Pieces Part 1

The Trinket

"Hey, let's run. My place is two blocks up ahead and around the corner." She said. She tugged her shawl over her hair as a makeshift hoodie.

"Sounds like a plan," I agreed. I kicked my feet harder against the pavement as we bolted for cover. What started as a slow downpour worsened into a full-on waterfall. I squinted through the blurry backdrop to make out Amber's figure in the rain—she abruptly stopped when we wound into a cul-de-sac. I hadn't measured my steps and ended up tumbling into someone.

BOOM.

My butt hit the floor as the other person fell straight on their hands. My backpack full of work belongings had sprawled out across the cement walkway, soon to be drenched in moisture if I didn't gather it all in my arms.

I hurried to salvage what I could as Amber apologized to the man in my stead. "No worries," replied a gruff voice. The mysterious person sped-walked down the hill. I barely saw the person besides their pair of clunky shoes—I was too busy scurrying for wet notebooks.

From the corner of my eye, I saw Amber crouching to my level to help. "Moe, that guy looked just like you." She whispered into my ear.

I knit my eyebrows. "Really? I didn't see his face, but his shoes were... different."

Amber froze above an item on the ground. "Hey, is this yours?? Is this your family!? Where's Tina in it?" She dangled my trinket between her fingers like it was an exotic jewel from a gift shop.

I grabbed the portrait from her and shoved it into my pocket. Amber shot me a baffled look.

"Woah, woah, moody much? .... Okay, sorry if I was not supposed to see that."

I took a deep breath and muttered, "No big deal. Let's keep going."

We arrived at her house, the Hnazant Estate. I was in awe; I could not help but admire the property. It looked like it popped out of one of those architectural magazines flaunting the types of homes you'd only see in Silicon Valley—ivory and marble finishes, stories resembling cubes, and terraces that could've doubled as sunroofs. Everything was glassy or glossy—there was no in-between.

Amber walked up the porch steps and unlocked the door. I idled on the bottom awkwardly, unsure if I should wait out the rain under the driveway's roof or bolt out of sight the minute I could. Once she'd reclaimed her key from the lock, Amber glanced back and asked, "Hey, are you going to stand in the rain?"

I blinked out of my daze. "No, uh, I was actually about to get going..." I trailed off.

"Nuh-uh, you aren't," Amber huffed, placing a hand on her hip. "No way you'll walk home in the middle of the rain. Just wait an hour, and you can head home."

"But that's.... I cannot do that." Is she trying to bring me inside? I thought to myself.

"Don't worry, my parents are out of the country. It's just my brother and me, and he is stuck at work, so he won't even know. Now come on!" She reasoned. Refusing to hear another grievance, Amber grabbed me by my wrist and dragged me inside of her home.

Alone? Is she compos mentis? I might live with Tina, but we are technically family.

We skidded into her taupe-walled vestibule. She made me remove my shoes and jacket by the door, explaining that if there were any stains or dirt marks past the welcome mat, her brother would flip. His profession was in medicine—I was guessing Ivy-League-doctor based on the mortgage this mansion must've asked for—so he noticed everything dirty. As I hooked my black puffer jacket on the coat rack, I saw all the jackets up there were the same color and style as mine.