Trust [Lams AU]

4

Trigger warning: Drug mention

I'm sorry this chapter is so late I rewrote it three times cuz I hated how it was coming out. But it's good now so yay!
"And that is the absolute best place to get lit in all of Virginia. Probably in the entire South if you really think about it." John said, pointing to a small brown building with a faded black awning that said "Revolutionary Tavern" in large golden letters. 

John was giving Alex a tour of the town, pointing out his favorite places and warning him about which ones to avoid. 

"Do not go in there." He said, pointing to a restaurant called "Redcoat's." "Whatever you do, do not go in there." 

"Why?" 

"Because it's a horrible place." John said. 

"How horrible?" Alex asked, intrigued.

John gave him a serious look. "If you were being mauled by a bear and the only way to get to safety was to go inside Redcoat's, you'd be better off being mauled by the bear." 

"Wow." 

Alex walked beside John in silence, listening to him talk about which store is ridiculously overpriced, which restaurant has the most obnoxious waiters, why the blue raspberry slushie at the 7-11 on fourth street is a million times better than the one from the 7-11 on seventh street because fourth street actually cleans their machines on a regular basis. 

Alex had never had much interaction with people his age. He had lived in an orphanage with other children for many years, but he had never quite gotten along with them. He'd tried to make friends with them at first, but as he got older he'd become more and more withdrawn. He'd learned the hard way not to get attached to anyone. 

Despite his reluctance to trust, Alex occasionally longed for company, for the simple pleasure of having someone interesting to talk to to pass the time. There were certain voids that books couldn't fill. 

For example, Alex's copy of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban was wonderful for passing the long hours of a sleepless night, but it was a dreadful conversationalist.

"You don't talk much, do you?" John said. 

"Not anymore." Alex admitted. 

"Why not?" 

Alex hesitated. 

How can I think of the vaguest answer possible that sounds realistic and detailed enough to ensure that John won't notice that it is the vaguest answer ever until long after this conversation is over?

"I don't know. I guess I just don't have very much to say." 

John must have sensed Alex's discomfort, for he smiled kindly and patted Alex on the shoulder. 

"It's okay. I understand." 

Alex sighed and kept walking. He wished he could believe John, but he knew that he couldn't. Nobody ever truly understood. They pretended they did to get you to tell them things, and then they used everything you'd told them against you. 

"Most of the time, the people who talk the least are the ones who have the most to say." John said, pulling his weed pen out of his pocket and taking another hit. "Want some?" 

"Sure." Alex smiled and took the pen from John. He blew out a ring of smoke and tilted his head back to watch it dissipate against the cool blue sky. 

"Whoa, that looks cool." 

Alex sighed, the weed easing his nerves. 

"You don't know how to do a smoke ring?"