LYING IN AND of itself isn't a noteworthy skill. Knowing when to lie counts the most. Finding the sweet spot between a lie and a truth is important when telling a good, believable lie.
It was a learned skill Silver had to perfect over his few years on Earth to ensure his survival.
"Picked it off a corpse."
Omitting key facts of the truth is lying; Whoever says differently simply isn't strong enough to own up to their own bullshit.
His blue eyes stick to Silver's green ones, observing everything about the scrawny kid standing tall before him without so much as flinching. Whether it be out of ignorance or stupid bravery, Jay couldn't tell. The kid had a good poker face.
His smile brightened into something a bit more real as he reached a hand up to ruffle the messy, inky black hair on top of his head again.
He looked like the few other kids Jay had seen scattered around the streets. Severely underweight and openly aggressive.
Green eyes peered up at him, full of suspicion.
"What's your name?"
"Silver."
A beat of silence passes before Jay asks another question.
"You a boy or girl Silver?"
The child looks positively appalled by the question.
"I'm a boy!"
"Huh, couldn't tell."
"Yes you can!"
"Don't get your panties in a bunch. I'm sure you'll look manly when you get older."
"I wear boxers!"
Jay threw his head back in a loud laugh at the boy's indignation.
Pulling himself back up to his full height, he reached out to swipe the watch from where it lay discarded on the counter.
He looked at Tony, who now sported eyebrows drawn together in confusion.
"Don't think too hard Tony, you might blow a fuse. Catch you later."
"Huh? Oh, yeah, come back later Jay…"
His eyes traveled back to the kid. Apprehension passed over his face, but it disappeared the moment the furrow in his brow smoothed out. Just like Silver, Tony knew when to mind his own business.
"Walk with me Silver."
He walked toward the door, noticing a moment of hesitation before the child followed.
Smart kid.
Jay tilted his head up to the sky, clicking his teeth in annoyance.
All those gray clouds and chilly winds were depressing. One of these days, he'd make his way to the beach. Preferably with a tall, bikini-clad model on his arm. One of these days…
He had continuously told himself that for years now. Unfortunately, he was a workaholic at heart.
What's a man to do?
"Where'd you find the corpse?"
"If I tell you will you give the watch back?"
"No."
"…"
Silver stared up at the creep. The longer he stayed with him, the weirder he got. He didn't treat him the same way other adults did.
"You could at least lie."
"Won't do us any good. This watch belonged to a really important guy. I can't give it back to you. Ask for something else."
"What could I need besides money?"
Jay stared down at Silver before another chuckle forced its way out. Kid had a point.
"You know that saying, 'Money can't buy happiness'?"
Silver sneered.
"Bullshit."
Jay nodded along.
"Exactly, I find it hilarious that people think the poor made it up. How would they know? Only the rich have the luxury of being depressed while swimming in their amenities."
"I don't understand what you're saying."
"Right now, it may seem like money can fix all your problems. Life has a funny way of throwing something else at you when you've finally patched up the holes. So, instead of money let me give you something better."
"What could be better than money?"
"An opportunity."
"To do what?"
"Ain't that the million-dollar question. Only one way to find out."
Silver was silent as he contemplated. If this were any other bum on the street, he would have cursed them and turned his head. It wasn't. This man- Jay, dressed in good clothes. He didn't seem like the regular people around, and worst of all, he had the feel of a killer. Silver would know; He lived with one.
Deciding he didn't want to find out what would happen if he refused, Silver led Jay to where he had left the body sprawled out.
Seeing a corpse was nothing new. People here die of hunger, overdose, and murder constantly. Those who encountered them simply held their noses, stepped over them, and kept it pushing.
He was still sprawled out exactly where he had died. Buzzing flies and the scampering of rats at their approach were the only sounds in the musty place. The vultures weren't there yet, but it was only a matter of time.
"That's him."
Jay bent to his knee, taking his hat off and bowing his head before the dead body. Silver wasn't sure how he got that close without his face twisting in disgust. The smell and sight of death was something even the most desensitized gagged at; There was no getting used to it.
Standing back to his full height, Jay turned his head skyward. He seemed to do that often.
"Well, we're all gonna be in pretty big shit."
"Why?"
"This guy is really important… "
"You said that already."
"Super fucking important. Fuck. All the work I'm gonna have to do is giving me a migraine already. God fucking damn it. Ya just had to get yourself killed, didn't you, Lucky? Fucking bastard…"
Silver watched in confusion as Jay continued to mutter and curse at the dead man as if he could still hear.
Jay twisted his head to observe the boy silently.
"Any chance you saw who did this?"
"When I found him, he was already dead."
"That so?"
"Yeah."
A much longer quiet overtook the two as Jay searched Silver's eyes for a lie. The suspicion behind Jay's gaze seemed to build in the absence of sound.
The cogs were turning behind the creep's eyes. Silver wasn't too keen on sticking around long enough to see what would come out of his mouth when the gears finally ground to a halt.
Suddenly, his muscles tensed. He darted into the narrow crack between two brick walls that prevented the alley from being a complete dead end.
The rough walls scraped at his shoulders as Silver pressed himself forward. He hurried through the tight passageway. Tripping over tightly packed piles of trash and nesting pests.
His own rough breathing quickly muffled the sound of curses and calls of his name. Silver once stumbled upon this place when a rat ran off with a piece of his bread. He had gotten trapped that time after his bare foot got caught in the bent spokes of a rusted bike wheel. It took him a half-hour to maneuver himself through the tight space and out the other end.
Now he was wiggling his way out of the passage that led into the opposite alleyway in less than half that time. He didn't bother to check if Jay was running around and into this street. He burst out into a full sprint.
After scampering over a fence into a backyard, Silver ran toward the gate. Narrowly avoiding a rabid dog barking as it pulled at its chain like a madman. It didn't matter; The owner was never at home this time.
Though his heart was beating a mile a minute, Silver was calm. It wasn't his first time being chased, and it wouldn't be the last. He knew the shithole that was Dellmount Point like the back of his palm and he knew for a fact that Jay wasn't a resident.
His pace finally slowed just inside the landfill that bordered the outer edge of Dellmount Point.
It was the shittiest, safest place to be.
Silver knew he would need to be careful for the next few days. It wasn't hard for Jay to find out where he lived, especially if willing to throw some cash away. He might be waiting for him there already.
He made the instant decision to stay away from there for a while. Erik will be fine. He was a trained killer and wasn't stupid. At least, that was his conclusion after being around him...
Ah, screw Erik, it was his fault Silver was in this scenario. Still, it would be an inconvenience for Silver if he died.
Silver curled in on his side, deciding to not worry about it. The slight tug in his stomach already alerted him to a quickly growing hunger. He had gone hungry before, so it was easy to push to the back of his mind.
It was only midday, but Silver felt unusually drowsy. The light, excited sleep he had the previous night was now making itself known.
Silver closed his eyes. The pull of sleep was a far better option than sitting there bored and hungry.
Surrounded by throwaways and the stink of rotting stuff, Silver drifted off into a dreamless haze. Tucked away in a beat-up cardboard hut.