FAKE

five

I wake the next morning with an odd sense of satisfaction. The bed is comfortable and the blankets are warm. Having only one bed to share between us, I had expected to see Ross inches away, but thankfully he decided to curl up in the arm chair in the opposite corner of the room.

He is completely worn out. His chest moves in a steady rhythm slowly and his eyes barely flutter. His hair looks less grimy, and even though disheveled, it looks cleaner than before. His eyes still kept their dark circles beneath them, and whether or not it is from my makeup, I am not really sure.

It's strange to look at a boy and watch as he suddenly becomes a man, fending for himself.

Before he left he seemed so fragile and dependent. He was bright, with his wide-eyed excitement and bushy-tailed temperament.

It's like his energy has ebbed away like an old light bulb. He is dim, and serious, and drained. Almost like the life has literally left him, and he is nothing more than a body.

Don't get me wrong. He has his moments, where he slips in a fragment of his dry humor or cracks his rare and beautiful smile. But it still happens. So maybe he's not completely dead But why is his light burning out so quickly?

***

I decide to help myself to a shower, and thoroughly enjoy the hot water and scrubbing away the dirt. When I am finished and have my second set of clothes on, I sit back down on my bed. There is no food for us in the room besides the cheap coffee maker that brews for ages. I still have some food, and find it after a few anxious minutes of anticipation. Energy bars, crackers, and other things of the sort.

I take a package of crackers and tear it open, then eat from it. Ross isn't bothered by movements, or anything for that matter.

I begin to wonder when the last time was that he had a decent night's sleep. Since he's been on the run, I guess it's been years. I finish my last cracker and toss the wrapper, then sit down. Normally I'd be on my phone, but it kind of needs a battery to work. My eyes wander across the room to Ross, and I remember he has my phone's battery.

I quietly move forward and lean down to find the battery. I have no clue which pocket he put it in, so hesitantly, I touch his left pocket lightly to feel for the battery.

Ross immediately jumps awake and shoves me away in panic. I fall hard to the ground. He looks down at me with a slight glare.

"What was that for?" He snaps, his tense posture relaxing at the false alarm.

It's not like I can tell him I was trying to get my phone battery.

"I- um- I thought we should get moving." I decide quickly and stand up to look more confident of my answer. Ross rolls his eyes, obviously too tired to yell at me. He stands and stretches his arms.

"Fine. You wanna go? Let's get going."

We go through the process of my fake pregnancy and tired looking eyes, then he grabs both of our back packs. He hoists mine on, then loops his messenger back over himself.

I can tell he is getting into his mood again, where his acting kicks in and he could convince you of anything he wants. It's sad I fell for him and his lies.

It will never happen again.