Cherry

ᑭ ᖇ O ᒪ O G ᑌ E

George sat on the curb, eating his popsicle. The popsicle was colored an artificial red, cherry flavored. As George slurped at his popsicle, it melted-- making a mess. George's face was smeared with red.

"What 'cha doing?" A voice interrupted George's peaceful slurping. He looked up, to see a girl. She had cherry red hair, in a braid which swung against her back as she shifted her weight from foot to foot.

"Popsicle," George replied. He wanted the girl to leave him alone, so he could eat his popsicle in peace.

The redheaded girl--in his head George started referring to her as Cherry--grabbed his popsicle. "Want it back?" she teased.

George stood up, and held out his hand. "Gimme."

"You'll have to catch me!" she squeaked, and Cherry started running down the sidewalk, popsicle in her hand.

George sighed. He had been enjoying his popsicle happily, until stupid Cherry came along. Well, he was going to get his popsicle back. He got up, tied his shoe, and started running after the redhead. George was fast, but so was she. He kept running, no way was he going to give up. Cherry kept running too, and George was getting tired of this. His popsicle was almost melted, anyway. George could feel the beads of sweat on his neck. He was about to give up.

Cherry skidded to a stop in an empty parking lot. The parking lot was completely empty, and the small convenience store it accompanied looked deserted.

"Popsicle," George said, panting.

Cherry cocked her head to the side, and grinned. She handed him the remains of his popsicle.

George took it, and sat down on one of the parking stops. He gasped for breath, and once he could breathe right again, stuck the cherry popsicle back into his mouth. "Where are we, anyways?" he asked.

Cherry smirked. "My home."

He slurped up the last bit of his popsicle, then stood up.

"Well, show me!"

»»-------------¤-------------««

They walked into the abandoned store.

"Your name 's not really Cherry, is it?" George asked.

Cherry scoffed. "Cherry? Of course not!" She giggled. "You like my house?"

George surveyed the store. It was just a big empty space, all the shelves must have been removed. A sleeping bag lay in one corner, a few blankets and pillows strewn about. Beside the bed area was a plastic folding table and two plastic folding chairs. On the table sat a plastic bag, filled with food, George presumed. The paint was peeling off the walls. A deck of cards was sitting on the "bed".

"It's... nice. Why two folding chairs?" From what George could see, there was no one else there.

"Well, I've been saving one in case I ever get visitors," she said. "Today's my special day, huh?"

They sat down on the plastic chairs. Cherry reached into the plastic bag, and pulled out a loaf of bread. She then pulled out a jar of peanut butter.