you, you dramatic fuck.

The dinner slightly kills him.

From the moment his cake-less ass sits on the chair, he feels like he's in an interrogation room. Amelia doesn't give him a second to breathe. She immediately bombards him so what questions.
"So how's school?" "Do you have many friends?" "Do you have a girlfriend? Boyfriend? Multiple girlfriends or boyfriends?" "Do you have a job?" "How about future careers; what are you thinking?" "What are your hobbies?" "Do you still like photography?" "Evan loves nature photography- oh and trees- do you like trees Jeremy?"

Question after question is fired at him at a rapid speed. He shoots each one down with one word answers or sarcastic remarks (sometimes a mix of both).

Evan and Heidi both state down into their plate of stew, not wanting to get involved with the family drama brewing over the table. Each of Amelia's desperate attempts at conversation are cut off to the point of exasperation.

By the time Jeremy's plate of stew is finished (Amelia makes a very good stew), he's on his feet and excusing himself.

"Jeremy! Um, before you go hide upstairs" Heidi interjects, speaking for the first time that whole meal. "Could you possibly help me wash up? Just a few pots and pans in the sink. I know I shouldn't ask the guest for help but it'll only take a minute"

"Oh I uh-"

"It's no problem, Hi. I'll wash up. Let Jeremy relax" an exhausted Amelia insists, offering her wife a soft smile.

Heidi clearly wants Jeremy to stay, but allows him to go upstairs.

He can't run upstairs fast enough. Jeremy pushes open the bedroom door- hoping for a bit of relief as he crashes on the camp bed. He is instead hit by shock. Evan is perched on his bed, Jeremy's phone in hand.
"Dude what are you doing?" He exclaims louder than intended.

"Nothing!" Evan drops the phone like it's boiling hot.

"Evan, I'm not mad" Jeremy reassures. "But what were you doing on my phone?"

"I-I saw you got a text from someone and I was just seeing who it was and the texts kept coming in and I'm sorry I won't do it again"

"Don't worry about it" Jeremy tries a smile. Though Evan might be . . . well, Evan, he does have good intentions.
"Who was texting me?"

"Your boyfriend"

Hold up.
"My boyfriend?!" Jeremy splutters. His face turns a dark red and he practically runs over to his phone.

"Sorry- is he not your boyfriend? Micheal?" Evan starts to panic again. "I just presumed b-based on what he sent to you"

Jeremy turns on his phone on. He's immediately bombarded with Micheal's texts.

Micheal
So how did the dinner go?

Micheal
Jammmyyyyyyyyyyy?

Micheal
Jam jam jam jam jam are u there?

Micheal
Jeremyyyyyyyyy I want attenttiiooooonnnn

Micheal
Come on Jammy I've been dying to talk to you I'm missing you a lot here

Micheal
Jaammmmmmmyyyyyyyyyyy aaaAaahhhHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

Jeremy chuckles awkwardly at the texts, desperate to relieve tension.
"Micheal's my best friend- why did you think we're dating?"

"I don't know" Evan looks down to his fidgeting hands. "I just kinda presumed based on the way he talks to you and how much he misses you and stuff. I think he likes you- like, likes likes you"

Jeremy freezes but tries to play it off.
"You think so?"

"Yeah. I mean, that's just what I think I can't be sure" Evan watches Jeremy blush harder as he suppresses a smile.
"Do you like him?"

"What? He's my best friend-" Jeremy goes to object when he realises that Evan isn't really asking. For an anxious kid, he's very observant.
"Yeah. Yeah I think I do"

Evan and Jeremy sit a metre apart at the edge of the bed. Evan continues to fidget with his fingers as Jeremy fiddles with his phone.
"You should ask him out"

Jeremy doesn't respond.

"He's probably say yes"

Jeremy looks to Evan. "You think so?"

Evan offers a half smile. "I think so"

The taller boy leans back on his hands, chuckling. "God, that would be . . ." He trails off. "But god knows I would never be able to tell him something like that"

"I mean . . ." Evan takes a deep breath. "I could- I could probably help"

"You could?"

"Yeah. It's just asking out your friend. Maybe you just need some guidance"

Jeremy raises his eyebrows. "You mean that? You'll help me ask him out? Because I may take you up on that offer"

"I promise I mean it"

Jeremy chuckles, looking forward. "Cool"

"Cool"

•••
If I could have a moment of your time, i would like to ask for some constructive criticism.
As I'm writing this, I've written early 2000 words and it feels like I've written lots of setting up but not a lot of action.
Do I tend to waffle on when I write and should I get more to the point in my chapters or am I over thinking this?

Either answer won't offend me or hurt my feelings, I just want to improve as a writer and any help would be awesome.

Anyways, part 2 is coming soon!
- Avery