The Run 4

"He's cute even when he's filthy," Thalia commented while scratching the beagle behind the ear, causing some serious wagging and a lick.

"I guess so," Luke merely shrugged, bending forward and sticking yet another stolen marshmellow over the flames. "So, is there any reason why an attitudinal badass like you is wearing a pink dress?"

"It's the only clothes I have," she replied simply, tightly.

"Then why the hell didn't you just steal some new ones?"

The girl went quiet. As much as hated her mother, her girly-type clothes reminded her of the only thing familiar to her. It was also her token to Jason, in a way, to show she was still a fighter and that she remembered him. She hated the thought of giving them up totally, because that would mean letting go. Though it may be best at that point in her life and struggles, she wasn't ready too and wasn't really willing. She wanted to remember him, to never forget his sweet face or little laugh...

"Hello? Earth to Thalia?" Luke raises his eyebrow higher and waved a hand before her face, snapping her back to reality.

"No reason," she responded curtly.

He frowned a bit deeper. "You want to represent that bitch you call a parent?"

Now she narrowed her eyes and frowned herself, retorting sharply, "Like you don't still have a weakness for chocolate chip cookies!"

His slight smirk dropped as she looked away bitterly. Slowly, he inches closer, muttering in her ear, "Sensitive subject, much?"

"Stay out of this, Luke. It's stupid..." she merely grumbled, gripping onto the girl-colored cloth around her. It was actually the only piece of clothing that she'd brought that survived, and to lose it...

"There are other ways of...representing who you still love..." he said slowly. "Did they like music?"

"...Rock and roll. Alternative, like me..." She recalled, her voice distancing from reality as her eyes misted over slightly.

"Did he like you dressing up?"

"He never knew anything else."

"But did someone else like it? Your mother?"

"Yeah..."

"Then maybe you should do something with the bands he liked. Then you get to represent whoever that is you left behind but you can forget your mother. Like...I never forget my dad because of mom, and I eat a lot of chocolate chip cookies and peanut butter for her."

With steaming eyes, the ten year old looked up at the two year older. She may have only known him for a couple of weeks, but she could already feel the trust was mutual. They were all each other had left in the world, and she was determined not to lose him, too. Slowly, she nodded, turning to his burning marshmallow about the same time he did in realization.

"That poor almost S'more."

"Oh, shut up."

But of them were actually smiling.


"You have got no idea how good this feels." A smile was playing across the rebel girl's face as she sawed off a last piece of her dark hair, leaving it just down to her shoulders and unevenly styled.

"Here. This would fit you nicely," Luke smiled himself, tossing her a gray blue-jean jacket.

She slipped it on comfortably over the dark pink shirt, admiring her tight dark blue jeans in the full body mirror. The names and logos of several bands she and Jason listened to constantly were in the forms of buttons soon over the vest, leaving her to slide on some tight, combat-style boots to complete her new look. To her mother, she'd look like a demon. To her, she looked epic.

To Luke, she looked beautiful. Not that she knew that yet, of course.

"C'mon," he commented, "let's get out of here before-"

The flashing of lights cut him short.


Being twelve, Luke wasn't quite sure what to do.

Thalia had her head ducked, her wrists balancing on her knees. Them being caught by the police certainly was going to lead to contacting parents, but since they wouldn't speak of it, it was definitely sending them to Juvie and a lot of questions neither of them would answer. Eventually they'd just look up their profiles, and their mothers would have to come get them.

He wasn't going to let that happen, at least not to Thalia.

Glancing around the room briefly, he leaned over to ear ear and muttered, "There's a window. I'll distract them, you slip out."

"They'll see me with this security," she muttered, "besides, we're constrained with these handcuffs and I'm not going to lose you."

"Do I look like I care?" he snapped quietly. Besides, he already knew she'd picked their locks and was merely keeping up the charade.

"Then we'll go together. Let them see us," she responded in a mutter as another officer came up to them with a clipboard.

"Names?" he asked/demanded in montone, pen posed and eyes tired. He was at a heavy weight, so it was a mutal agreement between the two best friend he couldn't catch him if they ran, at least not alone or right away.

"Yeah..." the boy replied easily. "The name's Screw. Screw you."

And with that, he snapped his wrists up in sync with the girl, revealing their rubbed raw but freed wrists. Moving just as fast with their bodies, they took after down the squeaky tile. Behind them, the man barked for back up, but Luke had a good feeling that they'd be out before they could. Nearby, he could hear Annoying snarling and fighting against the officers; He burst in with little other choice. Annoying, after all, was his company for years before he found Thalia, and he was going to leave him now.

"Luke!" Thalia suddenly screamed as he elbowed past the vet-officers, each armed with tranquilizer guns.

Something embedded itself into his thigh as he spun around, catching a glimpse of her kicking against the officers. Neither of them were re-armed again, so she needed him. The world began to fuzz over as Annoying yelped, letting out a snarl that ended in a pained whimper.

The boy was caught between his two best friends, but he passed out before he could make that decision.


"I hauled both of your asses out of there because of Aegis..." It broke his heart to hear her voice so full of tears, but he wasn't in much better shape as he patted down the worn soil.

Thalia had been the hero in the end, but her hacking and slashing job hadn't been done without some casualties. Both Luke and Annoying were tranquilized and helpless, leaving her to struggle with them out as more police searched for them. He'd woken up after about a day of them laying low, but Annyoing was in such bad health he passed on in the end. Now the two friends were standing over his little grave, right on the edge of a new state and ready to get the hell out of the there. Neither of them were willing to go without telling him goodbye, though, especially him.

"You were annoying..." he whispered, gently pressing his lips to the dirt. "But you were family. I swear I'll make you proud."

As they walked away hand in hand, he allowed Thalia to witness one of the few times he'd ever cry.