Chapter 1:
The train screeched to a stop in front of Hoovers Rd. The loud squeak making Indigo's black moist eyes flutter open. Her throat felt dry, causing her to swallow a few times. She lifted her head off of the cold window, letting a string of her dark blue bangs fall in her face, tickling her cheeks. The train's doors slid open, and she held onto one of the poles, the coldness of it making her hand sting, before straightening her skirt and stepping off through the train's doors. Glancing around the crowded station, she fumbled with the rolled up piece of paper in her damp hands. Her black chipped nail polish gleaming in the stations florescent lights. Rolling her tounge across her dark red painted lips, she heaved in a deep breath, before beginning to walk towards the exit.
Her heels clicked against the hard tiled floors, and she almost broke her ankle when she tripped over a crushed up soda can. Although she saved her self a broken bone she still managed to break her heels. "Shit" she cursed to herself, lifted her foot to examine it. She glanced up at the clock hanging over the exit doors of the station. She still had ten minutes. Enough time to grab the extra pare of gladiator heels out of her bag and slide them on her ever sore feet. This was her fifth and last stop of the day. She was glad the painful heels she had been wearing had survived the whole day. Since she was a heavy walker. Walking out of everyone's way against the wall, she slid off her red pumps, placed them in her purse and replaced them with the black gladiator heels. Her feet screaming as she once again squeezed them in such tiny shoes to make her feet small.
It was a chinese ritual her grandmother had taught her when she was a little girl. Feet binding. Although she had beautiful feet and didn't torture them by breaking her toes, wrapping them in cloth and shoving them into size three shoes, she still had the skill of fitting her feet in rather small places. She took a moment to stand correctly, pulled her purse strap back over her shoulder and once more began to exit the station. Once she had reached outside, she quickly covered her head with her wool hood. Forgetting after she'd fallen asleep that, it had been raining when she had gotten on the train earlier.
Hugging her body and keeping her head low, her heels clicked in rhythm with the pitter patter of the rain splashing against the cities streets. The lights almost blinding. Though New York's lights were brighter than the sun, Indigo still felt as if the world had gone dark. She was restless. However she had a job to complete. Ends to meet. People to see. She took a moment to duck under the side roof of a Subway to pull out the piece of paper out of her soaked pocket. Hoping the address written in ink wasn't disoriented.
her hopes were dropped, as a few droplets dripped from her hair and splashed onto the already soaked piece of paper. With one gentle pull the paper could be torn into pieces. Knowing she wouldn't be able to see the address, she looked around for a pay phone. Seeing one across the street, she once again tucked her head low, and ran through the parked cars, stuck in traffic. A few people honked, for which she ignored. Walking fast, she reached the pay phone and pulled a few coins out of her purse. Sliding them in the slit on the metal of the pay phone. She squeezed her eyes shut, tracing her mind for the digits the man had slurred into her ear nights before. Chewing on her lip, she opened her eyes and pushed in the numbers. She placed the phone to her ear. Hoping he would accept the collect call. After four rings the phone clicked on.
"Hello?" A husky voice spoke into the phone. Indigo swallowed before putting on her seductive voice. One she had years to practice.
"Is this Max...?" She said lowly. The rain becoming a faint sound in the background.
"Depends on who's asking." the boy said, a sound of a bed squeaking as he sat up.
"You remember me from the club don't you..?" She said more telling than asking. There was a long pause on the other end.
"Ahhh yes. Where are you sexy. I've been waiting for almost an hour.." he lied through his teeth.
More like sleeping for an hour. Indigo thought to herself. "I'm sorry, my train was late..."
"That's fine. So when should I be expecting you..?" He questioned. She had to admit his voice was rather sexy. However she'd seen what he'd looked like. The voice didn't fit.
"That's the thing, it's storming outside. and I'm in these heels. and only in a skirt and jacket. I'm rather cold. I was hoping you could pick me up..?" She made sure to keep a smile in her voice.
"Oh..Uh.." She heard some rustling in the background. "Sure. Where are you?"
"157 street. .. hurry up big boy. We wouldn't want you too be late." Indigo smirk and slammed the phone back on the hook. She then let her shoulders slump before leaning against the brick wall next to the phone. She sighed while pulling out a cigarette. She pulled out her lighter, flickng it a few times to realize that it wasn't working. "Fuck.." She swore, throwing it back in her purse with anger. She then glanced around to see a boy further down the wall. His eyes closed.
She paused, licked her lips, primped her hair, and then slowly began clicking over to him. As she neared closer to him he propped one of his eyes open. Revealing ocean blue orbs. Soon his other eye followed, and he turned his head to look at her. Peeking under his sandy brown hair. That looked like a mop on top of his head. Some of the hair falling in his eyes.
"You got a light..." Indigo said leaning against the wall next to him. Leaning slightly to reveal some of her cleavage. He stared right at her face. Not glancing down once.
"Don't smoke. Sorry" He stated before turning forward into the crowded streets of New York.
"Well..." She sighed plucking the cigarette out of her lips. A red ring of lipstick around the tip.
"It kills ya' know?" He questioned, as his eyes closed and his head fell back against the wall.
"So i've heard. We all die at some point anyway so I don't see the big deal" She shrugged.
"Huh" The boy chuckled, revealing sparkling white teeth.
"What are you laughing at?" Indigo said crossing her arms across her chest.
"Nothing. You just are so naive to the wonders of life" He said opening his eyes to face her.
"Am I.." Indigo frowned. "And you're such a genius are you than?" She asked.
"No" He shook his head. His bangs flicking out of his face. "there's got to be more to it than this"
"Sure there is.." Indigo smiled. "Look kid there's this thing called reality. You might wanna get back to it.." She stated letting her tongue click after her sentence.
"I'm not a kid." He defended.
"Oh yeah, how old are you?" She asked.
"Old enough" He stood straight off of the wall.
"Old enough huh?" Indigo shook her head laughing. Her hair sending little droplets everywhere.
The boy blinked as some splashed on his face. "How old are you then?"
"I'm fifteen years old.." She said honestly, raising her eyebrows and looking up at him. He was much taller now that he was standing straight.
"Looks like i'm older than you... kid" he said with a tight smirk playing on his lips.
"Let me guess eighteen?" She said placing her hands on her hips.
"twenty..." he nodded down at her. "d-don't you think it's past your bed time little girl?"
"Funny, old man" Indigo stated before leaning against the wall. "My rides almost here anyway"
"Oh yeah?" He asked. "Good"
"Yup." She nodded, tucking her lips in her mouth as silence enveloped the air around them.
"So you're twenty years old. You don't smoke, no tracks marks in your arms so im guessing your not a user. No scars so i'm guessing you've never fought. and no beer belly so I'm guessing your not a drinker. What do you do for fun?" She asked, scrunching up her eyebrows curiously.
"I read" He said flatly. Not glancing in her direction.
"You read" She repeated.
"Do you always repeat what people say after they're finished saying it?" He said frowning lightly.
"Not quite" Indigo smiled.
She didn't know why but this was the longest conversation she'd had in a long time. It was weird to be having an actual conversation with someone that didn't involve the words. 'How much you want to do it?'. The boy didn't seem like a freak. He was normal, and he was staring at her now.
"What?" She asked her face relaxing.
"If you don't mind me asking what is your heritage?" He asked.
Indigo felt a pang of hurt enter her chest at the thought of her family. The one she'd left behind long ago. The one she'd run away from to come and live this life. This life of struggle and pain.
"Well...my father was italian." she said fiddling with her thumbs. "and my mother was chinese"
"Rare mixture.." He said scrunching up his lips.
"So i've also heard" Indigo laughed lightly and then looked up at him. "Why did you ask that?"
"You just had interesting features.." he said waving his finger in a circle around her face.
"Good thing or bad thing?" She said suddenly feeling self consious.
"Good thing from what I can see" He smiled assuringly. "Well I dont see your ride anywhere... Do you drink coffee?" He questioned pointing to the starbucks over his shoulder.
Indigo glanced down at her attire and chewed her lip. What would people think of her in there. Not that she really cared, but even people with the highest confidence can admit that every one staring at you, can make you feel pretty uncomfortable.
"Umm.. sure." She finally said before following him inside to the small shop.
The instant smell of coffee wrapped around Indigo's body and she inhaled it with pure pleasure. as she walked under the mans arm to enter the coffee shop she was relieved to see that there were only 3 people in there besides the workers.
"What would you like?" He asked her pulling out a roll of money from his back pocket.
"A mocha frappachino and a glazed chocolate donut.." Indigo said pointing through the glass.
"Alright.." The man said "that's what she'll be having and i'll have a regular, black" He stated.
"That'll be all?" The blonde girl behind the counter said. Smiling flirtasiously at the man.
"Uh...Yes. Thankyou" the boy chuckled, before handing the girl the money and turning to Indigo.
"Great service huh?" Indigo giggled.
"I'd say so.." He said leaning on the counter.
"Well I'd say the starbucks girl has a little crush on you.." Indigo said tilting her head.
"She's way too young for me to be talking to.." He shrugged.
"Am I not...?" Indigo questioned. "Come on, I'm sure you talk to young girls all the time.."
"Not really. Once you see college girls.. all the high school people just seem immature" he said.
"Oh... well I hope I seem different?" She said glancing into his pale blue eyes.
"You are. Very grown up... But why do I have the feeling you had no choice to be this way?" he questioned.
"Why do you ask so many questions?" Indigo wondered.
"Just trying to past the time until your ride gets here" He shrugged.
"Well you're very observent.. it kind of makes me self consious" Indigo said hugging herself.
"I'm sorry... you're just interesting" He chuckled.
"Most young girls in this century are" she nodded slowly, her lips tucked in.
"One Mocha frappachino, One regular black coffee, and one donut?" The same blonde girl from earlier said walking over to them and placing their coffee between them. Indigo backed up a little to give her room.
"Thank you" the man said to the girl before picking out a straw from the metal can on the counter.
"No problem" the girl giggled and pushed a blonde lock out of her eyes. "Have I seen you around somewhere?"
"Not that I can recall.." He stated glancing up at the girl and then staring at Indigo.
"Madison. Back to work!" Someone hollered over her shoulder.
"Coming..." the Madison girl called back before turning back to Indigo and the man. "Bye"
"Bye.." the man laughed and then turned back to Indigo, who was already biting into her donut.
"MMm.. sorry" She said laughing, and plucking a crumb that was sticking to her lipstick.
"It's fine...Don't mind me." He said taking a sip of his coffee. He frowned and pulled the cup from his lips. "..Okay that was hot"
"Coffee usually is.." Indigo joked before taking another bite.
"Yeah..." he laughed. "That was probably a stupid thing to say"
"Not really." Indigo said taking a sip of her own coffee.
There was a tap on the window next to them, and Indigo glanced up to see the same boy from the night before at the club. He looked from her to the guy next to her. Then he urged her to hurry. Indigo nodded quickly and rolled the donut in a napkin, placing it in her purse.
"Your ride here?" The guy asked.
"Yes. Thank you so much for the coffee." Indigo threw her soaked jacket over her forearm and then quickly stood out of the chair. "Coming.." She called out to the boy waiting outside before placing a cap on her coffee cup and running to the Starbucks door.
"Wait, I never got your name kid.." The man said after her.
Indigo stopped, and paused before turning to face him and smiling. "Indigo.."
"Caleb" The man nodded at her, with a small smile.
Indigo lifted her coffee up to him as a sign of goodbye. "See you around Caleb" She smiled.
and then she was gone.