~Rox POV~

Finally the waterfall stopped running down my face, took long enough. I climbed off of the open yellow mouth, careful of the teeth, and made my way into the ocean. Our bedroom. Though it wasn't really 'ours', because that made it sound like we were a couple, and we weren't.

Not anymore... well... we weren't really in the first place either.

Walking over to my clothes, I reached blindly. My hand finding the little baggy like I was magnetized to it. Had I been magnetized, Riku would surely kill me. I would have broken his 600 dollar TV, unless I was born magnetized, then I probably would be in some government owned laboratory. In that scenario I never would have met Riku.

Never would have met this little beaut in the bag either.

I stared at the white pills that filled the sandwich bag. It had been so long since I frockled in the familiarity of the unfamiliar.

Did I really want to throw all that time away? Then again... I think I could 'congratulate' myself but taking a small 'taste'.

Riku was the only one who saw a problem with how I was living. It's very unfair.

These little pills are beyond fun, so is alcohol...

But, on the other hand. Riku is a little right.

But, on the other hand... it's Riku.

~Ax POV~

I went down the stairs, fuming. The brat had no reason to be so annoying, he just needed to grow the fuck up. Stop sitting around, mopping, and looking like a kicked puppy.

My anger was replaced by annoyance when I heard a familiar voice call my name. There was no reason to look at him, I knew if Riku really wanted my attention he'd chase after me. And sure enough, the man caught up to me.

"What did you two talk about?"

Glaring at him apparently got my message across.

"Look," he started, "I understand, he's a handful."

"That's an understatement." I pushed past him, I really didn't want to hear about it.

'He doesn't acknowledge things when they bother him, he shuts down, he shuts people out. He thinks filling the silence with random facts is better than having to deal with the silence itself." Again the man had stopped me.

I didn't care too much about the kid, but the way Riku was talking made me think harder. The brat was annoying as all hell, but apparently we had a little in common. We both don't like to admit our feelings... maybe that's why he got under my skin so much, because he was so much like me.

But he also was really fucking annoying.

"I don't care about your blackmail." There was no reason for me to hang around the kid, all for me to play nice and then ditch? That was more fucked up than me just hanging out with him. I didn't particularly like the brat, but no one's that heartless. Unless they're my father.

"Please," The man behind me begged. "He's wasting away and it's only going to get worse."

"Why's that?" I asked, but I really didn't care for the answer. Why did I ask in the first place?... to fill the silence.

"We'll be leaving, on his birthday... we're going to go see Ma..."

The look I gave him must have clarified my question, because he gave me an answer pretty quick.

"No, we're not brothers... but, Rox doesn't have a mom, my mom is the closest he's ever had... She's dying, Rox will have a whole new problem on his plate, so please." He looked me dead in the eye. I wonder if he could feel the lack of care. "Just, distract him in the meantime, give him something to fill the silence when his facts aren't enough."

Just imagine if my sister cared about me as much as Riku cares about Rox. I probably would constantly feel this irritation and anger, maybe I could go a night without feeling depressed. But that's what booze and sex are for. Those are my 'facts' to fill the silence when the silence becomes too much to bare. Why did this kid get it so easy? Why did he get Riku standing here, defending him, and all I got was people to throw me under the bus?

Hell, my father was the one driving the bus that ran me over...

The longer I thought about it the angry it made me. But, then a thought dawned on me. Without Demy and Zex around, I was going to be bored out of my mind, not too mention my parents would be home any day now, and that was another head ache to deal with. At least hanging out with the little brat gave him something to do.

My feet had started to walk away on their own. Over my shoulder I heard Riku yell.

"You'll pick him up tomorrow, right?"

A smirk grew on my face, but I didn't let the man see. I really didn't want him to see. Instead, I raised my hand, waving to him as I left. There, now I had plans for tomorrow and there was at least a few minutes that I knew would be 'boredom' free.

~Rox POV~

I laid in the ocean, feeling the vibrations I knew weren't there. I stashed the white pills back away, I was in too negative a mood for ecstasy, what I really needed I found in another bag. White just the same, but these ones, these ones read 'xanax' on them. And oh how wonderful they are indeed. I missed them so much.

Riku used to think I was so much fun to be around, because you could tell me to do whatever and I would. But then, Ma yelled at Riku, and Riku changed his way of thinking. He went from being fun to hang out with, to just another annoying 'adult'. And he was lucky enough to reach that level before he even reached adulthood. It was before he leveled up to the level 18, but he decided I needed to clean my act up, and I had no choice in the matter.

Was it really hurting anyone?

No.

Was it really bothering anyone?

A few. But, I kissed up to them and they started to think I was the next best thing.

Did Riku still take away all my fun?

He thought he did.

I could feel the smile stretch across my face, it was plain and unenthused, but still a smile.

I stared at the yellowish ceiling, trying hard to pick out it's color. It closely resembled that of a paper that had been soaked and then dried. Or was it closer to pudding? It was a hard toss up to figure out, but I knew I had plenty of time. Riku wouldn't ask for my help till later.

I'm astounded that Riku is still keeping it open. He works all day, all night, and almost never sleeps. It's sad though, because as hard as he works, he has nothing to show for it.

His dream had always been to open a club, were people came to have fun, were he could just hire a bunch of employees and not work at all. But that backfired on him. It was almost sad. Well, it was sad, but I couldn't feel it. Thanks to my handy dandy pills.

Short chapter... I'm sorry.

So my appointments went quicker than I thought, and I didn't have much to put into this chapter, so it just worked out... it's not much of a chapter though so do what you want with it...

Uploaded: March 9th, 2017