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"Matius?" Chris asked,

"Yeah?" The boy spoke leaning back onto the bench as his arms outstretched to his sides, his freckled face facing upward to the skies, resting on the body of the wood. his short brown locks glowing the sun's embrace, his blue eyes watching for every white cloud, and bird he could spot. 

"Do you think my sister's a bitch?"

"Amy?" he questioned, "Nah she's just moody."

"No," Chris started, "grace."

Matius turned his head to his side looking away from Chris, "she's, er, well, she's-"

"Oh god she is, isn't she?" Chris moaned as his head fell onto his hands, crouching down to his legs.

"Well, she never fails to remain you, you're adopted." He pointed out, turning to Chris. "I mean remember when your parents left for that wedding for a weekend and she called a social worker round to try to get you sent to another home."

"She thought i was a foster," Chris grumbled,

"Christ when she found out you weren't," Matius breathed,

"She blamed all the broken glasses on me." Chris sighed, lifting his head up, "god she really is a cunt."

"It's sad you're only learning that now. There was a reason why everyone called her 'mental case grace'."

"My brother told me she used to leave me out in a basket by the door hoping the storks would come and take me back when she was little."

Manius chuckled, "that fucking funny."

"I know but it's really fucked up too. She left food in the basket thinking it'll lure them close, but it just attracted the sea gulls."

"Thank god you were too young to remember, that can scar a child."

"Did you guys watch the news last night?"

Both Matius and Chris jumped at the voice, snapping their heads round to find James looking down at them, his shaggy black hair falling around his face, his earth green eyes, seeming to shimmering in the mornings light.

Matius creased his brows, "No, i was watching that show about the-"

"Cause they finally found that girl's body," he carried on, ignoring Matius's words, as he jumped up onto the bench sitting on its head, as he held a phone with his hands still looking down at it. "She was caught at the banks of the river, her arm was near torn off, and one of her eyes was missing."

"Really?" Matius spoke curious,

"Oh my god," Chris mumbled.

"Yeah" James lingered. "Anyway," he started, "here," he held a clear plastic wallet, with four pills inside.

Chris began to groan, as his fingers intertwined behind his neck, staring down to the black pavement, dotted with dried gum, and litter.

James looked over at Chris, a muddled look painted across his face, “what's wrong with Chris?” His voice was deeper than the other two boys, it rumbled and broke in the air with the question he spoke.

Matius rolled his head to Chris, “oh, he’s on a come down.”

“I knew he had too much,” James laughed, opening the plastic bag.

“Well every kid needs to learn.” Matius spoke. “Just realized his sister hates him.”

James broke into a fit of laughter, “your shittin’ me, no, no, oh my god, he’s so fucking dumb.”

“I know,” Matius rasped.

“Chris.” James, called, “Chris,”

Chris turned his head up, squinting his eyes at James,

“You realize your dumb, right mate?”

“Fuck off.” he mumbled,

Both Matius and James sniggered, as they plucked three pills out from the bag.

“I still can’t believe we stole that twits brother's car,” Matius laughed.

“It's worth it though, we’d never have gotten to ricks otherwise, and sure we may have caused one or two stretches, but ain't like he’ll notice.”

“Too busy selling crappy houses,” Matius smirked

“Exactly.” James nodded, “and would never have seen Bryce-” James' words faded as his eyes moved to watch Chris as he began to lay across the bench, resting his legs on top of Matius’s lap, his arms and hands pulled over his eyes to shade from the sun.

“Oh come on, mate.” James spoke in ache, “we’ve got some molly, no need to be so down,”

Chris groaned.

“Stop being a prick, Chris, get up.” he kicked, his tone taking on an edge “get up, or i won’t give you the pill.”

Chris groaned loudly, but lifted himself up to sit. “Fine,” he grumbled darkly.

“Crackin’,” James smiled widely, then popped a pill into Chris's hands, and dropped one onto his tongue, as Matius took the second to last pill.

Each boy swallowed down the pill, and Matius gradually lent his head back, “thank fuck, we a free this morning.”

James and Matius began sniggering again, but Chris, only turn away from his friends, his eyes switching over to the sea view, it was blissful, and brought Chris peace of mind, and his body seemed to sway closer to the ocean blue, but his hands gripped tight onto the sides of the bench, his eyes began to water, and suddenly, he felt as if he couldn’t breath, his throat closed, stifling, begging for breath, gasping for air. He felt as if he were drowning.

“Chris,” he could hear faintly, “Chris!”

“Christ, I think he’s having an asthma attack,” a voice panicked.

“Get his fucking inhaler.” another yelled.

A moment passed for Chris, and he sat on the bench again breathing, taking puffs from his inhaler. Matius and James’s hands on his back soothing him. But Chris couldn’t say a word, all he knew, all he wanted, was to swim in that ocean blue…