Strays

Chapter 3

-Charlie-

The police station on the outskirts of Palisade City was abandoned and untouched ever since the last run I participated in less than a month ago.

Red complained the entire hour walk about how my choice to leave was stupid and we should've stayed because of the storm. It only started to drizzle when we arrived but the walk was worth the wait.

The building's warm feel was instantly a positive. Red grabbed a cell on the first floor past the offices but Rose went straight upstairs to those cells. I can't object her needs for privacy. I sighed heavily dropping my bag on the cell bunk.

"I still think we should have stayed. Cities are never safe to stay in especially during the night." Red plopped down on the cell bed next to me and rested his head on his hands.

"We will be good. I locked everything up when we came in. As long as we don't make a lot of noise nothing will come for us."

He didn't say a word while he looked up at the metal bars on the ceiling. I could hear Rose shuffling around upstairs. "I'm going to go check up on Rose."

Red glanced over me. I could see the sweat dotting his brow and a questionable expression on his face. "Why?" His tone more protective then it should be.

I smiled a little. "Is there a problem?"

"Don't question yourself when she doesn't want to talk." I rolled my eyes and made my way to the stairs heading her way. It doesn't surprise me that a girl like Rose would hate my very being. She's a independent woman who doesn't want a guy like me to hand her ass to her.

I strolled down the hall past the empty open cells until I finally found hers at the end. She looked over at me instantly with her consistent emotionless face. "Don't worry I just came to check up on you." After a few seconds she turned back around and directed her attention to the bag I had given her. Her long jet black locks were pulled up into a ponytail that's useless with its length.

"You can leave now," I leaned up against the metal bars and watched her. She stopped what she was doing and just stared at her hands. "I don't want your company." Her voice didn't want to give away the fact that she was a lot angrier than she could show.

"Where are you from?"

She ignored my question and started up at me. "I said leave."

"Why are you so caged in and defensive? I'm trying to be nice to you." She chuckled one of those sarcastic chuckles.

She stood up from the cell bunk and walked over to me. Her large hazel eyes staring into mine made me want her strangely. "I don't take shit from anyone, especially not you." She pushed me into the hallway and walked back into the cell closing the door mostly. She turned her back to me leaving me with the only option to leave.

I ran a hand through my hair and made my way back downstairs to Red. He stared at me expecting to know what happened. I plopped down on the bunk and laid back defeated. "So, what happened?" Red sounded like a girl at a summer camp wanted to know about her crush.

"Nothing important."

"She doesn't want to talk to you," he shuffled on his bunk creating loud squeaking from his bigger shape. "Shouldn't have called her a bitch. Just because the world went to shit doesn't mean that a girl will be any less emotional and stubborn. Remember that."

She's different. All the other girls that have come through would've done what I told them, willingly. Rose would die rejecting any if my desires. She would break her neck before believing anything that would come out of my mouth. "She's just holding a grudge."