"Think they'll remember us?" The teen said, carrying three suitcases.
They walked past a sign that read out WELCOME TO THE CITY OF TOWNSVILLE, albeit a few letters covered up by the falling snow.
"Not if we keep our fucking mouths shut." Butch said to his yellow brother.
"Remember, our last names are Piper. Were three brothers from the middle of nowhere."
Brick the red one and the leader, said to his brother.
"You say nowhere like people won't prod further." Boomer replied.
"I know, right?" Butch agreed. "We can't just say Genius Grove or whatever."
"'Oh. You're from Genius Grove? What part?' 'The sewers. The rats are real friendly when they don't try to tear your face off.' Brilliant."
"We'll make some shit up! It's not like we can't lie on the fly." Butch protested.
"Just stick to the plan." Brick ended the conversation. Wearing thick hoodies and masks to cover their faces, Brick was sure that they wouldn't be found out- at least at first.
"I mean its been eight years." Butch said. "Whose gonna take three guys walking down the street as The Rowdyruff Boys?"
"Some of use didn't get hit by puberty like a freight train." Boomer responded. "I still look as young as the day I was created."
"Well for starters, the girls would recognize us." Brick said.
"So let them start shit. We can finish it."
"We're not finishing anything." Brick said. "As far as the world is concerned, the Rowdyruff Boys are dead." Brick fingered the money in his pocket. 10,000$. Eight years of scrounging off of street bums and small house break-ins.
The rest of the walk was silence, Brick's last words lingering over them. They weren't wanted. Never was, and probably never will be.
Eventually, they came to their destination. Delightful Apartments. Walking inside, they saw a small man wearing an NFL shirt.
"Excuse me." Brick said. "I'm looking for the landlord."
"That would be me." The man said. "Lenny Uno. What do you need?"
"We would like to rent an apartment." Brick took the money out of his pocket. "Ten grand right here. 2,500 down payment right?"
"Yeah." Lenny looked at the boys. "How'd you three get that kind of cash?"
Brick wasn't expecting that. "We uh, kinda.."
"Our parents gave us the money while they kicked us out of the house. Worst 18th birthday ever." Butch said. "Bruh we just need a place to sleep tonight I'm so deadass right now. Now we showed you the cash up front like reasonable adults. You gonna give us a room or are we gonna have to take our business elsewhere?"
"Deal." Lenny took the money. "Let me show you your apartment."
They opened the door to a decent-sized apartment. "Kitchen, living room, bedroom, bathroom. It's not anything special, but it's not bad."
The boys looked around. "Looks good. Looks good." Brick said, trying to see anything off. It seemed Lenny rana a tight ship.
"Delightful. I'll go get the papers." Lenny said.
Butch plopped down on the couch. "Ooh. Comfy. What do you guys think?"
"Could use some work, but not a bad starting point." Brick realized something. "What time is it?"
"5 minutes to 6." Butch looked at the clock. "Oh crap!" They had lost track of time. Boomer had his first day at Burger King in 5 minutes!
"My job! It's all the way across town!" Boomer started panicking. "I'll never make it walking!"
"Fly then!" Brick hissed.
"What if one of the girls see me?" Boomer said.
"Fly you dummy! You can't be late on your first day!"
"Lenny's coming back!" Butch said.
"Keep him busy!" If Lenny saw Butch fly, it was game over.
"How am I gonna get out of here?" Boomer asked.
"Out the window! Out the window!"
Boomer opened the window and zipped away in a flash, leaving a blue streak in the sky.
"Wasn't there three of you?"
"My brother had to use the bathroom. Excuse him." Brick said.
"Here's all the apartment information." Lenny handed them the papers, and once he was gone, the boys breathed a sigh of relief.
"So I'm working at the library starting tomorrow." Brick said, unpacking his stuff.
"I'm gonna try to get a job at WalMart." Butch said. "Listen Brick, be honest, you think this is gonna work?"
"As long as at least one of us is working, we should be fine."
"How long do you think this is gonna do this? Sooner or later someone is gonna find out who we are, and when that happens-"
"When that happens, we'll work it out." Brick said. "Until then, we chill here. Do you want to go back to the sewers? We stay here as long as we can. End of story."
"Alright then." Butch kept unpacking his stuff. "The boys are back in town."
"And hopefully it stays that way."