It was lunch time, and Shay had no interest in spending this free period of hers stuck in the lunch room with a crowd of people she barely knew and surrounded by close bodies. Eroshay slipped out of the building and ran to the track.
Shay loved running. To feel the ground as it passed under her feet, the wind in her hair, the fervent beating of her heart. There was nothing like feeling the freedom of it all. Shay could close her eyes at times like this and focus in on how her body worked, clear her thoughts.
That's how her runs usually went -- but that wasn't the case today. Today, Shay came upon a small group of boys tormenting one of the frailer students in her class. William, she recalled his name was. He was a child more akin to a mouse, literally, than anything. With buck teeth, patchy gray fur, and a thin tail to match.
Shay immediately stopped running and found herself staring at the scene before her without any subtlety. She couldn't hear what was being said from her spot. Eroshay didn't even hesitate before jogging over to the group of boys.
"Hey!" What was she doing? Being a hero? Why? She'd never even spoken three words to William. The look of relief that flashes across William's face when he saw her approaching told Shay that she wouldn't back down now. Not after the way he'd stared at her. So helpless. He needed her.
William was backed against the wall of a building, the group having made a semi-circle around him to keep him circled in. Shay counted five boys.
"What the hell are you guys doing?"
Isn't it fun to beat up on people? That was what was going through his mind as he ganged up on poor little William. He was a weakling, someone that was easily picked on for his looks and lack of defense. A weakling that obviously didn't have anything better to do than get beaten up at lunch hour. With his 'friends', they had cornered him and done what most bullies do. Yes, if anyone were to stumble on this, they would obviously think that they were being the cruel ones, oh yes. In truth, the little pip squeak had thrown a drink at Auden, making him soaked and orange for the rest of the day. Of course, after a new pair of clothes and a few friends, it was payback.
Though as his buddies held him down, it seemed that some little spark plug came trotting up to them. "Oh~ lookie here..." The second he turned away from William, the other boys looked too. 'She's a looker ain't she?' One of the taller boys said to the girl, of course with a not so welcoming grin. "Listen kid, you should just walk away, yeah?" His Brooklyn accent came through as he spoke.
Though as his buddies held him down, it seemed that some little spark plug came trotting up to them. "Oh~ lookie here..." The second he turned away from William, the other boys looked too. 'She's a looker ain't she?' One of the taller boys said to the girl, of course with a not so welcoming grin. "Listen kid, you should just walk away, yeah?" His Brooklyn accent came through as he spoke.
Shay's chest felt tight. Five boys against her? She'd lose. What had Vito said? Smart people rule the world and strong people rule the alleys. Well, Shay was being neither strong nor smart right then. She had to be, though.
The girl breathed in when she heard the comment on her appearance and put on her most winning smile. It only just managed not to come out like a sneer. Shay was not good with people, so was it really a surprise she had no clue what to SAY to help this situation?
"Oh, you know, I would, but alas," Shay threw her hand over her forehead in the mock position of a woman near ready to faint. "I'm just a small, helpless girl and require the assistance of a big strong man, such as yourself." Of course, it came out sarcastic as it could. The contempt was dripping from every word she spoke.
There was a silence, and Shay knew the type all too well. It was the calm before the storm. The boys behind Auden shifted, a few uneasy, but one of them, the big one, was excited. Fights made people manic.
Eroshay imagined William would have ran right then, when his bullies' attention wasn't on him, had his shoulder not been firmly held and his back not been pushed hard against the wall.
Shay met Auden's eyes, clear challenge in hers. His move.
"You don't seem as helpless as you say girlie." He wouldn't fall for something so obvious. "Though you may be a doll, I didn't think that anyone at this school is that naive and innocent." It hadn't been on the island for long, so the thought of having generous and good hearted people was still a bit hard for him to believe. "And why would you want our help, sweetie?" His smirk was cold and confused as he eyed the girl. Taking a quick look back to William-who was thankfully still pinned up- his covered eyes flashed back at her.
"But alas, here you are, prying in on my free time and for what? Were you hoping to save the pipsqueak over there?" The mouse boy was going to be Auden's next meal, though he of course wasn't going to say that out loud. "Sorry but, this little weasel is mine." He stepped forward, with one of his friends trailing behind him for support.
"But alas, here you are, prying in on my free time and for what? Were you hoping to save the pipsqueak over there?" The mouse boy was going to be Auden's next meal, though he of course wasn't going to say that out loud. "Sorry but, this little weasel is mine." He stepped forward, with one of his friends trailing behind him for support.
Right, Shay wasn't good with acting meek. Not really. She was so sick of being afraid and she was only half afraid now, staring danger in the eyes. Shay watched death every day and night, why was she still afraid of it when confronted?
"Yes, I want to help William. Why are you picking on him?" Shay didn't back away when Auden and his lackey approached her. She stood taller and rose her chin to meet Auden's covered eyes.
The lackey behind the Auden eyed her over, his gaze stopping at her chest where she proudly wore the pin of the Rosales family. "Shit," he said. And Shay saw genuine fear in his eyes. It would have made her warm if not for the reason. Her family. Everyone was scared of them. She was too small to be intimidating.
Tim, the lackey, took a nervous step back, attention falling on Auden. "She's with the Rosales! No way. I do not want to fuck with the Rosales."
"Why do you care?" He give off a weird look to her, as he was wondering why it was her business at all. "I don't need to tell you shit." Even if he were to, his reasons for beating up poor little William were questionable. Usually you let people off when they say sorry over and over and beg to not be hurt, but no. Auden wasn't the forgiving type, so this, of course, was totally the most logical way to make it even.
Though it seemed that his usually tough friend was scared for his life when he looked upon the petite girl. Was it something in her eyes? Had she flashed a gun when he wasn't paying attention? Apparently it was something that would scare off a man like himself. Auden's eyes tracked the pin on her, to which he recognized. Rosales was a common name around where he lived, so it was no surprise that they were now... Selling fucking novelty pins?
"That's cute actually..." His smirk becoming gentler. "I didn't know you were a fan of them? I mean, I didn't know criminals made pins to advertise their name. It's like some Game of Thrones pins up in here." With that, he pushed Tim to the side like a leaf as he came to focus back on the girl. "Who's your favorite member of the house?"
Though it seemed that his usually tough friend was scared for his life when he looked upon the petite girl. Was it something in her eyes? Had she flashed a gun when he wasn't paying attention? Apparently it was something that would scare off a man like himself. Auden's eyes tracked the pin on her, to which he recognized. Rosales was a common name around where he lived, so it was no surprise that they were now... Selling fucking novelty pins?
"That's cute actually..." His smirk becoming gentler. "I didn't know you were a fan of them? I mean, I didn't know criminals made pins to advertise their name. It's like some Game of Thrones pins up in here." With that, he pushed Tim to the side like a leaf as he came to focus back on the girl. "Who's your favorite member of the house?"
There was the soft look. Shay was so used to those. Ugh. It shouldn't have bothered her
that bad people didn't want to hurt her, but sometimes it was so frustrating. She wasn't cute. She could be fierce and terrifying, too!
Then, he assumed her pin was a joke? She supposed that made sense. Some doe-eyed fangirl making a pin of the Rosales' as if that made them closer. As if one of them would see it and approach. Knowing Klaus, he would have. The thought made her smile, but only briefly.
"Oh, I couldn't choose. Klaus and Vito are both great, though. You hear some of the stories? About Vito making a man eat his own dick? Or how about the one where Klaus almost singlehandedly took down a rival gang? You saw that one in the paper, right?"
Shay leaned in closer, eyes glittering with manic enthusiasm. She laid a hand on his chest to keep herself from falling against him. Her voice lowered to a conspiratorial whisper. "Did you know, I was there for that last one? No lie. I stumbled on all the blood and the bodies. I actually met Klaus Rosales. Even ate out with him. Do you believe? Most people don't."
"They seem great yes." He nodded as she told the stories that he had of course heard of. They were practically royalty in the criminal world, so their acts spread like wildfire to everyone and anyone that cared to listen. So of course he knew about both gruesome acts. It seemed that the little girl was trying to... Well actually he wasn't sure. "Seems like fun actually." Though it should have scared him, and it was obviously scaring the other men around him; Auden was calm and collected, as if he had witnessed it.
"Oh? So you're like an ultra fangirl?" His intrigue level went up as he wiggled his chest just a bit, as if to make her lose her balance. "I mean, that sounds like a jolly good time, and if you were a big enough of a fan of his, yeah, I could see that." He raised his right hand and took a piece of her hair, twirling it in his finger. "Though... Why would a little dove like you be at something so... Red?"
"Oh? So you're like an ultra fangirl?" His intrigue level went up as he wiggled his chest just a bit, as if to make her lose her balance. "I mean, that sounds like a jolly good time, and if you were a big enough of a fan of his, yeah, I could see that." He raised his right hand and took a piece of her hair, twirling it in his finger. "Though... Why would a little dove like you be at something so... Red?"
When he wiggled, Shay lost some of her footing, but she regained herself quickly. She clutched the collar of his shirt, trying to tug him down, so their noses almost touched.
"I'll make you a deal," she smiled, "I'll tell you that if you let William go. How does that sound? We could have a fun time of it until lunch is up?"
Oh god, their closeness was just a bit too surreal for him to handle. Though this girl was pretty and totally his type (not that he really had one), he didn't expect that this movements would effect her that much. When their noses almost touched, his head jerked back and stayed as far away as it could from her own. If she planned to kiss him, it would be on his own terms. "That deal is.... Well that's not what I expected you wanted from me." Why would be give up his food source for the chance to know why she was so close to the Rosales'? Because he was a curious bastard, of course.
"That's not really a fair trade you know; a boy for a little bit of knowledge? Seems like you're trying to win me over or something. Cute." His attitude was the same, as he still saw her as a sweet little flower of a girl that just so happened to have seen some rather grown up stuff. "I'll need more than that, girlie."
"That's not really a fair trade you know; a boy for a little bit of knowledge? Seems like you're trying to win me over or something. Cute." His attitude was the same, as he still saw her as a sweet little flower of a girl that just so happened to have seen some rather grown up stuff. "I'll need more than that, girlie."