Unrewarded

《1》Keep The Change

Zipping closed the black backpack, Cam swung the bag over her shoulders and lifted the old window before her. The wood creaked beneath her touch, but quickly the noise from the outside world flooded her room.

She paused for a second, lungs taking in the New York air.

It was a relatively nice day, clouds blocking out the bright sun- yet they weren't heavy enough for rain to fall. That would have been her ideal day. The smell of rain on the city pavement,  it was her favorite thing in the entire world.

Climbing through the window, her feet stood strongly on the metal grate as she closed the glass behind her. The fire escape was narrow, but her slim hips maneuvered the bar's easily. Back and forth her body moved until eventually, her boots collided against the gravel below.

To her left, the busy New York streets buzzed to life. To her right, the dark alleyway remained calm and still. There were always two sides to the city she called home, and that's what made her love it the most.

Reaching in her pocket, Cam untangled her headphones from her phone and immediately pressed play.

It was a way to drown out the crowd until she got to where she was going. She never found comfort in large masses of bodies; her heart rate always seemed to speed up.
So, this way, the girl was in her own little world.

That- and it seemed to make her daily routines less obvious.

Approaching the first streetlight, Cam remained on her phone and worked fast. With every light she approached, the cars stopped and she was granted permission along with the entire group to cross the street. Cam was a hacker, it's what she was good at. That, and maybe a little more.

Cutting down her walk by about ten full minutes, she found herself early to her next show.

Word of her abilities had gone around, but she made sure no one ever made out who it was behind the brains of the operation. Due to her disliking if crowds, the spotlight wasn't exactly her cup of tea. Pleasing the people was her gift though, and who was she to deprive the people of their wants.

Looking around to see everyone gathered in the street, Cam smiled and moved right past them. Cars honked, traffic practically begging the group to move. They wouldn't however, not until they got their show.

As soon as she got a good distance away from everyone, the woman entered a coffee shop and went straight to the counter. "Hi, what can I get you?" The teenage girl smiled kindly. She was pretty, soft brown eyes and cheek bones that most girls would kill for.

Cam smiled back. "Hi, could I get a caramel latte, 2% milk with whip?"

"How many shots of espresso?"

"2 please."

"Easy enough. $3.25 please."

Handing the girl a five dollar bill, Cam stepped back. "Keep the change."

"Thank you! I can find you when it's done."

"Perfect, take your time. I'll be upstairs."

With no more conversation, the woman started ascending the stairs to her right. At the top, she moved across the quiet empty room to the window seat overlooking the street. Everyone was still gathered below waiting for the show to start.

9:54 am her phone read. She still had six minutes.

Getting herself set up, Cam pulled her laptop out of her backpack along with its charger, then logged in ready to go. Now all she had to do was wait for the clock to strike ten.