[AN] Spades- represents the labourers who work the land. Write about a hard-working individual who comes across riches.
(word) catastrophe
(restriction) No words starting with 'm'
air element included
word count: 1724
Horns blared and tires screeched, the downtown rush hour horde dimly lit by the late sunrise of winter. Amidst the waiting cars and busses and delivery trucks were flashes of action as the bicycle couriers zipped through gaps between bumpers and dodged potholes, their riders steadfastly ignoring any outraged coursing coming from the trapped drivers.
"Little J, come in," crackled the radio on Jinora's chest strap. She glanced quickly over her shoulder and hopped the curb to come to a stop behind the relative safety of a newstand. She wore green cycling shoes, khaki cargo shorts and a bright orange sweater. A navy blue beanie was perched rakishly on her head.
"This is Little J. Go ahead, dispatch."
"Super ultra from Forty-Five Battery St, Suite Nineteen. Destination is City Hall."
Jinora took a swig from her water bottle, the sharp taste of ginger and spearmint almost covering the taste of cheap plastic. "I hate that law firm. Their receptionist is always rude."
"You're a courier, baby," drawled the dispatcher, a cynical woman named Lin. "We're scum of the earth to people like that."
"I'm close," sighed Jinora. "Be there in a couple."
The expected unpleasantness from the receptionist done, Jinora escaped from the stuffy lobby to the relatively fresh air of the street before throwing her leg over her bike and starting the uphill sprint towards City Hall, her heavy package of paperwork tucked carefully into her shoulder bag.
City Hall sorted, she immediately had other deliveries on Telegraph Hill, the Castro, back to the Financial District, over to Police headquarters, back downtown (she really didn't get that one, but whatever), and finally pulled up to her company's headquarters on Valencia. Her bike computer showed she had logged over a hundred kilometers on the streets of San Francisco that day, with around a thousand feet worth of hill climbing.
"You wanna cover another shift, Little J?" Lin shouted from the office. "We could use another rider or three this afternoon."
Jinora shook her head quickly. "I have class."
Lin waved her hand dismissively. "Yeah, yeah, yeah, college girl. You'll regret not taking extra shifts when you get your next tuition bill."
Jinora turned in her radio and her bag and clocked out, purposely ignoring the usual sinking in her stomach whenever finances came up. She was barely able to earn enough to pay rent and eat and had paid her last school bill in a desperate bid that involved only eating breakfast for a week and sleeping around four hours a night for two weeks. She didn't want to do that again, but tuition was going to be do again.
Reminding herself that it was irrelevant if she failed her classes, she grabbed her backpack from her locker and rode back out to race across town to City College. The ever-present afternoon head wind pushed against her as she pedaled grimly along, dodging pedestrians wandering into the street, delivery trucks blocking the roadway, and playing chicken with the occasional taxi. The intense reciprocated loathing between taxis and bicycle couriers apparently allowed taxi drivers to identify couriers even off duty, so Jinora always kept a sharp look out.
Another cyclist a block or so ahead of her was not so lucky. Clearly not a courier with her adorable townie bike that was clean and not dinged to high heaven a taxi clipped her anyway, brushing his bumper against her back wheel before taking off with a squeal of rubber. The rider swerved hard in surprise but was able to keep upright. Jinora felt her outrage flare and sped up to ensure she got the license of the psychotic cab if nothing else. The other rider stood up on her pedals and took off down a side street, looking anxiously over her shoulder but not noticing that her pannier was dangling precariously from her bike rack. One pothole later and it fell to the street. Jinora caught it fall out of the corner of her eye and screeched to a halt.
"Hey, wait!"
Jinora sprinted over to the fallen pannier, noticing in passing that it was a beautiful leather and canvas. She attempted to sling it over her handlebar but almost dropped it again in shock at its weight.
"Hey, lady!" she shouted desperately at the retreating rider, to no avail. As her gaze dropped the flap of the pannier gaped enough for Jinora to see a flash of something shiny. She peered inside and gaped at the sight of what appeared to be a gold brick.
"Shit," she groaned.
"Hey is that gold?" demanded a voice next to her.
Jinora's head jerked up to see a homeless guy looking curiously over her shoulder. She narrowed her eyes. "Back off, dude."
He shuffled back, his hands raising in the air in alarm at her fierce gaze. "Hey girl, finder's keepers is all I'm saying. That would buy you a lot a booze, college kid."
"I don't need booze, I need tuition!" Jinora snapped. Her gaze dropped to the pannier then looked up to see the rider in the distance take another turn. She sighed, heaved out the gold brick and stuffed it into her backback. Now empty, the pannier easily rode on her handlebars. "Besides, I'm not really a college kid." She resettled her beanie resolutely. "I'm a courier, and I have a delivery."
The weight in her backpack caused the straps to dig into her shoulders. She kept her eyes fixed on the street where she last saw the girl on the townie bike take her turn, swearing furiously under her breath as the streets seemed to be dumping every possible impediment in her way.
Open car door, check.
Spilled street paint, check.
Screaming couples breakup spilling off the sidewalk, check.
Homicidal taxi cabs, check, check, check.
The wind was picking up, cold and biting against her exposed skin. She leaned hard to take the turn around a stalled bus and slid out when her tires slipped in spilled gravel.
"Ow, fuck, shit, shit, OW!" she screamed as her side impacted hard against the asphalt. The nearby construction crew started to come over to help but she forced herself up and back on her bike. She had to catch that crazy girl who rode around dangerous city streets with a fucking gold brick in her bike bag.
She jumped the next red light, dodging a convertible and two vans in a blare of horns and screams of outrage. Finally past all of her roadblocks, she stood back up on her pedals and cranked for all she was worth. Ahead of her she saw with almost painful relief that the girl had finally pulled over, and was engaged in a heated argument with a skinny figure wearing all black and sporting ridiculous green bangs that hung over his face. Jinora slowed her pedaling and coasted the final half a block. Her heart was pounding and she was gasping for breath, temporarily unable to speak. The girl didn't see her and the boy ignored her approach, continuing in his tirade.
"This is a catastrophe of epic proportions! I only have another day before the exhibitions opens!" he shrieked. "What kind of fool puts a thirty pound brick in her bike bag?"
The girl crossed her arms. "The same fool who agreed after hysterical pleading from her ungrateful brother to ride it over here despite being told repeatedly that Dad borrowed her car without asking and before she could get her wallet out of the glove compartment. It was bike or nothing."
The boy spluttered in indignation, throwing his hands in the air and grumbling under his breath.
Finally Jinora caught her breath. "Um, pardon?" she gasped out.
The girl whirled and Jinora immediately stopped breathing again in the face of intensely green eyes framed by an incredibly beautiful face. They stared at each other before the girl cleared her throat.
"Can I help you?"
Jinora blushed. "I, uh," she stammered, then thrust the dropped pannier into the girl's hands. "Here!"
The girl's eyes lit up then narrowed in suspicion as she felt it's unexpectedly light weight.
"Oh!" Jinora stepped off her bike, letting it fall to the sidewalk. She eased off her backback and pulled out the gold brick. "You, um, dropped this."
The boy hurried it over and snatched it out of Jinora's hands. "Hey!" she clenched her fists and started to go after him but a soft touch on her arm stopped her.
"It's okay," she said smiling. "I was bringing it to him. It's not actually solid gold, by the way. I think it's lead with a gold coating. So, looks pretty, but only worth a couple of hundred bucks." She shrugged, then her eyes widened in horror. "Holy shit, what happened to you?"
Jinora blinked, then looked down. The right side of her jeans were shredded as was the right sleeve of her shirt. She oozed blood everywhere.
"I, uh, well, I was trying to follow you…" she trailed off, starting to feel humiliated.
The girl cocked her head as she looked back up the street they had ridden down. "You almost killed yourself trying to return the lead brick," she stated as realization dawned.
"Oh God," Jinora groaned and closed her eyes. "You think I'm an idiot, don't you?"
She felt a soft kiss against her left cheek and her eyes opened in shock.
The girl's eyes twinkled as she looked at Jinora. "I actually think that was extremely chivalrous. Now come on." She pushed her bike towards the doors of the nearby building, gesturing for Jinora to do the same. "We're going to get you cleaned up, and then I'm buying you dinner. And you're not going to argue about it," she added as she saw Jinora start to protest. She smirked, then her expression softened. "Please, it's the least I could do for such a dedicated and gorgeous delivery girl."
Jinora ran into the door jam and the girl laughed in delight, filling the lobby of the building with the sound of her glee.
"I'm Opal, by the way. Sorry you lost out on an opportunity to get lucky today."
"Jinora, and I don't know about that," said Jinora seriously as she gazed into those amazing green eyes, all thoughts of class gone. "I'm feeling pretty lucky right about now."