𝐑𝐄𝐃 𝐇𝐀𝐙𝐄 || 𝐌𝐈𝐋𝐄𝐒 𝐅𝐀𝐈𝐑𝐂𝐇𝐈𝐋𝐃

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐈 : 𝐇𝐀𝐓𝐄

. . .

      It took the whole rest of the night and most of the day until Kate was able to simply reach the town her apartment was in.

Flora woke up at noon, a four hours before Miles. Miles didn't really like that.

He he didn't like how Kate kept trying to talk to him, and he hated that it took her five whole minutes for her to realize he didn't want to talk to her. He also hated how she immediately started talking with Flora as soon as she woke up. He hated how they stopped by some drive-thru in the town Kate lived in that looked like the definition of poverty to Miles.

He hated it.

He kept his mouth shut most of the time to avoid causing conflict whilst in a moving vehicle that he couldn't just get out from, meaning he'd probably get scolded for his actions by Kate and he'd actually have to deal with that shit.

This was extremely difficult as Kate's mere presence was enough to annoy Miles. He didn't like how she acted, he didn't like how she actually got mad at him or tried to tell him how to behave. Nobody ever even scolded him back at the estate, and he hated how Kate could, he didn't like that if she did, he'd have to listen to her because if she wanted to, Kate could ruin his life more than she already had and just drop him off on the side of the road.

He hated that she had that power over him.

Though, he should be thanking Kate, shouldn't he? He didn't really have a reason to hate her, she was trying her best, she was nice to him most of the time, he just didn't like her. He didn't like her because Kate treated him like they we're equals, or tried at least. Miles didn't like that, back at the estate he could do anything he wanted, Ms. Grose wouldn't care, Flora wouldn't care, nobody cared, and he liked that. What he didn't like was Kate trying to change that.

Miles hated change.

The moment she came there she started trying to treat Miles like he was a normal kid, but he wasn't a normal kid, normal kids didn't have all the things Miles had, normal kids weren't as smart as him or as mature as him, and normal kids certainly didn't experience what he did in the estate. He didn't like being treated as normal, it made him feel inferior, it didn't make him feel special like he had before.

But he still had a form of gratitude for her he'd try to be nice, he'd try to force himself to like her. After all she's the reason he made it past the gates of the property alive. She could've left him, no, she would've left him. The only reason she took him was because Flora wouldn't leave without him. But it's not like he cared if she liked him or not, he would've much rather rotted on the grounds of that property than get in this car if it weren't for Flora.

Flora was really the only thing making this 'trip', as Kate called it, bearable. She'd never even been outside the gates to the property, let alone outside of town. This trip must've been heaven for her, every second she was pointing out something new which made Miles smile a little. He was hating this, but his little sister was happy, and he wanted to keep her happy, so as far as she knew, he was just absolutely loving being stuck in this car.

"Miles, Miles! What's a... motel?" Flora asked, her finger pressed against the window, pointing twords a motel we were driving past, Miles sighed quietly. "Well, remember when Uncle Henry used to take us on fun trips and we'd stay in a hotel for a few weeks, they're like that." Miles explained, Flora tilted her head curiously. "But the hotels were bigger than the motel, why?" She asked, Miles smile sweetly and glanced at her threw the rear view mirror.

"That's because they're cheap Flora." He said, his smile condescending as he spat out the word "cheap" like it was poison. Kate opened her mouth slightly to say something to Miles, but quickly shut it when their eyes met. "Ohhh..." Flora put a finger to her chin. "Is that bad?" She continued to question. The first word that came to his mind was yes.

"I dunno." He answered with a shrug, glancing at Kate for only a moment. He was trying to be cautious of what he said not only because what happened to him was in her hands, but because he didn't feel like getting lectured at how inconsiderate he was for making fun of the lower class. Miles quite frankly didn't care, it wasn't his fault that other people were poor.

Miles was trying really hard to be nice to Kate. Well, not necessarily, he was just trying not to be mean.

"Kaaaate? Are we there yet?" Flora questioned for the sixteenth time today, Kate shook her head "Not quite, but we're close." She answered, Flora nodded. It was just around another fifteen minutes before they got to the apartment.

Miles leaned his head back on the car seat. He was tired. He wanted out if this car. He was also extremely bored, but Miles couldn't do anything about it besides think. A part of him wondered what Kate's place would look like, not much he assumed. He knew she had a roommate as he'd heard her late night calls with them sometimes when he was out in the halls at night. Average, that's what it would be, I mean, if she couldn't even afford to pay rent by herself it couldn't be anything special, but he figured he could try and like it.

Thirteen minutes later, the car stopped in front of an apartment building, Miles turned to look out the window, his expression remained neutral. It was okay... ish.

"Alright! We're here!" Kate chimed, Flora gasped and her eyes widened, she squeeled with delight, Miles just responded with a small hum and a nod. "We'll go up and get you guys settled, I'll see if I can take you guys shopping tomorrow so we can get you some clothes too." Kate explained Flora nodded excitedly, she had never gotten to go shopping for her own clothes before, and most if not all of Miles's clothes weren't his to begin with and either belonged to his father or an old friend of his, or they just sort of appeared, he always assumed Ms. Grose bought them and just didn't tell him, or maybe Uncle Henry sent them..?

Hm, what was he thinking? Uncle Henry didn't give a shit about him anymore.

Miles tried to be happy about the outcome,but he couldn't be. he wanted his old things, it sounded sort of pathetic but every single one of his things held sentimental value, there wasn't a point in keeping them if there wasn't, and he wanted them back, but he wouldn't get them back, he wasn't going back, no one was, just like how no one else was going to know what happened there, he was sure Kate would make sure of that.

Kate ripped the keys out of the car and unbuckled her seatbelt, stepping out of her car and smiling softly, she missed it here, sure it wasn't as nice as the estate, but it was home. Miles and Flora followed her out of the car, Flora was visibly excited, Miles was smiling too, simply because his sister was happy. He figured this was home for now, and he'd just have to get used to it.

Maybe if he was good Uncle Henry would care enough to get him? He had to, he was their legal guardian. He'd have to come, wouldn't he?