Chapter Text
The city of New York always gave Riley a sense of belonging. The bustling streets of Queens had a constant flow of people, each with their own story. The streets lined with colorful shops, apartments, and buildings so tall the sky felt small. The busy atmosphere with the endless traffic being a constant background sound was a comfort to Riley. She often wandered the streets of Queens with no destination in mind, leaving the quiet of her home to discover the limitless secrets of the city.
The door of a shop opened, and a bell alerted the clerk. The bodega had a large variety of wares, from its snack-lined shelves and colorful candy aisles, it was rare to walk out empty handed. As the door shut once again a young girl came into sight.
“You’re late,” Mr. Harris said, not looking up from his crossword puzzle.
Riley gave a cheeky grin. “I’m early somewhere else.”
He huffed out a laugh. “You’re always early somewhere else. You walking the whole borough again?”
“Just the parts that are interesting.”
“You said that last time.” He finally glanced up at her. “And the time before that.”
Her grin widened as she raised her arms in defeat. “Okay, okay.” She paused for a moment, lowering her arms and glancing down at the crossword on the counter between them. “Potential.” He glanced at her with an inquisitive look before she continued, “it’s 13 down on your crossword puzzle.”
He lifted his pencil. “Thanks, Riley,” he replied before filling in the last column on his puzzle. She smiled at him before doing her rounds of the store. She weaved her way through shelves, browsing each as if it was her first time in the store. Finally deciding on a turkey sandwich from the refrigerated shelves towards the back of the store. “Just the sandwich for today then? Nothing else?” he said to her.
“Nah, sandwich will be fine, thanks Mr. Harris.” Riley placed her sandwich on the counter as she fished out her cash. “Here you go.”
Mr. Harris counted on her change. “Don’t cause too much more trouble tonight kid.”
Another grin appeared on her face. “I know you all enjoy my visits, Mr. Harris.”
“You don’t give us much of a choice,” he replied, a tone of sarcasm laid into his remark. He handed her the change and gave her a soft smile. “Have a good night, Riley.”
“You too, Mr. Harris,” she said, giving a final grin as she turned to walk out of the store. The bell rang as she pushed back out onto the street, the sounds of traffic entering before the door closed again.
Riley didn’t go home right away. She rarely did.
There was nothing waiting there except for space. Too much of it, stretching from the kitchen to her bedroom, the weight of it hanging around like a blanket. Outside, the city filled the silence for her. Inside, it only got louder.
As the sun finally set behind the countless skyscrapers Riley made it to her neighborhood. It was quaint, the spaces between the apartment buildings filled with trees and other flora. She took her time wandering down the sidewalk, occasional cars driving past as the work-day ended. The sky, eventually dark, was Riley’s signal to go home. She made her way to the building and glanced up at the windows to her apartment. The lights were off.
Riley stood out there longer than she had to. The fading sounds of traffic could be heard as she stood there, keys cold in her hand, wondering if her mother would actually be home to greet her.
Unlocking her door, she made her way into the apartment. The sounds of her shoes being kicked off bouncing off of the walls as she turned on the lights and sat at the table. She picked up a note and glanced down at the neat words.
I had to go back to the office, there is pizza in the fridge.
Riley scoffed, folding the note in half twice. She doubted her mother would be home until after midnight.
Riley’s mother had a corporate job as a lawyer, rarely being seen outside her office. The times she was home usually coincided with Riley’s school hours, and the two barely saw each other. Riley had gotten used to being alone during the day, usually busying herself with the loud streets of Queens and the friendly store-owners within the city. She stood from her place at the table, moving towards her room where she picked up her backpack. Pulling out a notebook she began to finish her homework, the soft scribbles of her pencil filling the apartment.
She was watching a show as she heard keys rattle at the front door. After a moment her mother walked in, bringing an air of grogginess to the apartment.
She took off her shoes and hung her coat. “Hey, Riley. Sorry I was out late, it won’t happen again.”
Riley looked at her mother with a hint of incredulity, having heard these words before made it hard to take them seriously.
Walking over towards her daughter she gave a tired smile. “Did you get your homework done?”
“Yeah, I finished it earlier. Don’t worry, Mom.”
“That’s good, Riley. I’m going to bed. I’ve had a long day. I’ll see you tomorrow.” She briefly placed a hand on top of Riley’s head before walking towards her bedroom, shutting the door gently behind her.
Riley frowned slightly, knowing this would likely not be the case. She sighed before standing, retreating to her bedroom as well. She pulled back the duvet on her bed, laying down before staring at the glow-in-the-dark stars on her roof. Riley wished her mother would take a break sometimes, but she was unfortunately good at her job and was needed at the office. Her curtains swayed with the cool air flowing through her room, the never-ending sounds of traffic entering the quiet house. Riley focused on this as she tried to drift off, her wishes in the back of her mind as her eyes got heavier, eventually fluttering closed as she fell asleep.