Lifty stared out the window of Flaky's car, a bored glaze clouding his eyes as they peered out at the surroundings pass by. The redhead was driving the two of them downtown to the local library, not even saying why they were going here in the first place. The library was a place Lifty never went to, after all, what was there to steal in a library expect some dusty old books? He drummed his fingers on the seat's armrest and let out a bored sigh. Flaky heard the exhale and glanced over at him out of the corner of her eye, one eyebrow raised.
"You okay, Lifty?"
Lifty didn't tear his eyes away from the window as he muttered sarcastically, "Oh, I'm just peachy! Being dragged to a place I don't even wanna go to is the best way I'd think to spend my afternoon."
"I-I told you we were going to one of my friends who could help you. Teach you how to be a better person," Flaky frowned.
Lifty simply chose not to answer to that, seeing the library straight ahead and waited for the car to stop so he could get out of the small car. Flaky parked her car in the small parking lot next to the building and got out, bounding up the stone steps with surprising speed. She cupped her hands against the glass doors and peered inside for her friend, eyes lighting up happily when she noticed him walking towards her.
"Flippy!"
Flippy opened the library's door and pulled his friend into a hug, a warm smile on his face. "Hey, Flakes. How've you been?"
Flaky felt her pale cheeks turn a light shade of pink as she held the taller boy back, stuttering out, "Well, I'm g-good. But I need your help, my friend does actually."
Flippy let go of the red-haired girl and nodded, "Happy to help. Any friend of yours is a friend of mine!"
"Great! I-"
"Jesus Christ! Why are there so many fuckin' steps?" The friends turned to the sound of Lifty's voice, seeing the man climbing up the top step, panting slightly as he stood, "Need to put in an escalator or something. . ."
The war vet's cheery smile vanished, being replaced by a look of suspicion at the thief's arrival. He put an arm up in front of Flaky, as though to protect her from him. He narrowed his emerald eyes at the other male before them.
"Flaky? Why's the thief here?"
Lifty knelt down, trying to get some air back in tired lungs, and watched as Flaky pushed his arm down and went over to stand by him. He saw her lift up her hand and gestured to him, "He's the friend I was talking about, Flips."
Lifty frowned when Flaky called him a friend. Since when were they friends? Since he arrived at her house last night? Since they shared a quiet, awkward breakfast together. If they really were friends, then this was news to him. . .
"I see. Well, it's so. . .great that you got yourself a new friend." Flippy gave the thief a wide fake smile, straining the word friend like it was the worst insult you could call somebody, "What's he need help with? Directions to the nearest jail cell? A good place to rob?"
Flaky didn't seem to get he was only slightly joking and tensed up, eyes going wide as she shook her head frantically, "Oh! No, no. N-Nothing like that. He just needs someone to teach him how to be a good person. I-I'm trying to get him ready for life without his brother."
Flippy nodded and waved his hand to the library, "C'mon in then. We can sit inside and maybe I can help him out. . ."
Flippy opened the door and walked back inside, Flaky following close by. Lifty was still at the top step, still trying to catch his breath. He looked up from the ground and noticed they were gone. He let out an annoyed groan and muttered to himself before going inside.
"Best waste of an afternoon ever. . ."
X X X
Lifty could feel both Flippy and Flaky's eyes on him as he stared straight ahead, unblinking, at a fly buzzing around a trash can. The three were at a table in the back of the library, hidden by shelves and shelves of books. Flaky sat between the two men and they all just waited for someone to say something, no one did though. Finally, after the fly went away, Lifty turned his gaze to the soldier and the timid girl before him.
"Jeez Flaky, you and your friends really got a staring problem."
Flippy didn't even try to hide his grudging annoyance as he sneered at him, "And you got a stealing problem, thief! And I'm going to cure you of it."
Lifty raised an eyebrow at him, resting his elbows on the table and placing his hand under his chin as he leaned against it, "Oh? Well soldier boy, you go right on ahead."
Flippy ignored the nickname Lifty gave him and instead stood up, walking around the table until he was facing the other two. He fished something out of his pocket, a thin brown leather wallet, and held it up for them to see.
"Okay! The first test for you. This should be a cakewalk, even for someone like you."
Flippy started to walk away from the table, his back turned away from them as he spoke to Lifty, "Let's say you happen to see me drop my wallet," Flippy let his wallet fall to the ground and continued to walk away as though it never happened. He turned around, staring at the other green-haired male.
"What do you do?"
Lifty rose from his chair, walking over and scooping up the wallet in a single swift movement. He handed the leather object back to the soldier, a small grin tugging at his lips.
"Simple, I find you and give it back. Here you go."
"Great," Flippy didn't even blink or open the wallet as he eyed Lifty, "Now give me back the money."
Lifty's grin vanished almost instantly, a scowl forming on his lips as he dug out a twenty dollar bill from inside his glove, handing the crumpled bill back to the war veteran. Surely he hadn't thought Lifty would just give up some easy cash from a dropped wallet. What kind of thief would he be if he didn't even try?
"You're not fun, soldier boy."
"L-Lifty! Really? T-That was a test!" Flaky smiled, despite seeing how annoyed Flippy was getting. It seemed that Lifty was a really good pickpocket.
Lifty frowned at the girl, waving his hand to the wallet, "I knew that. But I mean, C'mon! It was just yelling at me to swipe it!"
Flippy let out a sharp breath, pinching his nose in frustration. Lifty watched the vet with a keen eye as Flippy walked back to the table and set his wallet down.
"Okay, we are going to try something different now. I'm gonna set my wallet here and I want you to not, I repeat, not touch it."
Lifty eyed him with a curious gaze, "And what happens if I do?"
"Well, I guess you'll have to find out."
Already suspicious of the soldier and his new test, he reached out and laid a single finger on the leather seconds before-
Crack!
Lifty hissed in pain and withdrew his hand, seeing it already start to turn red. His eyes narrowed as they landed on the object that caused him the sudden pain: a hardback book in the soldier's hand. He also noticed the ever-growing smug smile on Flippy's face, showing that he was fully aware that he knew the other male was going to touch it.
"You son of a bitch! You tricked me."
Flippy shook his head, "Nope. I told you not to touch it," he twirled the book in his hands, "And you didn't listen."
Lifty gave him a glare and decided that he was going to beat the soldier at his own game. He was going to annoy him until Flippy gave up or his hand broke. Flaky watched as Lifty made a move to poke the wallet again and stammered out in worry, "W-Wait, maybe this isn't a good idea! The pain won't t-teach him anything, Flippy."
A sharp crack! was all the response she got as Lifty's hand grazed the leather again.
"I'm still touching it!"
Crack!
"Oooh! That one almost hurt!"
Crack!
"Man, you really wanna hurt me, don't ya?"
Crack!
X X X
Lifty prodded his sore hand with his other one, almost certain it was going to have a huge bruise or even a few broken fingers as he watched the passing buildings from Flaky's car window. He could still feel the pain through his hand going numb. But did he regret it? Nope. Was it hilarious to see Flippy getting more and more angry with each strike as the thief continued to test him? Hell yea it was.
Flaky drove them back, her eyes glued to the road, but couldn't take the silence anymore as she muttered to him, "So. . .what did you learn today, Lifty?"
"That it's funnier than hell to see a goodie-two-shoes nearly pop a blood vessel while trying to keep my hand off his wallet."
Flaky sighed, "Maybe we'll t-try something different next time. Maybe a class on manners. . ."
