Place To Believe Chapter 9 - Prince Charming

Note: Here's Chapter 9! There's a super important note at bottom! Austra: Thanks for everything, dear! Oh, and check your messages! KC: Thanks for reviewing! Also, the voting is happening now for the NYNA, and my works have been nominated for two things. My "Place" series, and A Change of Time were nominated for Best Overall Fanfiction, and my "Place" series was also nominated for best series, so go vote! Thank ya very much! :D

Megan blinked. "What?"

Rhoda took in a ragged breath, refusing to look at her companion. "A murderer. I'm a murderer."

"What are you- what do you mean?" Megan queried, blinking again as if some filmy substance was blinding her.

Rhoda sighed again, and turned red, tear filled eyes to her friend. "It's a long story. And not at all pleasant."

"Tell me," Megan said in response.

"It all started a couple of years ago. I was only 'bout fifteen, I guess…"

-TWO YEARS AGO-

The girl felt the hole in her stocking and frowned. Most of her clothes were somehow torn or tattered, but for some reason it was the stockings she always noticed. They were once her mother's- a long time ago when she actually had a mother, that is. Her mother had knit them herself, she remembered. How long had it been? Seven, eight years?

The girl's stomach gurgled rather loudly, and she blushed in fear that someone might have actually heard it. Right now she needed to think more about food to fill her stomach, and a job to help her pay for other necessities, and a bit extra to send to her siblings, then a silly a piece of clothing.

She looked at a fruit seller's cart a few feet away, and thought hard. Could she somehow walk by and casually "bump into" the cart, slipping an apple into her apron pocket? The need for food seemed to gnaw at her, and her, and her mouth watered at the thought of even a dry loaf of bread.

How long ago was it when she had left her aunt, and two younger siblings, and decided to make her own way in the world? She would start in a nice little shop, as a helper, she had decided; then she would eventually become secretary to a big lawyer or paper man- a handsome one-who would fall madly in love, and pledge his heart to her. They would be married- a big wedding with the finest decorations, and the prettiest cake around. They would have four sons, all as handsome as their father, and some beautiful girls too.

She sighed inwardly, trying without success to rub a smudge of dirt from her apron. How foolish- how naïve she had been. The only job that she could find upon arrival in teeming Manhattan was that of a factory worker. She had taken it, reluctantly, and worked until her hands and eyes ached from the labor and poor lighting. Her clothes had absorbed grease, and dirt, and who knows what else. She had almost felt like Cinderella, working away, waiting for her prince to come. Except he didn't. Then one day, when the supervisor was more testy then usual, the girl had made on mistake too many, and was promptly fired.

It had been almost a week since, and her pride refused to let her return to her aunt in Queens, and make the old woman know she had been right- the girl couldn't make a way for herself. She had even found a cheap girl's boarding house, but her pay had ran out a few days before, and had lost her place there as well.

Hungry and exhausted, the girl had wandered into the unsavory part of town the previous evening, and watched as a prostitute called out to men passing by in the street. There was even a brothel, with a sign out front for women to apply within. It had made a cold feeling form in the pit of her stomach, looking at that painted woman, who was winking her eyes at every man she saw.

For the briefest of moments, the girl had even considered joining them. They never seemed to want for customers, and they probably had lots of men who professed to love them. But…was it real love? Somehow, she had doubted it. Part of her still seemed to long for an ending like those storybooks she had read as a girl. Part of her still waited for a prince.

Her stomach growled angrily, and she made her decision. She could always pay the fruit vendor back later, right? Trying to seem casual, and not suspicious- which was very unlikely, due to her appearance- the girl stole softly to the edge of the cart, still looking away, and quickly snatched an apple from a big basket of them. Before she had taken two steps, the vendor's voice rang out.

"And, where's my money, girl?"

She would have run away, but it seemed that something had paralyzed her. Fear, maybe. "I-" she stuttered, staring at the impatient vendor with fear in her eyes.

"Look, either I get my money, or I call for the coppers," the robust man said, his face red, and eyes narrowed.

"No, don't," she pleaded, taking a step back.

"Stop thief!" he said, and she froze again.

"I- I'm not a thief."

He squinted at her, and shook his head. "I'm calling the copper. But I won't if you pay me now."

She helplessly dug into her pockets, hoping that somehow she may have missed a coin or two somehow. She looked up, about to accept defeat, when out of nowhere, a young male voice rang out.

"Annie! Annie, have you wandered off again?" The girl looked behind her to see a handsome youth in moving lithely through the crowd. She had never seen him before. Who was Annie? She looked around, and realized that people had begun to gather, but their wasn't any little girls, only middle aged gossips, already talking about the scene before them. That's when she realized he was looking at her. He strode up, and stood beside her, laying a hand on her shoulder. "Annie, I lost you again. Though it was probably my fault. I forgot we were going to meet here and get a snack. Are you alright?"

"Fine," she said weakly.

The boy turned his attention to the shopkeeper, who looked very impatient, and unimpressed with what was happening. "I'm so sorry. I told my little sis here I was gonna buy her an apple, and I guess she was picking one out, but we got separated somehow. Let me pay you for that." He pulled a shiny, new dime from his pocket, and flipped it toward the fruit vendor. "Keep the change," he said with a wink.

The boy took her arm, and guided her out of the crowd, and back into the street. Even when they were out of earshot, he continued to rest his arm comfortably across her shoulders. She squirmed. He laughed. "Hold on, kid, let's get out of their vision. Some of those old biddies stick their noses into too much."

They walked the rest of the street length and turned a corner. She immediately jerked away from him. "Why did you do that?" she demanded.

He seemed surprised. "What, no thanks?"

She shrugged. "Thanks, I 'spose."

He smiled. "I saw you were in a bit of a bad spot. And from a distance you looked a little pretty. Though I don't know how old you are."

"I'm fifteen!" she said defensively.

He whistled, and his deep brown eyes seemed to study her face, though not in a way that made her feel uncomfortable. "Yep, you're beautiful."

She blushed. "Th-thank you."

He held his arm out, crooked at the elbow. "May I?"

"Oh-uh- sure." She tentatively rested her hand in the crook, and it felt right.

"Ya know, I don't think I ever met a prettier girl," he remarked. "Are you looking for a job? Ya look like ya don't have one."

"I just lost it," she said dejectedly.

"Hmm," he said, lines appearing on his forehead. "I might be able to help ya out."

"Really?" she exclaimed, her eyes shining with happiness.

"As sure as my name is Conner!" he proclaimed. "But you can call me Con," he added.

"Con," she ran the word over her tongue. "I like it." He smiled again, showing off white teeth.

"What's your name, doll?"

"Oh, it's Rhoda."

"Well, I like it," he said teasingly, removing his arm from her grip, and grasping her hand instead. She smiled. Maybe her prince charming had come after all.

Note: I'm considering putting this story on a short hiatus for two reasons.1. I haven't been getting a vast number of reviews, and I'm sure that you who do review won 't mind a bit of time so I can make number 2 happen which is 2. Focus on A Change of Time so I can finish it. I have a poll on my profile about this matter, so please check it out. If this does go on hiatus it won't be permanent, I promise, and I'll try to hurry! Many Thanks! ~Lucy