Going for an evening stroll (Friday evening)

[Kat]

Ace watched Phin, picking up on every little personality quirk he was exhibiting. He didn't usually talk to many people outside his social circle, but for some reason Phin had caught his interest. He pulled the door open, letting Phin walk in first and waving to one of the waiters to get them a table. They were led to a table near the centre of the room, right by the display in the centre. There was a small pond there with fish, there were also a few plants. The music playing had sounds of the rainforest laid over top of tribal drums, setting the mood. Ace sat down and looked over at Phin as he picked up his menu. "So, you like it?"

[Sharise]

Phin looked around the cafe as they entered. It was so amazing to him. He had never been anywhere like this before, although there was something familiar about it at the same time.

Once seated, Phin looked at his menu. His fingers began tapping on the table, matching the exact rhythm of the tribal music. It was an unconscious habit of his. "It's fucking radical." It was rare for the boy to use such harsh language, but when he did.. it had a way of coming out elegantly.

"Do you come here often?" Phin made a face as soon as the words left his mouth. "That sounds like a horrible pick up line..."

[Kat]

Ace was looking around the place as Phin did the same, not really needing to look at the menu to know what he was going to order-- pita slices and spinach & cheese dip. He looked back at Phin and grinned when the other boy expressed his admiration for the cafe, he'd figured he would probably enjoy it. When he asked if he came here often Ace couldn't help but laugh.

"Don't worry, you're not the first one to use it on me here." He winked at Phin, "but yeah, I come here pretty often. There's just something about this place that washes everything else away. Whenever life gets a little unbearable, I like to come here by myself." He was surprised he made that particular comment to Phin; usually he never admitted to any of his friends that lfie ever got unbearable for him.

[Sharise]

Phin smiled as Ace spoke. A hint of sadness crept onto the boy's striking features as he listened. He could relate to the blonde quite well.

"I know what you mean." He folded the menu, having decided to get a veggie burger with a side of fresh fruit. "Life just has a way of sucking at times." Phin's eyes went wide as the words left his mouth. He never let anyone see the deeper side of him.

[Kat]

Ace leaned forward on his elbows, looking straight at Phin, his chin resting on his hand. "What sucks even more is that the majority of my friends have no idea how much being me sucks sometimes, and I can never tell them. It's strange but talking to you feels really different. Even saying this to you right now doesn't feel weird." He was speaking the truth; the few times he had ever made even a slight mention to anyone else that he wasn't all that happy all the time, it was a strain. But saying it to Phin right now? Was oddly calming.

[Sharise]

Phin relaxed as Ace continued to speak. There was something about the blonde that comforted him. He couldn't explain it, but in some ways, it was like looking in a mirror.

"I think it comes with being popular and adored by everyone." Phin's elbows came to a rest on the table, bring him closer to Ace. "It's like, so many people envy what you have that they couldn't possibly imagine how anyone with a lot of friends and money could ever be unhappy." He shook his head. "They have no idea how stressful it can be. Always worrying about having to live up to everyone's expectations while trying to make yourself happy. It's just messed up."

Phin looked off to the side of the table. "I think childhood has a lot to do with it, too." He leaned back, his eyes locked on Ace. "Not that I would know."

[Kat]

Phin was exactly right-- everyone had always thought his life was so perfect that they couldn't fathom a real problem. Sure, his parents had split when he was young, but he had such an amazing relationship with his mother, and what kid wouldn't love having all of that unstructured free time to do whatever you wanted with no supervision? He'd let everyone continue to think that as well, never once trying to explain that it wasn't all that perfect. Never once letting anyone know how stressed out he was all the time. He knew the comment about childhoos having something to do with it was totally true for him, if Phin only knew how true.

"You know," Ace looked Phin in the eyes, hoping the other boy wouldn't have such a bad reaction to his next comment, "sometimes I wish I could forget some things in my past. I wonder how things would be if I just woke up and forgot everything-- some days I kind of wish for that. I think that's why you intrigue me. I'm so curious about what must have made you forget everything. Did they ever have any idea?" He figured since Phin had sort of brought up the subject, he was free to start asking questions.

[Sharise]

Phin was a little surprised that Ace had asked such a question, but he didn't let it show. In all truth, he was glad that the other boy had brought it up.

Phin sighed, his eyes never leaving the blonde. "No one has a clue. My parents hadn't even heard anything on the news, nor had they spoken to anyone that could provide any information." He placed his arms on the table. "It's frustrating. I constantly get these reoccurring nightmares, but I have no idea what they mean. I feel like there's a big whole in me." He shook his head. "They don't even know my real name, or date of birth." Phin's eyes were filled with confusion and pain as he looked at the boy sitting across from him. "I have no idea who I am."

[Kat]

Ace looked across at Phin, their eyes kind of boring into one another's. He knew that look of pain in the other boy's eyes, he'd seen it before in his own when he stared in the mirror. "What happens in your nightmares, do you ever remember?" He had nightmares of his own sometimes and even though half the time he couldn't remember what happened, he always knew what he'd been dreaming. He had to stop himself before he blurted it out. There were some things he just wasn't about to divulge, not even vaguely.

[Sharise]

Phin's mouth opened, then closed. Should he tell him? He feared that Ace would think he was some fort of freak. After all, his dreams were not normal. To say the least.

"Um... there's this one..." He leaned forward, his voice dropping to a whisper. "There's this man, he looks really familiar but I don't know why.... and... there's a boy, who I assume is me when I was little... and... " He bit his lip, debating whether or not to go on. "He rapes me."

Phin couldn't believe what he had just said. He leaned back just a little bit. "That's not normal. But it's just a dream, right? I mean.. wouldn't I remember something like that?" He shook his head, trying to organize his thoughts. "I just keep having that dream over, and over."

[Kat]

Ace froze in shock when he heard what Phin said. Was he serious? Was he just messing around and saying something to liven up the conversation? There was no way he could know about his own situation, could he? What if he knewhis old coach, what if he was back and Phin was here to screw with him?

Ace didn't say anything at first, trying to keep his own thoughts in check. He was thinking too much into this. If Phin had been abused as a child it would definitely explain the memory loss. When he realized he was taking too long to answer Ace looked back up at him, certain his own face was twisted in such a way that might make Phin a little curious.

"No, it's not a normal dream. But I guess if you had been abused as a child, it would explain the memory loss, if it had been bad enough." He actually felt himself get a little angry as he said it. Was he saying his own situation hadn't been bad enough to warrant him losing his memory? There he went, slipping back into blaming himself. Trying to push thoughts of himself aside, Ace took a deep breath and tried to compose his own features. "Did you ever tell anyone else that you had nightmares about that?" If Phin really had been hurt the last thing he wanted to do was make him have second thoughts about telling him. For some reason Phin had picked him to talk to about it here, and he wasn't about to screw it up.

[Sharise]

Phin raised a brow as he watched Ace go through a series of facial expressions. What the hell had he done? Did Ace know something? Did he think he was nuts? Or maybe he had been abused, too... No, that would be too weird.

"No..." Phin took a moment before speaking again. He was trying desperately to keep himself composed. "They'd just think I was crazy, or a liar.... Or, I don't know."

He bit his lip. "I've tried so many times to put the pieces together, but I don't even know where to start..."

[Kat]

Ace finally felt himself calm down enough and get over his initial surprise at Phin's comment to start thinking about things. "I know that feeling, it's a shitty one." He bit his lip slightly and mentally cursed himself for saying it. It seemed that the calmer he was the more he was willing to give away. Exactly the opposite of how he had reacted to Chip's question last month. "So do you remember what he looks like? The man?"

[Sharise]

Phin shot Ace a questioning look. He'd have to ask him about that later.

Focusing on what was just asked, Phin took a deep breath. "Dark brown hair, blue eyes... sometimes his hair is curly and other times it's not... I don't know what that means." He closed his eyes and tried to picture the man. "Dark clothing... a goatee... his ears may or may not be pierced..." His head tilted to the side, and his eyes slowly opened. "It sounds like there's a boy screaming in the background. Or maybe several, I'm not sure."

[Kat]

***damn it I hit F5 by mistake and it refreshed my screen and my post is gone! Gah***


"Well that doesn't paint a pretty picture." Ace thought about what he'd said. Whatever had happened to Phin, he probably hadn't been alone. A teacher at a school? A sports coach like him? "Where did they find you? I don't think I ever heard the details, as much as people like to talk around here."