For the Sanity Left In Me
~Chapter Three~
Snake shakily stood up. I could tell he was debating whether to run off again or to just stay, I mean the damage had already been done. I saw him. I saw his face. I knew he had been following me. There was no reversing any of that.
He stared at me with a questioning look in his eyes. I shrugged. If he was expecting me to run away from him or something he was wrong. Yes, he was an oddity but who wasn't in that gang? Why was he so afraid of me seeing his face?
I half expected him to say something to me but he just stood and shuffled his feet.
"Will you tell me why you were following me?" He barely seemed to have comprehended what I had said. He was too busy studying me.
I'm not sure what was so interesting about me for him to look at. I pictured myself briefly, dark brown wavy hair, a pale as could be complexion, matching pale pink lips, and nearly oversized grey eyes. I subconsciously rubbed at my cheeks incase anything was on my face.
"You know why." He announced before turning away and starting to walk in the other direction, "see you laterss."
I let him walk away.
You know that feeling you get when you know something bad is going to happen to you if you go somewhere but you go anyway? Well, that's what I'm feeling right now. This morning I decided to go to an outdoor market.
So, here I am. I lazily glanced around. People watching never ceased to be interesting, I mean there's always something funny about people. From the way they walk to the way they talk, people are different. I was just enjoying everything when I heard a loud thump a bit of a ruckus. I heard someone mutter to their friend about a stand being knocked over and some hoodlums being there. The yelling was getting louder --mostly one irritatingly familiar voice yelling over everyone. Ace. They were stealing something in a not very discreet way.
Fully prepared to just turn right around and run I moved away but not before I saw some lady jump up from a table and dart away from the impending scene. She left an unopened sandwich behind. Hunger momentarily deafened my rational side, which was screaming for me to hightail my way out of there, and I stole after the sandwich. Tearing open the paper wrapped around it I tucked into it like I was starved, which I was, and in the bliss of food forgot about the gang. Only to be rudely reminded by a plump squat man knocking into me on his way out. I wanted to scream in frustration when he bumped me because he made me drop my sandwich.
Now, I could clearly see the group slinking their way over here. Panicking I looked from side to side for an escape but the crowd of frightened people blocked my only exits. They kept getting closer and they were bound to spot me soon. My hopeful side tried to assure me that they wouldn't see me in the large crowd but I knew better. This was a crowd of families, moms and dads dragging children along with them, old and young couples alike shopping for produce, and just happy people moving in pairs or small groups. Being by myself I stuck out like a sore thumb.
They were getting so close now that I could here their voices. I dived behind a man in front of me hoping they wouldn't see me. I could feel my safety with the crowd disintegrate as they shuffled to their cars and into cabs. I stood unsure what to do at the entrance of the market. I started to go left but realized I couldn't hear the gang. They must have went the other way. I tip toed my way back in and peeked around. Empty. I decided to grab some abandoned stand's food before the cops showed.
On my way to my alcove I looked down at the food gathered in my arms and my stomach growled. I grabbed a roll and started eating again. Chewing I inspected the street. Some police cars had just rushed by me. I knew I picked the correct direction to go since they went the opposite way.
I had just about made it to my alcove when I heard voices, familiar ones . I spun around looking for the source only to come to the dreaded realization that they were down my little alley. I sighed and started to head the other way when my stubborn side kicked in. This way my turf and they shouldn't be in it without my permission or making me feel like I was the one trespassing. I stomped past them whipping my hands off on my jeans, leaving bread crumbs in my wake.
They were in a circle laughing. I knew I couldn't simply drop my food off in my alcove and come back so I stuffed it in my pack. I came and stood behind Ace. The littlest one noticed me right off the bat. He said something in Spanish and pointed at me to alert Ace.
Stiffening up Ace twisted his head so that he could get a glimpse of who was behind him. If I had been about six inches taller we would have been nose to forehead. A gleeful smile broke out on his face when he saw it was me. He twisted the rest of his body around so that he was facing me. My frown deepened.
"Well, well, well. Lookie who decided to show up." He leaned forward as he said this. His black glasses slid down the bridge of his nose. His eyes sparkled with mischief, "We was lookin' for ya weren't we, boys?" A chorus of yeses rang out through the alley.
I raised an eyebrow, "Me, show up? What did you expect this is my turf after all Ace."
He flashed me a grin that was all teeth and tilted his head back, "Hey boys this is Birdy. She's the new member I told you about."
I looked at the other members, all green, all staring at me, every single one of their stares were curious. I returned each gaze. There was the little dark haired guy who saw me first, there was the huge one with orange hair who I met that night way back, there was this extremely ratty kid with dark brown hair, and then there was Snake.
Newest member my ass—I never agreed to it so therefore I'm not involved. Right?
Wrong. I found this out as I was being towed around by Big Billy to my new 'home.' Oh, the joys of being noticed by the town thugs. The first class ride featuring some of the loveliest scenery: Billy's back, the sidewalk, oh and the garbage on the sidewalk.
I let my body hang-- every bump in the sidewalk was the bane of my existence.