Picture Perfect

Author's note: All characters are over 18 years old.

This is my first attempt at a story I hope you enjoy. I am working on a chapter 2 and if enough people like the story so far I will try to complete it sooner than later. Enjoy!

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Summer 2001

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"I take it you are Michael's guardians?" The doctor asked and he walked into the waiting room seeing an older couple sitting with a little girl.

"Yes, we're his grandparents please call me Joe, this is my wife Sandra, how is Michael? Is he going to be ok? When can we see him?" Sandra was too emotional to speak and let her husband do all the talking.

"Well he has some serious injuries, we have him stable and is being prepped for surgery, as you know he has some serious burns on him and he will need a few skin graphs before he will be released." As the doctor explained Sandra couldn't hold her tears back. Joe put his arm around her and held her close. "Go on doctor."

"There will be some permanent scarring, around his chest and left shoulder, unfortunately the hair won't be able to grow back anymore where he was burned, we will do everything we can to ensure a successful surgery and rapid recovery. The big concern is risk of infection. We have him on antibiotics and steroids and seems to be working well so we have his hopes for a good recovery"

"Is my brother gonna be ok?" Said the little girl and a shy, timid voice. "What's your name princess?" The doctor asked while bending down to be eye level with her. "Stephanie." She replied. "Well I'm going to make sure he will be back home before you know it! If you folks would follow me I will take you to see him before we take him in for surgery." As the doctor stood up he headed back towards a set of double doors and motioned the family to follow him.

They followed the doctor through a couple of hallways and into a room next to Michael's which had a giant window to see inside his room.

"I'm sorry I can't let you actually inside his room but you can see him through here. Please brace yourself we can't bandage him yet so his wounds will be visible."

"Thank you doctor." Joe said as he stepped closer to the glass. Joe was your typical big construction type guy, rough exterior, but had a soft spot for his grandkids. At 55 years old he stood 6'2, 240lbs, black hair and always clean shaven and brown eyes. He had his own construction company and was pretty successful with it. He specialized in residential buildings from houses to low rise buildings. Sandra was a stay at home wife who has her own small business making dress alterations. Not that they needed the money but she enjoyed keeping busy. She stood 5'5, long light brown hair, very smooth skin, and a nice curvy figure. She was only a year older than Joe but she didn't look like it, she still looked like a woman in her 30's.

Stephanie was 3 years older than Michael and while he had his dad's dark brown hair and brown eyes she got her mother's dirty blond hair and hazel eyes. She was usually very upbeat and talkative but since her brother been in the hospital she was almost in a state of shock, not truly comprehending the seriousness of Michael's injuries.

Sandra stood next to Joe holding Stephanie's hand while watching the nurses prep their grandson for his first of many surgeries. She looked up and saw a tear come down the right side of his face as he looked at his grandson laying in the bed, knocked out no doubt from the drugs they had given him. His skin looked raw from the burns. Most of his chest and his left side of his head we're burned.

Michael had been badly burned from hot cooking oil his mother knocked over earlier than day. She had been extremely drunk, she drank more and more every day since their dad had left 2 years prior. Not a word of why. Thankfully a neighbor heard Michael's painful screams and was able to call for help.

There was a knock at the door a few minutes later and the doctor stepped in. "I'm sorry to cut the visit short but we are just about ready to move him to surgery. Also there is someone outside you will need to speak to." He motion them to where they needed to go as they stepped out into the hallway.

They walked into a private conference room for some more privacy.

"Hello, first off I'd like to offer my deepest apologies for having to have this conversation so soon after the accident. My name is Christina, I am from child services." Joe and Sandra just nodded and took a seat at the large conference desk just across from her. There were papers and files with their family name written on them spread across the table.

"Again I realize this is a painful time to be discussing Michael and Stephanie's future as I'm sure you have more than enough to worry about so I will make this as quick and painless as possible."

They spoke for a couple of hours, Christina explain that Michael and Stephanie's mother has been charged with child endangerment, child neglect and child abuse. Michael and Stephanie will be removed from her care and had been given to their grandparents as they were the closest next of kin available. Joe and Sandra only had one child, their daughter Elizabeth, who has always been a problem child growing up, from drinking to drugs to running away from home at 17 years old, Joe and Sandra couldn't say they were surprised that her life went down the drain. No matter how much help they offered Elizabeth she never accepted, claiming nothing was wrong with her and they her parents needed to mind their own business.

10 years later.. June 2011.

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"Happy biiiiiiirthday deeeeaaaar Miiiiiichael! Haaaappy biiirrrrrtthday toooooooo youuuuuuu!" As his grandparents and sister finished singing

they flopped onto his bed with a chocolate and vanilla cake, Michael sat up in his bed and blew out all 18 candles. "Don't forget to make a wish Mikey!" Stephanie like to call him Mikey or Mike, she would use his full name whenever she was mad or annoyed with him, which wasn't very often as they got along great. "Thanks sis I almost forgot" he replied in a groggy voice.

"Well good morning to you too sunshine." She said playfully jabbing him in the arm. Stephanie was twenty-one, 5'7, long dirty blond hair that she would usually keep in a pony tail, with legs so long they seemed to never end, beautiful perky 32c tits, and a flat stomach, she was in great shape, she had played volleyball throughout high school and is now playing for her college team. She was also studying to be a financial consultant. She also had a part time job during the summers working at a women's fashion store.

Not only was she the big sister, but also Michael's friend, they hung out a lot throughout her teenage years. since she started college she hasn't been able to be around as much as she wanted, she usually worried about him being alone so much. He was usually in his room painting or gaming. She felt bad about it but wouldn't tell him. She new Michael felt self-conscience about his scars, and people can be cruel, they would stare and whisper to each other. Sometimes outright laugh. It infuriated her, the stupid comments, the ignorant jokes, Michael took it in stride though, she knew it bothered him and he would just shrug it off, but she knew that it was all a front, he hated having his sister worry about him. Stephanie may have been the older of the two but she looked up to Michael, regardless off his hardships he always looked forward, even if forward came with more hardships. She always found that admirable about him.

Michael was 18 now and will soon be starting his last year of high school. He stood just over 6 feet tall, 170 lbs, he grew his hair out down to about his chin which he would comb over to the side hiding as much of his scar as he could. Growing up wasn't easy or very pleasant. Kids tease him about his scar almost on a daily basis. They wouldn't even call his name and usually referred to him as Scab or Freddy, from the Nightmare on Elm Street movies. Needless to say he didn't have many friends, not real ones anyways, most of the people he talked to we're his online gaming buddies. He found it much easier to make friends when they couldn't see him and judge him, he became somewhat of a loner. Michael had a few hobbies he was very passionate about, he loved gaming, it was an escape from reality, he also loved to paint and was pretty talented at it. He would spend most afternoons outside in the backyard painting landscapes of his neighborhood, the occasional portrait of some of his favorite basketball players.

He also enjoyed playing basketball, he was no Kobe Bryant but he had a pretty good shot from shooting around in his driveway on the net that Joe got him for his 12th birthday. During the night he would spend hours playing his favorite MMORPG with his online friends.

"Here you go buddy open ours first!" Joe said handing Michael a giant wrapped box. He ripped the wrapping off almost as fast as it was handed to him. "Oh wow! An artist stool! This is awsome thanks grandpa and grandma!" He gave them he a giant hug and kiss on their cheek. It was a pretty good stool, leather with a memory foam seat, detachable backrest, adjustable height and fourway moving wheels.

"Beats that old wooden one you've been using I hope you like it" Sandra said smiling while watching Michael give it a test run.

"I love it grandma! No more sore butt cheeks for me!" They all had a good chuckle at that one.

"Your not done, here's one more for ya" said Sandra. She handed him a big gift bag. Michael removed the stuffing and pulled out a brand new basketball. "Wow this is amazing! It's an official game ball! You guys didn't have to do this" replied Michael almost feeling guilty for receiving such an expensive ball.

"Don't worry about that sport you deserve it! Plus it's your birthday what kind of grandparents would we be if we couldn't spoil you once in a while" replied Joe giving Michael and one armed hug.

"Sorry Mikey I forgot your gift at work but I'll definitely be bringing it for you later when I get back" Stephanie stood up and grabbed his new stool, "Come on let's bring this to your workshop and get rid of that wooden torture device you call a chair."

Michael could help but laugh "It's the basement not a workshop." Joe had converted their basement into a small apartment so Michael had his own little space to paint and have his privacy. He knew he had social problems and didn't have many friends but wanted him to have a space of his own. Michael had his own entrance to the backyard, which would make sneaking out really easy, he just wasn't the type to sneak around anywhere.

He was a good kid and never asks for anything that he doesn't accually need.

"Looking good little bro! Your getting so good with your landscapes." Said Stephanie admiring the paintings that we're hung on the wall. "You should try selling them, I'm sure you can easily find a buyer"

"I don't know, they aren't that good. They're pretty simple really." Michael was probably his own hardest critic. Never truly satisfied with his paintings or sketches. Although he didn't think he was ant good with his drawings.

"Well I for one think you have a promising career with it! Would it be ok if I have one? I'd like to hang it in my room." Stephanie was looking at a painting that Michael Drew last Fall of their grandparents's house, he had his grandmother on the porch pouring some lemonade into two glasses and his grandfather raking the leaves. "The leaves look so beautiful in this picture, the colors are so real, it's like I am smell them! Can I have this one Mikey?"

As Stephanie asked she was already taking the picture off the wall.

"Ya Steph of course you can, I'm glad you like it that much, the leaves were a pain in the ass to paint, I'm pretty sure they gave me carpal tunnel. I should have stuck to a winter theme" Stephanie couldn't help but laugh "Nah I think you made a good choice, it's really beautiful. Thanks bro! I'm going to put it in my room right away! Then I have to go to work. I'll bring your present when I get back don't worry." She started to head up the stairs when she stopped and turned her head back towards Michael "Did you need anything while I'm out?"

"Accually I do, you think you can get me some more moisturizing cream? Im almost out." The scarring had a tendency of becoming really dry especially in the summer. He would put cream on most nights so he could sleep better and not feel like his skin was like sandpaper. Luckily he could reach all the places he needed to apply cream to, his shoulder was a little tricky as it went down his back a bit, with a little maneuvering he would reach. He didn't like, or let for that matter, anyone else doing it, he just didn't feel comfortable taking his shirt off let alone some touch his skin. As close as he was with Stephanie not even she was exempt from his rule.

"No problemo lil bro, what you gonna do for the rest of the afternoon? Gonna test out that new chair or what?" Stephanie never told her brother that she loved when he painted, she was truly proud of how he can capture whatever he would see and put it on the canvas with ease, Michael just didn't have the self confidence to see it for himself. When ever he painted he had a calming look to him, as if everything around him didn't exist, it was just him and the canvas. To her it seemed Michael didn't simply put images in his head on to the canvas, it was more like he painted with his heart. Seeing him paint, or even sketch always made her smile.

"Accually I think I'm going to head to the gym and try out my new ball, maybe I'll be able to finally dunk!" Michael knew he wouldn't dunk, he would get close but always hit the rim. He secretly prayed he would grow another inch or be able to jump higher.

"Well if you play as much as you draw you'll get there. Hey how about I come pick you up after work? I'll take you for some birthday ice cream!"

"Ice cream? Steph it's my birthday and I just turned eighteen."

"So what your too cool for ice cream now?"

"Not at all but now that I'm eighteen," He paused and walked up to his sister placed his hand on her shoulder, had a very serious look on his face. Stephanie was not sure where he was going with this as she rarely saw his serious side. Her heart started to beat a little bit faster.

"I get two scoops." He said with a straight face.

Stephanie burst out laughing with Michael joining her soon after. "Good one you got me." she said wiping a tear that escaped her eye "Okay I gotta go I'll pick you up around 6 does that work for you?

"Ya that's fine I'll be done by then." She gave him a kiss on the cheek and a hug good by but before letting him go she gave him a kiss on the lips, not a peck but an accual kiss, it lasted for what seemed like hours, in reality it was a few seconds "Happy birthday Mikey." She smiled spun around and walked up the stairs before he could even respond.

Michael didn't know what had happened, his sister never kissed him, not on the lips anyways, in fact no girl has, the only girl he was ever really able to talk to, on a social level, is his sister. He thought longer that he should have about that kiss, her lips were so soft, delicate, had a touch of cherry to their taste, his senses we overloading what he really noticed was the smell of her hair, he couldn't pinpoint what it was but to him is smelled like spring. Michael snapped out of his daydream, realizing he hasn't even moved from the spot since Stephanie left. Was he really just day dreaming about his sister? Did that kiss mean anything?

Michael just shook his head "Get it together man she's your sister."

It was a little past noon, Michael grabbed his duffel bag , loaded his ball shorts, shoes, a long sleeve compression shirt, a towel and a couple of bottles of water. "I'm heading out to the gym for a while I'll be back later!" Just before he reached the front door Joe popped his head out the kitchen "Don't you come back until you dunk that bad boy!"

"Ya sure, see you in another eighteen years!" He replied with a chuckle. "If you need anything call me!" Michael was out the door before even hearing a reply.

*

"Any plans for tonight? You going to see John?"

Stephanie just glanced back at her co-worker Diane and rolled her eyes "Di, it's been almost two months since I broke up with him what makes you think I'm going to see him?"

"Cuz he says he wants to get back together with you," she paused briefly considering her next words. "He loves you."

"Oh please he loves his partying and boozing every weekend with his frat buddies, I know he's your cousin but we only went out for like a month." She turned back around threw her name tag into her locker, she began fixing her bangs while looking at the small mirror on her locker door and glanced at Diane in the reflection "So he needs to move on because I'm not interested in him anymore. As for tonight, I'm taking my brother for ice cream for his birthday."

"Oh it's Mike's birthday? And seriously? Ice cream? Shouldn't he be going bar hopping tonight? Maybe find a birthday hook-up or something" Diane said with a chuckle.

Steph quickly finished fixing her face and spun around facing Diane and spoke in a Stern voice,

"Don't talk about my brother like that. I didn't expect you of all people to joke like that Di." Stephanie found herself a little more angry than she should be, her and Diane went to highschool together and she knew more or less how Michael was. She was also very protective of her brother.

She would find him crying in his room when he was younger, always the same thing. Kids at school can be cruel, he took most of it on the chin, it surprised her, maybe he just tuned it all out. Except for when they gave him the name Scab, he really hated that name. Stephanie never new what to say to him, she would just hold him and let him cry it out, most of the time he fell asleep. He doesn't cry anymore. He replaced it with his drawings.

"Steph I'm sorry I wasn't trying to hurt you it just came out, and I definitely didn't mean to poke fun at him I swear, come on you know I don't mean it like that." Diane looked truly apologetic. "Ok I forgive you, this time." She pointed her finger in a threatening yet jokingly way. "Yes ma'am!" The girls giggled to themselves like they were teenagers again.

"Well have fun working the closing shift sucker!" Stephanie spun back around grabbed her purse from the locker and shut it. "Later!"

*

Stephanie had no trouble finding parking, she headed into the giant building and towards the gymnasium. She got to the court that her brother usually plays in, normally she would be waiting outside for him on the odd times he would need a ride, he rarely came to the gym and usually stayed at home, but this time she decided to go inside since she got there a little early. As she stepped into the court she went over to nearby wall and leaned up against it crossing her arms just underneath her breasts. She seen him shoot around at home but never watched him.

Michael was shooting around with another kid looked to be roughly the same age, he was a little shorter and really skinny, Michael had the ball she couldn't help but notice the smile he had on, looked like he was having so much fun. He was crouched down low dribbling the ball back and forth from each hand, he took a sudden step diagonally to the right trying to go around the skinny kid, just as she thought he was gonna lose the ball he stopped abruptly and took a step back, the skinny kid didn't have the same luck his foot may have stopped but his body kepts going, "Kobe for three and the game!" She heard brother declare as he jumped and took the shot.

Swish! Stephanie heard it but she didn't see it, she was gazing at her brother, she never noticed before but Michael was nicely defined. She could see the outline of his biceps hugging the compression sleeves, his legs were toned from his morning run, she then noticed his abs, they weren't so defined that you could see each individual ab but he had a nice set, enough to notice them. His hair was being held in place with a sports headband, as usual covering his hated feature. She hated his hair style, not because it wasn't kept neat or anything but because of the meaning behind it.