Polokinz and ze Batcat :D Mature Content

[Hah. It's usuall what I come up with lmao. I'm used to only typing one or two sentences so haha ]

As he approached Avery, Rhys notcied him tense up quickly. He shrugged it off, though, and continued to go up to him. He was obviously having a mental war with himself - and it was clearly a stalemate. He sighed but continued to try and decipher Avery's actions which were getting more confusing by the minute. He'd started out seeming like a smiple-minded thug that wore black and silver, but now he was starting to take the shape of a thinking, feeling person, who didn't like hurting others and was confused. He was just the typical teenage wimp, trying to be tough so he wouldn't get beaten up. Somewhere inside of there, an insecure person was flailing around and causing him to be like this. Rhys knew that this wasn't really his style, and frankly, it didn't really fit him. He stuck out like a black eye on a perfect face.

He chuckled when Avery finally stopped ignoring him and muttered his thoughts about spiking smoothies. "I completely agree." Rhys murmured, gazing around softly. He tried to hold a non-agressive, un-judging atmosphere around him, trying to get Avery to relax. He rolled his eyes, though, when his shoulders remained tensed up and his neck muscles tightened.

And when he finally was apologized to, Rhys cheerfully spun around, his legs gliding under him, and smacked his friend on the shoulder playfully. "Naw, it's okay. You're right, anyhow. I barely know you, so why would you tell me anything? Why would I tell you anything for that matter?" He asked, chewing his lip quietly, oblivious to Avery's cold gaze that was warming slowly.

As soon as he apologized the second time and mentioned the smoothie, Rhys grinned back at Avery gleefully. "Great! It's on me." He laughed and raced ahead, calling a challenge to Avery for a second time. He spun around again and jogged forward at a controlled place - one even the wimpiest girl could keep up at. Of course,he had nothing against girls, it was just he was better than them at a lot of physical things. Like running, and swimming, and football, and basketball, and wrestling. Wrestling with girls was fun, back at home. He smiled at the thought and stopped, letting the Sun warm his face and basking in memories of home.

But he was here now, and he had to keep to the present time. He couldn't go back to remembering the old ways and getting depressed and angry and violent. His mood suddenly turned bitter as he thought of the ruthless gang wars back there he'd gotten involved in because he was stupid. The only one he'd been in - the one that left 17 dead - had been the one he'd killed a guy in. Heck, he didn't even know his name, but thinking of home always brought back the memory of his limp body crumpling to the ground after the bullet had caught him in a rib. Rhys would never go back to gangs. No, never again. Which was why he'd been so wary of Avery when they'd first met. He looked like the stereotypical gangster back home. There was one gang - the River Cats - that had all dressed like him. He didn't realize he'd stormed so far ahead he was a good 3 blocks past the smoothie shop and was radiating off an atmosphere so angry, it was almost insanity.

((Haha! Well, you're certainly typing enough now, huh? I'm afraid the quality of mine is a little off, but in my defense, I'm always half asleep when typing... XD ))

Seeing Rhys’s fisted hand approaching him, Avery flinched away – ready for a cruel strike. But it never came… Instead, his friend’s knuckles brushed his arm in a light, playful punch – and Avery found himself suddenly at ease. He cast Rhys a grateful smile – wondering now how on earth he had ever come to be upset with his friend. Rhys really was… A good guy. Now that he had come around to Avery’s way of thinking, and stopped pressing him for answers he did not want to tell – Rhys’s presence did not seem anywhere near as threatening… Even when he was in as delicate a state as he was at that moment.
This thought awoke a whole new train of thoughts that he had been locking away. The scent of alcohol on his father’s breath – the drunken yelling… The helplessness, as the man’s massive hand had closed around his scrawny wrist, and he’d been dragged-
Avery caught his thoughts and cut them off before they went too far, but a faint shudder rain through him, and he found himself rubbing his injured wrist tenderly.
He was so sick of being treated like some toy. Of being constantly overpowered, simple because he wasn’t quite strong enough to hold back. But hey, he had managed to cause some damage on his own, this time! A knee to the crotch could undoubtedly hurt like hell even if a weakling delivered it!
A devious smirk crept across Avery’s face at this moment – the thought of his revenge bringing him a savage pleasure…
Realizing he probably looked like some lame evil henchman from a bad TV show, Avery shook the expression from his face and glanced around for Rhys, only to find that his friend had run on ahead. He shouted back a challenge, and Avery responded with an eager, determined grin. Sure, he hurt just about everywhere, but there was nothing more he wanted than to run and run until the pain engulfed him, and the pounding of his racing heart drowned out the memories.
So, with adrenaline streaking through his veins, Avery darted forward after Rhys.

He caught up nearly instantly – his light frame darting forward with surprising speed in a sprint, then he fell into step beside Rhys. This, of course, was where his skills ended. He was a sprinter, not a distance runner, and after a while he was finding it difficult to hold his own – his breath coming in short gasps and pain exploding through him on each step. It seemed to him that Rhys had gone a little too far, but Avery couldn’t spare any breath to ask him why… And, stubborn as ever, he refused to be the one to ask his friend to stop.

He glanced up at Rhys, and seeing the expression on his face, Avery’s heart leaped into his throat. He was angry… Very angry!
Terror spiked through him, and as Avery felt the chill of his friend’s angry aura wrapping around him – fear consumed him. His first thought was simply to turn and run, and he almost did, but then his logic woke up just in time. How far could he get before Rhys caught him? And what then? He would be way too tired to defend himself… He would be completely at the boy’s mercy.
But wait – what was he even thinking?! This was Rhys! Rhys… Avery knew Rhys wouldn’t hurt him… Right? He could trust him… Or so he hoped.
But he could not deny it: Rhys’s anger scared him to death.

“R-Rhys? Avery stammered breathlessly, ignoring his burning lungs as he spoke – his pale blue eyes trained timidly on his friend from behind his glasses. “Are- Are you… Okay?” He managed finally – determinedly trying to hide the fear from his tone.

[Bahaha. It's fine. I think I'm actually getting better at this ^^)]

Rhys noticed when Avery flinched - this kid had a serious problem with boys and their physical contact. He saw the rush of relief around his friend's face and a smile reflexively filled his own. The next moments were a blur though - he'd been caught up in running, feeling the blood rush through his body, his heart straining every pump.

He finally realized Avery was talking to him - with a look of pur terror on his face. Rhys smiled evily. "Do I scare you?" He asked quietly, his voice sounding quiet and gentle where as his expression remained cold and anrgy. His mind screamed at his body to wake up, but he couldn't. He was starting to act in the only way he knew. Violence. His friends taught it to him when he was a kid, his gang when he was a young teenagers, and his father when he brought one of his "co-workers" home. Those nights he could hear the vile language, slaps, and screams. He shuddered, but couldn't control himself.

"Do I scare you?" He repeated more forecfully, his voice gaining momentum. His eyes grew hard again and his logic warred with his instincts. The street had grown deserted and they were standing in an old neighborhood. He slammed a fist against the wall next to Avery and leaned in just a few inches away from his face. "Take off the glasses." He said through bared teeth.

[Rhys is being dumb! I don't know what to do with him! What have I done wrong in raising him.... *hisses angrily*]

((NHAAAAA!!!!! *Spazz fit* Epic post! Hehe! Out-of-control characters always make for the best twists! Unless it’s my Cole character… Then… *Coughs* Let’s not even go there… XD ))

At Rhys’s words and the expression on his face, Avery blanched. He told himself just so believe this was a joke… But if it was, it was a bad one. His breath entered his lungs in short gasps – exhaustion from the run causing his legs to shake beneath him.
Why had he been so stupid…? He had vowed long ago never to trust anybody – especially a male – ever again… But he had tried to trust Rhys. He had wanted to trust him! And this was where it got him… Why the hell did he always have to be so stupid!
They’re all the bloody same, Avery. Get used to it.
The voice in his head sneered at him, and Avery felt fury lance through him. Time to bring out the old act, then… He was scared. Nay, terrified… But there was no way he was showing that.

Rhys repeated his question more forcefully, leaning toward Avery, then slamming his fist into the wall and ordering that he remove his glasses.
Heart racing and fear pumping through his veins, Avery gave no indication of his panic. He merely raised one eyebrow coolly at Rhys, and lifted his chin to meet the boy’s gaze – though he was extremely glad Rhys would be unable to see his eyes… He was too scared to hide all his fear.
“No, you don’t scare me.” Avery informed the boy in an icy hiss, “But you are pissing me the hell off. Now get out of my face!”
He all but growled the final words, shoving Rhys roughly away from him so that he could duck under his arm.
He darted out of Rhys’s little prison – but his shaking legs told him that he wouldn’t be able to outrun the boy, even if he tried. No… He would just have to stall until he thought of a solution, or try his best to defend himself. Rhys was nowhere near as big and powerful as Avery’s father – and he had managed to get away from that man on occasion… But never when he was this tired. He could call the cops – but what if it was his father who answered? He wasn’t willing to talk to that man…
“What the hell are you playing at?!” Avery growled, looking back at Rhys with a hard gaze. “Are you going to beat me to death? Huh? What do you think that’s going to accomplish? Will it give you a thrill? Will it make you happy, little boy? Throwing your toys out of the cot?” Avery’s voice gained a sarcastic, mocking tone as he spoke – and he suddenly became aware that he was provoking his attacker. Wow… Smart move, Avery. But he couldn’t help it… The thrill that he got when his life was in danger… He just couldn’t get enough of it!
Avery dropped his mocking tone then, gazed at Rhys in cold disappointment for a moment, then icily muttered, “You men are all the same.”

Not realizing her mistake, Avery spat on the ground to emphasize her point, then turned and walked off in the other direction – her false confidence and anger becoming so strong that she even believed them herself. She was no longer scared… She had hidden her fear, even from her own eyes. She didn’t care what happened next… If Rhys ran after her and flung a punch at her face, then she would breathe her last breath laughing at his Neanderthal-like actions.
She was sick of always being the weakling… Sick of being threatened, and sick of feeling helpless. If this was all going to happen all over again – then she would be the one to prevail, else she’d die trying! She was not letting another man take control of her.
Rhys… Damn him. So much for learning to trust again.


((The cat's out of the bag! XD ))

[Hmm... Cole seems... strange? Haha]

Rhys reacted as soon as Avery's hands connected with his chest. He snarled and spun around, almost knocking Avery to the ground with a fist. Hah. He could feel him shaking when he tried to push out. Angrily he stalked after him and didn't even register the little comment about beating to death. But he did catch it when he said about men being all the ame. He was a man though, unless...

Oh, man, what'd done to Avery? "Avery!" He called out shrilly. "I didn't mean it!" He let out a low whimper, sliding to the ground on the side of an old worn-down building. "I was... I was having flashbacks." He took a deep breath. He'd never told anyone this. "I killed a guy before and I was scared I'd do that to you. I started freaking out. Please, Avery, come back!" He wailed, not thinking of Avery's being transgender.

"Avery," he tried again, in a much calmer, but still quaivering voice "please. I have never had a friend like you, and I wouldn't be able to stand this town if I didn't. I'd end up running away... again." He refrained from mentioning he'd run away 7 times since that boy's death. Somehow his father always managed to track him down when he came back to get something to eat. Rhys'd never been good at running away.

He saw Avery's slim form walking into the dark and jumped up, not letting himself leave her like this. He sprinted after her but came up from the side so she wouldn't - or he hoped she wouldn't - feel threatened. "Avery." He pleaded again, when he was next to her. "I'd kneel down but that'd seem like we're getting married and people think you're a guy. Well, maybe your personality is but you physically aren't which is probably a good thing since we men are all the same..." He babbled on and on, trying to get Avery to stop, until he simply said. "Please, Avery, I miss you."

[Sorry terrible post with him being all gooey xD]

((Cole… Don’t get me started! That creep scares me… Haha!

Naaaaw, it was very sweet! I was impressed! Hehe! Anyway, hope this post is okay... Got a bit carried away typing, but I can't even remember what I put in it... I basically just dozed off and let Avery take control. ))

Avery felt no pain where Rhys’s fist had skimmed across her cheekbone. All she felt was a burning sensation that traveled from the spot her friend had nearly struck her, right into her blood. Her heart pumped white-hot fury through her veins - causing her to grind her teeth in annoyance. She clenched her jaw so hard that her molars protested with ominous cracking sounds, and pain spiked through her cramping muscles, but that only made her bite down harder – using the pain to drown out Rhys’s voice as he called after her.
She knew that if she listened she would fall for his act… She was more softhearted than she’d like to believe. As such, she refused to listen. But alas, despite her best efforts, his words reached her.

Having flashbacks, was he? Well, shame for him. And so was she now, thanks to him… Reliving memories of being forced back against a wall, powerful hands gripping her shoulders… The man she had loved all her life cruelly betraying the trust a child has only for her father – and shattering her fragile heart into pieces.
Thanks for the memories, Rhys. I SO wanted to relive ‘that’ experience.
She thought bitterly to herself, a growl of frustration escaping her lips as she pressed on faster, only to catch Rhys’s next comment floating after her… And this one caught her by surprise. So much so that she actually stopped, glancing back over her shoulder at him with cautious curiosity.
Rhys had… Killed somebody? He didn’t seem the sort. Avery had seen the thugs her father dragged in for murder, and Rhys was nothing like them! Or maybe she was just blind… Either way, this knowledge did nothing to repair her shattered trust, so Avery shook her head and spun around, heading off again and struggling to drown out Rhys’s words with the pounding of her footsteps – her heartbeats perfectly in sync. She would not fall for the boy’s kind words, since she knew they were fake. She would not fall for the guilt-trip, since she was not that weak.
Or so she’d thought… But by the time Rhys appeared at her side, Avery felt as though the fight had drained clean out of her. She just didn’t care any more… Rhys was her friend - what choice did she have but to forgive him? Even if it ended up being the end of her… At least things would be easier then.
But still… She was not yet done being angry.

Avery flashed Rhys a vicious glare – and it was just as well she still wore her glasses, else the statement ‘if looks could kill’ might finally have been made true by the fiery hatred in her eyes.
She was about to begin yelling, when suddenly Rhys fell into an endless torrent of awkward babbling. Unless she was imagining it, there was a faint note of nervous desperation in his voice. And though his words hardly made sense, he kept talking and talking. Avery could not help but find this trait of his somewhat endearing, and finally, her anger melted away.
She heaved a weary sigh, the dropped her gaze to the ground and shook her head, chuckling slightly.
“So you worked it out, huh…?” She commented thoughtfully, “I guess I did mess up. I can’t lie as well as I used to…”
She sighed again, then came to a standstill, leaning back against the wall behind her to rest her aching limbs. “Geez, Rhys…” She muttered, a clearly unamused laugh leaving her lips. “I don’t even know what you expect me to say right now. I’m still pretty mad.”
She leaned more heavily against the wall, her arms folded in front of her like a protective barrier. She was still pretty shaken, and she didn’t trust Rhys in the slightest. The only thing keeping her fear from overwhelming her was the fact that she had simply lost the desire to nurture her acute sense of self-preservation.
“Gosh! I already find it so friggin’ hard to trust anyone, and now you go and- GAH!” He gave a loud growl of frustration, and raised her hands as though to tug at her hair – only to find it too short to rip out, so instead she wheeled around and rammed her fist into the metal dumpster beside her. A dent appeared in the rusty surface, and a metallic clang reverberated around the alleyway – but it was nearly drowned out by the string of curses that flew from Avery’s lips as she cradled her injured hand to her chest. The skin had been ripped from her knuckles, and already bruises were beginning to bloom beneath her pale skin.
Feeling dizzy from pain, Avery slowly let herself slide down the wall, then fell into a sitting position on the ground – injured hand still clutched close to her.
She took a deep breath, then shook out her hand – as though getting rid of the pain were that simple.
Still, she blocked it from her mind as she reached up to remove her shades – struggling to see through them in the shadowy gloom.

She glanced back at Rhys, her pale blue eyes cold and defiant as chips of ice. In fact, the anger and loathing in her gaze made what she said next seem totally unexpected.
“Look Rhys, forget it. I lied to you, you threatened me. We’re square.” She climbed slowly to her feet, sucking in a breath through her teeth as her injured hand bumped the dumpster.
“I’d offer to shake on it, but I messed up my hand fighting off an army of robots.” She explained seriously – keeping a perfectly straight face.
“But that being said – I’m forced to ask, Rhys… What’s this about killing a guy? Have you been tried? Are you running from the cops? Or does nobody know it was you…? Ordinarily, I wouldn’t ask for details, but under the special circumstances…” She trailed off, sighing heavily, then launched into a dull explanation. “My father is the police chief around here, and let me tell you, things would get pretty nasty for me if I was to be found guilty by association. I’m not the sort of hero to risk my own neck for a guy I met a few days ago, I’ll admit it. If you really are guilty, I’d have to turn you in.”
She stated the fact bluntly – her expression callous and aloof – holding Rhys’s gaze with cold eyes.
Then she huffed a frustrated sigh and glanced away – staring into the distance for a moment before an amused snort escaped her, her lips tugging into a bitterly amused smile. “Ah, who am I kidding? No I wouldn’t… But still – what’s the deal here, Mate? ‘I killed a guy before’ is hardly something that somebody wants to hear from the friend who nearly bashed their face in. Especially somebody like me.” She folded her arms again, then raised one finely shaped eyebrow questioningly – waiting expectantly for Rhys to start talking.

She couldn’t believe she was getting herself involved in all this… And that she would still remain in his presence after he’d threatened her like that. But she couldn’t help it… He was suffering, too. She could tell… And the lure of trying to help him was simply more than she could resist. She liked Rhys… And despite everything, she still believed that he was a good guy. But even more than that… Every second spent focused on his problems was one less that she had to think about her own. What could be better…?

[ I thought we agreed no more long posts... *sighs in irritation* I'll do my best...]

Rhys hardly noticed anything until she bgan talking to him. "Can't lie as weel as you used to..." He echoed softly. "No one can lie that well anymore..." When Avery began talking again, he was so relieved that she was talking that he didn't pay attention and only realzed she'd hit the dumpster when he saw the blood on her hand. He rolled his eyes - not being very sentimental about it, after all, he was a boy - and sat down next to her, sliding down the wall.

When she took off her shades, Rhys was struck again by how blue they were. Unconsiously, he reached a hand out to her face and gently brushed it along her cheek, forgetting the circumstances. He stared deep into those blue eyes - forgetting everything that was wrong. No longer was he Rhys, the murdurer, the one who had the ignorant father, the almost drop-out of high school, the new kid, the one who'd had his heart broken one too many times. He was just a boy, and Avery was just a girl, and they were sitting on the sidealk talking about their lives. He closed his eyes and waited for her response to his hand.

When she asked about his killing a person, Rhys answered coolly, opening his eyes, "I'd prefer not to talk about it here. Preferably at my house since your dad's the police chief?" He kept his expression aloof and neutral and kept his eyes level with hers. "But, let me make it clear, I hated it and I swore I'd never do it again. You can come back, that is, if you're not afraid of me." A small smile played on the corners of his lips, though he knew this was a completely serious topic. His hand still ingered on Avery's cheek, and it was tracing its way around her ear.

"And one last thing before we go, if my dad is home, you are leaving immedeatly. He is the most selfish, perverted person you will meet." He clenched his teeth together, thinking about how his dad would say, Hey, coming to be like me, now? Brought one home? Good job, how many others do you have? Then he'd laugh drunkenly and slap Rhys on the back. That'd happened when he brought his first girlfriend, Samantha, home. He'd laughed in her face, called her a whore, and pushed her into Rhys's room. He never brought any girls home after that.

But it was okay, because being the great father he was, Rhys's dad was almost never home. Only to pay the credit card bills for hotel rooms and get a coupple of beers. Rhys didn't realize it, but his breathing had gotten irregular, and his expression was pretty angry. He was clutching at the ground for anything to hold onto, to break, to bite down on, anything to keep the anger from escaping. A small tear trickled down his cheek as his still gentle hand circled Avery's jawbone.

[I hope that's okay. I cannot write near as much as you, most Hallowed Role Player xD]

((Haha! Don't worry about the length. I just get carried away sometimes... Other times I don't have as much to say - like now. Quality over quantity. XD This post lacks both, I'm afraid, since my brain is being lazy. Oh well. Look forward to your reply!!! ))

Avery froze as she felt Rhys’s fingers softly trailing her cheek. Panic rocketed through her, and tension gripped her so firmly that she suddenly felt herself frozen.
What the hell was he playing at…?
She felt her neck muscles grow sore from the harsh pull of tension, but still she found herself too shocked and confused to react. She didn’t understand…
Thankfully, he distracted her thoughts then, suddenly speaking in an icy tone that completely countered the warmth of his touch. Avery fought the urge to shudder.
She waited with forced patience, listening to everything Rhys had to say. Then she swatted his hand away and stood up abruptly. “I thought I made it perfectly clear,” She hissed – sounding almost like the vampire Rhys had once playfully accused her of being, “that you are not to touch me.”
She swiped her uninjured hand along her cheek, as though she could erase then sensation of Rhys’s fingers resting softly against her skin. She felt bad for acting out so aggressively when Rhys clearly needed her to be sympathetic, but she couldn’t help it. She knew that if he still thought she was a guy, Rhys would never have done that – and that thought disturbed her. The fact that he was treating her differently… It made her feel vulnerable, and she hated it. Suddenly, she felt acutely aware of the fact that Rhys could easily overpower her.
She glanced over at him, her emotions warring behind hard, unreadable eyes as she struggled to decide what to do next. Anger, Fear, Sympathy…? She didn’t know what to feel… Ah, what did it matter?! Just as long as she did something…
“C’mon, kid. Toughen up.” Avery teased – though there was a subtle gentility to her voice. Great… So sympathy had won, after all. Now the part of her that wanted to punch his face in was more pissed than ever before.
Still, she let a faint smile lift her lips, and roughly swiped the tear from Rhys’s cheek.
“Come, let’s head back.” She suggested quietly, sliding her dark shades back over her eyes before offering a hand to help Rhys up. She didn’t want to talk here any more than Rhys did, so she avoided replying to anything he’d said. She was still uncertain about returning to his house… She didn’t trust him, and that was the truth – especially when he seemed angry like this… But it wasn’t Rhys that she was afraid of, oh no, it was far more complex than that… Or perhaps even simpler?
The moment that anger entered Rhys’s eyes, all that Avery could see was her father… The memories of what he had done to her consuming her mind. And that… That was what scared her. She couldn’t help it… It was out of her control.
Avery shook her thoughts aside, her eyes dropping toward her outstretched palm – waiting to see if Rhys would take it… Or if he would reject her sympathies, just as she had rejected his touch a moment before.

Rhys flinched in surprise when he felt his hand slapped away. "Okay," he said simply, "I won't touch you anymore." He nodded to himself. He'd never dealt with this before and it made it all the more interesting. He smiled to himself, knowing he wasn't looking for anything special. He'd never gone near a girl like that since the night Kareena broke up with him - rather harshfully, might he add. He remembered the screaming, the arguing, the tears, and finally the click of heels and the slam of his front door. He wouldn't be able to do that again. No, he wouldn't, because love was to painful.

Love? Where had that come from? He didn't love Kareena, did he? He didn't love anyone, right? His eyes became troubled, the only sign of the turmoil inside him, besides the tears threatening to spill over. He blinked them away quickly and looked up at Avery, who'd put her sunglasses back on. He felt so small to her jus then - which was ridiculous since he was a good 10 inches taller. But she just seemed so dark and imposing and powerful. He was sure he could take her physically, but was equally as sure that she could break him mentally. He sighed and pointedly refused her hand, standing up.

"Changed your mind about the 'no touch' rule?" He asked with a smirk. Rhys's expression had changed to warm and eassygoing, like the day at school yesterday. Was it only yesterday? Yeah, he guessed that it was yesterday, the day he'd finally talked to Avery. He blinked furiously again and started walking backwards. "Come on." He smiled playfully, a hint of laughter in his voice. He grinned genuinely, but didn't grab her arm and run like he would have yesterday. He sighed. Why did life have to be so friggin complicated?

“Okay, fair point.” Avery agreed with a chuckle, dropping her hand back to her side. She offered a faint smile in return to his grin, and followed after him – still remaining somewhat distant. She followed Rhys was some hesitance, her muscles tensed, as though she was just waiting for him to turn on her again.
Yes… Her trust was a fragile thing. Difficult to gain, and easy to lose. It would take some time before she was ready to offer it once more, and until then, certain precautions had to be taken. She would not let her guard down… Not once.
Avery shook off her gloomy thoughts, letting her lips stretch into a slightly more sincere smile – her expression showing some warmth.
Rhys was making an effort… It would be the least she could do to return the favour.

((Back to short posts. XD Haha! Woooow, I suck today. O.o ))

Rhys grinned. "Don't walk so far away. You want people to think we're not BFFs?!" He asked with mock surprise, a goofy expression on his face. He laughed and walked back to her in a clumsy fashion. "Come on, best friend! Let's get that smoothie then go back home?" He asked, laughing, trying to delay the inevitable of telling Avery the truth.

[Short posts!!!!!!!!]

"Don't assume things like that, Idiot." Avery scolded at Rhys's somewhat over-the-top 'best friend' references. Yet despite herself, Avery felt a faint smile tug at the corners of her mouth. "You're stalling." She informed Rhys bluntly, "But I want that smoothie, so I'll pretend not to notice, for now." She nodded decidedly, then allowed a subtle teasing smile to lift her lips. Relaxing just a little, Avery jogged a couple of steps to catch up with Rhys.

((I'm typing by the light of my computer screen... But every time I look from the dark keyboard to the bright screen it blinds me momentarily... So I just accidentally knocked my mouse flying. XD Fun fact. ))

[Bahaha. One can find the nocturnal Polo sitting my her computer in the weee hours of the morning, blinding herself by the bright lights of technology and scaring off innocent mouses. Or meeses? Or is it mice? *ponders while chewing a textbook*]

Rhys laughed but grew serious when she mentioned stalling. "That I am. And it's a good thing you'll pretend, because I do honestly want a smoothie..." He trailed off thoughtfully until they got to the small drink shop. He ordered himself a strawberry splat and looked to Avery for her order. The employee arched a curious eyebrow at Avery's getup but quickly went back to work.

[I gotta go Last swim practice til summer xD]

((Noooo! *Wails* Probably a good thing, actually... I have to sleep. :3 Haha! Otherwise the meeses will rise against me! XD ))

Avery entered the drink shop with her usual casually threatening air, her true identity as well masked as ever. Just because Rhys knew didn't mean she'd risk letting the rest of the world know as well... Life was easier as a boy, and safer, too. In her opinion, anyway...
Avery quietly placed her order - taking joy in feeling the chill her presence brought to the surrounding atmosphere. Yes... She far preferred intimidating others to being intimidated.
Once the smoothies arrived, Avery took hers and walked over to a table. She pulled out a chair and sat down, then glanced over at Rhys to see if he was following.

Rhys grinned and sat down in front of her, slowly sipping at his smoothie. He didn't know what to say, so he settled for stirring his drink with the large green straw and gazing past Avery. He absentmindedly stared at her hands. They were long and pale, and her injured one was bleeding still. "Um, we should hurry up and get that treated." He stated, gesturing to her hand. He refrained from mentioning how easily the dark bruises stood out on her white wrist. He quickly slurped down the rest of his smoothie and went to the counter to pay. "Brain freeze." He muttered, just a little irritated.

"It's nothing." Avery muttered, shaking her sleeve over the injury and resting her hand in her lap - out of sight.
When Rhys got up and walked over to pay, however, she knew she ought to follow. So she shrugged and downed the rest of her smoothie in one gulp, then trotted over to Rhys.

It was not much later when the payment was complete, and they could leave the store. Avery murmured some words of thanks, smiling slightly at her friend. Then she pushed the door open and stepped out into the outside air, which seemed suddenly chilly after the warmth of the smoothie place.
"Come on, let's hurry - it's freezing out here!" Avery said with a laugh, throwing Rhys a grin before setting off in a brisk pace.
The spring had returned to her step now, and it was obvious that Avery was slowly regaining her cheerfulness - and even letting her guard down... Just a little.

Rhys laughed when Avery mentioned the cold. "Where I come from, this is considered a warm day!" He laughed but had to work to actually keep up with her. What a miracle. But anyway, they soon reacher his house and it was clear Avery's cheerfulness was returning. "Come on." He held the door open for her and smiled brightly. The house was empty.

"No way!" Avery exclaimed, shocked. "I'd hate to think what a cold day is!" She laughed and rubbed the chills from her arms, then jogged the last few steps to Rhys's door and stepped inside, politely returning his smile.
Glancing around, she noticed that the house seemed empty. That was a good thing... Then Rhys would have no excuse to avoid 'the talk'.

((On my way home - currently on laptop in car. I should be back at my PC in about 30 minutes, and then I won't be logging off for a long, long time. ))

He sat down on the couch and patted it for Avery to sit - a respectful distance away. "Okay, I guess I should start. Where I come from, there were gangs and gang wars, and I was stupid and got involved..." He trailed off, images flowing through his head. The 'Initiation Ceremony' where he'd had to shave his head and get the gang tattoo. He still had it, too. Rhight on his shoulder blade. Except it wasn't a real tattoo. It had been a knife in the back everyone'd gotten. He shuddered, remembering the pain, and how the excitemnent and adrenaline had been a natural anethstia.

[Yayayayayay!!! ]

((Sorry, I had to shower before I logged on to wake myself up... I am so tired, it's not even funny. XD
...
It's a little funny. :3 ))

Avery responded to Rhys's summons, seating herself on the couch beside him without complaint. She listened as he began to speak, but with each word he said, she felt her doubt increase.
This was wrong...
When Rhys fell silent, Avery quickly took the opportunity to interject. "Look, Rhys, I'm going to stop you right there... You don't have to tell me all this. Everybody makes mistakes... I get it. You've got a right to keep your secrets, I shouldn't have... Well, anyway, don't worry about it."
She offered a faint smile - feeling instantly better from doing what she considered to be the right thing, yet also annoyed with herself, for now her curiosity and suspicion continued to niggle at the back of her mind.

Rhys was relieved when she decided not tto push it, but he could almost feel the curiosity radiating off of her. "It's okay, I want to tell some one." He took a deep breath and continued. "It was my first fight. They handed me a 9mm and said to use it whenever. So I did. It wasn't on purpose, I hadn't meant to kill him, I just was..." He didn't notice he'd curled into the fetal position and was shaking. Tears were streaming down his face as he continued. "It was dark, and I couldn't see. I thought he had a knife and was coming to get me. So I shot him. I killed him."

Avery's expression sobered as Rhys continued speaking, and she listened with rapt interest. She could almost picture it... The gangs flailing about in the darkness - every man hyped on adrenaline, and living on the mindset 'kill or be killed'. It was terrible, and the more Avery thought over Rhys's words, the more sympathy she felt for the poor boy whose only mistake had been meeting the wrong people...
Life was cruel... And not just for her.
Avery turned her gaze to Rhys then, her brows knitted together in a concerned frown. But when she saw the tears dripping down his face, she stopped thinking and simply acted on impulse - wrapping her arm around his shoulders and giving him a comforting squeeze. She simply sat there in silence a moment, then spoke quietly - her tone surprisingly gentle. "The past is over, Rhys." She murmured softly, "You've got to let it go... From what you've told me, I'd say it was an accident - plain and simple. You can't keep beating yourself up like this..."
Her eyes searched his face - for the first time, not showing any hint of coldness. Nothing but sympathy, and concern for her friend.

Rhys barely registered her words, but he did feel her arm and smiled weakly for her sake. "I know." He said, his voice cracking. Without thinking, he rested his head on her shoulder and felt safer than he ever had before. He'd always thought he could do everything by himself, and only now did he realize how wrong he was. After a while he realzed her shirt was soaking wet from his tears and he was touching her once again. "I'm sorry." He sniffed, apologizing for the shirt, him touching her, everything he'd done wrong all at once, and started to straighten up.

When she felt Rhys's head against her shoulder, Avery tensed instinctively - but at the sound of her friend's muffled sobs, she completely forgot her own issues, and focused instead on comforting patting Rhys's back until his tears finally came to a halt.
Then he slowly pulled back, with a weak 'sorry'.

"Don't apologise, Idiot." Avery scolded, her lips lifting into a tiny smile as she swatted him in the back of the head - the blow surprisingly rough, especially considering she was a girl.
"C'mon, you need to take your mind off things." Avery informed Rhys knowingly, bouncing to her feet and offering her hand to help him up. She didn't even know where she was planning to take him... All she knew was that, if she was in his shoes, she would definitely need a distraction to keep from going insane.

He smiled weakly. "Okay." He took her hand and stood up, wondering if he should release it or not. But if he didn't, it would look like he had a crush on her - which he didn't - so he let go almost immedeatly. "Where are we going?" He asked timidly, not caring where, as long as it was somewhere far away. "Hold on." He dashed up to his room to find a coat for Avery. He pulled stuff out of drawers for her but couldn't find anything her size.