Run [Stereo Kicks/ James Graham]

Chapter 2

(Leo's POV)
We both entered the large shop, hoods pulled over our faces so any security cameras wouldn't pick our faces up. Silently, we both travelled to the upstairs, knowing we had a better chance of getting something and getting out up there.
"Here." Amelia muttered, motioning with a flick of her wrist. I walked away, going over to a stand full of fruits, and watched as she swiftly gathered up some blankets and walked over to a window, trying to get the attention away from her.
With one swipe, I pulled the entire stand down, sprinting after Amelia as security guards ran over to the area. She had already climbed out, and I ran in the opposite direction, knowing we'd meet up at her hideout in an hour's time.
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(Amelia's POV)
Once I was back at my hideout safely, I sorted through the items Leo and I had stolen. There was four thick, hard wearing blankets and three thin layers of heat-radiation plasticky material.
"You good?" A panting Leo said, flopping down beside me.
"Yeah. No one saw you?"
"Course not." He grinned, accepting two blankets off me, and we both huddled down as night fell. For once, we ate properly, as it was almost Christmas. Every year, we'd celebrate Christmas in early December, as Christmas Day was a good time to get into closed stores to stock up on food.
"You sleep. I'm going to stay up for a bit." I told Leo. Soon after he went to sleep, I gathered the sheets of material, and some pieces of string I had, fixing them to the edge of my den as insulation. It was always freezing during the winter months, so I was grateful for managing to get these.
As the moon rose in the sky, I looked down at the picture I had, slipping it into the necklace. His dark hair, tinted with blond, and bright, blue eyes smiled up at me. A tear fell down my face.
"I love, you, Reecey. Always."
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"Amelia, wake up." Someone was shaking me, and I groggily opened my eyes. "Want something to eat?"
"Nah, I'm going to save what I've got." Yawning, I sat up, brushing my hair back from my eyes.
"Fair enough." Leo started eating some food he had brought with him, but I refused to eat what he offered me, telling him I'd find something later. "I managed to get fruit from when I knocked it over yesterday. It'll go off soon."
"Fine, just, shut up." Accepting an apple, I bit into it, relishing in the fact I had some form of breakfast. "What's the plan for today?"
"I'm staying for probably two weeks, then I'll leave just before New Year." Leo explained. "Because there's big celebrations going down for New Year, and that means money."
"Stay safe." I smiled gently. "And I'm not coming, no."
"You should get more used to stealing, baby girl." He wrapped an arm around me. "It's what kept us alive."
"I still remember when I didn't have to, though. I wish it was like that..."
"I know. But this is life, now. You've gotta protect them." Leo shrugged. "I'll bring some stuff down for you beginning of February."
"Don't, I'm heading off for a week to try and get in on that festival a few miles east." I said. "Don't want anything getting nicked while I'm gone."
"End of January, then." He said, throwing his remainder of apple away, and I copied. "Food today?"
"I'm going to that Asian store, seeing if I can pick up anything from their throw outs." I said.
"I'll do you one better, I've got a token to a Chinese. It's Christmas, Amelia, time to celebrate."
"Where'd you get that from?" Grinning happily, we left the alley, and I followed him down the road.
"Found it, must have dropped out of someone's bag." Leo showed me it. "Twenty five pounds. All for us."
"I can't remember when I last spent that much in one go." I frowned.
"Never have, and you probably haven't either, Amelia."
"True."
Soon enough, we arrived at a fairly large Chinese restaurant, and we went inside, sitting down away from the window, so anyone we didn't want to know wouldn't happen to see us.
"What can I get you?" A smiling waitress appeared, before glancing over our appearance, her smile becoming slightly more forced.
"We'll get two of your specials, with a glass of white wine each, thanks." Leo said sharply, offering her a smile that warned her not to mess. With a nod, she moved away.
"Leo, is that too expensive?" I bit my lip.
"Ten pounds for the special, and three pounds for the wine. We're good." He smiled warmly at me. "Relax."
"Okay." The fact we were in an actual restaurant cheered me up, so I settled down, enjoying the meal and wine immensely when it came. Normally, we'd save our best food. In the three years I'd been on the streets, this was the second time I'd been in a restaurant for a normal reason, and it felt amazing.
"Thanks." Leo said to a waiter on the way out, accepting the two pound coin change.
"You don't happen to be, er..." He stalled. "Homeless?"
"Yes."
"Here." With a sly glance around, he pressed a ten pound note into Leo's hand. "Happy Christmas."
"Thank you." We both said in unison, before leaving the restaurant.
"This is the fullest I've been in ages." A happy smile took over my face.
"We've got lucky recently." Leo agreed. "We just need somewhere to shower and change our clothes."
"I've got a spare pair of jeans, but I'll have to wash my top. Maybe the swimming pool?"
"Sounds good. I've left some stuff at yours, we can pick it up then go and see if there's a free swimming pool."
Some time later, with Leo carrying his backpack with spare clothes in, we came across some public toilets, that had showers, with ten pence entry. Once we'd paid, we went into the unisex one, locking the door behind us.
Leo was a big brother to me. Where I'd lost my one brother, and a little sister, I'd gained an elder sibling. He was about two years older than me, living on the streets since he was ten. We were perfectly comfortable with each other, and the main person in each other's lives.
We showered, rinsing our clothes off, using a bar of soap I'd stolen several weeks ago from a beauty store, and some shampoo and conditioner that was thrown out of a hotel room.
"That feels so good." Leo shook himself off, using the hair dryer to start drying our clothes as I combed out my long hair, so it wouldn't get knotted after being washed.
"It's been a while since I've had a proper shower." I agreed, blow drying my hair. Once my hair was dry, I accepted the dried clothes, and climbed into them, reaching over to dry Leo's hair as he dried his own clothes.
"Thanks." Leo said as I finished, quickly throwing his clean clothes back on. While they were slightly damp, it was good to feel so clean. Showering was something we felt blessed to do, as the streets quickly made cleanliness take a back part in your life.
"I need to brush my teeth." I mumbled, rooting through his bag until I pulled out an almost finished tube of toothpaste and two slightly old toothbrushes, offering him one. We cleaned our teeth under the sinks then packed everything up.
"Done." Leo surveyed the room, making sure we hadn't left anything before we went back outside, the air cooling my wet clothes down quickly. Soon enough, we were both dithering as we walked back to my hideout.
"Excuse me, lass?" An old woman stopped us, aiming their question at me.
"Y-yes, ma'am?" I answered.
"You two cold?"
"Yes, ma'am."
"Go buy yourself a hot drink." She tutted, handing me a five pound note. "Or save it for Christmas."
"Thank you very much, ma'am." Leo said for me.
"You two together?"
"No, ma'am. He's like my elder brother." I informed her.
"Not your brother, then?" She asked, and I blinked back tears.
"N-no, ma'am. I don't know where my brother is." Slowly, I looked down at the necklace hanging around my neck, to where the younger me was smiling alongside my twin, both deliriously happy on the beach, hair blown in every direction, wide grins on our faces. "I haven't seen him in three years."
"I'm so sorry, dear." She frowned. "I'm hope you'll find him one day."
"I hope so, too." Leo said quietly, laying a hand on my shoulder. "We should go, Rose." It was my code name.
"Coming, Luke."
We both left, as I calmed down, still looking at the picture. "Watch where you're going!" Leo snapped as I almost walked out into the road, a car racing past.
"Sorry." My cheeks heated up. Although we were very close, Leo still scolded me for my stupidity, so I didn't let my guard down when he left me. This time, I focused on the area around me, my senses alert for anything of use.
"No use, just sleep." Leo told me when we reached my hideout. "Might go to the music festival tomorrow, so get a good night's sleep."
"Yes, Leo." Obediently, I crawled into my hideout, pulling the blankets around me as Leo followed. I curled against him for warmth as night fell over us once more, and I closed my eyes, drifting off to sleep, dreaming of my beautiful brother whom was now just a distant memory.