Chapter 1: New Home

Blair

I stared disgustedly at the rather shabby door that led to my small apartment. It was a stark brown against the harsh auburn bricks that were to its sides, which were cracking, and it looked like most of them were about to fall apart. The steps leading to the door were mostly a light gray, most of them stained a rusty red, the metallic hue made me gulp. Fear settling in my stomach.

I didn't need to know what stained it.

With heavy steps I walked up the stairs, moving as quickly as I could. Even with the bright sun shining overhead I didn't want to spend too much time outside by myself. The stories of the gangs in this town sent shivers down my spine. If I'd had any other choice, I would have taken it. I would have gone anywhere else. That is the problem when running away, you have to go somewhere where the person chasing you won't expect.

Thoughts of my father's belt flashed across my mind, the feeling of his fist against my stomach. His screams still burned in my eardrums and remembering the rage is his eyes made me flinch. I shook my head, as I turned the key in the handle, opening the door.

The front room was surprisingly homey in comparison to what the front entrance looked like. It was a small open space with a large window across from the door. It was bright, with a surprising amount of natural light. I felt my shoulders relax as I stepped through the threshold. The room was empty, but I had expected that. The hunt for appliances and furniture was on my rather long list of things to do.

I let my single bag slide to the floor, setting it down gently as I reached to take off my shoes. The bag held only some clothes and a laptop that I had bought for myself on my way out of Steelport. It was all I had managed to grab on my way out of the house, that and a rather thick stack of cash from my father's safe. Thick being relative, I doubted he would even notice it was missing, I hoped he wouldn't notice that I was missing. I pulled the money from my back pocket, out of my wallet. Counting it diligently.

"One… two… three… four… five… six… seven." Seven thousand dollars. That had to last me until I managed to get a job. I ran my hand through my hair, it was cut short, just barely above shoulder length. Another rash decision I had made on my way out of town. I needed to hide my identity the best that I could, and it wasn't like I could just change my eye color or height, at least not easily.

'Maybe somewhere on campus will be hiring,' I opened my laptop and sat down on the barren floor, to start looking into things like utilities, and search for some good deals on the garage sale sites.

I had enrolled in the University in Stilwater with the hope of blending in as just another college student. Just so happened if you wanted to be an engineer schools would practically shove money at you. I enrolled under a fake name, with some rather blatantly fake credentials. I smirked. my outstanding test scores made them turn their heads the other way, their campus needed a boost, and I could give it to them. I would be able to get more realistic documents sometime in the future, but until then I just had to play it out and be careful. I was Blair Nyx. A 20-year-old girl from California, who moved out here to get a degree in chemical engineering and get away from my overbearing family. I chuckled to myself, it was an interesting enough name, though I would have to put some more effort into the back story but what I had would do in a pinch.

The scholarships had followed shortly after I applied and got accepted, people were jumping at thought of being able to help a girl through the STEM program. Though they were only enough to cover tuition and basic campus payments. Everything else was my responsibility.

I finally managed to get my laptop to boot up only to realize my first great mistake. The screen glaring at me mockingly.

I didn't have internet. I forgot about internet.

I let out a disgruntled groan, as I stood up from the empty floor, tucking my laptop protectively back in my bag once again. I glanced at the door hesitantly, before deciding that the best course of action was to see if I could find a café or coffee shop that provided internet. I needed to set up utilities, and I needed to see if I could navigate this town.

I sighed as I walked into my only bathroom, taking in its minuscule size. It was tiny even by bathroom standards. The walls were a hideous yellow and the subtle scent of what I could only assume was mold flooded my nose, I had to fight the urge to gag. As I walked up to the sink, I noticed something else out of place. The mirror was placed high on the wall, to the point that I could just barely see my entire face on it, even when standing on my toes. I glared at it angrily. Whoever lived here before must have been less vertically challenged.

Curse my short height.

I glanced at my rather disheveled appearance the best that I could. My strawberry blond hair was just barely longer than shoulder length, a stark difference from the length it was before, I reached up to it sadly. It had gone down to my lower back, maybe even lower. My blue eyes shined back at me and I frowned, the deep blues were a dead giveaway, I would have to add color contacts to the list of things I needed. The idea of it made me sick, to cover up my eyes. My last memento of her.

My mother's soft words echoed through my mind, 'Remember, live life." her beautiful soul didn't deserve to go, she was still so young. Murder was a terrible thing. When she had passed away, father changed. He got angry and distant. When he was home, he would beat me mercilessly for no reason. For something as little as he didn't like how the table was sitting today.

He was intent on me being able to take care of myself, for him, that meant sparing every spare second of the day. He never took it lightly, he never held punches.

"I can't take it easy on you, because the ones who try to take you from me won't either."

I flinched as I brought my hand up to my still bruised arm, it was no doubt discolored beneath my long sleeve shirt. I could only imagine what my ribs looked like. I pulled rather weakly at my sleeves, before turning towards the door, and heading back out into the streets. My father had tried his best to 'train' me, though I never really was good at it, and I didn't want to hurt people.

I had walked 3 blocks before I started to get worried, that either I wouldn't find an open, Wi-Fi providing café, or I would be found by someone else. As I rounded what I hoped would be my last corner I spotted my savior.

"Apollo" in big bright white letters was lit up on a building, with a big ass donut in an even bigger coffee cup, and sure enough smack dab in the center of the door was a sign that said, "Free Wi-Fi with purchase."

Jackpot.

I walked into the rather empty café and made an order at the front desk. The soft scent of coffee hit my nose and I nearly died from the sheer happiness of the moment. The boy at the counter looked disgruntled at being there, so I did my best to make my order simple. Caramel macchiato. He seemed to groan as he took my money, handing me the receipt, which just so happened to have the Wi-Fi password on it. I smiled with glee.

I went to one of the open desks by the windows and opened my laptop as I waited for them to call my name. Maybe this wouldn't be as bad as I thought. I pulled up Chrome and started looking for jobs on campus.

The familiar ding of the door opening drew my attention away from the laptop. My eyes landing on a tall, muscular looking man. His hair was dark obsidian, with the tips a frosted white. He looked terribly out of place.

His hands were shoved in his pockets, and his shirt looked like it was about to fall off his body it was so tight against his skin. I could tell I was staring but couldn't find it in me to look away. He just looked so, strong?

He walked up to the counter with a confident strut, his towering form made the poor kid at the counter shake. He looked like he was about to shit his pants. If the purple-clad man noticed he didn't show it. He stared at the menu with a look of concentration, before turning his gaze on the boy once again.

"Got any black coffee?" Did he spend all that time just to order that? I had to muffle a snort as I turned my head back to my laptop, doing my best not to steal glances at the mysterious stranger.

"Y-yes, what s-size would you like s-sir?" The poor barista was in shambles, it was funny how fast he gained manners.

The man seemed to contemplate for a moment longer. "Large."

The boy scrambled to put in the order, his fingers shaking heavily. The man in purple felt intimidating, I could tell that much. I knew I should look away, that it wasn't worth the trouble, but I just couldn't find the will too.

"W-what's the name?" The man looked agitated as if the questions were dragging on his already shoddy at best patience.

"Johnny," Johnny tossed money on the counter haphazardly, not giving the barista another glance as he turned around. His hands were shoved in his pockets and for the first time, I got a good look at him. My breath caught in my throat. I was unable to look away as he walked towards me. I couldn't see his eyes behind his dark-tinted sunglasses, and part of me was glad.

I don't think I would have been able to handle that.

He seemed to slow in his stride, glancing around the room as though looking for a spot to sit, before choosing an isolated seat next to the window. I watched with disdain, and a twinge of joy, as he walked away from me. Because hot damn.

He damn near looked better walking away.

Johnny's POV

Walking down the streets of Stilwater always seemed to calm me down, the minimal breeze, the clear skies, the soft scent of gunpowder on the air.

Peaceful.

Walking through the streets of Sommerset was a trip, to say the least. With the Brotherhood takeover, the entire area felt like a different place. I had damn near lost hope of ever returning Stilwater to what it once was.

Until the boss returned of course.

I had been balls deep in a prison sentence, about to be sent to the chair when the boss busted into the courtroom. Clad in a crop top and a fucked up looking Freckle Bitches skirt. His normally short black hair long and slicked black, his typical haphazard grin on his face as he snatched the gun from the security guard.

Jaxon Black was another beast altogether though, he could rally a group of wild animals into a congregated group overnight. He's done it before, I could help but smirk. We've done it before.

Breaking out of prison should have been a god sent.

Should have been.

Imagine my surprise walking in on Aisha fucking a Brotherhood member. Killing him would have been the second-best thing that had happened that day. Walking away was the hardest.

It happened 4 months ago, and it still fucking stings. I ran a hand through my hair, a disgruntled growl coming to my lips.

I rounded another corner, and Apollo's huge twirling coffee cup came into view. I scoffed at the obscenity of it, coffee had never been my forte.

I walked past the building, fully intent on keeping on my way.

Until I saw her.

Her short blond hair framed her face, her smile damn near knocked me on my ass. The way her eyes lit up as she collected her coffee. She had a beauty around her that was unreal. I stopped outside the door, my eyes focusing on her as she sat down to her laptop, contently typing away.

I'm not sure what caused me to open the door, I should have just kept walking, I was far too busy for this shit. But as I entered the building, I couldn't find the will to leave. I strode up to the counter and ordered a coffee.

Once that encounter was over, thank fuck, I turned around slowly, trying my best to make it seem like I wasn't staring at her.

Thank god for sunglasses.

I caught her eyes on me, a small blush painting her cheeks. She looked as starstruck as I did when she realized she was staring she quickly turned herself away from me. The blush lit up her cheeks as she tried her best to keep her eyes averted. I had to force myself not to smirk. Her eyes hesitantly jumped up from her computer towards me as I walked away, towards the nearest open booth.

As I waited for my coffee, I couldn't take my mind off her. I'd slip a glance in her direction now and again, only to find her doing the same.

It was strange, everyone else in the building was doing their best to make themselves seem small, they knew who I was. She didn't seem to have that same caution. It brought a smile to my face at the thought.

Maybe I would have to start liking coffee.

Hello my lovelies, just a story that came to me while I was replaying the series. Not sure if I'm going to continue it or not, so if you guys like it please let me know. Thank you all for reading.

Je t'aime~