Penny
"A chat room, Penny! With friends! I can't believe it, it's like a dream!" Daniel crowed.
I was struggling to keep up with his long legs as he bounded happily down the street with his face glued to his phone screen. It wasn't hard persay, just incredibly annoying; he seemed to insist on a pace that had me switching between walking and jogging awkwardly at his side.
"Daniel, I don't know how many times you're going to make me repeat this, but these people are not your friends," I began for the hundredth time.
"Just because they invited you to hang out doesn't mean... For the love of God, stop pouting."
"Come on, please? what's the harm?" Daniel whined, "Maybe they want to make amends! And take sticker pics!!"
"Or maybe they just want to get closer to you for the social clout."
"..."
"Alright, fine," I snapped. "If you won't be swayed, I'll just let you see for yourself how this farce plays out. Now quit looking so pitiful!"
He hooted joyfully despite my ire and started walking even faster, leaving me to resume my pseudo jog behind him.
"Woohoo! Sticker pics!!"
'Kill me now.'
((*))((*))((*))((*))((*))((*))((*))((*))((*))((*))((*))((*))
Daniel
....She was totally right.
((*))((*))((*))((*))((*))((*))((*))((*))((*))((*))((*))((*))
Penny
One hour later
I willl readily concede that some of the shenanigans I pulled in that speakeasy were unnecessary. But they were funny enough to make up for that. Fooling Zoey into thinking she saw a bug, cutting the older woman's dress strap, tripping the bartender onto the other table... the experience was pure, unfiltered gold, right up until the point that Daniel's drink was spiked.
Ten minutes later, he was out stone cold.
'...You must be joking.'
Why was I following this fool around again? If I'd known that all I was signing up for was drunken teenage shenanigans...
Who was I kidding? I probably still would have followed this gold-hearted idiot to the ends of the earth. But to think I was about to show myself over something so asinine...
"Hello."
They all turned around like lost prairie dogs when I spoke. Remembering myself, I rolled my eyes and stepped forward with a deliberate sound to draw their attention. When I spoke, I did so with my deeper falsetto.
"If you don't mind, I'll be taking that," I jerked my head towards the unconscious adonis, "Home. He's had quite a night."
"Why's there a kid here?" One of them asked. I watched as smirks formed on their faces in the wake of their surprise.
"Aw, hey short stuff! Where's mommy, huh?"
"Why the hood? You shy?"
"You tryna start somethin' peanut?"
I suppose they expected me to run, maybe cower or apologize and beg for forgiveness. Fools.
"...If I said yes?"
To my surprise, One of them, Doo I believe, stepped forward to nudge me away from them with a nervous chuckle.
"Haha, heyyyyy kid, let's just calm down, huh? let's just getcha outta here, c'mon."
YOU ARE READING
Behind Our Masks
Action"Penny" is a set of syllables meant to pass as a name. The girl who donned that label is a nameless fifteen year old vagrant with a stormy past. A homeless, friendless anonym, she's cursed to live out her existence on the streets, hiding her face an...
