"Oh." Michael poked at his glass, a gesture that clearly indicated that he was merely looking for something to do with his hands. "I guess I sorta thought you'd both be really weird about it. Me being here." He shrugged. "Dad's fitting the bill - I can always predict what he's gonna do - but you're...less so? That's usually not how it's supposed to be." Michael knew his parents. Now he was thrown and baffled. They were younger, they were different. Dad had reacted badly. Michael had seen him do that a few times before at home, so that wasn't all too shocking. Except he was usually a lot better about it. Michael didn't even think that he and his father to be had endured a full length conversation since he'd gotten here. But Mom...well, he had expected bad stuff too. Not because she was like that in the future, but because he figured she'd be just as freaked about it as Dad was. That didn't seem to be coming off as strongly.
He actually preferred it that way.
"I'm glad you're looking out for me," Michael said, poking at his glass yet again, "but I don't want you to feel like you've gotta. I can go hang out with Ben and the others if it's too weird. We could maybe get a motel room and stay up and watch TV all night. It'd be all right."