# — ❞ IT'S MY NUMBER, MORON ❞
╰┈➤ CHAPTER ONE ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*
⋆.ೃ࿔*:･ 𝙐𝙈𝘽𝙍𝙀𝙇𝙇𝘼 𝘼𝘾𝘼𝘿𝙀𝙈𝙔┊🕰️☔️🎻
🕧 2002
( mckenna grace as young! michelle )
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MICHELLE DUNCAN'S LIFE HAD CHANGED IRREPARABLY JUST THROUGH ONE KNEE INJURY ON THE tennis court — she couldn't help it, she just slipped. Who knew one knee injury meant your mother would stop talking to you for the rest of your life? To be honest, she doesn't think it's really that bad. She can do whatever she wants, doesn't have to constantly hear about tennis... okay, maybe that is better than not having her mother not talk to her at all.

Well, tennis never really left. She still kept her racket in the floor of her room, along with her trophy's, metals, ribbons, and framed photos of her on the court from magazines — although, that all of the gold seems so meaningless now. Now knowing that tennis was all it took to get a mother to say hello to you.

She had been plagued with anxiety thanks to her years on the court. Every little thing she does she is wary about it, making sure the littlest thing is right. This had filled her with a sense of impending doom that something bad was coming.

Now with no purpose in life, all was left with was blend in and be a regular kid. It always sounded fun in her head, but now it just kinda feels depressing, not knowing what to do or... how regular teens do it. For most of the afternoon, she just spent most of her time wandering around the MET for half an hour before alarms started blaring and she saw two guys by the fountain in masks with guns.

She hid in a storage room full of metal shelves in crates. If she wasn't bored before, she certainly was now. Just as she was about to put on her head ones, she heard at round of bullets being fired from outside. Her eyes widened as she put her headphones slowly back around her neck.

Thinking she was alone, Michelle let out a long, heavy sigh. Then, she heard something drop from behind. She furrowed her eyebrows, turning around to see another figure from behind one of the shelves.

"Hello?"

"Hello?"

The repeated choirs of hello went on for a little until the other person switched his tone. "Why hello!"

"Okay, weirdo," Michelle said. "I've been in tennis for basically my entire life, so I punch as hard as I swing a racket."

"Wooow, I'm so scared," Diego said in a sarcastic tone. "Well, I'm Diego — uh, I'm with the Umbrella Academy."

"Oh, then why aren't you out there with them?" Michelle questioned.

Diego started walking a few inches out from the shelves he was behind in. "I don't know," he shrugged. "It's just a lot I guess — the bank was nothing like this. And Ben turned into an octopus."

Michelle furrowed her eyebrows at the last bit, feeling a mix of concern and a bit intrigued. A few moments later, he stepped out from behind the shelves in his Umbrella Academy uniform and a black eye masks with two white dots, covering his eyes. Michelle's eyes widened and she let out a yelp, slapping him across the face.

"Ow!"

"Oh, sorry," Michelle winced, but the two ended up sharing a chuckle. "Um... I'm Michelle, Michelle Duncan."

Diego rubbed the cheek she slapped. "Well, that's one way to introduce yourself," he lowered his hand and flashed a light smile. "I'm—"

"Diego!"

The duo turned to find a blonde kid in the same uniform he had on. Diego tensed a bit, but let out a sigh seeing who it was. Luther jogged over, furrowing his eyebrows at Diego. "What were you doing in here?"

"Uh—"

"Helping me," Michelle cut him off. "I was about to be one of the hostages out there, but he saved me before I could.

"Totally — yeah," he nodded.

Luther raised his eyebrows, eventually rolling his eyes and jogging back out, "Hurry up! Dad's waiting outside!" He exclaimed as he went out the door.

"Uh... so I gotta —"

"Wait," Michelle said, getting out a sharpie. She uncapped the marker, grabbing his hand and writting down a number onto his palm. "Call me if you can."

Diego raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"It's my number, moron!"

➥ AUTHOR'S NOTE
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erm, okayyy. i hate this chapter, but it's the first chapter. imma be doing one last chapter in 2002 when they first meet in then start in the show's timeline. i tried referencing the zombies movies in this cus why not??

pls don't be silent / ghost readers. it helps me stay motivated!!

— see you soon, meg!