The phone rang once, twice, thrice. Shay stood on a dark street corner, illuminated only by one streetlamp. She clutched the payphone for dear life, a drying trail of tears tracking her cheeks. She willed him to pick up.
It had been a bitch to do this. She'd looked through gutters for an hour or more looking for coins to use and had to find his phone number in the phone book, which was the easy part. She wondered if the number was even right.
When the beep for the answering machine went off, Shay hiccuped, frustration bringing fresh tears to her eyes.
"Um? Klaus? I-It's Shay. I didn't know who else to call," she gave a little sob, trying to hold it back but failing. "I... I guess you're n-not there. S-Sorry for bugging you."
Klaus at first let the call go through to the answering machine. He still had a home phone, after all this time, as it was both useful and nostalgic. He was in his kitchen, bouncing on his heels and frying up something deliciously greasy. He had trashy club music blasting loud, and was halfway through belting out the lyrics, so hell if he was going to stop now. Important matters went to his cell.
His voice died in his throat the moment he heard that little hiccup.
He ditched his food, just managing to make sure it wasn't a safety hazard, scrambling for the phone in the living room. He got to it just before he imagined she'd have hung up, chest tight.
"Sweetheart? Shay?" Klaus said, tone very soft, the slightest tremble of concern tripping up his usual easy confidence. "What's happening, where are you right now? Shh, shh… please talk to me, dear."
His voice died in his throat the moment he heard that little hiccup.
He ditched his food, just managing to make sure it wasn't a safety hazard, scrambling for the phone in the living room. He got to it just before he imagined she'd have hung up, chest tight.
"Sweetheart? Shay?" Klaus said, tone very soft, the slightest tremble of concern tripping up his usual easy confidence. "What's happening, where are you right now? Shh, shh… please talk to me, dear."
Shay hadn't expected him to pick up. She imagined she'd be stuck, standing in the cold at a payphone with no idea where to go. He sounded so concerned for her, but he didn't know her. Why had she called him?
When he called her sweetheart, Shay almost broke down into a fit of tears. She hadn't heard fatherly worry in a very long time, and it was heartwrenching. She had to keep it together; she was a big girl now. She wasn't supposed to cry and let everyone and their mothers know when things affected her.
Realizing she had been soundless the entire time her mind raced, Shay said, "I was out w-with the orphanage watching a movie in the park." They did that sometimes, but she didn't want to take too much time explaining, the payphone could only stay on for so long, "and Kenta came by..."
She breathed in shakily, the kind of breathing that came after a hard cry had occurred. God, why couldn't she hide it better? The girl looked around for a street sign.
"I'm at the strip. Fifth Street."
In the background, Klaus could hear people talking. Boisterous drunks. Shay didn't like being around so many people, less when they were... as they were. It went against every independent, angry bone in her body, but Shay was shivering (from fear, from anxiety, sadness, the cold) and she didn't want to walk all the way home. A little girl in the dark part of town, looking beaten. Easy prey to most.
"Can you pick me up?" Even as the words left her mouth, Shay still doubted that she should have uttered them.