Heartstoppers

•FOUR•

Almost every backstory begins with the pouring rain. This one came from an abandoned puppy.

The brown-haired girl stared at him. Her skin might be mistaken for a carton of caramel. Honey-golden eyes took a quick cursory of him, surveying for potential weapons. Defensively, she hid a little puppy behind her back. "What?"

Flustered, he took a step back. Who would've thought the wicked witch of the west would look so... decent.

The girl snorted and turned to tend to the puppy. It was a delicate, little thing– perhaps not more than a few days old. Anyone with slight sense would have taken the poor animal into custody before the girl did it any harm, but Julian couldn't find anything wrong with what she was doing– Rescuing a puppy caught in a plastic bag. But then again, everyone couldn't be wrong, and maybe the girl was conceiving a new plan for world domination.

"He bughead!" Someone kicked a can of seafood, and it narrowly missed his ear. "Get your filthy hands off my pet and stop harassing the society with that tasteless get-up. Pitiable Julian, how long are you going to suffer here?"

"It's not yours."

"It is now, " A blonde girl with dangling hoop earrings and textured wavy hair heel-iked (stampeding the world confidently and wearing heels without tripping) from behind the big, shredded green trash can. Her orange designer coat, especially with those fluffy borders and that family crest weaved slightly above her chest told him that this was Tina Marigold– Bad news on the extreme level.

"Wait, " The brown-haired girl called. "Give me a minute. I'm not paying attention to what you're saying." She fastidiously unclipped the strings of garbage entwined around the pup's leg and crumpled the plastic in her palm.

If an operation surgeon wore knee-length boots and tied a bandana on her forehead, then this is what it would look like. Without facing Tina, the girl straightened her spine and said softly. "Eat some trash." She gave Tina a sideways glance. "Maybe then you'll be pretty on the inside– Like calls to like. I suppose that's why gorging all that make-up hasn't given some efficient results yet."

Tina's cheeks heated up. She clenched fists into bony balls and glared at the girl. "You-" However, before she could finish, a concoction of plastic and dirt hit her, square in the face, splashing her "moistened" skin with soot. She lost her balance, twisted her ankle thanks to those heels, and landed among the littered garbage. "Mom!" Tina wailed. "This creature-"

"Hey, " He was not the only one surprised to discover that the voice was his. "Leave her alone, geez. What has she ever done to you?"

"Julian." Tina grimaced, sparing him a glance. "I know you're a softie, but seriously, this low? Don't associate yourself with such company– The commoners, the weaklings, the odd ones. Even the blind and the deaf; they'll only bring you down. " Then, she focused all her attention on the girl.

"Alright, " The girl got up, dusting her pants. She looked at Tina hatefully, like she'd gladly end her if not for him, the witness. She caressed the puppy in her arms so gently that he didn't know it was possible for someone rumoured to be murderous. The little puppy shrank behind those steel-like arms; its big oval eyes sparkled like diamonds from beneath. "Now, spit it out. What have you got to say that is so urgent?"

"You insolent-" Tina started. "Well, there's no point in talking to anyway."

"Then it's settled!" The girl grinned. "This dog is coming with me." She saved Tina a dark look, "Or would you like to plead your case?" Something about that smile was intimidating– No foreshadows, no undertones, but still, it was evident the girl meant bloody death to anyone who crossed her path. She exerted dominance, and the sweet, loving girl, turned to what the gossip otherwise had molded her– The daunting child of the former mage. 'Worthless, compared to her mother, but unnatural.'