The Good in Sin

Milkshakes and Compliments

"Hey buddy, how was your exploring?" Autumn asked when Phoenix walked through the door that evening.

"It was good." He mentioned nothing of playing with Sin. He felt she didn't trust Sin.

"You know I don't like you coming back when it's getting dark," She said when he sat across from her at the dinner table.

"I know, I'm sorry. I just had a lot of fun."

Autumn smiled, "Who d'you play with?"

Phoenix was not good at lying. He worried for the moment he had to tell her who, because he knew she wouldn't be happy that he was with a man who his mother still considered a stranger.

Luckily, there was a knock on the door at that moment, and she went to answer Keith. Phoenix sat back, taking his secret time to glare at the man.

"Keith," Autumn spoke in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to check up on Phoenix," The man said as he stepped inside their small house. He was tall, and Phoenix despised his styled hair and fancy clothes.

He knew that Keith didn't care about him. He just loved his mother, and he had a terrible feeling every time he saw Keith. A feeling where his gut clenched and food lost taste. "How ya doin' little guy?"

Little guy?

Keith had knelt beside Phoenix like he was some small baby and spoke to him like he was a child. Phoenix hated that. "I'm doing great, sir."

The boy knew he had to speak respectfully to Keith, regardless of his feeling toward the man, because Autumn told him before that Keith was the only one who helped them when they were in trouble. He was the only one who still cared.

"That's great," He patted Phoenix's shoulder and stood again, going back to Autumn. Phoenix secretly rolled his eyes.

"Isn't it past his bedtime?" Keith muttered to Autumn.

"He's really a self-sufficient kid, he decides on his own when he goes to bed." Autumn told him. "And we have food."

Food? Phoenix never understood why every time Keith came over he checked the cabinets and the fridge for food, and how every time his mother and Keith spoke, she always tried to tell him they had food. Secretly, Phoenix wondered how Keith wasn't fat, as that had to be the only reason he would look through their cabinets so often.

"And the hospital bill?" Keith spoke, and Phoenix watched as his mother's head fell and she released a sigh, running her hand over her face.

"Nix, do you want to have dinner in your room tonight?" his mother said, and she didn't say it often. But what Phoenix knew was when she said it, she didn't enjoy it.

So he threw on a smile and took his bowl of spaghetti his mother made him, and stood. "Yeah, sure! I'm gonna read my book."

"Okay, honey." she said with a small smile. Nix was glad he could make her cheer up a little.

"Goodnight, Sir." he said to Keith.

"Good to see you're okay, Champ."

Champ?

And he went to his room and didn't come out until the next morning.

...

"Keith- Keith," Autumn quickly said in a hushed voice, and Keith stopped what he was doing and looked at her. "You've gotta be more quiet."

Keith calmed down as he kissed her neck, and she laid there and tried to put her mind elsewhere. Often, what Autumn would do is, she'd wonder silently how things would be if Nix's dad didn't brush them off. If her family accepted her mistake as a gift. If she took advantage of the GED Keith got her and went to college. Maybe if she loved Keith. Either way, it would never work. He's too aggressive.