Delinquent

The elating feeling courses through my body like a drug, adrenaline pumped through my veins as my feet pound on the ground with a heady force. My chest tightens as a wide smile breaks out on my face, my heart jolting out of my ribcage unnervingly. My head snaps back as my feet continue to drive and my smile falters as I see the short beer belly bald guy hot on my tail. Surprisingly, he’s managed to keep up with me with a perseverance but I was more persistent. The chains of tall buildings give no promise of an easy escape but I notice a dainty bookshop and my grin reappears, my short breath sounding against the patter of my shoes.

Slyly, I mock a dodge and duck behind a parked car, hearing the pants of the shopkeeper echo quieter as I manage to enter the bookshop, my heart pounding as loud as the air conditioning buzzing into the tranquillity. A subtle vanilla scent envelops me as I walk further inside, the door closing with a bell chiming in my presence. The place is deserted and my hand rests on top of my heart to will it to compose itself, my eyes darting upon the array of neatly stacked books. My fingers run alongside the spines of a few dusted books before my attention is drawn back towards the large French windows, seeing baldy outside retracing his steps with a baffled expression on his face.

With his back towards me, I stick my tongue out at him, reeling in my success with a smirk plastered on my smug face.

A hand lands on my shoulder making me yelp and jump out of my bones. My eyes meet with a pair of enticing green ones and my heart jolts again, palpitating slightly as the boy gives a coy smile, a hand wrapped around a worn out tattered book and the other running through his dark hair. “Fuck, you’ve scared me!”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to-” His sentence cuts short as I take a step closer to him, his book almost dropping from his fingers.

The bell chime pulls me out of my reverie and my eyes widen as I see baldy scoping the bookstore with his beady dark eyes. He has some nerve, doesn’t he?

My mouth dries up and my finger lands upon the green eyed boy’s lips to shush whatever words were about to pass his gaping mouth. My fingers wrap around his wrist and pull him around the corner, hoping my cover hasn’t been blown yet. His questioning gaze never leaves me as I glimpse around the small room, my body pumped with adrenaline as I give the awaiting tall boy a bashful smile. “Please, get rid of that man and I’ll explain everything.” A few seconds pass before he stands up and walks in the direction I pointed and my eyes screw tight wondering if he’s going to inform baldy my whereabouts.

I peer through a stack of books to see the rounded man gesturing with his hands about my height and telling the boy of my appearance. "I can assure you sir, we've had no customers in here all day. Too hot of a day to have any. I'm sorry I can't be of any help, I send you my best regards."

With that, the rounded man gives an unsatisfied sigh and leaves solemnly. My head is in turmoil as I start to stand up and watch baldy leave with his hands in his pockets and his head low. A warm breath fans my ear sending chills down my back, every hair awakened on my body.

“You owe me,” he whispers, my body twisting to capture a glimpse of his face – a lopsided smile hung on his lips and a wavering expression in his eyes.

My eyes catch attention to the dirtied golden embroidered lettering on his book that he left limply on the floor. My lips quirk up in a smile as I smile at him, deliberately not meeting his captivating gaze. The differences between us are vast – whilst he reads Romeo and Juliet, I’m out there enjoying life, throwing myself in the pits of trouble and trading secrets with Satan.

“Alright Romeo, I’ll pay you back somehow,” I reply vaguely, patting his cheek patronisingly, his eyebrows scrunching up in perplexity. Begrudgingly, I leave the bookstore, the boy still rooted in the same spot, almost paralysed.

A smirk is split across my lips, my fingers reaching up into my hair and grabbing the round glasses out of the beach waves, pushing them up the bridge of my nose and reeling in the sunshine.

“Well, well, well, look who we have here,” a certain sweaty bald man states, the gap in his teeth on show as his smug grin appears. Before I have time to move he grabs onto my wrist, digging his nails into my skins.

Well, shit, I'm busted.

Notes

Brought my old story back with major adaptations.

-D