Walking the Thin Line

Chapter 1

Desiree Revoir clutched her books tight to her chest, walking faster as she neared the alleyway. She hoped to just walk past the opening without any trouble, but knowing her luck, she would get stuck in the middle of a murder or drug deal. It had happened before, multiple times, seeing as the area of Phoenix she had lived in wasn't exactly the Upper East Side. But her past was something Desiree was trying to forget and avoid, if at all possible.

Her brown boots tapped on the ground at a fast pace as she walked by the opening. She knew that someone, or possibly something, was in the alley, and she had no intention of finding out what. Hoping to be conspicuous, she tucked a strand of golden hair behind her ear and looked over to the opposite side of the street.

"Hey girlie," a male voice called from the alley. Apparently her intentions weren't on others' agendas. Desiree bit her lip, but kept walking, hoping to loose the attention of the man who had called out to her from the shadows protruding from the alley.

Suddenly, she was pulled into the alley. A gasp left mouth as her books flew out of her hands and scattered over the concrete. The man pushed Desiree against the red brick wall forcefully, hurting her head. She knew that tomorrow would bring a large headache, if she even made it till tomorrow. The man chuckled. "You're pretty girlie. Are you as pretty without your clothes on?"

Desiree could smell the alcohol on this man. She had no idea how much beer he had had before crawling out into the streets to look for a victim. Her skin tingled where he touched her, and she wanted nothing more than to take a shower. She took a deep breath and spoke as forcefully as humanly possible. "Get off of me."

"I'd rather get in you," the man replied, pressing himself against her. Desiree shuddered at the thought of this man, this drunken man, taking away the one piece of dignity she had left intact from her past life. It would be horrid, losing her virtue to a piece of trash wandering the bad part of town late at night.

She closed her eyes for a second and considered how to get out of this situation. If Desiree kicked him in the balls - not that he had any - she might be able to run away before he got to her, especially since he was drunk. Though he could have been armed, and if dying was the only other option, Desiree wasn't sure if she would take it.

But before Desiree could put any sort of plan into action, a different male voice came from the entrance to the alley. This voice was laced with hatred and a hint of protectiveness - Desiree had no idea why, for she didn't know anybody in Pennsylvania. "Hey! Get off her!"

Desiree looked over and saw a cute boy, who had dark brown eyes and shaggy brown hair. He had on a dark blue sweatshirt with a brown satchel over his left shoulder. His eyes were strong, despite his small build and nice boy aura. The boy began walking towards the man on Desiree. His lips parted as he saw Desiree's face, and his eyes flashed with an emotion Desiree wasn't able to comprehend.

The man growled as he saw the boy and pushed away from his victim. He put up his middle finger and stalked down the alley, leaving Desiree alone with her savior. Desiree was startled that the man had left so easily once the boy had shown up. Why would a rapist back down in the face of a boy at least twenty years younger than him? It was unreal, yet Desiree was grateful that it happened.

"Thank you so much," Desiree said, bending over to pick up her books. As she scooped them up, she saw that they were still in good condition, which was good for her, for the books belonged to the library.

The boy smiled. His cheeks were flushed with color, and his brown eyes sparkled. Desiree could see that this boy was sweet, unlike the boys where she came from. "No problem." He held out a hand. "Alex Finders."

"Desiree Revoir," Desiree said, shaking Alex's hand. The two began making their way down the street, which was dimly lit by the sliver of moonlight shining over the city.