🖤𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐊𝐞𝐞𝐩𝐬𝐚𝐤𝐞🖤

Chapter 5: Stumps

(Grays P.O.V)

            "Wait, where are we going?" Jaxson asked me. I was still red with embarrassment from earlier. I fucked up my shoes, they were absolutely covered in mud, I lost my hat, and snapped my phone charger.

            "Tell me when you see a slightly orange colored tree with little stumps in front of it." He looked at me and raised an eyebrow. I told him to just look and he nodded. We continued talking about pets, and I learned that he has Neophobia. Definitely a rare phobia, but I get it. A lot of people don't like change, but he just doesn't seem like someone who would have it. He then brought up the subject of a "fun" childhood. I had a fun childhood, but that was before my mom died. I know this sounds like a shity dad cliche, but he thinks I killed her. My mom got really sick after I was born, and she tried to hide it for the first three or four months. It wasn't really life threatening until I was about six. I ended up getting really sick with some type of illness that I was never told about, and I accidentally gave it to my mom. She ended up having to go to the hospital and we would visit her every other day. They said that she was being given great care and that she just didn't have a strong immune system. I would have to help my dad clean, but that soon turned into my dad out at a bar all day, and getting smacked with an alcohol covered hand if he came home to even a speck of dirt. He slowly and slowly stopped visiting mom and I would go by myself. Then when I was seven, there was a new girl in my second grade class. She was really smart, but pretty shy. I invited her to sit with me during lunch the third or fourth day she was there, and she happily accepted. We liked a lot of the same movies, and video games. That was the day I met Carina. We hung out just about every day after that. It was my 13th birthday when her dad actually let me sleep over. I really liked that their house was in the middle of the woods, it made me feel safe. I would go over there whenever I didn't wanna go home to my drunk of a dad. We've known each other for like ten years, and haven't spoken at least a word everyday since we met. I looked over at Jaxson, and he looked calm. He told me earlier that he really liked the woods, so that's at least one thing we have in common.
            "Right there." I pointed to a tree near a large-ish yellow house. There were about four stumps wrapping around the front half of it. The tree was large and had a tire swing, and a regular swing, both meant for a child. 
            "I used to come over here when I was hiding from my dad." To be honest, I probably shouldn't have told him that. He looked at me with the most confused face I've ever seen. It was almost adorable. 
            "You used to hide from your dad?" I think I was a bit too calm for this to make any sense, but I was used to it. 
            "Actually, I still do." His eyes went a slightly darker color. This happens to Carina sometimes too. I think it happens with a really sudden mood change. I faked a laugh to try and get him to think i'm joking.
            "Oh my god," I continued laughing and he started laughing nervously.
            "Your face bro, I'm just messing with you." His laugh turned semi-real and we both slowly stopped. 
          "I like hangin' out with you Gray, you're pretty cool." I blushed slightly and nodded, smiling.
            "Me too." I nudged his shoulder a bit. He did the same and we got up. 
            "We should probably get going."
            "We should probably get going." We said in unison. We chuckled and started walking back to the pond.