Also, I just realised I forgot to put something at the beginning of the previous chapter: In this story, the gang has yet to find out about Scipio's father (whom he still lives with) and all that stuff. Also, some years have passed, so they're a bit older (like Scip is eighteen, Hornet is about 15, etc)
And one more thing: I haven't read the book in a while, so if I get something wrong (like a last name or things of the sort) I apologize in advance.
Enjoy this chapter!
Chapter One
"So basically, Scipio just found her and brought her here?"
"Yes, Riccio."
"And he's never even seen her before?"
"Yes---well, if you were in his situation, what would you have done?"
"Nothing."
Hornet lightly slapped the boy on the back of his head. "Oh, shut up."
It was the next day, and outside, the sun was high in the sky, making the temperatures skyrocket, not unusual for this time of year. Hornet had just finished telling the story of what had happened last night to Bo, Riccio, Mosca, and Prosper.
"Is she staying with us?" asked Riccio suddenly. Hornet stared at him. "What?" he said.
"What makes you so sure she's run away? How do you expect me to know?" she asked.
"Well, I don't...but---"
"And that, Riccio, is exactly the point."
Upstairs, the girl tossed and turned in her bed as a horrific nightmare played again and again in her head: the sound of sirens and bright blue and red lights flashing through the night air; her body, falling through an empty world; and then finally, a door slamming behind her, over and over again, as though she were closing all of these chapters out of her life each time, something she had tried so desperately to do all along. She had yet to awaken, but when she did, it was not the sight she had wanted to see.
She looked around the room and sat up, the first thought coming to her mind was that she was, in fact, not dead. She was not sure how to feel about this, but her expression showed complete disappointment, which quickly changed into rage. She bit her lip and forced herself to calm down, trying to think of something else.
Where was she, anyway?
At that moment, Hornet walked by the open door and said, "You're awake! Good, I was---"
"Who are you and where the hell am I?" she asked, interrupting the other girl. Hornet smiled slightly and sat at the end of her bed.
"I'm Hornet. Well, it's not my real name, but it's what everyone calls me. And you are?"
There was a moment of suspicious glaring before the reply came: "Elaine. Elaine Vieri."
"That's a really nice name. I used to know someone named Elaine..."
"Where am I?" Elaine asked again, with a hint of annoyance in her voice.
"You're in The Stella. It's an old movie theatre...but I'm sure you already know that. Anyway, where are you from?"
"Why do you care?"
"So we can take you home."
"Home? I ran away for a reason!"
Elaine hadn't meant to say it to anyone, much less this stranger, but at her words, Hornet looked as though she may have expected it.
"Oh, well, then that would clear things up. Do you want to stay here, then?"
"In a cinema?"
"Well, yes." Looking at the confusion on Elaine's face, Hornet said, "Let me explain. There are five of us living here, all about our age -besides Bo, who's seven- and we're all orphans. Excluding Mosca, that is," she added after a pause. "But anyway, we all stay here because none of us want to go to an orphanage and such. It's pretty nice. It's like we're all one big family or something."
"And how do you pay for everything?" said Elaine, now quite interested in the orphans and their lives.
Hornet hesitated, then said slowly, "We sell things. Stolen things."
"So you all live in an old theatre and make money by illegally selling stolen things?" said Elaine, a grin beginning to form on her lips.
"Well...yes."
"That's okay," said Elaine. "I mean, after all, sometimes you just have to do what it takes to get by. So you steal everything?"
"No, I don't do any stealing. Scipio mainly does. Of course, he wants us to call him The Thief Lord, but we don't. He was the one who found you and brought you here, by the way."
"Oh."
"He isn't here right now, though..."
"Where is he?"
"I dunno. He just pops in every now and then and just goes off somewhere for a while. "
There was a short silence until Elaine asked, "Who else lives here?"
"Let me introduce you," said Hornet, standing up and grabbing Elaine's hand. They walked out of the room slowly; Elaine still wasn't feeling that good and walking hurt, but she managed to do it.
After going down the stairs and reaching the cinema, Elaine quickly sat in a nearby faded red chair, relieved to rest her sore muscles. It was then that she noticed she and Hornet weren't the only ones in the room.
"Hi. It's good to see you're doing okay," said a boy with mildly tan skin and dark hair. He held his hand out to Elaine and she shook it. "I'm Prosper."
"Elaine Vieri. Nice to meet you."
Once the introductions were over, Hornet sat down next to Elaine and said, "So, have you made your decision?"
"What decision?"
"You know. Do you want to stay here?"
"Well..." Elaine considered it. Everyone was very friendly and polite, and she could definitely see a friendship with them all (excluding Riccio. He was kind of annoying...But still, he could be worse.) On the other hand, she didn't want to be a nuisance. Besides, if they had to steal to get money...
"I don't want to be a trouble to anyone," she said hesitantly, after a moment.
"Of course you won't be!" said Hornet, as though the idea were ridiculous. "Don't worry, we've got enough money to get by--"
Exactly what Elaine had been wondering...
"--and we'd love to have you here!"
"Well...I don't know..."
"Come on, stay! Pleeeeeeease?" Bo tugged on the sleeve of the nightgown Elaine had changed into and looked up at her with big, pleading eyes.
A general echo of Bo's words sounded around the room, and she found herself looking back down at the boy and saying, with a smile, "Okay. I'll stay. For a bit."
The day passed rather uneventfully, besides the fact that Elaine was getting used to her new home and everyone else was getting used to her, and at about 10:30, everyone besides Hornet and Elaine were fast asleep. Hornet was sitting on her bed, reading one of her favorite books, and Elaine was in the bathroom, brushing her teeth with a spare toothbrush Hornet had found. A minute later, Elaine hobbled into bed, still with a slight limp, and slipped under the covers. Hornet picked her book up and started to read again when she heard Elaine say softly,
"Hornet? I don't mean to interrupt, but...how long have you been here? In the Stella, I mean. With everyone else."
"About two and a half years," said Hornet, looking over at Elaine.
There was a pause. "Wow. That's a long time."
"It is," Hornet agreed, "but I like it here. It kind of feels like we're all one big family, somehow."
Another pause. "That must be a nice feeling. I've lived with my parents all my life. Not to boast or anything. They weren't really ever parents...I mean," she hastily added, seeing Hornet's confusion, "they never acted like parents. Always ignoring me and stuff. More into their work than me. Thinking materials were enough to take care of a child. It's not always a wise idea to run away from your problems, but they deserved to be ran away from. Deserved it."
Hornet stared at the floor, not knowing what to say. When she looked up again, she wanted to ask her newfound friend a question about something, though she couldn't quite name what. However, Elaine had closed her eyes and was sleeping the night away.
"Goodnight, Elaine," she whispered instead. She put her book away and turned off the lamp that was between their beds. Then she, too, found sleep.
Author's Note: Well, there you go. Chapter One. Tada! I hope you liked it! This one was kind of cruddy too, but I'm still a little sick and I was feeling pretty bleh when I wrote it. I can promise you all that the next chapter will be a lot better.
Also, I know some of you will be asking why Hornet told Elaine about the whole stealing thing so quickly, and um...I don't know myself. Teehee. She just did, I guess. Use your imagination!
Review and I'll give you a cookie. :)