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STEVEN SCORES BIG TIME.
"-where have you been?" The woman's eyebrows creased in what looked to be frustration and concern.
"Layla?" Steven exclaimed, looking up at her from the ground, eyes blown wide.
Layla rolled her eyes, "Steven, you could've gotten yourself killed!" Penny screeched from her spot on the sidewalk. She saw out of the corner of her eye how the woman turned toward her in confusion.
Penelope brushed off her clothes and quickly held a hand out to the girl, ignoring the sounds of car horns blaring at them. "Uh, hi. My name's Penelope."
Layla's gaze dropped from the young girl's hand as she looked down to Steven again, "you have a child?!"
Steven, having finally found the time to stand himself up, sputtered as he tried to respond. "What? No, this is my friend. She's my neighbor."
"So now you're dragging a kid into this? Come on Marc, you're smarter than this." Penelope just stayed silent, retracting her outstretched arm and she observed the conversation. "You left me in the dark, didn't tell me a single thing, but suddenly your fourteen year old neighbor knows everything?"
"Actually, I'm seventeen-"
The grown ups payed her no mind. "I don't even - I really don't understand?" Steven's voice cracked as she pulled an extra helmet from the compartment in her seat.
"Here," She spoke softly, handing the helmet to Penny.
Penelope nodded in thanks, waiting for something to happen with baited breath. "Where- where are we going?"
"Back to Marc's place." She stated simply. "Get on."
Penny made a move toward the bike before Steven spoke again, "don't I get a helmet?"
"I only had one extra." She shrugged, sitting back down onto the bike. Layla nodded her head in the direction of his apartment building, trying to get the two to hop on.
Steven put out an arm, motioning for Penny to take a seat before Layla stopped him, "uh-uh, weight distribution. Heaviest in the middle."
Penelope didn't know who this Marc guy was, but she was sure Layla made the comment just to upset him.
••
"What the hell is going on? Is this Steven the latest identity for you?" Layla finally questioned once they were on the road. With the wind blowing past her ears, Penny had a hard time hearing. She was starting to think that this really was why she was put in the back.
"-I figured you were using a coded message when we spoke on the phone.." She continued, keeping her eyes straight ahead.
