Noir (Tom Holland)

One

The only reason I ever became a kindergarten teacher was because I have yet to find what I'm actually good at. I knew I was good with kids since I practically raised my brother from ages eight to now, so I figured why not specialize in that. It was unfortunate that in my first year of teaching I realized I hate taking care of kids and my brother was some well behaved mutant in his younger years.

However, teaching the little tikes do have perks. When they nap, I nap, and when they snack I snack. And though I hate their snot bubbles, ungodly tantrums, and lack of potty training, it warms my heart to know that I can make a difference in their lives by letting them express themselves right now. Even if they're a little bit weird.

The sun wasn't rising yet when I left my apartment to go on my morning run, but then again it never is. Though dangerous at night and early morning, the city is so silent and serene that I tend to let my curiosity run loose and see what the city truly looks like without all the people. I looked down at my smart watch and set it on my distance app, hoping to get four miles in before the rest of the city wakes up.

As I ran I thought of Lilah, one of my students. She was in kindergarten the year previous, but her parents held her back because she wasn't socially ready for the first grade. This year she had opened up to her peers more, but it was me she confided in. She loved old movies, she could even speak in the TransAtlantic accent that Old Hollywood actors had. Every other week she would come to me and tell me to watch a movie so we could discuss it and have our own inside jokes. This week she wanted me to watch Meet Me in St. Louis.

I started to not focus on the distance but rather focused on what I would tell Lilah. I had watched the film over the weekend and loved it. I thought of Judy Garland and how wonderful of a singer she was and I thought of how cute Tom Drake was. If it weren't for the screaming that came from the alley to my left, I probably wouldn't have noticed that I already ran three miles.

Jumping from the abrupt sound, I stopped and checked my surroundings. Nobody roamed the streets, nor was there anybody that was concerned by the scream. The sun was just beginning to rise, making the sky a mix of orange and yellow, reminding me of the Trop50 sitting in my fridge.

I wanted to shake my nerves away and keep running, but my mind was roaming to dangerous places. What if that person needed help? What if I was their only savior in these ungodly hours? What if this was some trap to kidnap and traffic me? The possibilities were endless and none of them were safe, but yet I inhaled deeply and walked into the alley.

Because of the buildings, the narrow street was dark and I could only see the silhouettes of two men. One was short and stout, pinned to the wall while the taller one held a gun to the other's head. Seeing the gun petrified me. By now I wanted to run back home and go to work, continuing on with my life, but my feet were melted into the eroded asphalt, betraying my only wish.

"You know Tom doesn't like to be deceived, Clark," the tall one said, "He takes it particularly hard, and when he takes it hard, I take it hard." The short man started to stammer, not able to get his first words out. The tall man pressed the gun deeper in the man's head, causing him to cry out more. "Spit your fucking words out. You're not an infant," he growled. Finally the short man spoke. "Harrison, please, tell him to give me two more days. I'll have the money by then, I swear! I-" The tall man pulled the trigger and the short man crumpled to the ground.

Considering I'm not an expert in the "people getting shot" field, I didn't realize that me gasping would call to the other man's attention. He faced me and I caught a look at him, dirty blonde hair, almond shaped eyes, high cheekbones, bushy eyebrows. "Shit," he muttered and strode towards me, gun still in his hand. Fortunately, my feet took this as an invitation to start moving again and I started to sprint away from the alley. He chased after me, causing me to hyperventilate. I couldn't die today. I had to see Lilah and tell her about Meet Me in St. Louis. I had to see my brother on Saturday, and I had to see my students.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a taxi cruise down the road. Jumping in front of it, I didn't wait for it to brake before I yanked open the door and shouted at the driver to drive. As he sped away, I looked out the window and made eye contact with the man, my heart pounding as I watched him pull out his phone and make a call.

Okay so I'm aware this is short, but hey, I'm back after three months yay! So I know i said i would be back during spring break but I got caught up in other stuff that I just totally blanked. Anywho updates will be slower than normal or they may not be. I don't really have a writing schedule but I really should have one lol.

Anyway vote, comment, that good stuff.

~Not edited~