One of us is lonely

Prologue

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"RED? RED, RUN. FOR GOD SAKE, RUN!" Finn hesitantly looked over his shoulder as he pushed his sister forward. His feet stumbled over the muddy ground as he leaped in front of her, grabbing her hand and dragging her along with him, as fast as his feet could carry him. Red followed behind him, her slim fingers tightly holding onto his hand. She laughed as they ran for their lives. A peal of laughter filled with the uttermost inappropriate form of joy and even though they were being chased by three guys twice their size, Finn laughed with her. He looked at his sister, a small smile tugging on his lips and shaking his head as he dragged her around the corner and into an alleyway. The walls surrounded them, enclosing them in a brick prison and there didn't seem to be a way out. Not unless you knew where to place your feet and as chance would have it, Finn and Red knew exactly what to do. Red moved first; placing her small feet on one of the garbage cans and pushing herself up on a low hanging ladder. As swift as a cat, she jumped up onto the wall, kneeling down so she could get low enough to stretch out her hand. Finn looked over his shoulder once more, noticing the three guys closing in on them.

"Hurry the fuck up!" Red called. Finn moved his feet, pushing himself off the ground and grabbing for his sister's hand. Red pulled him over the wall and they tumbled to the other side. She caught a glimpse of the three rugby player-type guys, running and yelling, before falling down to the ground. She groaned as her back hit the hard paved road but pushed herself up on her arms rather quickly. "Let's go." She pushed her brother against his side and he too crawled up. Laughing they ran further away from the guys and onto the warm sand of the beach. They didn't stop until they were sure they'd lost them. It was at the far end, on the wrong side of town, the border between North and South, that they stopped, hiding behind a big tree log. The Patio. It was a place they came to so often, it was like a second home in the midst of nature. They plopped down in the sand, both of them trying to catch their breath.

"You still got it?" Finn questioned as he rushed a hand through his dark curls. Red nodded her head.

"Yeah." She pulled the pack of beer cans they had just risked their lives for out of her bag and tossed one to her brother.

"Sweet." A dry chuckle escaped his throat but quickly turned into a painful groan as he lifted his body to catch the can mid-air. He cursed under his breath, his hand rubbing over the sore spot on his ribs. "That's gonna leave a bruise." He muttered.

"Better keep that covered," Red said, leaning back and resting her head against the log. "Mom's gonna freak if she sees that."

"I swear to God these guys get faster every time," Finn said with a laugh, taking a big gulp from his beer.

"They still can't outrun a sixteen-year-old girl." Red joined his laughter, shaking her head slowly as she thought back to the chase. Three brawny, twenty-something guys from the South against two gangly kids from the filthy streets of the North. It didn't seem like a fair game and still, they outran them almost too easily.

"Cut them some slack, Red. You are pretty quick."

"I'd sure beat your ass in a race." She laughed as Finn flipped her the bird. She had said it jokingly but her words were very true. Finn was strong, he'd always have the upper hand in a fight. Once she'd seen him knock out a guy with just one punch. But he would never beat her when it came to speed. Red had always been the fastest from her class, even beating the boys when it came to a race. It was a skill that came in handy when she had to run from the people they stole from.

The sun set in the distance, sinking into the ocean and creating a beautiful palet of gold in the clouds. Red rested her head against her brother's shoulder and Finn jugged down the last can of beer. They had been sitting at The Patio for a few hours, watching the tide and drinking their illegally obtained beers. It was Red's favorite thing to do. Sure, it was not as luxurious as watching the sunset from your private yacht or enjoying a three-star meal from a rooftop lounge, but it was enough. They did fine on their own. Their poor mom was out working twelve-hour shifts every day, busting her ass off working for the rich assholes of the South for a few bucks an hour. Red and Finn thought it was no more than fair that they took something for themselves. The Southside kids surely could miss a few cans of beer.