HELLO. LATE UPDATES HURRAH.

Ugh. School is a bitch. My English teacher is insane, my Spanish teacher is annoying and talks too fast, and everything is deciding to ruin my chances at free time except for Big History and my friends. Then again, my friends are trolls that give me constant headaches, and make my gut bust from laughing too hard.

Also, I've introduced my best friend to anime, and I've created a monster.

She's also writing fanfiction (oh god what have I done) and I guess we're sharing an account now. Get ready for FMA things from someone going by Zippy.


Wallace learns being free may be wonderful, but it isn't.

The outside is scary, there are shadows that threaten to jump out and swallow him, draw him into the dark, never to be seen again. There are also bad people, and mean animals, and harsh weather.

He's so stupid, leaving in the end of fall. He's seen snow outside the dirty window before, and the man didn't give him blankets during winter, so he knows cold. But he deserved it, so he lives with it.

He learns in the outside. Which is more that he can say about the man's home. Even if he learns bad things, it's still learning. And Wallace likes to learn.

But on Day 5, things really start getting interesting. A boy. Really tall, but really skinny. With dark hair, and darker eyes. Said the mean words the man would say, except the boy doesn't say them as much when he's around. His name was Joshua Aragon Summers, and he hated his name. He demanded that Wallace call him Josh, or even J, because "My name is fucking joke."

So Wallace calls him Josh, and an alliance forms.

They don't talk about their lives before, why should they?

Their old families were bad, so they left. Wallace doesn't ask why Josh's knee pops sometimes, or why he limps heavily some days, or even why he has thin little cuts on his wrists. (too small to be from someone else, at an angle that is perfectly accessible from Josh's point of view)

So, in return, Josh doesn't call attention to his big, dark scars, or his nightmares. Instead, the older boy just holds him silently, and Wallace couldn't ask for anything better.

They share food, and the money Josh had stolen from people's wallets. He hadn't wanted to learn, at first (because stealing was bad, and he didn't want to be bad), when Josh first offered to teach him "the art", but the dark boy had pointed out that he wasn't going to be there forever, and Wallace needed to learn how to take care of himself. So he reluctantly agrees.

They had been together for 3 weeks, and Wallace felt himself relaxing around the older boy (who was 14), and he wonders if this was friendship. So on week 3 day 2, he asks.

"Josh... Are we...friends?" He asks, gaze firmly fixed on his ratty Converse that Josh had gotten for him.

The older boy was silent and Wallace knew he had been wrong. They weren't friends, who would want to be friends with him? He was stupid and worthless and-

"Of course we are!"

His head snaps up, green eyes greeted by Josh's warm dark brown.

"R-really?" Wallace stutters, shocked by his sincerity.

"'Course, kid!" Josh laughs, ruffling Wallace's dirty hair. "Why wouldn't we be? We've stuck together this long, you're like a little brother to me,"
Wallace's heart warms by Josh's declaration and it felt like a giant balloon was swelling in his chest. With out thinking, he surges forward and embraced the teen, burying his face into Josh's dark t-shirt. At first, Josh tensed under the physical contact, but then relaxed, returning the hug in full.

Wallace had never had a friend before, and it was...nice. And Josh had said they were brothers!

For the first time in his short, miserable life, Wallace was truly happy.

.
.
.

Today, their home base was a deserted warehouse just outside of Central City. They both had different jobs today, Wallace was using the last of their money to get food at the tiny grocery store a block down, and Josh was out pit-pocketing to get more money. (To be used for the Laundro-Mat, their clothes stunk.)

Wallace returned to the warehouse a bit early, arms laden with brown bags. (All the groceries nonperishable, they obviously didn't have a fridge.) The checker had sent him a suspicious look when he walked in, most likely expecting him to steal something. But Wallace wasn't stupid- why would he cause a scene for no reason? He just hoped the man hadn't reported him, police were bad news, they would probably send him back to the man.

He's back earlier than expected, just before dark. That's the 'curfew' Josh set up, so they wouldn't worry the other. He'd be back in time, Josh always keeps his promises.

So Wallace waits patiently on one of their old chairs, swinging his feet.

It was dark now, curfew.

But it didn't matter, Josh was just a bit late, that was all.

Wallace waits and waits, but Josh never comes back.

.
.
.
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Josh never comes back and Wallace has to leave their warehouse. He is extremely reluctant to do so, because he has a persistent hope that Josh will come back, and if he isn't there when he does? Well...what will Josh think?

But after two full days, Wallace must admit that Josh isn't coming back. He gathers all the left over food into his green backpack, and swings it over his shoulder. He scours 'their' part of the warehouse for anything he might have missed; like change, clothes, papers, or anything, really.
All he finds is a mini comb that he recognizes as Josh's. Wallace almost throws it on the ground and stomps on it because where is he?

Almost. He's this close.

His hand trembles and he sighs. It's all he has left of him, as much as he hates the other boy right now.

Wallace doesn't stomp on it. Or throw it away. Instead, he pockets the nearly valueless object.

Wallace takes one last, long look at their section warehouse (it looks like home) and walks out the doors.

Where can he go now?

GET READY FOR PEOPLE YOU ACTUALLY KNOW, BECAUSE NEXT CHAPTER, WALLACE IS AT A POLICE STATION.