Chapter 3
Someone Like You
Disclaimer: I don't own anything to do with friends.
A/N: Thank you so much for all the positive reviews. I was shocked that anyone would be interested in reading a Phoebe on the streets story. So to all the people who are enjoying this, im going to continue just for you :o) And remember, any suggestions, good or bad are welcomed. I love hearing your opinions.
~~*~~
The café smelled of greasy bacon and day old chip fat. This wasn't what she had imagined at all. When he said a nice meal to celebrate Christmas eve she had pictured a classy French restaurant, waiters kitted out in the best suits money would buy, genuine Parisian accents and a man at a grand piano in the corner, playing Frank Sinatra songs until dawn. But this was more like a truck drivers pit stop. Sweaty, unkempt "cooks" stood at the counter, carelessly flipping burgers, occasionally dropping one onto the floor and tossing in back onto the grill, wiping their hands down their stained, once white aprons.
"So, what would my little thin friend like to eat?"
Tony pulled out a chair for her and watched in amusement as she grimaced at his harsh words. He knew from earlier this annoyed her, but he was revelling in the joy of watching her squirm.
She pulled the chair in closer to the table by herself and eyed Tony warily as he took the seat opposite her, his elbows resting on the table top as he settled.
"So?" He questioned her again. She scornfully picked up the tattered menu from its clear plastic holder. She studied it intently, while at the same time fully aware of his eyes boring into her, watching her every move. She could hardly concentrate for thinking about it.
"I'll have a cheeseburger and fries, please." She tried to sound as polite as she would allow herself to be. She placed the menu back in the holder and watched for his response.
"Cheeseburger and fries it is. Be right back sweetie." The chair made a spine chilling screech as he pushed it back on its four legs to allow himself room to stand up. It caused Phoebe to wince at its uninviting noise.
She observed Tony fixedly as he placed and waited on the order at the unhygienic steel counter. She noted he was a handsome man, but his sleazy manner made him come across as unattractive and unappealing. She also couldn't help but feel terrified of him. Deep down she knew there was something not right, just something she couldn't put her finger on, but the uneasy feeling was there non the less. She wanted so badly to run, escape from his clutches, but as her eyes broke the gaze from Tony and scanned the room full of diners tucking into their late-night meals she knew she would be staying where she was. She wanted food more than anything in the world right now. So she vowed she would put up with him until she was full, make her excuses and leave.
If only it were that easy.
The sound of bone china hitting the glass-topped table woke Phoebe from her daydreaming. In front of her was her very rare, bloody burger and fries; swimming in the lard they had been cooked in. Her stomach rumbled and a feeling of sickness arose in her. She didn't know if it was caused by hunger, or the repulsive thoughts of eating the raw looking piece of meat sandwiched between buns.
"Something wrong?" Tony questioned sternly after seeing her reaction of disappointment and disgust.
"Eh? Oh no, this perfect, just wonderful," She lied unpersuasively.
"Good! I wouldn't like to think you were being ungrateful to your uncle Tony now." He sneered perversely at her as she slowly took her first bite of burger, desperately trying not to focus on it, knowing fine well she would vomit if she did.
*
Time passed slowly. Very little conversation passing between the two, and when it did it was usually Tony doing the talking, with Phoebe replying in monosyllabic one-word answers. She didn't want this man knowing a single thing about her. As far as she was concerned he was a stranger, and one thing she had learnt while living on the streets was never trust anyone, especially peculiar men.
Phoebe placed down her half eaten burger. Vowing she would never let another slice of meat pass her lips again, ever. The last 20 minutes had been sheer torture for her, and she didn't want to relive it.
"You didn't eat much," Tony's harsh look made Phoebe uneasy. "Yeah, well it doesn't take much to fill me up these days," she lied. She could have easily eaten a 10oz steak and still had room for more, but she wasn't going to admit that to him. She just wanted to get home, back to her box. If she didn't go soon someone was likely to steal it from her, the last thing she needed on Christmas Eve.
"I had better get going now. Its late." Phoebe stood u from the table as quickly and as steadily as she could, never making eye contact with Tony, terrified to see what the expression on his face would say.
"Why leave now, we are having so much fun. How about you spend the night at my house, and in the morning I'll introduce you to some "friends" of mine." Tony jumped from his seat, startling Phoebe as he grabbed her arm tightly.
"I, I better not, the people in my alley will wonder where I am and come looking for me, there very protective of me you see," Phoebe stuttered uncontrollably as she lied. No one cared where she was, or even if she was alive.
Tony let his grip loosen slightly and Phoebe took advantage of it, running speedily to the café's door, throwing herself through it as quickly as she could. The cold air slapped at her face as she ran through the empty, darkened streets, the snow under her feet making her lose her balance as her worn away sneakers lost there grip on the iced up sidewalk.
Suddenly a hand grabbed at her arm and pulled her down onto the ground as her feet slipped on the wet pavement. She let out a scream of alarm, which was abruptly muffled by another hand. She struggled for breath as the cold palm covered her mouth and nose, her heart beating out of her chest as the oxygen was sucked from her.
"You're coming with me, if you like it or not." Tony's voice now had a sinister tone that petrified Phoebe to her core. He dragged her to her feet, and forcefully dragged her across the street. What was he going to do with her? Only time would tell.
Someone Like You
Disclaimer: I don't own anything to do with friends.
A/N: Thank you so much for all the positive reviews. I was shocked that anyone would be interested in reading a Phoebe on the streets story. So to all the people who are enjoying this, im going to continue just for you :o) And remember, any suggestions, good or bad are welcomed. I love hearing your opinions.
~~*~~
The café smelled of greasy bacon and day old chip fat. This wasn't what she had imagined at all. When he said a nice meal to celebrate Christmas eve she had pictured a classy French restaurant, waiters kitted out in the best suits money would buy, genuine Parisian accents and a man at a grand piano in the corner, playing Frank Sinatra songs until dawn. But this was more like a truck drivers pit stop. Sweaty, unkempt "cooks" stood at the counter, carelessly flipping burgers, occasionally dropping one onto the floor and tossing in back onto the grill, wiping their hands down their stained, once white aprons.
"So, what would my little thin friend like to eat?"
Tony pulled out a chair for her and watched in amusement as she grimaced at his harsh words. He knew from earlier this annoyed her, but he was revelling in the joy of watching her squirm.
She pulled the chair in closer to the table by herself and eyed Tony warily as he took the seat opposite her, his elbows resting on the table top as he settled.
"So?" He questioned her again. She scornfully picked up the tattered menu from its clear plastic holder. She studied it intently, while at the same time fully aware of his eyes boring into her, watching her every move. She could hardly concentrate for thinking about it.
"I'll have a cheeseburger and fries, please." She tried to sound as polite as she would allow herself to be. She placed the menu back in the holder and watched for his response.
"Cheeseburger and fries it is. Be right back sweetie." The chair made a spine chilling screech as he pushed it back on its four legs to allow himself room to stand up. It caused Phoebe to wince at its uninviting noise.
She observed Tony fixedly as he placed and waited on the order at the unhygienic steel counter. She noted he was a handsome man, but his sleazy manner made him come across as unattractive and unappealing. She also couldn't help but feel terrified of him. Deep down she knew there was something not right, just something she couldn't put her finger on, but the uneasy feeling was there non the less. She wanted so badly to run, escape from his clutches, but as her eyes broke the gaze from Tony and scanned the room full of diners tucking into their late-night meals she knew she would be staying where she was. She wanted food more than anything in the world right now. So she vowed she would put up with him until she was full, make her excuses and leave.
If only it were that easy.
The sound of bone china hitting the glass-topped table woke Phoebe from her daydreaming. In front of her was her very rare, bloody burger and fries; swimming in the lard they had been cooked in. Her stomach rumbled and a feeling of sickness arose in her. She didn't know if it was caused by hunger, or the repulsive thoughts of eating the raw looking piece of meat sandwiched between buns.
"Something wrong?" Tony questioned sternly after seeing her reaction of disappointment and disgust.
"Eh? Oh no, this perfect, just wonderful," She lied unpersuasively.
"Good! I wouldn't like to think you were being ungrateful to your uncle Tony now." He sneered perversely at her as she slowly took her first bite of burger, desperately trying not to focus on it, knowing fine well she would vomit if she did.
*
Time passed slowly. Very little conversation passing between the two, and when it did it was usually Tony doing the talking, with Phoebe replying in monosyllabic one-word answers. She didn't want this man knowing a single thing about her. As far as she was concerned he was a stranger, and one thing she had learnt while living on the streets was never trust anyone, especially peculiar men.
Phoebe placed down her half eaten burger. Vowing she would never let another slice of meat pass her lips again, ever. The last 20 minutes had been sheer torture for her, and she didn't want to relive it.
"You didn't eat much," Tony's harsh look made Phoebe uneasy. "Yeah, well it doesn't take much to fill me up these days," she lied. She could have easily eaten a 10oz steak and still had room for more, but she wasn't going to admit that to him. She just wanted to get home, back to her box. If she didn't go soon someone was likely to steal it from her, the last thing she needed on Christmas Eve.
"I had better get going now. Its late." Phoebe stood u from the table as quickly and as steadily as she could, never making eye contact with Tony, terrified to see what the expression on his face would say.
"Why leave now, we are having so much fun. How about you spend the night at my house, and in the morning I'll introduce you to some "friends" of mine." Tony jumped from his seat, startling Phoebe as he grabbed her arm tightly.
"I, I better not, the people in my alley will wonder where I am and come looking for me, there very protective of me you see," Phoebe stuttered uncontrollably as she lied. No one cared where she was, or even if she was alive.
Tony let his grip loosen slightly and Phoebe took advantage of it, running speedily to the café's door, throwing herself through it as quickly as she could. The cold air slapped at her face as she ran through the empty, darkened streets, the snow under her feet making her lose her balance as her worn away sneakers lost there grip on the iced up sidewalk.
Suddenly a hand grabbed at her arm and pulled her down onto the ground as her feet slipped on the wet pavement. She let out a scream of alarm, which was abruptly muffled by another hand. She struggled for breath as the cold palm covered her mouth and nose, her heart beating out of her chest as the oxygen was sucked from her.
"You're coming with me, if you like it or not." Tony's voice now had a sinister tone that petrified Phoebe to her core. He dragged her to her feet, and forcefully dragged her across the street. What was he going to do with her? Only time would tell.