Second Chances [BxB]

sixteen

Felix's mind was a puzzle built from all the wrong pieces. Bad memories existed as sharp fragments with jagged edges, cutting him up from the inside out. But they resided alongside his good memories; the ones which were warm, and bright, and soft. There were multitudes within him.

There were version of him which were happy. There were version of him which were not.

But for the most part, he was okay.

He was still growing. He had time; he had so much of it, he hardly knew what to do with it.

When he left Oakleaf Academy, and all the bad memories he had made there, he forged a new path for himself. He had Benji, and his parents, and his sister, and his boyfriend, and his dog. He had himself, and all the strength that pulsed beneath his ribcage. He had hope.

Sebastian Steel was nothing but a name now.

All that changed when he received a message from someone called Declan Hudson.

"Holy shit."

"What?" Benji looked up from the book that was laying open in his lap. He had been staring at the same page for twenty minutes - Felix was politely not pointing it out.

"I just got message from..." He squinted at his screen, "Uh..."

"From who?" Benji pressed.

Felix handed him the phone.

Benji's eyes scanned the screen, and his lips parted in shock.

"D'you think it's really him...really Sebastian...?" Felix asked nervously.

Benji was chewing on his lower lip when he handed Felix back his phone. He nodded slowly. "Who else would it be?"

"I don't know." Felix shrugged, "Could be a prank?"

"Who would do that?"

"I don't know." He repeated, "Kit? Quinn? Jake?"

Benji shook his head, "Kit and Quinn would never. And Wesley..." He hesitated, "Isn't he in prison?"

"Right." Felix sighed in realisation.

"Check out the account." Benji suggested, tossing his book aside, and shuffling close enough to peer over Felix's shoulder.

Felix clicked on Declan's account, his brows raising in surprise. The boy in the photos was pretty - bright green eyes, fluffy ginger hair, and a face full of freckles. He wore oversized clothes, beanies, rings, and a tangle of chains around his neck. He was on a skateboard in most of his photos.

"Steel isn't with him in any of these." Benji pointed out.

Felix hummed in acknowledgement. He didn't say anything. There was nothing to say. Sebastian Steel was a ghost to him now. He no longer existed to Felix.

"Are you gonna reply?"

"I don't know." Felix shrugged, "What would I even say?"

"You could ask for a phone number." Benji suggested, "At least that way you could call him and see if it's really Steel."

"And if it is?" Felix pressed, "What then?"

"Ask him how he is."

Felix rolled his eyes, "It's been three years, Benji. The last time I saw him, he..." Felix shut his mouth immediately. He couldn't finish that sentence. Because even after all this time, it still hurt. "I don't have time for this." He turned his phone off, and stuffed it into his pocket, "'Gene's coming over, and I can't...I can't be thinking about this shit when he arrives." He raked a hand through his curls, trying to flatten them out.