All five pair of eyes watched the three boys intently, each of them slowly making their way down to the tall boy on the far left who was examining each of them as well. It was almost like everyone was afraid to speak which was surprising, seeing as though Elias expected there to be an uproar from the new face. Instead they just stared awkwardly until Cush finally turned to Elias not even bothering to whisper.

"I think they're waiting on you."

"Right." Elias cleared his throat. "Hey...guys."

"What's uh...um what's Cush doing here?" Beverly stuttered, trying not to look in his direction.

"Yeah...?" Rocco rose a brow.

"Not that you're not welcome--" Porter looked at the others for confirmation. "I mean...I'm not sure if...is he--is he not welc-uh..." he looked back to the unamused boy. "Hey...Cush."

"Wait a minute." Harley stepped forward, narrowing her eyes until they shot open. "Hey, I remember you!"

Cush furrowed his brows, watching as she stared at him expectantly. As a few seconds passed without a reaction, her excitement faded. "You don't remember me?"

"From?" Cush asked slow, making her shake her head with a few blinks at the floor.

"Uh...from class." She gave a short smile. "It's fine if you don't, we never talked." Harley backed away beside Bausy who still held a bewildered expression. Elias was surprised. It seemed like everyone did know Cush.

"Elias? Sunshine?" Bausy asked. "Care to explain?"

With no script or premeditation upon speaking, Elias explained from the beginning. He informed them of Jade's whereabouts and the girls were pleased to know that they successfully found where he lived. However, when Elias explained the events that took place not too long after, everyone was silent. Apprised with each of their injuries and trauma, the group listened with close ears to Eli's explanation on why having Cush was nonnegotiable. A few were upset that he decided to break code, but quickly came to an understanding. Elias appreciated the fact that he wasn't chewed up and spit outside of the group forever for what he had done. Though, he believed part of it was because Cush was standing beside him. It didn't take a genius to see that he made them uncomfortable as he does everyone, but Elias wasn't worried about it. He knew Cush wasn't completely terrible, and found amusement in his unintentional intimidation.

Though, as he continued to speak, Elias couldn't help but notice that Sunshine wasn't next to him as he usually was. Instead, he stood in a corner, playing with a loose string from his shirt. His eyes were muted with a heavy stare on his fingers; his head hanging low against his chest. He hadn't said a word since they left his house. What was up with him?

Elias couldn't spend too much time with the thought as Cush made his debut, and to Eli's amazement, he actually sounded genuinely respectful without his usual hint of sarcasm, saying he appreciated their approval for his involvement and that he'd enjoy being a walking map for unknown reason to them of course.

The group session went by quickly as they all introduced themselves to Cush properly, answering some of the questions he had. It had seemed that he was actually growing intrigued, keen with how much effort had went into the whole operation. Unfortunately, they had run out of time and needed to return home, but Elias was quite content with that as he was getting sleepy. As they all blew out the candles and said their good nights, Elias was surprised to see Sunshine was the first one outside the door.

"I must say I'm impressed." Cush stepped outside letting his eyes rest on Elias. "With them of course. You're the new comer."

"I've done my part, alright." He chuckled, looking down the alley, catching the slight glimpse of Sunshine turning the corner. "Me and Sunshine." Elias said slow furrowing his brows. "One sec." With a effortless jog, he made his way down the damp alley, ignoring the slight ache as his feet splashed in the puddles of leaky pipe water. Following his steps, Elias paused from his jog as he could finally see the short boy making his way across the street.

"Sunshine!" He called. He could see his body jolt at the sound of his name before hesitantly procceding forward. "Sunshine, wait up!" He continued his jog until he was close enough to grab his shoulder, pulling him back. "Hey, what's the rush?"

"I'm tired." He replied, refusing to look Elias in the eye.

"Come on, we've had worse." Elias huffed slightly, catching his breath. "Let's wait for Cush, and we can go alright?"

"You wait for Cush." Sunshine furrowed his brows, catching Elias off guard as he turned away.

"Hey?" Elias grabbed at his shoulder again and this time Sunshine snatched away. Eli watched him completely puzzled. "What's wrong?" He asked, and Sunshine frowned.

"I told you I'm tired." He looked away.

Elias studied the boy in front of him. He didn't understand, until he did. "It's Cush isn't it?"

Sunshine sighed as the pale boy finally approached the two. "I'm just tired Elias."

"You know him don't you?" Elias asked, narrowing his eyes.

"No." Sunshine finally looked at him seeing the confusion in his hazel orbs change to frustration.

"Why are you lying?"

"I'm not--"

"Who gave you the name Sunshine?" Elias finally blurted, interrupting him. His small frame sunk as he daintily looked at his fingers.

"Huh?" Eli's harsh deliverance caused Sunshine to jump; his eyes snapping back to Eli's before averting once more. "Who gave you the name?" He repeated.

"Cush." He muttered.

"Why would you lie to me?" Elias looked at him accusingly as his tiny body suddenly tensed up.

"I didn't lie!"

"You're doing it again!" Elias continued. "About Cush--about your dad!"

Sunshine paused from what he was about to say. "What about my dad?" He asked.

Cush shoved his hands in his pockets lowering his head as Eli's eyes slightly widened once he realized what had come out of his mouth. He'd said too much.

"He's dead." He said. "What? I-Is this about my mom? It's about my mom right?" Sunshine switched his eyes between the two of them. "Everyone thinking that she's crazy?"

"Sunshine." Elias called softly at the flustered boy.

"No, you want to know what happened just like everyone else, right? If she killed him? If I know? You want to know the truth?" His big brown eyes blurred at the rim as he spoke louder.

"No. Listen, I didn't mean--"

"I don't know!" He cried. "And I don't want to know okay?!" His shoulders rose as he continued. "Maybe she did--maybe she didn't, but she's my mom! I don't care what anyone says about her!"

"Sunshine--"

"You never asked, and I never lied." A tear leaked passed, sliding down his cheek as he spoke. "And I didn't lie about him either."

Cush's head rose at that.

"I don't know him." He choked. "The Cush I knew died a long time ago. The Cush I knew would have never left me. But he did. Just like everyone else. For six years I was alone! For six years he watched me get torn down, and for six years he did nothing!" His small body shook as he took a large breath; wiping at his face. "I never lied to you Elias. I don't know who he is anymore. I'm tired. I just want to go home."

Elias stared dumbfounded and filled with guilt as he watched the small boy turn around and storm off through the woods. He had nothing to say to that; no idea how to formulate words after that; completely and utterly speechless. Cush watched Elias silently, before pulling on his hood.

"Let's go." His low voice called, walking passed Elias following Sunshine into the woods.

The walk was silent. No one spoke, or even dared to breathe too loud for fear of attention. Elias wanted to disappear into a dark abyss each time he replayed the broken vision of Sunshine's face. He'd never seen him so emotional and crushed. His voice was a defeated shriek of pain as his words echoed in his head. What was he thinking? He felt so guilty. He could hardly believe he grew so frustrated with him enough to--

His thoughts paused as he watched the small boy make a direct turn towards his house, his eyes catching a glimpse of Elias before continuing. He guessed it wasn't a surprise he didn't say goodbye. Cush and Elias went on to Eli's house, both still walking in completely silence. Once they arrived and snuck their way back into Eli's room, Elias laid onto his bed as Cush returned to his pallet on the floor.

As they both became settled and their movements ceased, Cush said,

"Maybe mentioning his father was a bad idea--"

"Why did you leave?" Elias interrupted, staring at his ceiling. Cush held his tongue, his eyes closing as he took a breath; one that was heavy and if the lights were on, Elias was almost positive he was holding some sort of expression for the first time.

"It wasn't my choice to leave if that's what you're thinking." There was a pause. "I didn't tell you the full story of Al's family. It goes back a great deal of time when my mom was a kid. Marissa and her were best friends when they were younger. Had the same hairstyle, wore the same clothes, even shared the same dreams. They both said they'd marry young and have huge family's. My mom married my dad at nineteen and had my sister, Jane, at twenty. It happened fast--faster than Marissa expected. She felt that she was behind my mom in some way and that she needed to catch up. Then, she met Anton."

Elias listened carefully to Cush's dull voice, picturing the events as if they played like a movie upon the ceiling.

"My mom knew he wasn't good for her, but Marissa didn't want to hear it. She had this fantasy in her head that he was the one, and that my mom was just trying to stay ahead." Cush scoffed. "She gave birth to Al the same year I was born. It didn't matter our personalities, likes--dislikes...at that moment, we were instantly destined to become close. We spent everyday together. From diapers on up to the start of middle school, becoming each other's distraction from life. Practically inseparable..."

Elias noticed his voice die out into the darkness, but he didn't push; waiting patiently until he began again.

"He was like a brother to me, and I to him. We were alright for a while...until we started to notice the bruises. They weren't just on Marissa. Al had them too. All over. You could never tell though." He snorted. "He knew how to hide anything with a smile. That damned smile."

Elias picked up on the sudden vexation in his tone.

"My mom attempted to reason with Marissa, trying to explain to her that leaving Anton wasn't just for her wellbeing, but it was for Alberto also. She wouldn't listen to a word. Not even a year after that, Marissa became pregnant with a baby girl. The abuse only grew worse. Al would take sudden week long breaks from school--his mom barley leaving the house anymore. My mom couldn't watch her show up, pregnant and purple, without doing something. She complained about a domestic abuse in their home. The police came by, and of course, Marissa denied everything. Said it was all a misunderstanding." There was a pause. "That same night, she was rushed to the hospital. No one knows what exactly happened when the police officer left and that front door closed. No one knows how exactly she got the bruises on her stomach. The only thing anyone knew for certain about that night is that the baby's heart stopped beating, and she had to give birth to a stillborn."

"Deep down, my mom always blamed herself for what happened that night. Marissa was never the same after that, and it hurt my mom to see her that way. Things didn't get better, and my mom had to make a decision. She loved Al like he was her own...but he wasn't. At the end of it all, it was her job to protect me. So she didn't allow me over anymore. She said I couldn't even speak with him. Just to pretend that he never existed. She never told me why until highschool. But I never. Told. Al."

Cush paused.

"See, I had the choice to allow Al back into my life for three years now. I chose not to. Not because I hated him. Not because I forgot about him. Not because we weren't compatible--we were never compatible to begin with." He took a breath. "I couldn't be his distraction anymore. I can barely handle myself. It wasn't my decision to leave him. It was my decision to stay away. I thought he would be better without me--that he'd pick himself up like always. Soon, pretending he didn't exist didn't feel like pretending anymore. I never thought it was possible for him to grow bitter...not him. I suppose after all these years...anyone can change."

Elias took a deep breath, trying to process everything he had said.

"I never knew he felt that way." Cush shook his head. "I suppose it's a little late for regrets, yes?" Even though Cush chuckled, Elias could tell it was forced and sensed a hint of grief.

"You two need to talk."

~*~

Author's Note:

-You've stuck with me this far through my inconsistent uploading schedule and have been patient with me and nothing but supportive. I thought I'd surprise you with a two parter/two chapters for the wait, and say thank you. All of your comments and kind words really mean alot, and I don't deserve such an encouraging audience. I appreciate you!

Also, what's going through your minds right now after reading this chapter?