Whitestripe

Sister of a Redhead

~Let your body creak and break till your soul is fluid and malleable, till your heart is hot and breakable, till your mind is essentially... unreliable. ~

I woke again, but this time I had actually slept longer. The sun was up, and my head was shaded by some random box that apparently had appeared over night. I struggled to open my eyes properly, the light hurt, and when I moved it hurt. I felt almost winded. This sleeping is terrible...

I stretched out and took a look at the box. Inside it was a cat, probably the stray. It was pure white with a black patch over its left eye. Its eyes! One was brown and one was blue. It was like me. A strange feeling passed through my stomach, a feeling you can only describe as a mixture of panic, excitement and wonder but it passed as quickly as it came. I called a quiet pss pss  into the box but the cat bolted down the alleyway again and I was left disappointed. Packing up my sleepingbag again and dumping it into my backpack, I yawned. What to do, what to do today? I asked myself. I sat on top of my bag and thought. I needed to think about essentials. It's my third day alone and I haven't eaten since Friday. Today was Sunday, and I was starving. I checked my wallet. Full, as expected, but I was to be stingy as ever with this cash. Perhaps I should look at a job... The thought excited me. A job! A discreet little job to get me money for food, money for nice clothes, money. Money... The source of evil... and violence...

Money. The thing I would need eventually, to survive. 

I put my bag down and turned the box over on top of it, hiding my possessions. There wasn't much in there anyways. Curiously, there was writing scrawled on the bottom of the big box. 

Have some box for your back at least you poor tramp :)

 The message made me smile... At least whoever sent it had a heart. Maybe this would be more comfortable to sleep on instead of rough ground. I left down the street, my stomach roaring. I can't believe I didn't eat yesterday... As I browsed through the cafes I wondered what food to grab. Something expensive and delicious? Or fast food? Something nice. Crap is all I'll probably be eating for a while after this... Might as well enjoy it while it lasts.

I actually went into Black Slice and was greeted by a smiling young man probably around my age. He asked, in a much more casual tone than I expected, what he could help me with. I looked over the board. 

"What do you recommend? I'm kind of new to this place and I want something different." I asked. He turned around to the board, leaning on the counter.

"Well. Anyone else would suggest the veal gamberoni, but as a secret between you and me," He said, looking extremely serious, into my eyes, "The chicken, a la pesto tomato is much, much nicer. Very beautiful taste and texture, and with that, I'll throw you in an iced coffee? chocolate?"

"Chocolate." I replied, amused.

"Hardcore." He winked. "Iced chocolate for half the price, how's that sound my fine man?"

"Brilliant, and I'll owe you?" 

"Eight dollars."

"Is that all?" I was shocked. Eight dollars?  That was cheap. Much cheaper than I expected. I hesitated at my wallet and a smile played at the corners of this generous guy's lips. I handed the money over and he threw it in the register and gave me a number before serving somebody else. I took it outside and carefully put the number on the same table I had sat at yesterday, my stomach growling. Here I was shaded from the sun and it was nice and cool, I listened and the music was different today. Acoustic folk music, a nice change. I closed my eyes and waited patiently, just listening to the sounds and the people walking past, to the waiter coming to deliver the middle aged man's meal who was sitting across from me. His hair was thinning out, starting to disappear at the back and greys had appeared near the nape of his neck. He wore a smart, black business suit, but looked very tired. This man was either successful and unhappy, or poor and working hard.

Bam! A hard slap on the table woke me from my daze. I looked up confused to see a girl grab a chair and sit down. She had red hair, short and crazy with pale skin and vibrant green eyes. I'd never seen her in my life. 

"Alright. Here's how it goes mr.carry-all-my-bags-around. I'm Felicia. Yeah forget the name, remember this one though, my sister likes you and I'm inviting her over to sit and talk to you for a bit. That alright? It better be." A hard looking handbag came down on her head. I couldn't help but laugh as she glared in the direction the arm had come from. The girl turned around quickly so I couldn't see her face and threw a quick glare at the redhead.  

"I never said I liked him. I said he looks interesting. And if you weren't so obnoxious I wouldn't have hit you." The words came out in a single, quiet, annoyed breath but the redhead grabbed her by the arm, sat her in the chair in front of me and told her to stay before disappearing as quick as she appeared. The young girl infront of me looked a few years younger than I. She had the same pale skin, and bright green eyes, except her hair was long, choppy, and jet black. Her pale skin had by now turned bright red and she studied the artwork on the front of the shop. Her lips quivered a little.

"Nice p-"

"Patterns on the sign.." I interrupted, a smile crawling on my lips. It appeared on hers too. She returned her eyes to the table in front of her, fingers tracing the grain in the wood. 

"What is your name?" I asked quietly. She hesitated.