Sweet and Spicy [COMPLETED]

Fan Club

Kaya didn't understand what happened. One minute, she was asking a teenager for directions. The next, dozens of adolescent girls surrounded her with loud mouths and phone cameras. 

"She didn't even try to hide!" One of the girls pressed a camera closer and snapped another picture. 

Kaya faltered and stepped back, trying to find a way out of the crowd. 

"Is it true? Are you dating Ransom?" 

"You're not, right? He wouldn't go for someone like you." 

"How'd you end up with his shirt? Did you steal it?"

"Oh my gosh, is she a crazy stalker?" 

One of the phones flashed in the dimming light. Kaya threw up an arm to block out the light. Not this. She didn't know what to do or where to go. She scrambled away from the phones. 

Another girl blocked her path. "Where are you going? Are you using him for his money? Ran didn't do anything to deserve that."

"I..." Kaya brought her arms up to cover herself defensively. What did she say? So far, they hadn't stopped talking long enough for Kaya to get a word in edgewise. 

"Leave Ransom alone!"

"Yeah!" 

A resounding rush of phones and feet forced Kaya toward the building. Before she knew it, she found herself in an alley, backed against a wall by a gang of overemotional adolescents. 

"If you apologize right now, we'll let you go." This girl seemed to be in charge. The others had been following her lead for a while now. 

Still, Kaya had a sense of justice, if nothing else. "I didn't do anything wrong." 

A smattering of laughter floated through the gathered group. 

"You're smearing our Ran's good reputation. If there really isn't anything going on, apologize for the misunderstanding!" 

Kaya looked away. She knew better than most that people didn't care if she apologized for the misunderstanding. They were the ones who wanted to misunderstand in the first place. 

"I can't. It's not my fault." 

"You're the one who wore the shirt! Our Ransom didn't even do anything!" 

A round of vicious agreement followed. 

Kaya shrank back against the wall. She couldn't reason with them, but she wouldn't apologize for something that wasn't her fault. 

"Wh-what do you plan to do with me if I don't?" Kaya forced her chin higher in a fake show of self-confidence. 

"We have to get revenge for our Ran." One of the girls held up a fist. 

Kaya flinched and pulled back. 

"I don't think your Ran would like you committing a felony on his behalf," a male voice floated from the back of the crowd. 

The girls all turned to look at him. 

Kaya breathed a sigh of relief. She recognized the voice. She didn't understand how he got here, but she was glad he had. 

Tobin folded his hands behind his back. "If you stop now, it is at best a minor infraction of bullying. Go any further and I assure you, even your Ran will agree that she should press charges." 

A murmur went up in the crowd. A message containing the words "Tobin Crestley" and something about "legendary". Kaya couldn't care less, just so long as she got out of this. 

"I think it's time for this woman to make her exit." Tobin held out a hand toward Kaya. "Let's go, Ms. Parker." 

Kaya darted through the small valley created in the middle of the crowd. No one had to tell her twice. 

Tobin wrapped a hand gently around Kaya's upper arm and towed her alongside him. Out of the alley. Toward the street, where a car waited. Kaya didn't ask questions. She climbed in.