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[e/c] eyes stared at several bills. Bills that had collected and piled up over the span of not having a job- it was hard to find one after flunking out of collage. A mere 5 points short of sliding by and making it to the next semester but they wouldn't let [Name] continue her studies; now she owed collage debts along with the bills for the apartment she had been allowed to stay in for as long as she was in collage. The collage was paying her bills to allow her and several other students to stay from out of state.
Aggravated tears fell down her [s/c] cheeks as she looked from one to another. What was she going to do?
In truth, the bills and utter disappointment she brought upon herself and would bring to her family upon returning werent what was really on her mind. It was just a distraction for the moment.
The entire 4 and a half months she had been at the school, she had only made one friend, and it wasnt even at school. [Name] had a bad habit of walking around downtown past curfew; it reminded her of home, and she had met a man a few weeks into being there. Really it was an odd meeting...
She had been wandering down the street, the one where most of the street lights were out and needed fixing but no one would do it; She came up on a group of people. Normally she would just cross the street and avoid them because they were probably drinking or doing drugs this late at night, but this time was different. The laughing and shouting didnt sound fun, it sounded malicious.
*flash back*
"H-HEY!" I almost tripped over a clump of snow as she tried to hurry towards the mass of people- now noticeably all men. I knew the crowded form they were making, I was used to it; they were beating some one up.
"Hey fuckers!" I tried to yell past my scarf and over the jostling men, "Leave him alone! GET OFF!" I tried to pull them off who ever they were assaulting, but my cotton gloves kept slipping off the slick fabric of winter jackets. Quickly growing frustrated and concerned that who ever they were beating stopped making noises at all, I removed my gloves in a rush and gripped tight to the inside of a pocket and the back of one of the men, yanking him back, causing both of us to slip on the ice. Even with the unintentional slip, i jumped back to my feet and clocked the next closest man in the ear.
"Get wrecked motherfucker!"
Now I had all their attention; I glared at each on and struck a fighting pose. Back home I was used to gang fights and getting jumped by groups of people, so I wasnt all that intimidated other than the fact that they could kill me and no one would even come looking for me. No one would notice until bills stopped getting paid.
...
30 minutes later, who ever this guy was and I were sprawled out on the front steps of some bank and bleeding from more places than I cared to mention. I couldnt open one eye because it was swollen shut and blackened but the other glanced over at the man I had tried to protect. I grinned slightly before closing my eye again and just letting my body relax against the cold stone. He didnt look as beat up as I did and I was glad.
"Youre one dumb chick." He breathed out. I chuckled at the comment- he was right.
"Yeah, -pant- I know... Cant help it."
I glanced over again to see him attempting to get up.
"They would have -cough- left me alone. You didnt have to-"
"Yeah, I know that too." I grinned again and took the hand he offered me.
His hoody was ripped to shreds, he must have been freezing...
"Wanna new one?" I nodded towards him, meaning his hoody, but he seemed confused,
"Your hoodies wrecked, do you want a new one? I have a million."
*end F.B.*
[Name] smirked a bit, wiping the tears from her face before crossing her arms over the mess of papers and setting her head on top of them. She sighed heavily before a small click captured her attention, then another few in rapid procession; her head snapped up to see what was making the noise.
"Jeff!" She squeaked. He was flipping the light switch that no longer worked.
"Hey," He put one arm around the girl when she ran up and hugged him, "Sup with the lights?" He questioned.
She buried her face into his hoody, it still smelled like 'out-side' mixed with his own scent. She loved it.
"No power... Sorry." She just short of whispered.
Ever since they met, Jeff had stayed with [Name]. He disappeared every few days and might stay out for a night or two but never much longer. Lately, he had been gone for over a week and it had really worried her. She had thought of every worst case scenario when he didnt return after a couple of days and it really had worn her down.
Jeff pet her [h/c] hair and offered a worried look masked by a smile,
"[Name], calm down, will ya?" He took her hand and brought her over to the couch.
"Whats wrong with you? Why were you crying?"
"You saw that?" She questioned, wrapping her arms around him and hiding her embarrassed face.
"Well, no not really, but you look and sound like you were."
There was a long pause before the girl leaned back a bit and offered a shy smile,
"I was worried about you."
Unblinking eyes searched the girl over. Jeff had hung out with [Name] long enough to know that wasnt the whole story... most of it maybe, but she still looked like she was trying to hide something. He wondered if maybe some one hurt her while he was gone and she just didnt want to tell him and it actually pissed him off more than enough for it to become obvious on his face.
"Jeff? Why do you look so mad?" She looked scared. She almost never looked scared, even when they met she never mentioned his face or anything else about him other than his clothes were torn up. Sure later she explained that where she was from cut of faces and what ever were somewhat normal, but she wasnt scared of it. Now she was scared of him? Well shit.
"What are you hiding?"
"Wha-"
"What are you hiding from me [Name]!?" He snapped, just general fear of the unknown sharpening his tone,
"Did some one hurt you?" He had her gripped by the shoulders now.
"No! No, no one hurt me. I can deal with it, trust me." She tried to smile but Jeff just glared and shook her slightly,
"I didnt ask if you could handle it. Tell me."
She wouldnt look at the man and didnt answer for a long moment, not until Jeff started to growl,
"I just have a lot of bills," she answered quickly, "thats all..."
Jeff's grip loosened and he stared at her incredulously,
"Thats it?"
"Uh... yeah?"
He sat back against the couch, sporting the look of a confused puppy,
"Well... why didnt you say that before? I can handle that..."
"How?"
Pale skin grinned a prideful chesire grin,
"Just let me worry about it."