Freedom {LGBT+}

8. Truths and Lies

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Something was odd about the boy. Phoenix had concluded that the moment he said his name was Ace. He reminded him of Axton. He was a liar, his lies were perfect that Phoenix couldn't tell if he was telling the truth. Carefully molded to perfection. Phoenix didn't trust Axton, yet he couldn't separate his lies from the truth. Ace was just like Axton, a liar. The only difference was that Ace hadn't carefully molded his lies. He was an amateur with something to hide.

Phoenix grimaced in pain as he walked home. Night had fallen and Siobhan must be worried sick as she always does. He turned to look at the boy beside him, following him for no particular reason.

"Why are you following me?" Phoenix asked, adjusting the sack over his shoulder.

Ace hesitated, selecting his words carefully. "I'm lost." he said.

"Everyone here is lost," Phoenix said, looking at the sky. "And forgotten." he turned to look at Ace, a well kept boy. His hair flowed just to his shoulders. Phoenix noticed how different he was to everyone else here. "No matter where you go here, you'll always be lost. Good thing is that even when you're lost you'll always have a place here."

Ace gave him a half hearted smile. He was saddened by everything he saw. "You're not from around here are you?" Phoenix questioned. No matter how he looked at Ace he didn't belong here. So was everyone else here.

Ace shook his head, "All of this is new to me."

"You'll get use to it in no time." Phoenix assured him. Remembering the first time Siobhan arrived. She cried a lot, not because of where she was thrown. Siobhan was glad she came to Area fifteen, if it meant escaping from the persons she once considered her father and friends.

"Why were they chasing you?" Ace asked, looking at Phoenix wounded leg.

"That depends, one of these two reasons." Phoenix responded, raising a finger. "One, I'm a fifteen. Two, I'm a fifteen."

"They're both the same thing." Ace said, confused as to what he was getting at.

"Exactly." Phoenix said in a sad tone, lowering his head as he pushed onwards with his wound. It was because they were fifteen that they did all those awful things to them. There's no need for reason, just that, that person is a fifteen.

Phoenix saw his house in sight. Taking a deep breath as he moved away the curtains, hoping Siobhan was asleep. He was met with a huge bump in front of him, taking a step back he looked up a Siobhan with her arms crossed over her chest. Phoenix mustered up a smile, putting the sack to the side as he said, "I thought you would be deep in a slumber."

Siobhan pinched his cheeks, squeezing hard to punish Phoenix. "Will you stop worrying me? where were you?"

"Supplies," Phoenix pointed to the sack to the side. Siobhan let his cheeks go taking up the sack and looking inside. "I'm sorry for coming back late."

Ace stood beyond the curtain, watching the exchange. He eyed the house, if he could call it that. Looking at the curtain that acted as a door. He could only see the bump of the woman he was talking to. Ace smiled at how close they were, reminding him of how he wanted things to be between him and Iker.

Siobhan lifted the curtain, noticing the boy that was standing out quietly. She looked at Phoenix, resting a hand on her hip, "Did you pick someone up again?"

Phoenix shrugged, "he just followed me."

"I did so because he was hurt." Ace justified his actions, pointing to Phoenix's leg.