Paper Hearts (Camren)

Chapter 1

“Thank you, here is your receipt.” The cashier gave the brunette a dry smile.

“Thank you.” The brunette smiled back, “Have a nice day!” She added, placing the items in her bag before leaving the small shop, failing to notice that she had left her handbag unzipped.

It was early in the morning so the streets were bare. The brunette preferred it this way, she never really liked crowds. Loud, obnoxious people on their phones who barged past others were not really her thing.

She walked down the street with a small smile on her face, pleased with her new purchase. She turned a corner and almost immediately, a pink teddy bear sitting in the shop’s display that happened to be in the direct line of her vision caught her attention. The brunettes eyes lit up as she made her way towards the shop and pressed a delicate hand against the cool glass window, admiring the bear.

‘It’s so cute! Should I get it?’ The brunette took a quick glance at her watch before frowning, ‘But do I have enough time? What time did I have to be there again?’

She took another glance at the teddy bear that seemed to be looking back at her through its big black eyes like a lonely orphan who needed a new home. The brunette bit her lip and looked down, ‘I really shouldn’t… I have a budget but…’

She glanced back at the bear, ‘Okay, maybe if I skip lunch then-‘

“What do you think you’re doing?” A cold yet somehow elegant-sounding voice filled the brunette’s ears; she turned to see a beautiful woman, gripping onto a hooded guy’s wrist whilst shooting him glares. “Give that back to her, now.”

Confused, the brunette glanced at the hooded figure’s hand and noticed that he was holding a purse. And not just any purse, it was her purse! The brunette quickly checked her bag and realized that it had been left unzipped earlier.

“As if.” The guy scoffed before attempting to run away but the woman dragged him back firmly and in a split second, he was somehow trapped into a difficult arm lock that seemed painful judging from the creased features on his face.

“Say that again?” The woman asked in a low, menacing voice that somehow sounded appealing to the brunette. “What you’re committing right now is theft as well as assault and battery which could lead you to a jail sentence of up to seven years. I’m giving you five seconds, if you don’t drop the purse within that time, say hello to a cold, dark cell for the next seven years of your life.”

The guy gritted his teeth, his grip tightened on the purse. He wasn’t going to back down so easily.

“Five.”

“…”

“Four.”

“…”

“Three-“

He reluctantly let go of the purse, allowing it to hit the concrete floor with its contents spewed out and littering the sidewalk.

“Good boy.” The woman smirked before letting go of him and watched as he clumsily tried to run away.

The brunette, who had been watching the whole scene in awe, quickly came back to reality to bend down and pick up her things. When everything was safely in her bag, she looked up to find that the woman was already walking away.

“Hey wait!”

The woman stopped walking and turned her head lazily, “What?”

“U-Um.” The brunette stuttered at the unexpected blunt reply, “Thank you. Without your help, I would’ve never have known.” She bowed.