Silence. It was the only thing that filtered so carefully through the room. Phoenix felt numb, awkward. She had settled herself into the arm chair in the far corner, staring hopelessly out the window on the wall. The city was beautiful; the colours that filtered under the murky, grey sky were beyond vibrant. Excitement flustered through her; she was in the city of dreams. Well, her dreams, at least.
She turned her head, searching for the one thing stopping her from exploring the great city; Louis. He was lounging in the white bed on the other side of the room, his eyes trained on her. He was smirking slightly, lazily; he didn't seem to care that Phoenix was paying no attention to him.
"Can you stop staring at me? It's creepy," Phoenix snapped, turning away. Louis shrugged slightly, and shifted off the bed to his feet. He walked to his bookshelf and began rummaging through his books. He finally found the one he was looking for. Opening it up, he reached into the hollowed out pages and gripped the contents. Louis hopped onto the bed and placed the wet cloth over the smoke detector, pressing the old tape into the roof. Hopping back down, Louis gripped the lighter and two cigarettes in his left hand.
He walked over to Phoenix and reached across her, much to her dismay. "Wow, buddy, back off!" she said, just as Louis clicked the window open. He settles into the chair beside her and popped a cigarette into his mouth. Phoenix was startled. Mr. Silence was a smoker? "You smoke?" She asked carefully, as if the answer wasn't obvious. Louis nodded, and offered her one of her own. She nodded quickly, graciously accepting the gift. He lit his own, as well as hers, and the two settles into a silence. Not unlike the previous two hours of their visitation.
Louis pulled a white pad of paper out of his pocket, along with a pen. He quickly scribbled down some words, and handed the note to Phoenix.
-I know you don't want to be here, and I get it. I'm just as much a prisoner as you. I won't make you talk to me, or try to make me better, or play games, or whatever they want us to do. But I would like smokes. In abundance. Please.-
Phoenix's eyes scanned the letter. So Louis wanted to be here just about as much as she did. She turned to look at him, and gave a small smile at the look in his eyes. "Yeah. I can do that for you," and Louis smiled. "Where did you get them before me?" Phoenix asked, but Louis turned away, back to the window. Apparently that wasn't up for discussion. She placed the pad of paper back into Louis' lap, and faced the window again.
==========
After the remaining three hours, a nurse came to finally collect Phoenix. The smoke cleared out and the materials put away, Louis had laid some cards on the table and asked Nix to sit down, giving the illusion that they were actually doing something. Just before Phoenix had left, Louis grabbed her arm and flashes his notebook at her.
-Do you read?-
Phoenix nodded her approval, and Louis pulled a weathered book out from behind him. Studying the cover, Phoenix realized it was Romeo & Juliet. She smiles, already eyeing the light blue sticky notes edging out from within.
"Thank you." She said, and he nodded once, before letting her go follow the plump nurse, out, out, out, away from the nightmare.
Louis only wished he could trail behind her and be free himself.
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Once Phoenix had arrived 'home', to her dingy little apartment room, she had quickly changed into something more comfortable, before shuffling down to the cafeteria. After seeing the horrible food served downstairs and the psychotic kids in orange suits and handcuffs, Phoenix decided that eating out was her best bet.
Her father had given her enough money to buy her own house here, but had insisted that it for "emergencies only". Phoenix decided that the state of that cafeteria was an emergency.
Phoenix signed herself out, promising to be back in 2 hours. Wondering down the street in New York, Phoenix kept her eyes peeled for food. Upon finding a 24 hour cafe, her mood was immediately lifted. She ordered a large coffee and a bagel, reaching into her bag for her money. Her fingers grazed over the paperback of copy of Romeo & Juliet that Louis had given her. She had forgotten it in her bag, letting it slip her mind. Pulling out the change for the barista, Phoenix settled into a soft chair in the back corner of the shop. She pulled the book out and opened to the first page, already noticing the small scribbles on the pages and notes. She smiled at the name scrawled in the corner, with an address underneath. Louis Tomlinson, 371 Parkington Way, Doncaster, England. England? Jesus, Louis was a long way from home, Phoenix thought. She shrugged skipping to the next page, reading the introduction. A barista placed her coffee and bagel in front of her, but Phoenix was much too absorbed by the novel to notice. Louis' notes were... thought provoking. The things he thought of the book were clearly written for her to admire and stew over. Some she agreed with, other she didn't. She started writing down her opinions on a white napkin she'd found in her bag.
After some time, and finishing the worn novel in tears, Phoenix noted that she'd more than over stayed her allotted time out. She slipped the napkin into the back of the book, and packed herself up. She was more than moved by Louis' opinions of the book, and she laughed a little when she realized that the smudges on the page were tear stains. Louis had obviously cried at the same part she had, and she found that more than endearing. Although he couldn't speak, his novel said thousands for him. She was moved, and a small piece of her heart felt for Louis. Who knew how long he'd been locked up in that mad house? He'd never been out and experienced the world, fallen in and out of love, he was more than stuck. He obviously resorted to novels to be a form of escape for him. Phoenix sucked in a sharp breath. Although she felt her life sucked, at least she had one to live.
Stopping at a small, sketchy looking convenience store, she bribed the man behind the counter to let her have some smokes. She paid for the multiple packs with the spare change from the coffee shop and headed on her way.
A feeling she never thought she'd get swept over her. Was she actually excited to see Louis tomorrow? She brushed it aside, telling herself she was acting ridiculous. Of course she wasn't excited to see him. He was just someone she had to spend an obscene amount of time with. Besides, he was three years older than her. She needed to stop acting so dumb.
Didn't she?
==========
Louis lay atop the covers on his bed, staring out the window at the bright lights of New York. He just wished to be down there, holding her hand, her breath fanning over his cheeks -
Wow, what?
Louis sat up quickly, heavy breathing brushing over himself. He was not to be thinking like that. She was sixteen, for Christ's sake! He wouldn't let what happened last time happen again. No way in hell. He needed to get himself under control. What was his problem?
Laying back down, Louis willed himself to sleep. He needed to sleep. He was acting stupid, and he needed to get out of this mindset.
Didn't he?
