Cat and Mouse

Chapter 17

When my shift ended at 6 the next night, I hastily yanked the Happy Hamburger visor off my head, freeing my orange mane in the process. The dye was beginning to wear off and it was tinted darker under the natural black colors. I made a mental note to dye it again soon. I untied the apron and grabbed my duffel bag, which I knew held my other uniform.

“Someone’s in a rush out,” A teasing voice commented from behind me. I jumped slightly and whirled around to face a smirking Andrew. A half eaten hamburger was clutched in his hand and his visor was tilted to the down lightly, shading his eyes.

“I’m exhausted, I need some sleep,” I stated, stretching out my arms as I talked, eyeing the exit eagerly.

“Well my shift just ended, why don’t I walk you home? I have some things I want to talk about with you anyways,” Andrew offered, smiling slightly to add emphasis to his offer. I took a moment to think it over. I hadn’t really intended on going home since I wanted to start crime fighting as soon as possible, but I couldn’t leave Andrew hanging just like last time. Heaving a sigh, I nodded.
“Yeah that’s fine,” I said idly, adjusting the strap of my duffle bag before moving towards the exit. Andrew polished off his hamburger, pulling off his visor and following after me.

            The night air was brisk as always. Slushy snow littered the sidewalks, making the trek home wetter than it should’ve been. I was wearing the combat boots I wore with my uniform. Why? Because they were my only pair of shoes and they were a standard black color with orange laces, nothing that would draw too much attention. I crossed my arms, chilling slightly in the mid-winter air

"It's cold out tonight" Andrew noted absent-mindedly as he walked beside me, so close his arms brushed against my side with each step. It sent shivers up my spine.

"Yeah" I replied, not knowing what else to say. Usually I was more talktative with him, but after recent events things were just too awkward.

We waited at a crosswalk, the glowing orange stop sign preventing us from crossing. Located near the edge of Crime Alley, there was no traffic as hardly any people had the audacity to drive their car around here. As soon as you parked your car, thugs would strip the car of any valuable parts just to make an easy buck. That was what it was like around here.

"Amber you're being quieter than usual" Andrew noted, turning his head so he could gaze at me from the corner of his eye.

The walk sign flashed and I crossed hurriedly, pulling the duffel bag containing my uniform close to my side. Andrew followed, his pace matching mine.

"It's not that, I've just been busy with work and all. You know how it is" I said, eyes shifting around for any sign of danger. But the streets were desolate, empty save for a rodent or two that scurried amid the trash. It was foreboding and ominous, and I could almost sense that something horrible would happen.

"Don't give me that excuse. You're 16 and a high school dropout, you surely can't have all that much work. And what was with skipping out on dinner?" He questioned.

I clenched my fists. Something wasn't right here, but with Andrew pestering me it was hard to do anything investigating. There should at least be a few people wandering the streets. It was around rush hour, where was everybody? Save for a car or two that zoomed by, I couldn't even catch a glimpse of anybody.

"Andrew really, it's not something I want to talk about it. I just need to hurry home" i say. Feeling the chilly night air lash at my face, I surreptitiously root through my duffel, pulling out the black and orange scarf. I wrap it around my neck. If there was any trouble, at least I could rearrange it to mask my face.