A/N: Feel free to correct me on spelling and maybe missing words. I accidently skim over stuff like that, often. Things may seem worded weird for now cause they're kids but hopefully It will change on the older they get, can't promise anything cause I type how I speak... Enjoy!

1927

The Truth is Out

At least four times a month I would find myself in an alley or some sort of secluded area saving Steve's butt. He really did get picked on a lot. I feel really bad for him but at least now he had a friend. I would walk him home everyday after school and I got to know his mother pretty well. I help her cook most days. I practically live there. I usually go there for a few hours everyday. After being friends for a few good months, school has already ended and is going to start up here again soon for the next grade. Steve finally mentioned it.

"Hey Buchanan!" We have this weird thing of calling each other by our middle names.
"Yeah? What is it Grant?" I laughed quietly.
"Why do you always come here, yet I've never seen where you live or even met your relatives. You pretty much live here, so why can't I check out why you're here and not home?" There was an awkward silence as I stared down at my feet.
"Is there something wrong? Are your parents... abusive?" That's not the question I was expecting.
"Wha- NO! My dad was the nicest person I knew! I never really got to know my mother before she passed though..." There was more silence. I knew Steve's mom was listening from the kitchen because the sound of dishes being washed quieted down a lot.
"James... I'm sorry... I didn't know..."
"I didn't expect you to know, I've never told anyone. Never needed too." I shrugged giving a slight smile. "Everyone who's close to me lives in the same place as me so we already know the answers..." Steve looked down at his feet again, he was a very insecure person for sure.
"Steve, it's okay! You didn't know, I should have told you but I guess I never thought it mattered." I leaned my head down to try and see his face, which always makes the person lift their head, funny how that works!

"Do... do you want to, you know... talk about it?" He asked so shy. I'm unsure if he's curious to know or thinking it will help talking to someone or a little bit of both.
"Sure why not!" I said with a smile as if I was going to talk about some accomplishment! "So when I was little, like your size but I was only, like 2 years old, my mom had my sister Rebecca and being really young I don't remember why or how my mom left, I was always just told she went away. There was a funeral so obviously she died, I just don't know how." My voice was calm and yet I looked more excited than I did sad, guess I didn't know her well enough. "Shortly after my mom 'left' my dad moved us around quiet a bit because he was in the military. We got to go to his base everyday. The men were nice and that's where I learned to fight and defend myself. We did stay at one base quiet often, ummm I think it was called Camp Lee-High or something... Anyways, they always called me their Mascot cause I wasn't old enough for war but was pretty good at 'stuff'." Things went quiet as I thought about how to word the next few sentences. I avoided eye contact. "Almost a year ago my dad died in a parachute exercise that went wrong. They moved me and my sister to the orphanage near here and about a week after being there, they sent Rebecca off to a boarding school. I'm glad for her, the orphanage sucks! It's filthy and the owner is rude!" I quickly skipped over my father's death. It was still a sensitive wound, he was all I had, and Rebecca but she didn't understand what was going on... like me when my mother died.

I heard feet quickly slide across the floor from the kitchen and then all of a sudden Steve's mom was hugging me, on the verge of tears. Why was she crying? It wasn't her loss. All well, I hugged her back, like I said, she was my second mother.

"That... sucks..." I heard Steve mumble. His mother let me out of her grasp, stared at me with sad eyes and then quietly went back to what she was doing in the kitchen.
"It does suck, but think about it! If I wasn't moved to the orphanage, I wouldn't be going to school here and I wouldn't have became friends with you! Someone has to be there for you, shrimp!" We both snickered. "Come on! I'm gonna teach you how to play marbles!" and with that we ran out of the house towards the store to get some marbles.

A/N: Remember, he's only like 10-11 and Steve's 9-10 or so. I'm aiming for feelz in some chapters, laughter in others... and just filler space... pretty much One-Shots... Aaaannndd Don't forget to leave a review! As a guest or not, I'll probably reply sooner or later :D