Break

Chapter One

A pain shot up my ankle as it landed awkwardly on the cracked tarmac. Dammit, why did I not wear trainers I should have seen this coming. I dodged around a man stood in front of his stall trying to sell his fake seashell jewellery and almost crashed into a woman browsing the opposite stall with two young children. I craned my neck over my shoulder to see if I'd lost my ever so pleasant companions, but in an attempt to do so, knocked over a standing rack holding keychains and magnets. The stall keeper cried out at me but I kept running. I saw the two oafs behind me get caught trying to pass the fallen rack and the irritable man as I gained speed and ducked under a low lying string of dim lights. The temperature had started to drop and the harsh November winds bit my cheeks. I needed to get lost in a crowd, but it was almost curfew so most people were headed home. Think.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw a herd of people huddled around a slumping stall, seemingly held together, on a path to the right, leading off from the main one. I jerked back in that direction and ducked behind the counter. The cashier jumped at the sudden intrusion and exclaimed a "Hey! Whaddya doin'?"  I held a finger to my lips and joined my hands in a silent plead. His eyes scanned to the path as he watched the two oafs running and frantically searching. He looked back down at me for quick moment, but then shakily continued serving his customers. I let go of a breath I'd been holding but my heart beat did not slow. I put a hand to my pocket absently checking that it was still there, for reassurance. I recognised the stall; it was Mr Mashroufi's falafel place. It was family-run and the lucky guy stuck with me under the counter was his nephew - I think his name was Abdel or Adam or something. I peered around the corner and saw no sign of my hostile friends. I tugged on the nephew's trousers and stage whispered.

"Is the coast clear?" He stammered out a yeah, but it came out like a question.I flashed him a grin and crawled out from between his legs startling him and Mrs Mashroufi who was passing behind him with a tray of kibbeh.
"Oh!" She held a hand to her chest, "La ilaa'ha ... what is this?" Laughter bubbled in my chest, as I stood up and and made my way back on to the path. I set off building up to a run.
"Wait!" He called out. I turned around, the lights from the surrounding stalls leaving a glow on my face, " What..." he trailed off, at a loss for words.
"In another life!" I called back, sending him a flying kiss, leaving him in a daze. Laughing to myself, I turned back around and continued on my way.

When I arrived, I bypassed the main gate and went around the back, climbing through a break in the fence that no one has bothered to do anything about in eight years. I crept along the edge of the yard, praying the motion sensitive lights don't go off, and skipped down the concrete staircase leading to the basement. I heaved the metal door open and was hit by a wave of warmth as I stepped inside. After sliding the latch shut, I slid my shoes off and wandered further inside. I found the TV on with Zhuang lying on the sofa, an arm resting behind his head. I swung myself over the sofa and landed on top of him. He let out a groan and sprung forward.
"What the fuck Kee,"
"I got your shit," I held out the small packet in front of him. He went to grab it but I pulled it back. "Uh excuse me, payment first,"
"Aww come on Kee," he smirked and sat up, shifting me in his lap, "my love for you isn't payment enough?"
"Shut the fuck up," I snorted "where's my money." He laughed, and gestured towards his room.
"It's on the dresser," I heaved myself up, but stopped at the sliding glass door to his room.
"Are your parents home?" I asked, still holding on to the door handle.
"Yeah they're entertaining some minister or councillor or something, I don't know,"
"And did either of them happen to have cooked dinner for this entertaining evening?" The corner of his mouth rose in a lopsided grin.
"Alas m'lady, it is with great misfortune I must inform you, I cannot sneak upstairs to retrieve some of this food for you as I've been banished to my quarters for the remainder of the night,"
"You're so fucking strange." I mumbled, turning around into the bedroom.