Two Poor Kids

I walk over to the neighborhood a few blocks down, and A.J. immediately runs over to me, holding a beer. Which is normal, so he's probably drunk.

"Hey pretty lady." He slurs.

"Where's Kasey?" I ask, turning to him. He puts a hand on my shoulder, a little wobbly.

"He got caught this time boo." He frowns.

"Like..."

"The cops finally got him." A.J. assures. Shit.

"For how long?"

"Oh I don't know, some say a few months?"

"Okay, thanks A.J." I smile and start walking back home, millions of thoughts crowding my head.

I walk around on my little feet, loving the noise of shoes against gravel. I smile, before I hear a noise, so I turn around, expecting to see a car or something, but instead a boy is running as fast as possible, with no shoes on.

"Where are you goin' mister?" I ask him. He stops and grabs my hand pulling me along with him. This is insane! I've never done anything like this before.Ugh I'm probably getting so much dirt on my dress. He pulls me into an alley in we hide behind a garbage box thingy. I'm not sure what they're called, our butler usually does most of that gross stuff.

"What's your name?" I ask him. He looks down at me, still frantic about whatever was chasing him.

"Kasey. What's yours?" He asks, his attention now going on me.

"I'm Erinda." I smile.

"Huh. I'm calling you Erin." He shrugs.

"Oh. Okay!" No one has EVER called me Erin before. I like it. "Why don't you have any shoes on?" I ask.

"Don't have the money." He smiles at me.

"How?"

"Uh- I live over there." He points to the direction my mother points to every time she warns me to never o over there. My eyes widen.

"You're from the hell hole?" I ask. The hell hole is what my mother calls it, I thought that that was what it was called. He laughs.

"Yeah, I am."

"So why were you running?" I ask.

"Because sometimes life is moving to fast to just walk." He smiles. I return it. I turn around slightly, and see a wave of police cars flying by.

"Did you do something bad?" I ask.

"Heh, yeah Erin, I did something bad."

"How old are you?"

"Fourteen. You?"

"Thirteen."

"Want to see something?"

"What?" I ask.

"The neighborhood I live in?"

"My mother said to never go over there."

"Do you always do what people tell you to?" He asks me. I suddenly get uncomfortable.

"Well. Yes." He takes my hand.

"Then let's go." He smiles and drags me along to his neighborhood. This is terrifying, but at the same time super exciting. Refreshing, almost.

My memories are interrupted by a black haired guy walking over to me. I snap out of my phase.

"Hey Erin." Michael smiles at me.

"Uh- Hi." I say awkwardly. My anxiety immediately starts.

"So, I'm sorry about Ashton, he's not very bright." He laughs. I shrug, trying to avoid the blurriness in my eyes.

"I-It's fine." I say. My stomach is in knots.

"Are you okay?"

"Uh huh fine."

"Anxiety?" He asks. Oh right, I forgot he goes through this shit too.

"Uh huh." I nod, sitting on a curb and putting my head in my knees. It's what I do when I'm carsick, it usually helps me. Michael sits next to me. "Were you disgusted about kissing me? Because I'm really sorry about that, I have a habit of ruining good things." I say, lifting my head to look at him. He laughs.

"Fuck no, Erin. I was disgusted that Ashton said that."

"Okay."

"It wouldn't be that bad though."

"What wouldn't?"

"Kissing you." He says. My heart did so many back flips. Don't ruin it. The little voice is my head says. Ugh.

"What's your favorite color?" I ask quickly, trying to get the subject off of kissing me. I don't want to ruin this one.

"Green." He smiles.

I REALLY don't want to ruin this one. At least not yet.

Notes