Ace woke up in his apartment late in the night. It was pouring down rain outside and he could hear it through the walls. He flipped over on his bed to try and get comfortable but was startled by a noise outside. It was the roar of Maya's bike. "She's still looking for me?" Ace said to himself. The bike's engine was a low rumble compared to earlier. He heard it in the street below and it pass by each building slowly. He couldn't get to sleep after that and he got up. He turned on the lights and looked around his room for anything suspicious, he himself didn't even know why he just wanted too.
It was his bedroom which was simple and normal. Posters on the walls and failed creative attempts. He put on a black long sleeve shirt and opened the door to the other room. The rest of his apartment was just one big room basically. A kitchen on the other side of the wall of his room and a bathroom in the other corner. The living room was in the center and a large screen tv was hung on the wall. There was an upstairs area above the living room which was a reading space. A row of cushions made up the bench he kicked back on while he read. He went over to the kitchen and got himself a slice of pizza and sat down on the couch.
He took a few bites and was about to turn on the tv but he heard footsteps. Normally this wouldn't be a surprise because there were other rooms on this floor but it was strange because they came from the roof. He listened and recognized the heavy footsteps. They sounded like boots. "You've got to be fucking kidding me." He said. He finished eating the slice and sat quietly, listening to the footsteps on the roof.
They suddenly stopped and he thought she had left. A knock came from the window that was covered by the curtain. Another knock came, this time louder. "Ace. I know you're in there." He heard Maya whisper. "Open up. Please." She said then became quiet. Ace didn't get up at first but then the thought that she must have a serious reason that she's doing this and he got up. He went to the window and pulled away the red curtain. He saw Maya sitting on the hard metal fire escape with her head down. She was absolutely drenched. He knocked on the window and this made Maya look up and her face light up. Her hair stuck to her face as she weakly stood up. Ace undid the four locks he had on the window and let her in.
"Th- thank you." She said weakly. Maya held herself and shivered. "Showers that way. Go warm up." Ace said as he walked her to the bathroom and started the water. "Slip your clothes out the door when you get them off. I'll dry them off." Ace said before closing the door leaving Maya standing in the bathroom alone. He propped himself against the wall next to the door and waited until it opened slightly and she pushed her wet clothes on the floor out of the bathroom. He picked them up and took them to the dryer and hurried to get them done. When they finished drying he took them to the door and knocked. The shower was right next to the door and Maya opened it while she was still in the shower. She grabbed the clothes from him with a quick thank you and he closed the door. Ace got a drink from the fridge and sat on the couch and waited.
Maya stepped out of the bathroom with her jeans on and her jacket tied around her waist. She was wearing a light blue tank top. She set her boots next to the door and she started to dry her hair with the towel as she walked over and sat down on the couch. "You realize that I want an explanation?" Ace asked. "Naaaaaaah. You don't need that." Maya said sarcastically. Ace looked at her with an eyebrow raise. "Tell me the entire truth. Don't lie." Ace said. "I need a place to stay." Maya said. "Why?" Ace asked. "I don't have one." Maya said. "Don't you have a family. Go stay with them." Ace said. "Well I would but I ran away." Maya said. "Go on." Ace spoke. "My mother doesn't do anything but constantly agree with my dad. No matter what he wants, she agrees. He wanted to sell me to the Crimson Thorns." Maya said. "You mean like THE Crimson Thorns? The basically largest criminal underground group in existence?" Ace asked. "That's the one." Maya said. "I had to get out of there so I took my clothes. Lost those. Money from dad's wallet but that ran out. And my brother's bike." "What happened to him?" Ace asked. "Mom told me he left but in reality… dad sold him too. The bike is all I have left of him." Maya said. "Why'd you come here? Don't you have anywhere else to go? Not to be rude." Ace said. "Mom and dad's family disowned them both. I had no friends, no other family, nowhere to go. Dad beat me to keep me scared so I wouldn't disobey him. I came here to try and get a new start but… but…"
Maya trailed off and tears started to form in her eyes. "I was stupid! No one here wants a teen that looks like me! Bright hair! Boring personality! No one would give me a job! No one would take me in! I asked the people at the school and they all think I'm a loser now! The only person left is you! I've slept in alleyways and in the middle of forests for weeks!" Maya curled up and cried into her knees. "Well I guess I can relate to you in a way?" Ace said. "Wh *sniff* What?" Maya asked. "My dad was a scumbag too. He left my mom and I when I was very young so I have no idea what he looks like. Fucker could be dead right now and I wouldn't care. Mom passed away due to the Death's Eye disease. First the pain in her ears came and then the ringing and then it took her eyesight. Her mouth became inflated so sometimes she couldn't breathe. Soon the pain became too much and the ringing turned to voices in her head… the voices drove her to insanity. From the start I could only watch the woman who birthed and loved me… slowly tear away at herself. She chewed her flesh, scratched at her eyes, and other things. She didn't want to have the doctors end it early so she could look after me. But by the time it was too much… the little pieces of sanity and reason were devoured. She attacked me and the guards were called. She attacked them and they put her down like a dog. After that her lifelong friend, Selles, gave me a room here and after that. Here I am." Ace spoke.
Maya looked in his eyes and she could tell he was telling the truth. "I'm so sorry." Maya said. "Were you there?" Ace asked. "No." Maya said. "Well then don't be sorry." Ace said.