Pulling up at Chase's school I watched him wave to his friends and run to the car.

"Hey August"

"How was school," I said striking up conversation.

"Same old same old." He answered buckling himself in. "Oh hey can we do something today?"

Turning on the street I looked over at him curiously,

"Sure, what did you have in mind?"

'I just want to hang out with you." He shrugged staring out the window.

"Okay how does ice cream, pizza, and video games sound?"

"Omg yes!" a giant smile spread across his face at my suggestion and with a small smile I nodded.

"Are you sure you don't want to invite some of your friends along?" I asked glancing over at him as we stopped at a stop light. He looked away quickly, almost bashfully.

"Nah, I want to hang out with my big cousin today, is that wrong?" chuckling at the pout in his voice I reached over and rustled his hair.

"No, I'm all yours today then" turning back to me he grinned once more and if possible even wider than before.

"Cool, let's have lots of fun."

As I continued to drive I frowned a bit. I wasn't use to someone wanting to hang out with me. Actually, I don't really remember if I ever did hang out with anyone growing up. I guess I'll find out what it's like.

I had parked at a local arcade I had passed by so many times on my way to work, I lost count. With how many kids were surrounding the building all the time I'm sure Chase would love it. Maybe he can find someone to play with while he's here.

Locking the car I opened the door for my little cousin and the strong aroma of pizza hit us both. Chase rushed in after that and went straight to a table snatching up a menu. At a much slower pace, I walked up to the table and sat. Glancing around I saw the place with huge with gaming machines lining the walls. It was loud with the sound of children screaming, the hum of adults in conversation and multiple game music.

"Can we get the pepperoni lovers?" Chase suddenly asked loudly. Turning back to him I nodded,

"Anything you want"

"Sweet!" he was on his knees in the chair leaning pretty face over to a table as he stared at the menu. His manners seemed to have been lost in his excitement and I chuckled, ignoring it. There was no way he would have gotten away with that in the main house. The smile left my lips at that thought.

"Hey kid can I get you and your gramps some drinks to start you off today?" a female voice suddenly came up behind me. Chase looked up at her with wide eyes before he burst out laughing almost falling out of his chair. That's what he gets for sitting like a wild animal. I sighed brushing it off, this was such a common occurrence that it barely fazed me anymore.

"What, was it something I said?" the girl asked finally stopping at the table and I turned to her. Just witnessing the shock in her face was enough for me.

"Oh my god I'm so sorry!" she exclaimed holding her notepad close to her chest.

"It's okay, it happens more than you might think."

"Can we get the senior discount too?!" Chase choked, out of breath. He was still laying face down on the table slapping it with his hand as he laughed.

"Very funny" I narrowed my eyes at him before looking back at the red-faced waiter.

"Can we get one glass of coke and one glass of water, along with a medium pepperoni lovers?"

"Sure thing!" Her long dark waist-length ponytail swung so fast I almost got hit in the face with it as she ran away.

"I'm dying!" Chase gasped clutching his stomach.

"Well go die over there," I said pointing towards the fighting games. He sat up then and smirked at me.

"Only if you challenge me"

"If you say so" with that we stood up and captured one of the free machines. Handing Chase a few dollars I told him to get coins while I maned the machine. Soon we were taken to a digital world of cheesy pixilated graphics and cliché bad guys.

"You suck cousin."

"No one said I was good that this" I defended myself with a shrug.

"Haven't you played a video game before?" he snickered.

Slowly my fingers stopped mashing the red buttons and my eyes could no longer see the screen in front of me. Instead, I was seven again and back in that cold dark house. I still remember hiding behind a wall as I stared in on my cousins who were visiting one time. They were all surrounding the tv, holding remotes in their hands and yelling excitedly at each other. I wanted to join, I didn't know what they were playing but it didn't matter. I just want to make some friends.

From the doorway it looked like some kinds of fighting game, I was just about to step inside to ask if I could play too when I was suddenly yanked back by the back of my collar and thrown into the room.

"What are you doing spying on us?"

Everyone in the room stopped and snapped their heads towards me as I gasped at the pain as I hit the floor.

"Looks like we have a pervert in the house." Biting my lip I looked up to find one of my older cousins. He was five years older than me.

"Ew, it's the white-haired weird eyed freak." Someone else said and I shifted my wide gaze to everyone in the room seeing the disdain and sneers in their faces.

"No, I-"

"No one wants you here weirdo." Another of the kids spat and this time he threw the remote at me, hitting me in the temple.

"Ah!" I cried out and held my hand to it to stop the throbbing.

"Get out!"

"Yeah, get out freak and don't come back!"

"Pervert!"

"Pervert"

Biting my bottom lip I scrambled to my feet and rushed out of the room. After that, I never bothered to try and join anyone who was playing inside or outside because I knew rejection and being called a freak always followed. Even at school, I kept to myself because it was comfortable for everyone if I did. Maybe that was why I adopted my weird habit of finding a tree to sit under whenever I had time to myself.

"-ust?"

"August!" blinking I realized I was staring at a screen with giant red blinking letters that read 'Game over".

"Sorry what?" I asked glancing over at Chase. He frowned,

"Well I just decimated you," he said eyeing me. Blinking again and looking back at the screen I lifted my hands off the controls and smiled.

"Sure looks like it." Backing away from the machine I glanced at our table and saw that our food was ready.

"Let's go eat shall we." His eyes brightened all the suspicion from his expression was gone after that and he ran to the table. I barely sat down before he had half the slice already crammed down his throat. Placing my slice on my plate I stared at him for a minute with an arched brow. He noticed,

"Wwaat?" he asked around the mouth full.

"You look like a chipmunk," I said plainly shaking my head. "Where did all your table manners go? Jacob would be so disappointed." I sighed dramatically.

He rolled his eyes but corrected himself. Swallowing the last of his pizza he moved his feet from out from under him and placed his butt in the chair.

"Happy?" he pouted avoiding my gaze as he leered off to the side.

"Much" I reached out and placed another piece on his plate. Looking down at it he snapped his head up and smiled and took a huge but a much more human bite this time.

And that was how the rest of our evening went like. We played game after game, the score being unfairly in Chase's favor since I didn't have a single win. And we shared a giant Sunday ice cream to top off the day. On the ride home Chase was so full and happy he fell asleep.

"Thank you for hanging out with me today, it means a lot." was the last thing he said before falling asleep.

"Anytime." It was one of the most fun I've ever had.

Once home Jacob came outside when I pulled up. Opening my door he greeted me.

"Hey kid, I see you ran Chase to the ground." He laughed opening Chase's side door, unbuckling him. "What did you do to the kid" lifting his son out of the car bag and all I watched him hold him close, just for a split second I saw Jacob close his eyes and press his head against his sons.

"Just stuffed him full of junk and filled his head with violence," I answered closing my door.

"Oh, all the things a kid needs to survive I see." Walking in the house he turned towards me suddenly.

"Thank you August, you're like a brother to Chase. I'm sure this meant a lot to him." That was exactly what Chase had said to me in the car. I smiled nodded,

"No problem, I'm happy if you guys are happy." This caused him to stare at me for a long moment. Again I was faced with the same sad expression his son gave me from time to time.

"I don't doubt it." And with that, he went upstairs to place Chase in his room. Brushing it off I closed the door.

Since I had slept outside the previous night I thought it might be time for a shower. Following behind Jacob up the stairs I turned towards the bathroom, started the shower and grabbed my towel. Stepping in the tub I lifted my face up to the hot jetting water. I sighed as I basked in the amazingly warm feeling. I loved warm showers, they always made me think that this is what it was like to be embraced. Was a mothers love this warm and comforting? I wanted to believe it was.

I opened my eyes knowing I was doing myself no favors in thinking like this. Quickly I washed up and got out. Wrapping my towel around my waist and slipped into my scarcely used room. It was a very barren room if you were looking at it through a teenager's eyes. A bed with a boring white comforter and a dresser with nothing on it but a mirror attached it. It held my clothes and maybe a few hygienic products; nothing but basic necessities.

I had never been a materialistic person. Things never held much value to me. But then again, thinking back I didn't have much to my name in the first place. Even living in a house almost like a museum, full of expensive trinkets and valuable family relics I wasn't given much but three meals a day and a bed to sleep in for most of my youth. I soon realized that it was all that I really needed to survive. I became used to never asking for anything because it was always ignored.

What use were toys when there was no one willing to play them with you? What use was a phone when I had no one to call? Who needed the best designer clothes when regular ones did the same job? I didn't need a game system because we didn't own a single TV. And pets, I didn't ned a pet because animals tended to flock to me anyway.

If there was anything I really wanted; that was family. A family that cared about me, not the one that had no choice but to deal with me. But uncle Chad and Cousin Jacob were different, they actually cared about me as part of their family and I couldn't be more grateful for them taking me in as they did. I know I had to be a nuisance sometimes but they never complained and I could never repay their kindness.

Finally dressed in a pair of jeans and a shirt under a black long sleeve hoodie I left the room, walking past Chase's room that was pitch black under the door. I heard Jacob rummaging around in the kitchen as I walked through. Hearing me he turned to look over and sighed.

"Another night under the stars?"

"Yes"

"Where did you get this adventurous sleeping habit of yours?" when I started to notice that no one really cared where I was. I felt so much more peaceful sleeping under the stars than a confining room in a lifeless house.

I hmmed softly without answering and closed the door behind me.