Fix Me [h.s]

11

Phoenix's POV

My eyelids were growing heavier and heavier with every step we took, but I knew that once inside the gas station I could get some 'nourishing' food. I had been shoplifting all my life, and I was fairly confident that Harry wasn't inexperienced either.

The trek had worn me out, and all I wanted to do was curl up in a small ball anywhere and fall asleep, and forget about this whole camping trip all together. I didn't like being outside so much, the sun was always too bright and the space around me was always too large.

Nearing the gas station, I looked inside the dirty glass to see that it was practically empty expect an old man shopping and the teenage cashier who was on the brink of tearing his hair out. Nodding at Harry, we entered the place stealthily and without causing too much fuss. I knew that we would draw attention to ourselves by our grubby attire, so I stayed as far away from the cashier as possible.

I didn't need to worry much however, because the cashier was too busy picking at his fingernails to notice the two dirty kids coming inside the store and packing their pockets with crisps and sandwiches. When I'd got my fill, I pretended to look over the magazines for a minute or two before escaping into the night air unscathed, grinning at my speed and good tricks.

Dying to open my crisps, I waited patiently for Harry to emerge, shivering again in the cool night breeze. When he finally came out, I noticed that his face had paled slightly but I didn't question him and we began to walk along the roadside, mumbling about the cold and other mundane things. Neither of us were in the mood for anything too intellectually challenging like my witty comments, so we talked like normal people do.

As we neared the outskirts of the town, the only sound coming from the rustling of my hand in the large bag of Salt and Vinegar crisps that was filling me up, we both spotted an abandoned building that was only partially creepy.

Harry went inside first, claiming that I had to stay outside until he knew that it was safe, but returned a few seconds later with an obvious look of fear in his eyes, and asked me to come with him. The building was small, maybe it had once been a small shop or office for someone, but the place was empty and had already been thoroughly vandalised. There was spray paint on the walls, weird symbols painted everywhere, and the occasional needle glinted in the moonlight coming through the hole in the wall where a window would have been.

We unloaded our food onto the floor, and sat down cross- legged to see what we had. Harry had gotten some chocolate bars, fizzy drinks and some sandwiches which I was very content with, and we ate in contented silence, neither of us worried about the fact that camp would be looking for us.

"I have to go outside for a minute," Harry whispered, and stood up abruptly before leaving me alone in a slightly scary building.

I followed him silently, not wanting to be left alone in a place like that, and observed from a distance as he reached under his hoodie and pulled out a brown bottle. Gasping, he turned around and stared me in the eye as he gauged my shocked expression.

"Harry, you've been doing so well..." I whispered to him, feeling immense sadness at his weakness.

"I know, and that's why I'm going to smash this bottle. It was so tempting, but it's not worth it and I know that," he replied in a slightly monotone voice, but he looked longingly at the bottle in his hand which made me question his conviction.

He stood for a minute, analysing the situation, before raising the bottle above his head and smashing it on the concrete with an almighty force. It shattered into hundreds of tiny pieces, and he ran his hands through his hair like he was shocked by his own actions.

"Let's go back inside and eat," I said warily to him, and he followed me back inside in a dazed like state.

Later on that night, as we lay on some cardboard that smelt like old cider that we had found, he told me that he had never thought that he'd have the strength to deny himself the substance that he most craved for. I told him that he was stronger than he thought, and that I was not surprised by his actions.

We lay side by side, the room only lit by the faint light from the sky, and I smiled to myself. While we were all shades of messed up, we were good for each other. A remedy of sorts. His breathing became shallower and shallower, his eyes fluttering to a close and I watched the outline of his face fall peacefully into sleep.

But my eyes burned open, and my fingers twitched for something to do. I sat up, removing Harry's arm that was wrapped around my shoulder, and looked up at the moon in the night sky. I had always been fascinated with astrology, and the universe. Maybe I liked feeling small in comparison.

Sorry for the wait, life has been busy yet again but I'll try and make updates more regular! So, Harry almost gave into his weaknesses, would he have drunk that bottle if Phoenix had not been there? Exciting stuff coming guys, just you wait.

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