A few left and right turns and they were there. It wasn't a far walk at all. Though, the girl wouldn't stop talking, making it seem like they had walked for miles. Elias internally groaned. Sunshine was still there in spirit. Though, he couldn't focus on much, the sight of the neighborhood was nice. A different change in scenery from his street. The houses were large and well built; the luxurious homes that people shoved in their wishlists on pinterest. They were surrounded by the greenest of grass and clear sidewalks. The sky was still gray and cloudy, but it seemed just a little less gloomy here.

"But she said she didn't tell anyone that I told her what Maveron did with Shelly." She whipped her silky hair. "But I don't believe her for a second. She's known to babble. And you know what else-"

"We just passed your house." Cush interrupted dullfully. She paused, looking back.

"Oh! Thank you!" She gave him another smile, turning around. "See you tomorrow! Nice meeting you Eli." She gave him a wink.

Eli nodded, and she was finally gone. Cush let out a heavy sigh, shaking his head. "Two houses down."

  Once they reached his house Eli tried to hold in his shock, but his eyes told it all. Now he saw why Cush didn't hesitate at that price. His house was the largest of them all. Clean white siding with mixed stone walls and clear windows. Three expensive cars sitting idle in their drive way.

Cush opened the door and let Eli inside. There was a huge open space with stairs hugging the wall and a bright shining chandelier hanging from the ceiling.

"Cush, honey is that you?" A feminine voice asked, and out stepped a pretty woman with black hair and blue eyes.  "Guess who almost said his first word-" She gasped when she saw Elias standing at her front door.

"You brought a friend...?" She smiled, looking at Cush.

"We're not friends, mom." Cush shoved his hands in his pockets, shaking his head. "He's just helping me-"

"Evan! Evan, baby! Cush brought home a friend!" She laughed, and hugged the man joining her from around the corner. Evan took one look at Elias and gave his wife a smile.

"I told you. Didn't I tell you-our boy is not a loner." He looked back at Cush. "You going to introduce your friend?"

Cush gave Elias a look before shutting his eyes. "Mom, dad, this is Elias. Elias these are my parents, Evan and Arlette."

Elias gave a friendly smile and Evan walked over giving him a firm shake while Arlette stood with her hand over her mouth, trying to hide her widening smile. "Nice to meet you buddy."

"You too, sir." Elias answered. Just then the wail of a young baby interrupted them from the kitchen.

"Oh, that's Theo." She glanced back. "Mommy's coming baby." She looked back to Elias. "Please feel free to stop by and see Cush whenever. Don't be a stranger, okay hun."

"Really?" Cush looked at his mother in disbelief before gesturing at Eli. "Let's go."

His parents watched as Eli followed Cush up the stairs. Evan looked down at Arlette. "Now I'm just waiting for him to bring home a girl friend."

"I can still hear you." Cush groaned, reaching the top of the stairs. Eli could hear his parents snicker as they began walking down a large hallway. There were pictures hanging on the walls of their family. He recognized Evan and Arlette cuddling a newborn he assumed must have been Theo. In another picture they all looked so much younger. They must have been married for years. There was a second girl in this one; couldn't be any older than sixteen at the time.

She must be Cush's older sister.

  Her hair was long, dark, and flowy. She resembled her mother while Cush had many features of his father. Eli's eyes drifted down to the little boy sitting crisscross on the floor in the picture. Elias could barely recognize him with an innocent smile, but the boy's skin told him all he needed to know. It was Cush. He looked...happy? 

  His family was refreshing and full of life. They smiled and made jokes. Elias liked their aura, but with Cush it was different. He was missing that part. The happy part. Eli couldn't help but wonder.

What happened?

"Over here." Cush sounded annoyed at the other end of the hall. Elias hadn't noticed he had stopped. Catching up to the last door on the hall, he was let into a room.

  The room was plain in terms of furniture with only a bed and desk, but the walls...the walls were completely black and covered in drawings scraped into them. Through the paint and down to the brown wood beneath it were roses and decaying human figures. Elias knew this art.

"Don't touch anything." Cush walked to the other side of the room. He pulled out a ripped leather case from beneath his bed, and Elias continued to examine his walls. Some of them were simple and some were complex; complete with faces and expressions. They were all so unique and dark, yet delicate and all had a similar feeling. Suddenly, it clicked and Elias furrowed his brows. They were all women.

"You like to draw?" Elias asked.

"You like to ask questions you already know the answer to?" Cush opened the case. Elias disregarded his remark and continued.

"They're nice."

Cush paused, giving him a look before standing from the case. "Here." He handed him the money in cash. Elias instantly began counting, and wasn't satisfied with the amount.

"This is only one-hundred." He said it more as a question. "The deal was two-"

"I know." Cush interrupted. "You'll get the other half once the month is up."

"No-no you don't understand." Elias looked at the money. "I need two hundred by Thursday."

"You must be in some trouble." Cush narrowed his eyes. "Are you?"

  Elias paused at the question. It's the second time he's inquired about that. He couldn't see his intent behind asking it. If he said yes, he could either give him more to help his new tutor out or cancel the whole deal because he'd think of him as a delinquent. Conflicted, Elias held his tongue.

"Monday, Wednesday, and Friday." Cush began. "You come here. I'm cancelling this Friday for personal reasons. We'll start next week." Cush finished typing a few words on his phone. "Benson's waiting outside for you. Tell him your address and he'll get you there. You can leave."

  Elias looked at Cush, then at the money in his hand, crushing it as he exited the room. Skipping down the steps, he paused when Evan appeared from behind the corner.

"Leaving already?" He gave him a concerned look. Reaching the bottom of the steps, Elias slipped the crumbled bills in his back pocket. "I hope Cush hasn't scared you off-I know the images are different but they're a hobby of his."

"No, I just have to get home to my little sister." Eli laughed.

"Oh, say no more." Evan gave him a reassuring nod. "It was nice to meet you Elias."

"You too, sir." Eli returned the nod, and exited their home, instantly getting hugged by the cold outside winds. It felt like it was going to rain again soon. Quickly spotting a car parked conveniently in front of the house, Eli made his way down approaching it.

"Benson?" He asked as the middle aged man rolled down the window.

"Hop in." He flashed him a smile.

~*~

Thursday...

  It was the last day before the deadline, and Eli was waiting, staring at his ceiling. Ava was in bed, and Brie went to work per usual, so Eli was left to his thoughts. Sunshine didn't show up to school today either and a part of Elias worried, but it was a very small part. The other was consumed in something else.

  He knew he was out of options. There was only one thing left to do. Ask his father. He could cover up the real reason why he needed the money. That wasn't the issue. The problem was that he had a gut feeling his father would say no. It didn't matter the reason. That's why he never even considered it an option until now. In all honesty, Eli was afraid to ask, but he knew he had to eventually. Even though there was a very slim chance, there was still a chance.

  The whole point of this was to show his father that he was worth something. Pride in his son was all Elias wanted him to have. He needed to prove himself. Elias was dead set on finding La Mort Noire for that very reason. To be a hero. To finally be seen by his father.

  Eli wondered what he thought of him. He got the feeling it was nothing good, but he still wanted to know. Mike hadn't said he loved Elias. At least not for as long as Eli could remember. Maybe it was because they were men, but saying it once a year or two wouldn't hurt.

  His father was home. He'd heard him come in from the rain an hour ago. He was procrastinating, or just delaying the inevitable, but he knew his time was running out and he needed to act now before it was too late. Sitting up on his bed, he pushed himself on his feet and left his room, going down stairs.

  He was shocked to see his father wasn't in his room, but in the living room instead. He was sitting on the couch, hair damp, tie loosened, and eyes closed.

"Dad." Elias called. His father glanced at him then turned back with a sigh. Eli walked over sitting on the other couch; on the edge of his seat and hands intertwined in front of him.

"What?" Mike asked. Eli took a breath.

"There's this club I have a chance to get into. It has everything I need." Eli thought of a lie off the top of his head. "It's every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for an hour after school. It's an academic program-uh gives college credit and scholarship opportunities. Plus, getting involved in my school would help me fit in and adapt-"

"Sure, Elias." Mike waved him off. "Just make sure your home in time for Ava."

"I will dad it's just..." Eli stumbled over his words before pausing, saying his next words carefully. "I need one hundred dollars-for the fee."

His father finally opened his eyes and sighed. "Elias I already paid for soccer, baseball-which you couldn't even stay in because we moved. If it's not mandatory, I'm not paying for it."

"But dad-"

"Your GPA is fine. It's like a three point two or something right?"

"I've had straight A's since freshman year." Eli furrowed his brows.

"Exactly. You don't need academic support. You'll fit in fine-just give it another week."

"Yea, but dad this is an opportunity of a lifetime-"

"Look." Mike interrupted, raising his hand. "If you want to be in it so bad, you'll find a way, but I really don't have the energy for this."

"What if I washed the car?"

"No."

"And did your laundry?"

"No..."

"And raked all the leaves?"

"No."

"What if I-"

"Elias!" His father yelled and Elias stopped. "No. I don't have money to waste on you anymore. I don't know what else to tell you. Find another way. You're getting older now. You need to make your own money. Ava's the only one I need to look after now."

"You won't let me get a job because of Ava." Eli began again. "How else am I suppose to do it?"

"I don't know Elias, and right now I really don't give a shit. What do I look like giving you money and you can't even do the simple stuff right? Like looking after Ava? After seventeen years of investing in you, you'd think you would have turned out better than this, but no. You constantly disappoint me. Just a waste of time and money, and I'll be damned if I waste more." Mike glared at him. "Now I'm trying to take a nap. Get out of my face." He laid his head back closing his eyes and Elias didn't hesitate to leave for his room. He didn't stomp. He didn't slam his door. He did everything in a calm manner. He just laid on his bed, drowning in defeat and wondered.

Did La Mort Noire have a father like mine?

~*~

Friday...
      7:34am

  It was the deadline. He was out of time. Technically, he still had a few hours, but there was no way he could get the rest of the money by tonight. It was over. He knew that. He'd stayed up the night before accepting the reality of the situation; what he had lost. Now he just had to tell Sunshine. He could see him at the bus stop a little ways down the sidewalk. Elias was a little relieved to see him. It had been a few days since he'd gone to school.

  Approaching the short boy, Elias braced himself as rainbow boy pranced over.

"Goodmorning." He smiled, twisting.

"Hey..." Elias answered, pulling his hood over his head. "Haven't seen you in a while."

"I missed you too." Sunshine replied quickly, and Elias furrowed his brows.

"I didn't-"

"What's wrong?" Sunshine asked. "You look sad."

Elias averted his gaze. "I'm not sad. I'm just..."

"Sad." Sunshine leaned over into his line of view. "Why?"

Elias gave him a look before taking a breath. "I couldn't get all the money we need to get in."

Sunshine's face went from confused to concerned. "How much did you get?"

"Only one hundred and eleven dollars." Elias scoffed. Sunshine just stared at him as Elias shook his head. "I'm sorry."

  He paused at the small giggle. Furrowing his brows, he looked at Sunshine as he began to laugh. His laugh grew hysterical and the other kids at the bus stop looked over at them. Elias stepped back as he bent over, clutching his stomach. He'd never seen someone laugh so hard in his life.

"You-you're adorable!" Sunshine cackled, and Elias narrowed his eyes. "What made you think you had to do this alone?"

Eli let his face relax as he continued. "What do you think I was doing out all week? I broke my piggy bank, swept at Joe's barber shop-raked some leaves and mowed some lawns. I even took out trash which had me smelling really-"

"So what are you saying?" Eli cut him off. His heart was beating fast with anticipation and his breath was hitched in his throat. He needed to hear it.

"I'm saying we have more than enough, silly." Sunshine giggled. "I was able to get one hundred and thirty eight dollars. I was even going to sweep at Joe's again later today for some extra cash just in case."

  The feeling of heavy weight being lifted off his shoulders made Eli feel like he could breathe again. There was no way to wipe the smirk off his face once he had heard those words leave Sunshine.

"This is amazing. I could hug-" he paused when Sunshine held out his arms with a smile wider than usual. Eli cleared his throat. "Nevermind."

  All at once he was overjoyed, ecstatic, relieved, and looking at Sunshine in a whole new light. Before he just saw him as a rainbow boy with too much energy, but Eli could see he was more than that. He meant buisness and Elias could respect that.

"No, but that's really cool man." Elias rubbed the back of his neck. "Good job."

  The bus pulled around the corner, stopping in front of them and everyone gathered around the opening doors. Sunshine nudged Elias. "Since we have some money left over...do you think we could go to the place my mother used to take me-where Ms. Mercci used to work?" Eli could see he was nervous about asking, seeing as though he kept looking away and stumbling over his words. "We can go after school and before the thing. It's a nice place-I swear. The food is really good too."

"Sure." Elias chuckled. There was no reason to say no. Eli felt like he owed him and in all honesty, Sunshine deserved it.

~*~

"Sunshine?" Ava giggled as they stopped at the street crossing. "That's weird."

"Yeah." Eli picked her up, carrying her across. "I think it's a nickname."

"What's his real name?" She asked, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Alberto." Elias replied. "But just call him Sunshine, okay?"

"Alberto?" Ava gave him a confused look. "Is he nice?"

"Yeah, and we're meeting him here." Eli set her down once they reached the cafe, fixing her purple coat and scarf. He opened the glass door for her, letting her in, guiding her towards the front. The place smelled of sweets and coffee. It was warm and inviting. One of the brighter places he's seen in the town. The red headed lady guided him in the direction of the boy who matched the description he was looking for.

"Is that him?" Ava asked pointing. It wasn't hard to spot Sunshine with his signature beanie and small figure.

"Yeah." Elias put her finger down.

"Is he your friend?" She asked, and Elias sighed.

"Curious today, aren't we?" He looked down at her and she laughed putting a smirk on his face. As they approached him, Eli saw Sunshine's eyes light up as he noticed Ava.

"Hey Sunshine. This is my little sister."
He helped her into the booth. "Say hello Ava."

"Hello." Ava instantly gave him the peculiar look and Sunshine gave her a smile.

"I didn't know you had a little sister. I would've had one too." Sunshine leaned over the table. "You like donuts?" He rose his eyebrows.

Ava nodded excitedly. "The strawberry kind."

"With sprinkles." Sunshine added.

"Yes!" She gave him the brightest smile.

"I'll get us some." Sunshine said and Ava's eyes grew wide with excitement.

"Not until after you eat dinner." Eli looked at her and her smile faded. Someone had to be the mature one. She saw Sunshine mouth the word buzzkill with a yawn and Ava giggled.

  While they continued on about the types of donuts they liked, Elias let his eyes roam the cafe in boredom. Sunshine wasn't lying. It was a nice place with a simple name. The Cafe. There wasn't a lot of people there; maybe just five or six. All sitting alone with a coffee and something to read. Except the guy with a woman sitting on his lap across from them. She was a pretty faced, curly haired girl with attractive, bronze legs in a short, black skirt. She was obviously flirting with the man, but Elias couldn't help but admire her. The man wasn't too bad himself. With green eyes, teased hair, and a bright smile, Elias could see why she was with him.

If I was just a little older...

"Can I Eli?"

Elias was snapped out of his trance by small hands tugging at his sleeve.

"Huh?"

"Play the claw game?" Ava pointed over to the glass machine filled with stuffed animals and plushies. It was near the bathrooms on the other end of the joint, but within his line of view. Eli sighed, digging in his pocket.

"Here." He handed her three dollars. Sliding out of the booth, he let her through before sitting and watching her run over.

"She's sweet." Sunshine broke the silence between them.

"Yeah, I think she likes you too." Eli replied, finally opening the menu. "You're familiar with all this. What should I get?"

"The pancakes." Sunshine leaned over the table, tapping the picture of stacked flapjacks. "That's all I'd get."

Eli gave him a look. "That's it?"

Sunshine nodded. "But my mom would get the sandwiches and some fries." Elias looked at the sandwich section. It was a good selection ranging from club style to reubens. Glancing up to check on Ava, Elias noticed the glum look on Sunshine's face; the same one he had at the bus stop that day. Eli closed the menu, crossing his arms on the table.

"Why don't you come here anymore?" He asked, bringing Sunshine back.

"I don't know. My mom took me almost everyday when my dad went to work." He smiled. "We were regulars. It was our thing-like a get a way." Eli watched as his face changed. "But when my dad died, she took me less and less until we just stopped