Mmkay, so AGAIN, I can't apologize enough for the delay! Things have been so hectic that I really haven't had time to do anything other than study :/ BUT here's a new chapter; hopefully it's long enough for you!
Thanks so much to everyone who's added me to their favorites/story alerts/etc, even though I haven't been as faithful to updating this story as I should be.
Aaaaand a heaping thank you to everyone who's been reviewing! Your words keep me writing (even if I don't put everything up right awayxD)
Amber Sweet was enraged. "WHERE IS HE?" Her scream echoed and bounced off the walls of what used to be her father's office. "He couldn't have just… Disappeared! What's taking so long? That… that cunt!" A table lamp went careening towards the wall by her brother's head.
"A-hey!" Pavi glanced up from the mirror he was holding to meet his sister's furious glare.
"He's probably with that bitch! I'm obviously not good enough, EVERYONE loves her! 'My daddy's been poisoning me and killing people while I sleep. Oh, woe is me! I'm such a FUCKING MARTYR.'" Amber slammed herself against the desk, placing a hand melodramatically over her heart. I've got a company to run, goddamnit! Why does no one seem to care? They all just go to that… that… WHORE!"
Pavi snuck out of the office while Amber's back was turned to avoid another lamp.
"Fucking Shilo Wallace, I want her gone…"
~x~
"So, why do you do this?" Tristan had become quite the regular customer in the weeks that followed.
"Do what?" Shilo asked as she filled another addict with Zydrate. Oddly enough, she was okay with Tristan coming by just to talk. After their first meeting, he had always had the money to pay her… She figured idle conversation with her new acquaintance couldn't hurt, so long as he was still hooked on her wares.
"This… Sell Zydrate. I mean, you could probably do anything else you wanted! You're smart enough, and you're pretty enough, and you seem to know what you're doing all the time…" His voice trailed off as he eyed her.
Shilo laughed. "Flattery will get you no where, sir. Besides, I don't even know how to answer your question. I guess… It's a long story." Her tone was light, but she was being serious. The people on the street didn't even know her name, let alone her back story. And she had to keep it that way; the walls had ears.
Tristan nodded and leaned against a dumpster. He was about to speak, when Shilo held a finger up to him. A customer came up to her, and Tristan got comfortable where he was. He wanted to watch the girl at work. The plastic man paid, and Shilo knelt down at his feet. Tristan thought she looked almost holy, looking up at the man like she wanted only to help him ward off the pain. Shilo then performed a craft she had, for the most part, mastered beautifully. She raised the hem of the man's shirt, and injected him above his prominent hip bones. She stood, and the man fell, collapsed with a muddled grin on his face. "You were going to say something?" Shilo looked back to Tristan, a small smile graced her lips.
Tristan laughed to himself, and looked at his feet. "I've… I need to ask you something." Shilo turned to look at him, an eyebrow raised. "I… I can't do this anymore. This whole 'living on the street thing'. It's so dirty and… and people aren't all as nice as you. I just," his brow furrowed, as he took in a stubborn breath, "I can't stay here." His voice was almost a whisper; Shilo had to strain to hear it.
"What're you going to do, then?" She asked as she placed the now empty Zydrate vial in her pack.
"Well… I was hoping… That maybe you'd be able to…" Tristan's head couldn't fall any lower.
"Take you in?" Shilo finished for him. He looked up, relief etched in every line of his face. He nodded, the faintest trace of a smile around the corners of his mouth. Shilo, however, did not look so assuaged. "Um…" She looked over at Graverobber, and hoped he could feel her need for him to intervene somehow. But he was doing what he did best, and couldn't turn to help. "Um, I'd like to help, kid, but I don't think I can do that." She laughed nervously, and Tristan's face fell yet again The girl's heart went out to him. It wasn't that she didn't want to give him a place to stay… He seemed innocent enough, but having a Z addict in the house of two Zydrate peddlers would probably not be the best idea. "I'm sorry, I just… Don't think he'd be too happy about that," She nodded towards Graverobber.
Tristan's eyes widened. "You two live together?"
"Shit," Shilo thought. No one was supposed to know that. No one was supposed to know anything about either of them. "What? No. Maybe. Don't tell anyone, okay?" Her voice was silently pleading, and she hoped he could tell how serious she was. Tristan chuckled.
"Why not?" He questioned, laughter still in his voice.
Shilo couldn't think of a good enough reason. At least not a reason the boy would understand. "Look, I'll ask him if you can stay with us, for tonight, if you promise me you won't tell anyone." Shilo was thankful that the crowd had thinned; the less people they were surrounded by, the less chance there was for someone to eavesdrop.
"Really?" Tristan's smile seemed to stretch passed his ears.
Shilo nodded. "Just… stay by that dumpster till we figure this out," she ordered. Tristan did as he was told.
~x~
"What?" Graverobber spat. "Are you crazy? We can't take that in! Why would we?" Shilo had waited until the crowd was totally gone to divulge her thoughts to Graverobber.
"Well, just look at him!" She gestured towards Tristan, crouched pathetically by the dumpster, breathing into his grubby hands for warmth. "That kid doesn't belong out here. And I mean, since he already knows we live together, it's not like he'll-"
"WHAT? Jesus Christ kid, did your father not teach you the meaning of the word 'secret' when you were a kid? That's not just something you run around telling people!"
"But he's not just a people, he's… well… Kind of my friend, I guess. I barely ever talk to anyone other than you, and I just… I feel bad." She looked up at Graverobber, trying her best to manipulatively stare him down. And it worked.
"Ugh, fine. Damnit kid, I think you broke me or something," He rolled his eyes and muttered under his breath as Shilo walked, almost skipped, to where Tristan was.
"He said you could stay! Only for tonight, but you can stay!" Tristan's eyes blazed happily as he stood.
"Lead the way," he said.
Short? Yes. But will a new chapter be up very soon? Also yes!
