Beating For You

Chapter 1: Stranger Danger?

Why so sad?
Sky.
Or is it
Happiness
That you cry?

Why so blue? Sky. Or is it Yellow That you cry?

Waking up on a bench in the freezing cold wasn't new to me, neither where the trees looming above me, what was new was the little girl who has taken residence on my legs. Her gray eyes are squinting at my face in assessment, she's wearing a tutu and a pink t-shirt with a tinker bell sticker on it, her feet that are dangling from the bench are covered in ballerina shoes and her hair is pulled back in a tight bun.

"Ice cream?" her tiny voice rattles me from my haze of purple, confusion I mean, and I sit up dragging her body along with me, I raise an eyebrow at this creature and stifle a laugh at how adorably weird she is. Her tiny hand lifts up the cone of ice cream that she has been holding onto this entire time and gestures to it.

"No thanks" while I am very hungry and would die for some food at the moment i'm not to happy about getting sick from kid bacteria, everyone knows that little children are the literal hazard of getting sick. "Do you mind?" I ask motioning between us so she could get the hell of my legs that are dead weight by now.

"Okay grumpy. And so you know you're missing out, this is the best ice cream in town, and the best flavour!" she wiggles the ice cream next to my face and then proceeds to devour the whole thing in a matter of seconds. After she's finished she jumps of the bench and turns around to face me with a big grin on her face. "Bye grumpy" she waves her fingers at me and runs away towards the park. 

"Kid wait!" I get off the bench in a hurry and run after her. I'm not about to let some kid get kidnapped or worse, harmed! Seriously what's with parents and letting their kids wander off. My boots thump on the pavement as I try to regulate my breathing, my whole body is on fire from the pain of last night but i push through it, determined on not letting that kid get hurt. Now, where is she? I scan my surroundings, in front of me is a small park with a slide, swings and other fun objects that kids seem to enjoy, and there on one of the swings is a small ballerina who is grinning at me in amusement. I walk up to the swings and get to eye level to her stormy gray ones "Where are your parents kid?

She shrugs and whispers "i don't know, but my brother says that they are in heaven, i'm not sure if i believe him or not"

Something tight squeezes at my chest as i feel blue by the sorrow in the kid's face. i know exactly what it's like not to have parents, I understand how it feels like to walk around with a whole in your heart as it's missing something there. 

"where is your brother than? or your foster parents?" she again shrugs and nibbles on her bottom lip as she looks down in what seems like shame. "What happened? is everything okay?" 

"No, i got into a fight with my brother, so i ran away" i sigh at her explanation and stand up offering her my hand. "what are you doing?" 

"We're going to find your brother, come on" she takes my hand and stands up from the swing, a smile tugging on her face. "what did you fight about anyways? it must have been bad if you ended up in a park alone and sitting on a complete stranger" i give her a pointed look at the last part, that was seriously not okay, what if i was some creep? i shudder at that thought.

"Well, today i was supposed to start my ballet lessons but my brother told me we can't afford it, and i got so mad! he promised he would take me in the summer but now he changed his mind and it's not fair!" she whines through her explanation making me wonder if her brother is a complete dick or if this kid doesn't understand just how their financial lives are at the moment.

"You know kid, next time ask why, before running away, maybe he has a pretty good reason as to why he can't take you. And if his reason is because he simply doesn't want to, then throw a shoe at his face, helps with the nerves" she giggles at that and hugs my leg.

"Thank you grumpy" 

"Welcome kid. What's your name? I'm Raven"

"Liene, but my brothers call me Lily"

"Lily like the flower, that's nice" i smile down at her and she grins. "well, Lily, mind directing me where you live?"

"In Johnson street, next to papa Tommaso pizzeria" knowing exactly where that is i change our course of direction and start heading to the familiar street i thrudge down everyday. Next to the pizzeria is my favorite place in the entire world, Black Star. 

After a six minute walk of mindless chatter with Lily, who is growing onto me by the minute, we round the corner onto johnson street. "which house?" i ask and she points to a run down house three blocks away from black star. We start walking towards it when lily tugs at my hand to a stop "Why are we stopping?" 

"Because he's not home"

"How do you know?"

"Look, he's inside the coffee shop" not giving me a chance to look she runs to the building and opens the door making me huff behind her. 

The shop, like always, is stunning. It has this black and white aesthetic vibes going on, with squared frames that contain photos of the town and an incredible smell of rich coffee. On the right side, where the booths are placed, is a Bookshelf and a newspaper stand, while on the other side of the room, that is filled with round tables, there's an amazing aquarium that has rainbow fish, goldfish, mollies and guppies. This place is my orange safe haven, the only place i can fully relax. I close the door behind me along with the cold and welcome the warmth of the heater, i look up towards Liene and see her talking to huge guy in a leather jacket and denim pants. i walk a bit closer to the kid and notice who it is she is talking to. i'm resisting from letting my jaw drop to the floor as the guy who is undoubtedly her brother with their similar gray eyes is Ace Lockwood.