the slums || jj maybank

three. catch a break

three. catch a break

"You know, I can drive you home," Kiara explained. It was a reference to the mildly severe weather event occurring outside; there were strong winds and downpour.

Skye shook her head, slight anxiety swelling inside of her; Kiara could not give her a ride home. If she did, her entire story would blow up back in her face. "Oh, that's okay. I just planned on walking." She appeared grateful but just turning it down for the sake of being polite.

Kiara shook her head, "No way, it's a hurricane out there." Of course, she was exaggerating, but she didn't want the girl to walk home in the rainstorm. Kiara prided herself on the idea of passing forward good karma. Besides, Kiara was leaving, too, and it would be cruel and unusual to allow this girl to trek her way home in the unpleasant weather.

"It's seriously okay, Kiara." Skye's tone turned from grateful to insistent.

"No, I insist," Kiara replied. She sent Skye to go retrieve her small bag that contained her entire life. The girls exited the restaurant side-by-side, jogging to her car to avoid being soaked. The puddles splashed under Skye's feet, soaking through the sides of her white converse and reaching through to her ankle socks.

They reached the car, the patter of the rain causing a small flood of memories to overcome her. She tried to imagine the intruding thought washing away with the rain and floating right into the drain.

Once they were in and buckled, Kiara pulled the vehicle to the end of the lot. She awaited directions from Skye. Just as Skye had said, she directed her North. The restaurant belonging to Kiara's family stood towards the beginning of the Eight. It was just outside the sort of blended mush between the rich and the poor. And Skye led Kiara in the direction of the money; it was almost as if Skye could smell it. As they drove north, the value of the houses went higher and higher.

"Just hang a right," Skye stated after about three blocks. Kiara stopped at the light, taking the right as the girl in the passenger seat with slightly damped hair instructed. After she made the right, Skye began to watch the relatively large homes on her right. The homes were nothing special to Skye considering the value probably topped out at about four million. But in comparison to some of the other places she had seen, these homes were lavish. After a few, she told Kiara to stop. "Yeah, this one right here," Skye explained, referencing the grand white house with gray roofing.

"This one?" Kiara asked to confirm. Skye hummed in response, reaching for the door handle. Skye glanced again as Kiara brought the car to a stop. Kiara was yet to unlock the door to release the girl from the car

"That's Scarlet's house," Kiara explained, looking at Skye. Her face held doubt; everything that had seemed odd about the girl came to resonate at this moment.

"Oh, I must've just had the wrong one-" Skye tried to begin to defend; just her luck, she chose the home of someone Kiara knew.

"You're here by yourself, aren't you?" Kiara questioned. Something just hadn't sat right about the girl's clear wealth but somehow lack thereof. The only conclusion that made sense to Kiara was that she was rich, and now she was no longer.

Skye didn't say anything, just thinking for a moment; what should she tell the girl in the driver's seat who had already figured her out? She turned to Kiara. "Uh, yeah, I am." She didn't bother to provide another flimsy lie. Kiara had already come to the truth and any other false information Skye provided would cause my harm than good.

"Where are you staying?" Kiara questioned in response. It was a valid, genuinely curious question. The girl seemed to be the same age as Kiara, about sixteen. Where could the brunette in the car with her be living?