Chapter 2:

Five on the dot Syl's eyes popped open like they usually did. Even if she had fallen asleep at four she'd still awake at five. It was just the way her internal clock worked.

She yawned, wide mouth and loud and sat up stretching her arms. The sun was still rising and it still was very cold.

Krit was nowhere in sight, and neither were his clothes and shoes.

His cell phone was though. It was on the bed at her feet. Picking it up it was clear of numbers, history and anything that would give it away. No trace would be able to be placed on it. It was most likely left for her for he smashed hers which laid on the floor in front of the television in a few pieces.

She played with it for a little bit. He had the knack to have the stupidest ringtones that he thought were 'hot.'

They weren't, so now she had to endure them.

He left.

They were planning to go to New York City next for December. Always went there to spend Christmas Eve and Christmas Day there in Rockefeller Center. If they weren't together before hand, they both made their way there to be together no matter if the snow was on high levels.

The night was fun. Until then she would have to make some money before she took up leave and went to the city. She had to find a job for wages in the next three weeks. After that she'd leave to New York, so the money was for trains and subways and a mildly nice hotel. Who would want to sleep on a New York street?

She couldn't just make it up as she went along like last year. The money from selling flowers didn't cover much.

The Landlord hadn't asked for rent yet, so she was going to try and skip out; you know be out and discreet when he was around, or she could make up something. Krit wouldn't be around, so she could tell him that she was waiting for him to come back from 

working construction in Jacksonville, Florida. She could say he was there because he was called for the wages were high.

There was no time to lay bed, but time to go find some work. Ugh, she groaned to herself and did a backward roll off the bed and onto her feet. She had to get dressed for the day, warmly. She put on a pair of grey sweat pants she "borrowed" from the local high school gym tack team. And you know what, they fit too. Her wheat boots, which were fit and warm have been worn for the last two years. They were starting to go, but still good. They were fit with wear. Lined with dirt she also doodled all over their sides. It was mostly through conversation with Zack; well mainly him lecturing her about something she did that was stupid. She picked up a purple pen and scribbled a crude drawing of him with a word bubble that said, "Drop and give me one million!" His eyes were crossed.

She didn't actually hear all he said, but knew it was all the same. Take a chill pill already, she wanted to say to him, get laid.

But when he called for her help she jumped. She would always be there to help him out whenever she was needed to help with one of her brothers and sisters.

Covering her black long sleeve she pulled on a yellow hoody and to finish off, a green winter jacket with brown faux fur. Her long blonde hair was left down, a mess. She'd cut it before she went to New York.

It was too freakin' cold in Pawpaw Michigan. New York was warmer by at least five to fifteen degrees.

She didn't have a hat.

She locked the door checking it four times before she left.

Bustling all around her everyone was setting up even though it was nearly seven. Even in the cold people were selling produce, there were kids running around,some were heading off to school; others trying to make a living. People were setting up to sell anything they could for money. People were fixing things, trying to get business and everything else. Everything was just too crowd for a place that was called Pawpaw.



Stores on the strip mall and street stores wouldn't hire her. Everyone had the same excuse, "We hired enough help for the whole holiday season." Didn't the holiday season start after Thanksgiving?

Even the bakery was holding out. The one place with an actual 'Help Wanted' sign, and very under staffed, the guy shook his head. He was good looking too. She could have gotten used to working along with him.

She argued why, but he made too that she wasn't baker material, and she had no experience. He said to her, "I bet you couldn't even work an oven."

Syl gave him the finger and walked out of there. She had experience; her and Krit baked a box cake once.

She fumed her way down the street eating one of the three giant muffins she swipted. For being so rude and obnoxious he didn't deserve to make that few bucks. It made her feel better a little. If Krit didn't bounce she'd share them with him; they were his favorite.

Three girls on the corner caught her eye. For early in the day they were desperately selling themselves short. She knew she would never, no matter how desperate she got sell herself short. Her desperation was stealth; which she had done a lot in Texas when she rolled with Brin for a while. It didn't last long though. Brin wasn't always feeling well and liked to be stable for her life. They had split with Syl heading to Michigan and Brin to Arizona where she heard work was strong and a building complex was being built.

Zack didn't know about it and that was how it was going to stay. She heard from one of the three canidads that she has seen since Manticore, not including Zack that he had mumbled off that she was the next one to get caught after Ben.

She heard about Ben. He was a serious trouble maker. They had said he wasn't fit for this life. It had to do with his ties and obsession with the Blue Lady. But Syl let it go. To this day the stories he used to tell them still scared her.

Nobody knew that sometimes after his stories when everybody was sleeping, or like Jondy and Max pretending she'd lay awake in fright.



-

The poor girl walked around some more until she saw a crowd gathered around something. But it wouldn't help anything. The group surrounded a gang of kids breaking out the hip-hop moves. She couldn't dance, but hit up the clubs anyways. Putting up flirtacious moves she scored drinks and a "date."

It always worked. Men are so easy persueded by looks and a wicked smile.

The idea of robbing people blindly was out of the question. Sooner or later something would go down in the stupid city.

-

That evening she found herself in the chinese restaurant on the corner of Poker and Rye eating chicken with fried rice out of a styrofoam container and drinking soda. There was no job around here, and the men couldn't be any more perverted. Finally getting fed up with it all, she decked the last guy who tried to score. The fifty in his pocket was what paid for this food. And too think, she was going to spend her own money on it.

Very peaceful in this rowdy neighborhood she was the only person eating there. The only other people were the workers and they didn't speak english anyways. Plus, the place could only seat roughly fifteen. If it was crowded she would bounce.

To think she thought to early someone walked in and went to the counter to speak their order. She wanted to ignore them, she really did, but the familurity of their voice was of someone she didn't want to see right now after her long day. It was the guy from the bakery. He looked the same as today except he didn't have the ugly green hat and apron on.

His hair is actually jet black.

While they were making his order he went over to her.

"Hey," he said planting himself in front of her.

"Stop talking to me," she said trying to ignore him. You can't be my friend and not hire me too.

He drummed on the table.



"I'm glad I ran into you actually," he said. She continued eating ignoring him until she heard him say, "I was thinking about hiring you."

She put her fork down, full, and closed the container. She was full, and would take the rest home. She leaned back and stared at him. "You're lying," she crossed her arms.

"Didn't you hear what I just said," he looked at her dumbly.

"Nah," she shook her head, "That's a point of ignoring, you don't hear what people say."

The man looked offended but shook it off.

"You were the best person to ask about it all day."

The chinese man called to him for his order and he retrieved it and brought it back to the table.

"You insulted me, saying I couldn't work an oven, now you want me to work for you?" She could not believe her own ears.

"Yeah," he nodded grubbing.

"Asshole, I don't know who you think your talking too," she started out, but he cut her off with a hand in the air, and with a mouth full snapped, "Do you want it or not?"

Cocking her head to the side, and with attitude answered, "Yeah."

"It's yours," he broke the air, "You start training tomorrow morning at five thirty."

"Alright," she agreed, no enthusasm showing.

"Don't be late. I hate girls who think the sun shines out of-"

"Don't talk down on me," she sat forward, "Like I'm a child, I'm probably the same age as yourself. I'm probably the same age, and don't belittle me. If you piss me off I will kick your ass."

He looked amused. "We'll see how long you last," he said and they shifted into silence. Wondering why she ws still there she got up to leave.

At the door he called her back.

"What?"

"You have a name or what. I'm not going to call you 'that girl.'"



One thing was for sure: she wasn't going to give him her real name. The jerk didn't deserve to know it, and in no time she was out. She was disappearing without a trace. He wouldn't know what happened.

"My name is Kimberly," she scolded herself for such a ridiculous name. It didn't fit her, but at least he believed her.

"Peace," she left with the styofoam container in hand.

At home after a very short hot shower; short being two minutes with the only warmth of the night she was dressed. The stupid people below her were taking all the hot water every night and it was really starting to piss her off.

She put her hooded shirt back on. It is the second of the month which meant she had to dial up "Big Brother" and check in. He might get "worried" if that was even in his vocabulary.

Dialing up on Krit's phone she dialed from memory. It was memory or nothing. The numbers were to never touch paper.

"This is Syl, just checking in here from Michigan where it is so freakin' cold. Got a job at a bakery for tomorrow. That's it, peace." She hung up and was about to turn out the light when the phone rang it's stupid ringtone.

Seriously, bad taste, she tsked and grabbed it to see that it was Zack.

"Hey big bro," she greeted and turned off the light.

"Wheres Krit?" he asked. Where he was it was silent.

He asked because it was Krit's phone, and if he wasn't using it then he probably thought something was up.

"Bounced," she said ready to hang up. If this was to turn into something, she didn't want to hear it. He should be happy they weren't together. He got his wish, for now. There would be no trouble to be had from the dynamic duo. Instead, she was capable of getting into trouble on her own.

"Where?" he questioned.



"Don't know, don't care," she layed down on her bed and looked at the ceiling. It was painted in the ugliest of sea greens. Somebody was either on something or it was the only can around and they were getting paid madd' cheap.

"Whats wrong Syl, this time?" he said.

She rolled over with the phone still to her ear. Why was he complaining? She wandered again. What business was it to him anyways?

"Why do you assume something is wrong?" she spoke into the phone.

The line went quiet.

She put the blanket on top of herself.

"Why did Krit bounce then?"

"Why is it your business?" she barked into the phone already annoyed.

He stayed silent for a moment, then said, "I know how you get."

"That means?" she snapped louder than she meant to.

The old lady under her hit the ceiling with her broom.

This lady really got on her nerves. This time she was going to give her reason to hit the ceiling for she was always pissing off Syl. It was like she waited and listened to strike.

Go ahead call the cops, she smirked to herself, but might as well give her reason to report something.

Forgetting Zack, but phone to her ear she stood on the bed and started jumping. Moving the legs and the bed completely it squeaked and jumped around thumping the floor. The squeak was loud and left the lady to ponder just what was going on.

For the duration of the month they had been there they fought three times, but for "fun" it was more times than that. She was always thwating the ceiling. This time she will get more than she wanted in noise.

Jumping up and down she was glad that she was being "loud" and annoying; for the lady anyways. She pepped up her voices to moans and screams.

The lady pounded.



"What are you doing?" Zack's voice brought her back. She stopped bouncing, landing on her knees.

"Wild sex," she said matter-of-factly. Wasn't it obvious? She cut in before he could have say, "I'm just messing with you. I'm messing with the old lady below me. Really annoying, I want her to call the police; bring it on. I'll claim my way. She nodded her head smirking.

"Causing trouble, that's not wise."

"I'm just a teenage girl living in this dump with nothing better to do. What would the cops believe to be the story: me or the old bats?"

He didn't answer.

"Talk to you soon," she said ready to hang up.

In a threatening voice he growled, "Don't call me unless its an emergency," and the line went dead.

He'd still want her to check in. Just how he got the message so fast was a mystery. Maybe he was just checking it at that moment. She'd always check in. When called to help she'll be there in a heart beat.

The lady continued to pound.

She ignored her and turned on the television and layed down holding the phone close to her. If only Krit would call.

-

The next morning after awaking at five she put on her jeans and bounced to the bakery. Making it with time to spare she walked in. The only one there was the person who hired her.

"Are you the only one who works here?"

"Hi Kimberly," he said slautering over to her and handing her an apron and hat.

"Hoodie off," he said heading into the back.

She held both items but commented, "No, that won't fly…" It wouldn't at all. She wasn't wearing her long sleeves. Besides a bra she was just in a tank top.

"Why," he shouted out to her from the back room.



She picked open a case quietly and grabbed a small cookie.

"It's cold," she said. She had to act normal, and even though she was uncomfortable with the cold she could endure it bitching and moaning. For the bakery she had to act like a regular person even for just getting her way.

"Its warm in here. With everything running you wouldn't know the cold outisde. You don't have a hot ass!" he shouted.

Even though he used it in the figurative sense she would have smacked him if he was out in front of her, but he was back there and she needed the money. She had to control herself.

"In what sense?" she shouted back stuffing the cookie in her mouth before he came out.

"I didn't hire you to stand out here and look pretty-"

"I do anyways, but I wanted make sure that you are paying me under the table."

He grabbed her hand and directed her to the back saying, "I'm not stupid, I can read you quite easily."

You wish, she thought.

He said, "Of course you are under the table. You don't look like the one I would place on a roaster to be accounted for. You don't look the type-"

She had to tune him out. If Zack heard this, the guy wouldn't be breathing. But for now she had to collect the money she worked for, and the money she would take. Before she left for New York he was going to get it; payback for every insult he said to her, and for every one he hasn't made yet.

Right now she put on a fake smile and had to suck it up, even though every muscle in her fist twitched with ansipitation to knock him one, or one hundred.

-

-

He was right. She couldn't bake for anything, anything! A simple task and she burned it. In the front she sat at the register, glum and gloomy head supported by her 

hand with the elbow on the counter. She had to watch the register while Adam, the worker and owner washed his hair in back.

After another misevent to roll dough and bake it he made a few snappish comments that got her so badly that she smashed a dozen eggs over his head, and all into his hair, and was thankful for that. It took all her anger away before she could deck him.

So now he had to wash and she had to watch the front. This would be her only day working here. He wouldn't want her back. In ten minutes, at five the bakery would close.

A man walked in. He was hot, to her opinion, with small eyes and jet black hair.

Too bad he was married. A shiny band shined from his finger.

She sat up. "How may I help you?"

"I need a cake for my wife's birthday," he said. Damn he had an accent too. That lucky woman, Syl shook her head. She helped him choose one out, and wrote on it for him.

"You know," he said taking his change, "Your new around here?" he switched off.

She nodded.

"You're the nicest employee I've ever yet to see work here. For now on I'm recommending everyone here. I'm a cop and we all hang at Bryan's Bake, but now since you work here we will be here." He left with a wave.

She waved back and sighed. Unfortunently fo her she wouldn't be working here, and couldn't enjoy their pleasant company.

She turned to the back and came eye to eye with Adam.

"I'm keeping you." He smiled, a smirk to grace his face. With a head of wet hair he had a towel on his shoulder. If he was to walk out the door he would surely catch his death.

"Why?"

"You attrach customers, and as long as you stay out of the back we don't have a problem. You can work out here." And like an adult to a child he indicated the front.

Dude, she thought, like seriously I'm smarter than you'll ever be.



Syl couldn't argue, so she just nodded. With everything in the back cleaned up, and everything off he turned off the lights and she followed him out while he locked up.

"Tomorrow I have two employees returning," he added as an after thought.

"Couldn't give up working with you, right?" She patted him on the shoulder and putting her hood up walked into the already setting sun.

-

Next chapter brings bad memories from the past when she learns the names of other employees she will have to work with. Hope you enjoyed.