little bird // r.keene

xxxv. alleyways.

Wren had an hour before she had to be at the tournament but she wasn't sure what to do with herself to kill that time. Robby had been gone when she returned to the shop, a note on his made bed on the floor:

I'm calling us even.
No questioning it, Evans.

The note felt heavy in her pocket, even as she browsed for a drink in a shop just around the corner from the tournament. She couldn't help but smile, a small lame smile that didn't make all the difference, but to Wren, it meant a lot.

Wren grabbed a small coffee and walked towards the counter, there was a que of two infront of her, the man at the till was buying two six packs of beer and was having trouble finding the right bills to pay for them.

The was another man right infront of her, he was dressed neatly in a suit and was tapping his foot impatiently as they waited for the man to find his money. A minute went by and in the man's effortless scramble to find the money, he had given up on his pocket and tried to find it in the bottom of his bag. But, with a short sigh, the man in the suit tapped the guy on the shoulder with two bills in hand.

"Just take it, some of us have places to be." He said impatiently, his tapping foot had gotten louder and Wren clenched her teeth, feeling a surge of revulsion for the man in front of her as he tucked his heavy leather wallet back into his pocket.

The man buying the beer turned his head over his shoulder and reached out a hand to take the money but in the process, he made it a few centimetres away from the money before he froze. His eyes fixed on the girl behind the guy holding the cash.

"You." He seethed and Wren's eyes widened and just like that she forgot how to breathe. Her father reached out again this time, but not for the money from the arrogant man in the suit by this time- for his daughter's throat. "Come here!"

Wren dropped her coffee and ran, she swung the door open and bolted as fast as her legs would carry her. Her dad abandoned his purchase and stalked after her, his longer strides catching up to her quick and before Wren knew it, a thick hand grabbed her collar from behind, also grabbing some of her hair and yanking her with such force she yelled slightly.

Leo Evans didn't think before he hit his daughter, it was a quiet street, there was no one around so there was no one there to see what he did. Wren was all alone against a man that was almost triple her body mass. His rings barely missed her eye and Wren fell to the floor, scraping her palms as she did.

Leo leaned down and grabbed her shirt, pulling her to her feet.
"You stole from me when you were at the house, bitch." He seethed, leaning in so much so she could smell the liquor laced on his breath, it made her want to gag. "What the fuck are you doing back in town? Where is your mother?" He asked and Wren could only stare at him as he held her.

Leo Evans hadn't changed one bit in her mind. Not since she was 8. His eyes were still cold and tired, still unshaven and seemingly unwashed. Still bitter and forceful.

Still violent. She thought.

Only difference now was that so was she.

Wren grabbed her father's wrist and twisted, he opened his mouth to protest but she raised her right elbow and brought it down hard on his arm, he wailed in pain, letting her go instantly. She took a step back to regain her composure but a heartbeat later she lifted her leg and kicked his shin- hard. Leo groaned as he fell to his hands and knees and he took one last look up at her before she lifted her knee in response and her knee cap made hard and brutal contact with his chin.

It had all happened so fast that Wren was hardly breathing as blood trickled down her cheek bone she gazed down at her father who was on the floor of the alleyway.

He pressed his hands to his faced as he lay on his side, moaning in pain, Wren couldn't help feeling victorious but also rather sick. She crouched down beside him, confident he wouldn't try anything and sighed.

"How's the weather down there?" She gloated and couldn't help but smile, she actually smiled when all he did was groan in response, "Mom's not here, so don't even bother looking, I'm getting by on my own without either of you and it's going to stay that way." She told him, her voice even, low and steady. Threatening.

"I'll call child services, you're still a minor. They'll drag you away kicking and screaming if you don't listen to me."

"Why would I do that Leo?" She said in a playful voice, "I'll tell them everything about you, about how you owe bad men bad money- You're friend's say hi by the way they payed me a visit- thanks for that. Mom will testify about how you're an abusive, sadistic dick and you'll be put away. Yeah, sure, maybe I'll be put in a home if mom doesn't come back but you'll go somewhere way worse." She paused, staring at him. At the man that was supposed to love her, support her... And laughed before standing up and shaking her head.

"Come near me and I'll break your legs next time." And with that, she left, heading towards the tournament, wiping the blood from her cheek as she did.