Riley lifted her head off the ground slowly, a dull throbbing piercing through the murky haze that was her mind. ‘Asphalt...street.’ she concluded after opening her eyes just enough to see anything that was directly in front of her. Feeling the need to do a body check, the girl shook her limbs to ensure that they were intact. Fortunately her next conclusion was, that aside from nasty scrapes and bruises, she was alright. Satisfied with her little run-through, she decided it best to find out what had caused her to end up in this position even though her muscles ached and screamed in protest. She drew herself up gingerly, and began to survey her surroundings with a half-lidded gaze. Smoke permeated the air and a sense of dread crept up her spine, as the layout of the scene began to become clearer. ‘A car... no, two cars. They look like hell.’ It was a rather true deduction, they were horribly marred and burning fiercely. One was in the middle of the road and the other was wrapped around a large oak tree. Traffic was backed up for miles and police men and ambulances alike were ripping through the mass of vehicles to get to the crash site. Riley softly pondered how she had managed to survive, noting that the car that was wrapped around the tree was the one she had been riding in with...her... Her eyes snapped open as she looked around the landscape with new purpose before landing on the other thing blocking the road. The man was sprawled out across the ground, his face drenched with his own blood, masking his face from recognition. But she knew who he was. It all came rushing back in a wave of utter sickness, followed by the migraine to conquer all migraines as Riley doubled over and retched, then immediately passed out.
***********************************************
3 years have passed. All of my nuclear family is dead. Have been since that day. My brother - poisoned in the hospital. My mom - fell onto the tracks of the subway. Grandparents - heart attack & stroke. And dad... - car accident. And I’m still alive. But no... I died along with my father in the crash. The day I lost hope. But I continue to live, because I don’t have any right to take my own life. She sighed and read over her words. Picking up her pencil, she continued to write somberly. Besides...chances are... I’ll die soon anyway. Suddenly and quickly like everyone else in my family. Riley closed her notebook slowly and slid it into a backpack which she threw near the drawer which had been assigned to her. It was about 4:30 and just a few of the other orphans at Norton Gorwood’s Roof Over Their Heads orphanage were awake; and of those very few, most were up to use the bathroom. At age 15 now, Riley was used to it and all the related sadness. She, being on a top bunk, slid off and gripped the edges before dropping off to the ground. She grabbed her glasses off the dresser and wiped them on her shirt. (Contacts suck!) Her bare feet shuffled over the hardwood floors as she too headed for the bathroom to prepare for the day. The dingy off-white of the living quarters broke off at the door post of her section’s restroom. The white frame led into clean, though worn, tile floors and walls with a sub-section for the showers. She headed to them briskly; before the morning rush. To the back of the hall of showers, there were towels and rags so naturally that’s the first place she went. The door was slightly ajar and she smiled noting that Karen, the current overseer of ROTH’s, had remembered her request to open it earlier in the morning. After she walked into the shower stall, she turned on the water and let herself relax. Closing her eyes, she let the water run through her blonde hair and it’s red streaks, the long locks fell in layers around her soft heart-shaped face. She was taller than average girls and well-muscled from years of gymnastics. She wasn’t especially voluptuous but was proportionate in development and quite visibly a girl. The water massaged her tense muscles gently as the girl washed herself. ‘If only my whole life were this peaceful...’ The blonde eventually got out of the shower and covered herself with a towel. The faint rustling of clothing and bags mingling with the light shuffle of footsteps reached her ears. Time to go. It wasn’t that she was insecure about her body or people seeing it. She just hated being rushed by people and liked a little alone time. She tossed her clothes in the hamper and slipped on a form fitting white t-shirt with a black and yellow checker pattern and a guitar. Then she pulled on her favorite pair of dark, navy blue skinny jeans and a her white and black Converse. She had only kept her favorite clothes...she had sold or given away the rest. She put on a black short sleeved hoody and then bent over to tie her shoes. Almost immediately she felt a warm figure leaning over her, completely apparently since she could feel the girl’s softness against her back. She had wrapped her arms around her waist and laid her head on her shoulder blade. Then in front of her appeared about 3 pairs of legs. Riley grinned.
"Hey guys, once again you’ve failed to surprise me."
The girl leaning over her chuckled. "One of these I’ll get you. Surprise you really good. Riley blushed. "So just wait."
She swallowed hard and then put on a smile (with a great deal of effort) and reached behind her to place her hand’s on the girl’s thighs...and then tickled the living daylights out of her. The girl began to convulse in fits of laughter and...unfortunately...Riley’s friend’s hand slipped to an even lower place. Which caused them to both jump away at the same time. Her brown-haired friend, though flustered, was still giggling. Riley was sprawled out on the floor. She had apparently fallen down in an attempt to escape.
"Oh, Riley...you’re such a special case! Said Farrah, one of the girls in the group, as the other girls all giggled in the same respect.
"Geez...I blame Erin..." Riley mumbled with an exasperated sigh.
Erin, the brunette who had sneaked up behind Riley, shrugged and made her way over to where her friends were standing.
"So Riles, you going out with us today?" Farrah asked in earnest. She liked it when the girl was around. Extending a hand to the blonde, she helped her up while giving her a quick once-over. Her smile broadened. The girl was so cute and charming, really, and...Farrah just loved her eyes. Like milk chocolate and caramel. "You didn’t come with us last time..."
"Wasn’t nearly as satisfying." Finished Erin with her patented eerie, yet strangely innocent smile.
"I’m sorry...I would really like to go but..." she inched away from a certain brunette. "Bye guys!" She exclaimed as she tripped on her shoelaces and caught herself on the door pane. "Heh..heh I...uh-" She stammered before making a mad dash for the exit.
***********************************************
Riley let out a sigh of relief as she adjusted her glasses on her face and her bag on her back. She was slightly unnerved by the whole situation and Erin...Erin was strange. She shook off the strange emotions and unconsciously put a hand on the camera that she kept on her. Her eyes scanned the crowded city streets for someone or something inspirational amidst the flocks of people. In New York, it wasn’t hard to find.
She surveyed the streets; taking in the scenery. Not that there was anything to see. Nothing she hadn’t seen there before. A bunch of freakishly tall buildings she’d never go in. A bunch of stick-up-the-butt boutiques she could never shop in. She wiped her camera lens on her shirt. "Self pity is a crutch for those who choose not to make a difference in their lives." She mumbled to herself. No doubt something she’d read in one of those rags to riches books on her summer reading list . "Bunch of bull-"her eyes caught sight of a man...a very pretty man? Apparently part of some traveling Kabuki thing or something. The white, poop-based paint, the kimono and the gi... She brought the camera up to her face and took the picture. If anything, she could use it to play a mean joke on the girls. She wasn’t really sure how that would work but... "‘Nother shot’d be good.’ She raised the camera back up to her eyes and got an eyeful of nostril. "Nice..." she lowered the device and smirked. "Fortunately, I didn’t press the button this time. I don’t think it could take another pic of some aspect of your face without imploding, and this poor girl can’t afford an ugly resistant lens! Oh! You want some ice for that burn?"
The girl backed up a bit. "You’re such a weirdo." She snatched the camera out of Riley’s hand and stuck her tongue out. "You can’t call your own diss!"
"Ah, but I do, eh?
"Unfortunately...for EVERYONE in earshot!"
"No one asked you what YOU thought."
"Ah, but I told you anyway, eh?"
"I hate you, Anni."
"Lies!"
"..."
Anni rolled her eyes.
"...so!?"
The girl shook her head. "And here I was about to give someone their favorite can-deh!"
"Oh! HAND IT OVER!" She jumped at the girl and tickled her mercilessly. People pointed, some laughed. Most stared. Riley silently regarded the girl as she punished her with her fingertips. ‘Pretty cute laugh. Pretty brown hair. Pretty hazel eyes. Pretty ticklish.’ Relenting, she demanded the girl hand over the goods. She threw it in the alley and ran off. "You rotten kid!" she pumped her fist in the air and shook her head for emphasis. The girl ran her fingers through her hair as she watched the girl escape. Then she turned her attention toward the ominous alley. Well not ominous...(it’s time to stop now.) More like slightly creepy with a hint of smelly grossness...(I meant it the first time) Perhaps extremely unappealing...(congratulations you’ve achieved complete douchebaggery. Continue? 5...4...3)
Riley walked into the alley quickly, not waiting for something to jump out of the dumpster and eat her brain. She picked up the candy and wiped the crud off on some dingy towel. Which had a roach on it which caused the blonde to spaz and throw it away from her. "What the-?"
A boy suddenly appeared in the air. Naturally, the dingy roach towel flew straight into his face. "What the fu-" Agh! What the hell? This thing smells like shit!"
Riley blinked. This was not happening.
Then the boy disappeared as quickly as he came. Riley stared at the empty space where he had been and unwrapped her candy. "I think I’ll forget that I saw that." She took a bite out of the chocolate-peanut buttery goodness and began to walk away when she heard another sound.
"....Little BASTARD!"
She turned around to see a figure wearing a dark jacket and a hat running toward her. Before she could react the person flipped over her causing their sunglasses to fly off. Emerald green met amber-brown in what seemed like an eternity as the stranger passed overhead. Landing, the mysterious person caught the sunglasses and glanced at the blonde, before vanishing just like the boy.
Riley took another bite out of the candy. "That too."
"Riley! You’re not mad are you?" Anni’s voice brought her back to reality...or what was left of it for the girl.
"Anni?"
"Yeah?"
"I think I found the passage to Narnia."
"Erm..."
"ASLAN!"
"No more sugar for you."
"Touch my candy and I’ll bite you."
"...Is that a promise?"
"Huh?"
"What?"
Riley shrugged. "Whatever."
Anni grabbed her hand and led her to a hotdog stand. Riley leaned over the counter and started a conversation with the guy running it, while Anni (as discreetly as possible) stared into her face. Long dark eyelashes...no acne...lucky. Riley leaned over further onto the counter to stress a point and revealed the taut muscled core underneath her shirt. The brunette had always envied that. But strangely, whereas she usually would have harbored a secret hatred for this girl as competition with the boys, she was drawn to her. She was funny, a goofball if she ever saw one, and cared about everyone...
"Babe, you want the usual?"
"Oh...yeah." She walked behind Riley and hugged her around the waist and laid her head down on her shoulder.
The taller girl didn’t seem to mind as she smiled cheerfully at the hotdog man and paid him. The hotdog man smiled warily and looked at them suspiciously. ‘Yep. Gay for sure.’Riley carried the girl piggyback as they visited various stands and shops, enjoying each other’s company as best friends should. Eventually, they headed back for the orphanage though, what with mutual curfews and all. Anni slid off Riley’s back and smiled up at the taller blonde girl.
"What?"
"Nothing..." She looked away and was about to turn around when Riley grabbed her arm. She quaked as the girl neared. Those tender, pink lips were so close... Anni leaned in and closed her eyes. And when she opened them she found her lips were about an inch away from Riley’s ear. The heat rose to her face when she felt the blonde’s breath tickling her neck.
"Anni..."
"Riley."
"I..."
"Yes?"
"I thought this rash cleared up."
"Wha-What?"
"The rash. I thought the ointment worked."
"...not again..."
"Yeah, I know! The little sucker just keeps on popping up, eh? Riley laughed and patted the girl on the head.
"That’s NOT what I meant! You don’t get it do you? I mean really."
"Um...no. But if you just explain it this time-"
Anni wacked the girl’s arm and shook her head. "You’re...so....STUPID." And with that she walked away.
***********************************************
Riley scratched her head. Anni sure was weird. But she was more focused on her work. On her canvas was depicted two fierce green eyes. The ones from earlier. The mystery and strength they held....Riley exhaled deeply as she put the finishing touches on them. Her fingers ran over them gently and she sat down in her chair and ran her hands through her hair. She was wearing her favorite black tank top and red and black plaid shorts. She pushed her glasses back on her face and fiddled with her pencil as some of th other girls came around to inspect her work.
"Geez, Riles you’re amazing!" Said one especially chipper girl as several other girls stated their agreement.
"Indeed." agreed Erin with that damnded smile. Riley winced as she noticed her eyes were focused on her.
"Thanks, guys..." Her face reddened slightly. She was fond of compliments. The blonde put the picture away and stepped on the bottom bunk and pulled her ‘sleepy-time beanie’ onto her head. This seemed to signify the end of the little gathering as all the other girls dispersed into their little groups and such. All except for one. "Huh...never seen her before. I’ll be sure to...introduce...myself to her tomorrow..."
Riley hadn’t noticed that the girl had taken the bed beneath her. She was grinning.
***********************************************
"Seems like all the really interesting people decided to take the taxi today." Riley thought after about 30 minutes of uneventful boringness and wasted film. She whipped out the candy bar she had been saving and looked about the subtle, dark bleakness of the subway which was overwhelmed by the number of people using it. ‘Maybe I should have taken those girls up on their offer,’ She considered silently, but then the thought of Erin’s pseudo innocent smile an dit’s hidden intentions made her wince. Yes, every time. ‘No, no that would have been about as much fun as playing leap frog with unicorns.’ Closing her eyes, she relished in the taste of chocolate and peanut butter yet again. She then fumbled in her pocket for some change to buy a water bottle. "GAH!!! All I want...I mean ALL I want is a little inspiration. Someone. ANY one!!! She decided, after an anti-climactic 15 seconds of holding her arms out in the air, to just leave. But then she saw her. Her inspiration. "How’d I miss that? ...Coulda sworn that bench was empty..." She muttered.
***********************************************
"That’s it. I’ve absolutely had it. There is no way people should be this annoying. I don’t care what Caury says, next time I see that kid I’m breakin’ his legs!!!" The girl massaged her temples slowly. The tension in her muscles and the throbbing in her head were working together to drive her insane. She crossed her legs and grunted. *SNAP* She erupted. HOW MANY OF THESE LOSERS DO I HAVE TO ASSAULT BEFORE THEY STOP TRYING TO CATCH ME?!! She vanished... and then...
"...should probably take another picture just in ca-" She looked down (up really) to see she was dangling off the side of a building. "How?! Wha- OH MY GAAAAAAAAHHHD!!!!!" She let out a Oh-my-gaw- I’m hangin off the side of this skyscraper-I’m-so-gonna-die scream and looked up at the very angry girl who was keeping her there.
"Shut up. Shut up or I’ll drop you right now." She scowled, loosening her grip for emphasis. "Who are you? And why the hell are you tailing me? Huh? You’d better fucking answer me..."
"I-I...." She blushed and closed her eyes. "I’m sorry I offended you. But I’m not afraid to die...so you can drop me before you know the whole story. But then my blood, which is in fact innocent, will be on your hands." She then opened her eyes and locked onto the opposing emerald gaze.
"Well you can..." She started but before she could finish she saw in the girl’s eyes something familiar... This pause caused the disgruntled girl to cool down enough to see that the girl was obviously not one of those taser-toting zealot jackasses. Just a girl in the wrong place at the wrong time. She softened a bit before hauling the girl back onto the roof of the building. "Sorry." She murmured as the blonde looked up at her incredulously. She then lowered her face until their foreheads touched. Silky, dark hair fell to either side of her face. "So you do have something to say, duckie. So I’ll ask you another question...why the picture?"Riley looked up at the girl’s tan skin and into her eyes. Like emeralds indeed. Looking away, she opened her mouth slightly but then blushed. Her captor was amused. "I like taking pictures of people...then drawing them. I’m an artist..."
"So then...you don’t find me pretty?" She pushed herself up with her hands. "Hm. I blame myself-.." She paused again when she felt the girl’s hand on her face, softly caressing her cheek.
Riley couldn’t help it. "That’s not what I said...you are pretty for sure." She said quietly, yet boldly nonetheless, her fingers reached up and tangled in the green-eyed girl’s hair. The dark haired girl, in turn leaned down again, holding her breath as those lovely pink lips drew closer... they parted and she stopped to look into those eyes again.
The dark haired girl’s heart raced as their lips were only an inch away from each others. Her breath caught in her throat as she leaned forward to close the distance-
"Wow..." Riley breathed, tussling the girl’s hair.
"What?"
"You...Your hair really is green, isn’t it?" She grinned.
"Wha-? My hair??"
"It looked like it in the picture but thought it was just a play of the light but-.." She sensed a change in the girl’s demeanor. "Are you alright?"
The girl didn’t reply, but instead sighed and closed her eyes, stroking the girl’s cheek. Then she slapped her on the forehead. "Naive."
"Violent!"
"Leaf."
"Your name? It fits."
"And you?"
"Not telling. You might come find me and attack me while I sleep."
Leaf rolled her eyes. "Like I’d have time...Like I’d want to-..."
"What are you? Who are you? How did you-"
"Okay, time to go." Leaf got up and dusted herself off and then crouched down next to Riley who then sat up.
"Why?"
"Don’t know you. And I can’t have you knowing me. I guess we could have spent a tad more time together but..." She flicked the girl on the forehead. "You had to start asking questions." She then stood up and started filing her neon green fingernails. Riley could see what looked like a tattoo of a vortex on the girl’s back. The girl was wearing a black tank top, camo shorts that were a good 2 inches above mid-thigh, and a pair of black sneaker boots with knee socks. Riley also noticed what seemed to be two identical leaf tattoos on her wrists, that were barely concealed by the her open-fingered gloves. The blonde girl frowned and rubbed her forehead. ‘She’s obviously some kind of fugitive.’
"Duckie."
"Gah!" Riley had just seen the girl in front of her! Now she was crouched behind her. Before she could verbalize her thoughts, she felt a cloth being pressed over her mouth. Then everything began to blur....
***********************************************
...When I woke up I was back in the subway. No note. No nothing. I didn’t have my pictures either. Or so SHE thought. I still have the one I took with my phone. She smirked to herself. She was something else. Green hair...(Actually it’s only green in the front, the rest is black) Green nails...green eyes. ‘Leaf, you really managed to liven up my life...but...Riley you’ve got to get it together... She couldn’t figure out why she was still thinking about her. Well, Leaf did have this weird thing that she did called ‘showing up sporadically all around the place without anyone actually seeing her move.’ But...that wasn’t it. Maybe it was the girl’s fetish for green. Nah. She took another swallow of coke and looked through her portfolio. The eyes. (The lightbulb finally went off) ‘They were her eyes?! The same??’ She gripped the picture and leaned forward. ‘Oh my goodness’ Oh shoooo!!!"- Riley fell off the bed and landed with her eyes looking into those of the new girl’s.
"Oohh...hey! I’m Riley."
The girl giggled and smiled. "Hi."
***********************************************
Meanwhile...
"Pbblthh!" Spat a particular green haired girl.
"What?"
"The alley..."
"...um..."
"That’s where I saw her!!"
*footsteps*
"What? Come back and I’ll explain!"
To be continued...