Faith Hayes hurried past the crowd and raced out of the large school doors. "It's finally over!" she squealed excitedly to her friend, Lilly. The two fourteen year-old girls slowed to a walk.
"I know," Lilly agreed, glancing around the school grounds. Her light, gray eyes scanned lazily over each of their classmates as they rushed past. "Summer's finally here."
"D'you think Kain will be out, soon?" Faith asked, referring to her older brother.
Lilly shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know, maybe."
"Come on, we can leave a note at the tree where he always meets me," Faith said, gesturing to her friend to follow her to the large tree by which Kain and Faith always met after school. Slipping out a piece of note paper, Faith rummaged through her backpack until she found a pencil. "Do you have a pin or something with you?" she asked as she quickly jotted down, Walked home. Meet me there. Faith. on the sheet of paper.
Lilly reached her hand into her pocket and pulled out a small tack. She handed it to Faith.
"Dude, I don't know why you always have everything I need whenever I need it, but it's awesome," Faith said, pinning the note to the tree and walking towards her home.
Lilly rushed up to her friend's side and poked her shoulder.
"Hmm?" Faith asked, keeping her eager, hazel eyes fixed on the path in front of her.
Lilly's long, silver hair fluttered behind her as she said, "Hey, um… Sorry, but I've got to go…"
Faith looked over at her friend. Go? she thought to herself. "But… Ly, you said that you would come over and play Xbox with me," she said to Lilly.
Lilly looked down guiltily at her black shoes, which bore zebra-striped laces. "I know, I'm sorry, Faith. But I have to go… I promise we'll play Xbox later," she said, turning and leaving her friend.
Faith stifled a sigh and forced herself to smile. "Okay. See you soon…" Turning to walk on towards her house, the teenager kept her gaze low. She always has to leave. Does she not want to hang out with me? If that's the case, she could just tell me, instead of letting me think there's something wrong with me, she thought as she shuffled her feet along the sidewalk.
As she dragged her orange backpack along, a few blocks from her house, Faith heard a clattering sound in a nearby alleyway. She lifted her head from her neon yellow-orange tennis shoes to look down the dark alley. What the..?
"Hello?" she asked, narrowing her eyes and peering into the darkness. When there was no response, the curious teenager slinked closer to the alley and approached it eagerly. It won't be bad if I just take a little peek, she reassured herself. Taking a deep, calming breath, Faith trotted into the alleyway, eyeing every corner and shadowy spot as she did so.
The sound of metal rattling rang out once again, and Faith jumped backwards. Turning her head quickly, she looked at what she presumed to be the culprit of the surprising sound: A sewer lid. Faith tilted her head to one side. Who plays around in the sewers? she wondered silently.
Looking over her shoulder to the empty streets, Faith made sure that there was nobody watching. The last thing she needed was a gang teaming up on her or something. Edging closer to the manhole, she tentatively reached a hand down to poke it, before taking a quick step back. When nothing happened, Faith stepped forward once more and lifted the lid.
"Hello?" she whispered loudly into the hole. When Faith did not receive a reply, she threw a quick glance over her shoulder once more before her curiosity got the best of her. I can just investigate for a moment, and then I will head home so that Kain doesn't worry. After a quick assurance that this was not a decision that she would regret, Faith clambered clumsily down the metal ladder, and into the sewers.