Chapter 7: Another Chance
It had been about a week since Kanan had his date with Hera. They both had enjoyed themselves very much, until Phantom showed up and pick-pocketed them. Kanan considered asking her out again, and hopefully not get pick-pocketed again.
"Well, it's worth a shot." Kanan said.
"What?" Hera asked.
'Uh-oh' Kanan thought. He said that out loud, waiting on call with Hera after a long day on patrol. There had been a small issue at a small business firm, the local mob, the Imperials, were bugging the owners half the day.
"Well, Hera, I wanted to know, if you would be interested in going on another date with me?" Kanan asked.
"Yeah, that'd be nice." Hera said.
"I mean, last time didn't go so well but—wait." Kanan stammered. "What did you say?"
"I said, yes." Hera said.
"Oh," Kanan said.
Hera smiled, "What were you thinking?"
"How about a movie after work tomorrow?" Kanan suggested.
"That sound nice." Hera said. "What movie were you thinking?"
"Um, well, what would you like to see?" Kanan asked, stammering with is words some.
"How would feel about, that new Cinderella film?" Hera asked.
"Sounds good." Kanan said.
"It's a date. Tomorrow after work. Then maybe we could walk around town some." Hera said.
"Yeah, it's a date." Kanan said, blushing lightly, which thankfully Hera didn't notice.
The following afternoon Ezra walked down the street, trying to get back to his slide, yes at this point he started it his, before it got to dark. He stopped at a crosswalk and waited for the signal to change so he could cross.
While he waited Ezra started to hum a song, the humming turned into singing, "What's another night all alone? When you're spending everyday on your own, and here it goes. I'm just a kid and life is a nightmare, I'm just a kid, I know that it's not fair. Nobody cares, cause I'm alone and the world is having more fun than me." Ezra did not notice the person who walked up to him next to the cross walk, until he was passed a dollar. Ezra stared at it confused for a moment before looking at the person while he took the dollar. "Why?"
"You're a good singer." the person said. It was a teenage boy about seventeen. "I always carry around small bills to give to street performers I like." The crosswalk gave a small beep to signal they could now walk across. "See ya around," as he started to walk.
Ezra gave a smile and put the cash in his pocket. Maybe tonight he could sing somewhere with a container he could find. That would be a nice way to get food money with stealing. He jogged across the crosswalk and started to search for a container to receive money. He quickly found an old metal lunch box in an alleyway near a dumpster. Quickly checking it's condition, it seemed like it would be perfect for the job.
"Now I will need to find a place to go, and some lyrics." Ezra said. "I know the library will print of stuff for like ten cents a page. With this dollar I can get ten songs."
Ezra walked into the library and asked to use the computer. Ezra looked up some song lyrics that looked good and copied them to a word document.
"Do you need help?" the library worker asked.
"I would like to print this out please." Ezra said.
"Ten pages?" the worker asked. "That would be a dollar."
Ezra handed him the dollar he earned earlier.
"Okay, it will be a minute Phantom." the worker said before leaving. Ezra frowned slightly at being called Phantom. While the library was usually pretty nice about his presence like normal, they didn't bother to learn his name.
The worker returned with the ten sheets of paper. "There you go."
"Thanks, I'll leave now." Ezra said, and did just that.
Ezra grabbed his lunch box and started scouting for a place to sing later that night.
"So are you ready?" Hera asked.
Their shift was finally over and they had both changed in jeans and a T-shirt.
"Yep." Kanan said. As they walked out of the station a question came to his mind. "So where is the movie theater?"
"This way," Hera said, leading him the direction of his apartment. The theater ended up being five blocks past it.
"Wow, how did I not notice this before?" Kanan asked, marveling at the size of the building.
Hera smiled. The two walked into the theater and ordered their tickets for the movie, then they bought popcorn and drinks.
The two of them made into the theater room and took seats in the middle of the row near the back.
About halfway through the movie Hera leaned in and placed her head on Kanan's shoulder, Kanan smiled and leaned his head into hers.
When the credits started to roll Hera did something to surprise Kanan she turned and kissed him on the cheek. Kanan was happy it was still dark in the theater because his face heated up to the point where it was no doubt beet red.
Finally the lights came on.
"So where would you like to walk?" Kanan asked.
"The park sounds nice." Hera suggested. The two headed that way.
They walked in silence, enjoying one another's company. Until they started to hear something.
"It sounds like, someone singing." Hera said softly.
"I hear it too." Kanan said.
"When everything feels like the movies. Yeah you bleed just to know you're alive." the voice sang.
"Oh I love this song, let's find who is singing." Hera suggested.
"Okay." Kanan agreed and the two followed the voice.
"When everything's made to be broken, I just want you to know who I am. And I don't want the world to see me, 'cause I don't think that they'd understand." the voice sang and Kanan and Hera found the singer. They were both shocked to find that it was Phantom. They were just enough in the shadows of the trees that he wouldn't see them. By Phantom sat an open lunch box that held some cash in it.
"When everything's made to be broken, I just want you to know who I am." Phantom continued to sing. "And I don't want the world to see me, 'Cause I don't think that they'd understand. When everything's made to be broken, I just want you to know who I am. I just want you to know who I am. I just want you to know who I am. I just want you to know who I am."
Phantom stopped singing due to the end of the song.
"You have to admit, he's good." Hera said.
"Yeah," Kanan admitted, as he watched a man put a couple of dollars into the lunch box.
They watched Phantom pull out another sheet of paper, possibly lyrics for his next song.
Ezra pulled out the next song and smiled. He hoped this song would get him a good deal of money. He probably already had around $20.
He took a deep breath and started to sing, "I am a question to the world not an answer to be heard, or a moment that's held in your arms. And what do you think you'd ever say? I won't listen anyway, you don't know me, and I'll never be what you want me to be. And what do you think you'd understand? I'm a boy, no, I'm a man. You can't take me and throw me away. And how can you learn what's never shown? Yeah, you stand here on your own, they don't know me 'cause I'm not here."
Ezra loved this song, it felt like it was about him sometimes. He couldn't dwell on this because he had to continue to song. "And I want a moment to be real, wanna touch things I don't feel, wanna hold on and feel I belong. And how can the world want me to change? They're the ones that stay the same, they don't know me 'cause I'm not here." The chorus really seemed to be made about him.
"And you see the things they never see, all you wanted I could be. Now you know me and I'm not afraid. And I wanna tell you who I am. Can you help me be a man? They can't break me as long as I know who I am." 'If only there was someone there for me,' Ezra thought quickly before continuing, "And I want a moment to be real, wanna touch things I don't feel. Wanna hold on and feel I belong. And how can the world want me to change? They're the ones that stay the same. They can't see me but I'm still here."
Kanan was almost getting teary eyed at Phantom's song. Almost. It was Phantom after all.
Phantom, still unfased by his presences continued his song. "They can't tell me who to be
'Cause I'm not what they see. Yeah, the world is still sleepin' while I keep on dreaming for me. And their words are just whispers and lies that I'll never believe! And I want a moment to be real, wanna touch things I don't feel. Wanna hold on and feel I belong. And how can they say I never change? They're the ones that stay the same. I'm the one now 'cause I'm still here. I'm the one 'cause I'm still here. I'm still here, I'm still here, I'm still here."
Hera nudged him slightly. "You should give him some cash. I think he's earned it for once."
Kanan did notice that throughout the song that a few people had stopped for a bit before tossing a bit of money in the box before moving on.
Kanan pulled $3 out of his wallet and approached Phantom, who had a grew a surprised look before putting on a poker face. He didn't see the money. "Well if it isn't the infamous officer." As Kanan leaned down to put the money in the box Phantom grew defensive. "Now listen here, I earned every bit of that fair and square." This made Kanan pause in curiosity. "I haven't even done anything wrong in the past 24 hours."
Kanan dropped his money in the lunch box, leaving Phantom stunned.
"Have a nice night, kid." Kanan said, choosing to call him generically by what he was instead by 'Phantom.' He didn't know why though, he probably just figured he didn't enjoy being called 'Phantom' constantly.
As Kanan walked off with Hera he heard him call after, "You too, sir."
Kanan gave a small smile. Maybe all Phantom needed was a chance. That wouldn't stop him from trying to stop him the next time he stole something, but maybe, he could figure out why he did it.
Ezra sang two more songs after the officer left. After that he decided he should probably stop before he damaged his voice. He grabbed his lunch box full of money and counted it out. He had about $45, so an amazing hull. This could give him enough food for a week and a half if he spent it wisely and ate the food wisely.
He headed back to his slide, and slept cuddling with his box of money like a teddy bear. Just dreaming of being able to eat for the next week and half, but frowned when he remembered that it would be the end of the month before that was over. And if the Imperials were true to their word, he might not live long enough to see it through.
Wow will you look at how fast I'm updating now (Don't get to used to it). I hope you enjoyed this chapter.
The two songs were "Iris" and "I'm Still Here" both by the Goo Goo Dolls.
P.S. With how I copy and paste the song lyrics, it's annoying to deal with, so I only had 1 ½ songs here.
And because I feel a bit evil, I am going to give you the chapter title of the next chapter.
Chapter 8: Out of Time