little bird // r.keene

xvii. the jail bird.

"I know your face from the news but I knew your name long before that... As creepy as it sounds, I've probably known about you the same amount of time you've known her." Will spoke freely and with little thought and that was one of the countless things Wren loved about him- he spoke his mind and didn't know how to lie. At least not to her anyhow.

"Recognised you the moment I saw you earlier today; didn't talk to you cuz Shawn won't leave you alone for a split second if he knew you knew me." Will began, giving Robby some brief answers before expecting some in return.

"She told you about me?" Robby asked quietly, the rest of the boys in the room kept to their own- thinking that Larson was just looking after the new boy, like he did every time a new face rolled in. "How much do you know?"

"A lot." Will answered shortly, nodding. He folded his hands together, looking up from his feet to look Robby in the eye.

Robby suddenly seemed to grasp why everyone saw Will as the leader. He had cold hard eyes which compelled you to do what he asked without a second thought- something Wren had no doubt learned from him or taught him. There was a degree of calm authority which was unexplainable and Robby could tell Will knew everyone in the room like the back of his hand- he knew this place inside and out- telling him Will had been there for a long time.

"Is Wren okay?" Will asked him, "She stopped visiting when you became a wanted man." He explained and he saw Robby's shoulders drop, "Too much time hidin' you I reckon. Neat little set up she's got above The Bookshelf, isn't it? Figured that was where she'd hide you away if she was hiding you at all." Will told him and it took Robby a moment to process everything.
Will seemed to see his confusion and chuckled lightly, "Sorry, Keene, didn't mean to scare ya. Figure it's weird arriving here either way and here I am knowing a whole lot about you..."

"You got that right..." Robby said, running a hand through his hair. "She," Robby began, but the truth was, he didn't really know where to start, "She was okay..." Robby offered, letting his eyes flicker over to the other boys before looking back at Will, who was staring at him fiercely, hanging onto every word.

"'Was'? Careful now Keene, walk me through it."

And so he did- Will listened to every word. What happened at the fight.

What he had done.

How Wren had hidden him.

How they protected each other, which Will had gotten a grasp of in Wren's visits.

How Daniel ratted him out.

"She knew it was a bad idea going to see my mom but I had too and she wouldn't let me go alone either. She-" he broke himself off, knowing he should have listened to her. Daniel had tricked her, he had tricked them both and he knew right now she was probably sitting in the chair by her window thinking it was all her fault.

When it wasn't. Robby knew that. He just hoped she knew it too.

"She put up a fight for me." He said simply.

"Sounds like my little bird." Will wore a sad smile when those words left his lips, "Fuck." He swore, running a hand through his messy hair as if that would clear his thoughts but Will couldn't stop his mind from turning itself over and over.