Battle Scars [BxB]

E L E V E N

I was waiting at the train station, leant against a brick wall as I tapped my foot incessantly against the concrete floor. I twirled my ticket around in my hand, my fingertips running along the jagged edges mindlessly. It took just over an hour to get here, making me wish Luca had also chosen a university so close. But again, I scolded myself for even thinking about that. It was Luca's choice and I had no control over where he went, as long as he was happy.

My eyes twitched up when I heard his voice, his blue eyes warm and welcoming, "Teddy!" Phoenix smiled brightly, pulling me in for a brief hug.

"Hey." I smiled once we'd pulled back, glancing up at him as I ran my fingers through my tousled hair.

"Sorry I'm late, I lost my library card and this bitchy librarian wouldn't let me check out my book." He told me, flinging an arm over my shoulder as we ventured into the city, zigzagging past crowds of people.

"I-It's okay, the train was delayed anyway."

He scoffed, "London, am I right?"

I rolled my eyes, "Where are we g-going?"

"There's a great coffee shop round the corner. Plus, they offer students discounts, so it's basically a crime not to go." He grinned deviously.

We talked about simple things as we pushed through the bustling London streets to reach the coffee shop. Once we were sat inside, we could finally breathe.

"I don't like your hair." Phoenix blurted out randomly, leaning forward to ruffle my brown locks. Most of the bleach had grown out by now and since I stopped taking care of myself, I didn't bother dyeing it again. Now, my hair consisted of chocolate curls with a slight tint of blond brushing the top.

I glanced down at my coffee, the mug burning my fingers, "N-Neither do I." I admitted honestly.

"Then why'd you grow it out?" He frowned, playing with his own caramel hair distractedly.

I shrugged, "I don't know. I-I guess I just...couldn't be bothered. It's not like anyone really cares about my a-appearance or anything-"

"That's total bullshit." He laughed. "Luca practically jumps you whenever he looks your way." He pointed out. "Stop being so hard on yourself, Teddy."

I nodded stiffly, shooting him a small reassuring smile, "Don't worry about me, Phoenix. I-I wanna hear about you. How's s-school going?"

He shrugged nonchalantly, "It's hard. Like really hard." He said, looking exhausted at the mere words. "How's school for you? Those pricks aren't being too hard on you?"

"No, school's fine." I lied. "Ms Riedo says she's gonna s-start doing assemblies a-about bullying and shit."

He rose his brows before snorting, "That school won't do a thing. They don't give a shit about their students."

"A-And get this; she has a wife."

His brows shot up, his jaw dropping in surprise, "No way."

I chuckled as I nodded along. We talked for a while longer about empty subjects and casual stories. We caught each other up on our lives before Phoenix finally spoke about the one subject we'd both been avoiding.

"Are you okay? Milo said you looked pretty bad when the paramedics arrived."

I gulped, casting my eyes onto the mug of steaming coffee as I curled my fingers into fists beneath the table, "M-Milo was the only who c-called you?" I asked in shock. I'd always assumed Tommy or Luca had told Phoenix what was going on, not my brother.

He nodded, "Yeah." He said softly. "Are you alright?"

I nodded fractionally, not finding the strength to lift my eyes to meet his, "I-It was just a stupid mistake-"