<Grey> Neko Love <Alltoni> (IC, PG-13)

[Alltoni]

"Don't forget you're lunch." Lori King called holding out a brown paper bag. "Oh, right." Emily Knight slapped her hand against her forehead with a, "Dur" and turning around to grab the bag. "Thanks." She said and hurried off to her job.

Emily Knight had been living on the streets sense she was 10 years old. Her mother left home when Emily was only 5 and her father died when she was 8. She went through two years of jumping from one foster home to another, and eventually got tired of it. So a few days after she turned 10 she ran away with her friend, Lori King, who had run away from foster homes before and knew the laws of the street.

They started out just barely making it, then Lori got a job and they slowly got money to live off of. When Emily was old enough to get a job she jumped at the chance. They eventually gained enough money to rent a small apartment and eat every day while saving money for a real house.

They went through the same routine every morning. Eating just enough to live off of and working until the day was over. They tried their hardest to save every penny they could while still living with food on their table and clothes on their back.

"I'll see you later." Emily smiled at Lori and ran off to the Hottopic in the shopping center beside the beach. She loved her job, other than the weirdoes that came in and tried to hit on her. She got to see the beach all day every day. She couldn't work all day according to state laws but she still stayed around the beach until it got dark.

[Ashen]

Xzavier stared into the burning flames with eyes of interest. The fire cackled, making a mockery of his life. Xzavier reached out to touch the long, wavering arms but he knew better.
Xzavier's head shot up when he heard a rustling. He frantically looked around to find something to put out his small fire. Using his shoe he squished the fire until it died.
He took cover near a bush and looked out. "Who goes there?" came a voice not far away. "I can see you. Your hair is like a carrot."
Dammit. Xzavier rose and stared at the man in front of him. When he saw a gleaming badge on his chest he broke into a run, not looking back.

This wasn't the first time Xzavier had run from the cops. Ever since freshman year he'd been bending laws to fit his needs. He'd been locked up for minor charges countless time but he didn't care.
It's not like his parents did.
Wherever they were in this world.
Xzavier couldn't care less about his parents. His father had abandoned his mother before he was even born. When his mother got remarried, Xzavier was only two years old. That marraige lasted for three years before his own mother died of a heart attack.
It runs in the family, the doctor had told him, but even little Xzavier, five years old at the time, knew his mother dropped dead when he saw that woman with her husband. Maybe weak hearts did run in their family.
But either way, that bastard killed his mother.
Once Xzavier reached the age of 14 he just got tired of living with people he wasn't even related too.
Xzavier had moved in with his girlfriend, not that that relationship had lasted long.

Now Xzavier did as he pleased. He rented out a small place that isn't even big enough for an old lady. It was all he could afford.
It was all his stolen money could afford.
Xzavier wasn't stupid. Before he left his stepdad's house he grabbed all the money he could carry. It's not like his stepdad, Harry, would say anything.
The man didn't want Xzavier. Turning him in would mean he'd be counted as a bad parent.

Xzavier stopped to catch his breath and turned around to see how much of a lead he had gotten. He listened quietly but he didn't hear the fat old policeman at all.
Sucker.

[Alltoni]

The sun hadn't come up yet but that was how Emily and Lori started their day-saying hello to the sun. Emily loved getting up early and Lori had to because no matter how hard Emily tried she couldn't be quiet. But Lori didn't mind. She needed to get up early anyway to get started with her day.

Emily took a deep breath and let it out with a smile. She loved life, she had so much to be thankful for. She had friends, shelter, food and many other necessities and joys. What more could a girl like her ask for?

On her walk to work she past a large woods between the apartment and the beach job. She always wondered what kind of animals or creatures lived there. On this walk she found out one of them.

She walked just like everyday-with her head in the clouds-when she was jerked back to reality by being knocked to the ground with an oof. "Hey!" She yelled before she had her bearings. Once she could see straight she shouted, "Watch were you're going!" She realized quickly that she was shouting at a boy close to her age. "Were you trying to run me over?" She asked. She had a higher pitched, slightly squeaky, voice so when she yelled she sounded like a chew toy.

[Ashen]

Xzavier nearly fell backwards but he caught himself. Some girl was yelling at him, and he didn't accept that. He turned to face the big girl with pathetic muscles compared to his but was surprised to see a very weak looking girl instead. She looked so fragile, like if Xzavier were to reach out and touch her she'd shatter.
Xzavier shook his thoughts away and stared down at the girl. "Can I help you?" he said in a sarcastic tone, a voice he knew too well. He didn't speak to people much, and when he did it was usually to make some sort of enemy.
Xzavier noticed the sun was shinig directly on him and he frowned. He hated the sun; it always made his eyes look too vulnerable.
He hated his hideous eyes. A pale blue was meant for a girl, not a guy that believed he owned the world.
Then again, the sun did make his hair look like the fire he loved to play with.

Xzavier looked around him and realised he had left his gasoline tank back where the officer had found him. He also left his lighter, and before he swore under his breath he realised this girl in front of him could help him. "You're coming with me " he demanded and grabbed her hand. His fingers were fad too strong for the girl to even try to break free. Xzavier knew this and he smirked at his power.
Steering clear of any clearings, Xzavier walked through trees and bushes until his fire sigt had come to view. "Hey girlie," he said to the girl that he had been dragging along. "See that lighter and tank over there? Go get it."
Xzavier had abandoned his manners long ago. When no one loves you, you learn to treat the world as they did to you.

[Alltoni]

Emily rolled her eyes at the boy's sarcastic remark. "Whatever." She said and crossed her arms. The sun shown on him like a spotlight on a fugitive. She wondered if he had run away too. He had dirt in his flaming hair, and his eyes looked like pools of loneliness.

When he jerked Emily up and drug her into the woods she had a million thoughts run through her head. Whats going on? Will I be able to make it to work? Is he going to kill me? I wonder what would happen if I screamed? When he stopped behind a tree she wasn't sure why at first but then she noticed a burnt down camp fire, a place where a boy, like the one standing right beside, her would live.

"Why?!" She squeaked. "Why are you hiding?" She asked when she realized what he was doing. "Are you in some kind of trouble?" She kept pestering him, and crossed her arms. "I don't want to be late for work." She said and started to walk away.

[Ashen]

Xzavier ignored all of her questions until she started walking away. He ran after her and pinned her against a wall. "Have you noticed my muscles?" he asked her, his eyes narrowing. "Have you noticed how big I am, you little brat? What are you, four-six? Yeah, I reach five feet tall. Now go get the damn lighter and gasoline."
Xzavier wasn't in the mood for someone like her. He heard a cop behind him and muttered another swear. He released the girl from his grasp and pointed towards all the charred grass. "I'll tell you after you get my shit."

Xzavier stared down at his fingers, at all the first and second degree burns he had obtained over the years. When his eyes moved to his wrists he saw all the zigzags that lined his veins. The multiple scars of red were bolder than Xzavier's blue veins, but he didn't care.
Xzavier's eyes dropped to his stomach. He had no weight on him and, despite what he led people to believe, his muscles were very small.
All in all, Xzavier had a pathetic figure. He could lift about one-hundred pounds but that's about as high as he'd go. He looked depressed, which he was.

Xzavier's eyes came back to the girl in front of him. "So are you going to go play fetch or do I have to keep you from work for a bit longer?"

[Alltoni]

Emily wasn't expecting to be slammed into a hard surface but that's just what happened. "Ow." She made it very clear to the boy that he was hurting her. "Yes, yes. You look stronger than me." She said with annoyance. "You are bigger than me but what would happen, I wonder, if I were to tell you I didn't want to go get you're crap?" She asked and tried to wiggle her way out of his grasp.

She looked at the boy, then to the campsite and thought for a moment. I was once in his position. She realized. But he's being so rude! She took a deep breath and shook her head. "Fine!" She said. "But what's in it for me?" She figured sense he could play big and bad so could she.

[Ashen]

Xzavier was about to hurt the girl even more when she finally agreed. "What's in it for you?" Xzavier repeated in a mocking tone. "How about I don't rape and kill you?"
There was no way Xzavier would do something like that-not to this girl anyway-but she didn't have to know that.
The police officer heard a voice and wandered into the forest. "Who goes there?" he called when his eyes brushed Xzavier's hair. He ran over to him and noticed the girl pinned to a tree. The officer immediately pulled his gun. "Let her go now."
Xzavier played an indifferent look on his face although on the inside he didn't know what to do. He didn't mind the titles larcen or pyro or any of the minor charges.
But Xzavier Vivé was no sex offender.

Xzavier's grasp slowly released from the girl's wrists. "This is my girlfriend," he lied and turned to the girl for support. "Right, Claire?"
His eyes looked like an empty ocean. Their expression was one of pleaing. I'll pay you back, the seemed to say. Please?

[Alltoni]

Emily's eyes widened a little when she heard the boy's reply. He wouldn't really. Would he? She didn't want to take a chance and find out. "Fair enough." She said, trying not to sound scared, like she felt.

She was waiting for the boy to let her go so she could get his stuff when she heard a voice that made her freeze. Who is that? What did they hear? Will I be in trouble too? A million thoughts rang through her head. Then she turned to see a cop with a gun pulled on the boy. "Let her go." He commanded. Emily felt the boy's hand tense up.

The boy let Emily go and told the officer that she was his girlfriend. Then he turned to her. "Right?" He asked. His eyes were pleading for her to agree. "Yeah, that's right." She nodded after her split-second decision. "I'm his girlfriend." She said, more nodding.

She wondered what was going to happen after this. Would Emily get into trouble and have to have Lori bale her out or would she be free to go.

[Ashen]

Xzavier sighed with relief as the girl confirmed his lie. He turned to the officer and smiled raidiantly. "So we'd like our privacy, if you'd-"
"I'd like you to stop starting fires you psychotic arsonist," the officer growled.
"I don't know what you're talking about, Chief."
The officer walked over to the clearing and lifted the lighter and gasoline tank. "I'm taking these. And if I find any other ones lying around you are coming downtown. You better clean your act up, Vivé, because we're tired of your-"
"Yes sir, right away sir, no more fires sir." Xzavier saluted the officer.
"You better stop mocking people too," the officer warned. "We're all watching you, Vivé."
With that the officer walked away.

Xzavier looked back to the girl. "Damn bastard," he muttered quietly. His eyes went back to the girl's, not sure what to say. "Thanks," he said, as if it pained him. "Nixon is a real dick. He's constantly nagging. I will kill that man before I drop off this earth, I swear."
Xzavier looked down and kicked at the dirt. "I guess you can go now," he said slowly. "With my stuff being stolen. Don't tell anyone about this encounter."
Xzavier looked back up into the girl's eyes. His eyes showed the years of loneliness he'd been living without Xzavier even knowing. Some of him wanted the girl to stay with him.

[Alltoni]

Emily just stood there and listened to everything being said. She wasn't sure exactly what was going on but she didn't want to say anything stupid so she didn't say anything.

When the cop left the boy thanked Emily and told her that she could go. "You're welcome." She said. "I was scared and didn't know what else to do." She added with a light laugh. She turned and began to walk away but then had second thoughts. She didn't just want to leave, but she needed to get to work. This called for yet another split second decision.

"Hey," She said and turned around. "Do you wanna hang out with me for today? I think my sister could help you with those burns." She pointed to the boy's hands.

[Ashen]

Xzavier looked up in surprise as the girl turned around. She mentioned his hands and Xzavier hid them in his pockets in habit. "I like my burns," Xzavier said nonchalantly. It sounded stupid, but it was true.
Those burns reminded him of his fire's power. Something so strong and yet Xzavier could create it with just a little gas and a spark of friction.
He loved fire, mainly because it was out of control, like he was. Fire would eat anything in its path and would take orders from no one. The only thing that could possibly tame it was as simple as a drop of water. In this way, fire didn't make sense.
But then again, nothing in life did.

Xzavier shrugged and stood still. "Define hanging out," Xzavier said slowly. He thought of the last time he had hung out with anyone.
It had been four years ago, the day before Xzavier's girlfriend had kicked him out of her house. It was also the day Xzavier had to live on the streets, entirely alone. "Yeah whatever," he said, not waiting for the girl's answer. "That sounds okay."

[Alltoni]

Emily giggled at the boy's defensiveness about his burns. "Okay, you can keep them." She said. Then he asked her to define hanging out. "Um," She thought. "I've never had to describe this before. Lets see," She thought. "Its were two or more people get together and...go places together, and do things together." She said with a shrug. "Best I can explain it. If you don't want to just let me know and I'll leave you alone." She said.

She sort of didn't want the boy to tell her to go. She wanted to help him like Lori helped her. She would always wonder what would have been different if she left him alone.

[Ashen]

"I know what hanging out means you bimbo," Xzavier said. "I mean like, nah forget it. It's better than pissing Nixon off anyway."
Xzavier looked down at his black sweats and blue T. His clothes were dirty, but he wasn't about to waste precious money on the cleaners. Money was too hard to come by to worry about something so stupid.
His sneakers, a cheap Nike knock-off, looked yellow rather than their original white.
Xzavier didn't care about his appearance. He wanted people to look and his body language and know he was saying, "This is who I am. Like me or hate me."
"You never mentioned your name," Xzavier reminded. The girl already knew his last name, and Xzavier hated that. He hated his last name period.
Vivé was French for long live, which was a horrible name for someone who had been suicidal.
"I can stick to calling you Claire," he joked and a smirk lit up his face.

[Alltoni]

Emily shook her head. "There's not much else that, that question could mean." She said with a shrug. "Nixon? The police officer?" She asked. She knew that if he knew the officer by name that he had to have met him a few times.

"Emily," She said. "I know you're last name but I don't know you're first." She added looking around the forest. "Now I need to get to work but don't know how to get out. Can you lead the way?" She asked and gestured behind her.

[Ashen]

"Yeah, Officer Tyler Nixon was a marine or whatever before he became a police officer. He hates my guts, and I'd say I hate him just the same." Xzavier shrugged. "Dude's like sixty. He needs to die."
He hadn't thought the girl might find it a bit strange that he knew Nixon's life story, but Tyler had locked Xzavier up so many times Xzavier pretty much knew everything about the man, down to the colour of his underwear.
Which, oddly enough, was sea green.

"Emily," Xzavier repeated, trying the word out in his mouth. "Well if you ever call me by my last name I'll dig your grave. My name is Xzavier, and that and X are all I respond to. Got it?" His eyes were dark, showing Xzavier meant what he was saying, but he wouldn't have minded a nickname. It had been years since he had had a nickname. He mother would call him X, and that was the only nickname he ever got.
Other than the names his classmates would often give him.
"This forest is easy to get around. I've had four years to memorize every tree and bush here. About five yards to your left is the only lily in the entire forest."
Xzavier looked to Emily's left and sure enough the white lily protruded from the grass. "If you're looking to get to the mall it's that way," Xzavier said, pointing a finger behind Emily. "Or if you're going downtown, it's that way." His finger pointed to their right.
He could be all right company when he wanted to, but he usually didn't. Xzavier didn't feel threatened around Emily at least, and so he was a bit more gentle.
She had just saved his hide.

[Alltoni]

Emily nodded. "X." She repeated. "Sounds cool." She giggled. Then X started telling her about him knowing every inch of the forest. She looked to her left and saw a white lily just as he had told her. "One of a kind." She said and looked back to X.

"So are you coming with me or staying here?" She asked. "I'm going to the beach side shopping center." She added. "And you didn't say which way that was."

[Ashen]

Xzavier smirked as Emily told him his name was cool. "I guess," he muttered.
"Now the Beach Side Shopping Center would be at the far side of the mall, behind you. I went to that place before. Got kicked out for life."
He let out a small laugh. "How was I supposed to know it was the owner's daughter? I only wanted a few bucks."
Xzavier dug in his pocket and pulled out a small switchblade. "It's not like I was gonna use this thing anyway."
He looked up to see how much he had freaked Emily out. Xzavier always carried around two things: his switchblade and his lighter. Now with his lighter gone, he had to buy another one.
"At this beach thing," Xzavier started, "would they happen to have lighters? I'll give you a few bucks if you can get me one."
He stashed his switchblade into his pocket and pulled out a five dollar bill. The bill was bent and ripped in so many places, but it was a bill nonetheless.
"I know how much they cost. You'd better give me my exact change."

[Alltoni]

Emily looked behind her and nodded. When X said that he'd been banned from the shopping center she looked at his knife with a bit of caution. "Banned." She repeated. "I don't think I want to know." She concluded.

X told her that he needed a lighter and she nodded. "I think I can round one up." She said with a nod, taking the 5 dollar bill. "Okay, I'll make sure to bring the change." She said with a smile. "Promise." She said and turned to walk away. "Do you want to meet me on the beach? By the surf shop?" She asked.

[Ashen]

Xzavier thought for a second before nodding. "Sure, I'll meet you by the beach. You better show up."
Xzavier's smile lightened his words. He took off in a sprint towards the beach, showing how fast he could get in such a small amount of time. Xzavier was very good at writing.
He had to be, with all the trouble ha had gotten himself into.

Xzavier looked out at the sea. It was the same colour of his eyes.
He hated the sea.
Xzavier preferred his fire, and he didn't like that the sea could easily extinguish his flames. He stared at the blazing sun as he waited for Emily to come back with his lighter and his $3.12.

[Alltoni]

"I'll meet you at 7:30." Emily called before she ran off toward work. "I'll be there. I promise." She yelled and ran off into the distance.

Emily made it through another day of work and crazy customers. Before she left she asked one of her coworkers if she knew where a lighter could be found. After being given a strange look and directions she headed off on her quest to find a lighter. Once she found the lighter she had $1.88 left of X's money.

Pleased with herself he headed off to meet X at the surf shop. She waved happily when she was close enough to see X, though she wasn't sure if he saw her or not. She ran to him and held out the plastic bag with everything that belonged to him. "Here." She said.

[Ashen]

Xzavier awoke when he heard Emily. He stared at his wrist for a few seconds before realising he didn't have a watch.
"You got my lighter?" he asked, taking the bag from her. He stared at the lighter with eyes of interest. It was black with flames along the side.
He loved it.
Xzavier counted his change and frowned. "What kind of store did you go to to get a lighter for freaking three dollars?" Xzavier barked. "You can get them at the damn dollar store."
Xzavier would never buy a lighter at the dollar store though. He knew better than to buy that cheap junk.
"Whatever," he sighed as he gazed at the now setting sun. He wondered how long he had been asleep.

Xzavier sat himself up and brushed the sand off of his T shirt. "What do you do, again?" he asked as he rubbed his eyes. "As a living I mean?"
The sun was blinding him to the point he had to turn around. Usually he could sit in the sun for hours. He never did worry about sunburns, although he was Irish and burned way too easily.

[Alltoni]

Emily didn't like X's reaction to her helpfulness. "Fine! Next time you get you're own lighter!" She said and crossed her arms, sitting down. "Its the Beach Side, what did you expect?" She asked.

She gazed at the sun and smiled. Something about seeing it made her happy. "I don't think I told you were I worked." She said taking her gaze off the sun and moving it to X. "I work at the Hottopic here." She said. "I get crazy customers coming in all the time. Every now and again I'll wind up helping some stupid boy who thinks he's king of everything and tries to hit on me. It never works though." She said with a giggle, though she knew that X probably wasn't listening.

[Ashen]

Xzavier stared at the lighter as he stuffed his change back into his pocket. "You could have at least gotten me a pack of Newport," he muttered.
His eyes followed her gaze to the blazing sun. "Hot Topic as in that overpriced clothes store I wouldn't dare enter?" Xzavier asked with a laugh. "I'm not kicked out of there yet. I'll have to change that. Can I get your rule book?"
He lay down on the hot sand. Some normal person would have flinched from the sand's heat but Xzavier didn't care. He had felt much hotter temperatures when he reached for his flames.
"Maybe I can stop by sometime," Xzavier said before he had a chance to stop himself. He stared at Emily with a confused look, wondering why he wasn't acting like the jerk he was to everyone else.

[Alltoni]

"Newport?" She asked. She wasn't sure what X was talking about. She looked back to the sun and smiled at its beauty. She giggled when X told her that he knew which store she was talking about and that he hadn't gotten kicked out. "I don't know about any rule book." She said. "And I wouldn't give it to you even if I did get one." She looked at X with a face that said Ha ha!

"That would be nice, maybe you could scare off the stupid boys." She said with a light laugh. She reached into her dress pocket and pulled out her phone to look at the time. "I need to get home." She said and stood up. "Wanna meet my sister?" She asked X.

[Ashen]

"Newport as in the smokes, the cigarettes," Xzavier explained with a sigh. "Duh."
He stared up at Emily, his eyes a pale blue. "How old is she?" he asked as he got into a sitting position. "Is she hot?"
Xzavier didn't have intentions of dating this girl's sister, but maybe it would provide an excuse for him to follow Emily.
"Count me in," Xzavier said as he got up and brushed the sand away from his back. He ran his hand through his fiery hair, causing sand to fly forward.
Xzavier looked at the sun, low in the sky, and wondered if he could even sleep at Emily's house for the night. It'd beat sleeping in his little hellhole.

Xzavier frowned as he remembered his last girlfriend. He wasn't planning on getting intimate with Emily or her sister but he still couldn't shake the memory.
Why are you so damn selfish? Mary had hollered at Xzavier.
Why won't you show me any affection? It's like I'm living alone here, and you don't even care.
Mary crossed her arms over her chest. You weren't living alone, she spat, but now you are. Get out of my house.
Xzavier had been broken that day, although he never let it show. Now the feelings surfaced, forming a frown and darkened eyes.

[Alltoni]

Emily nodded. "I thought so." She said and crossed her arms. When X asked how old her sister was, if she was hot. "She's 18, and it depends on what you think is hot." She giggled. Then X told her that he was going to go with her and she smiled...until his face became sad and dark. Her own face reflected confusion and concern.

"X? What's wrong?" She asked. "Are you okay?" She didn't even know the boy and she was worried about him. What is it about him? She wondered. It may be that he's like Lori and me. She remembered everything that they'd been through and wondered if X had been through all that, and when he'd began living in the woods.

[Ashen]

Xzavier's mind took a moment to register Emily's words of concern. He looked up and stared into Emily's beautiful brown eyes. "Nothing," he said dismissively although Mary's words sang around in his head.
Get out of my house.
This memory was like many others. It was a memory of how someone had told him he didn't fit in; how no one liked him.

"So she's eighteen," Xzavier said, trying to change the subject. "Alright, she's in my league then. Now about what I think is hot..." Xzavier turned away and feigned a look of deep thought. "Chili peppers are pretty hot," he pointed with a smirk. "Or maybe lava. I've never stepped into it, but I'm sure it's hot."
His eyes found their way back to Emily. "Or my personal favourite, fire?"
He sighed and shook his head. "Let me see her so I can stop comparing her to vegetables. If peppers even are vegetables."

[Alltoni]

"Oh, okay." Emily nodded and decided if he didn't want to say what was on his mind she better not push. "As long as you're okay." She said and stood straight. Then as if to get his mind of whatever was bothering him he went back to Emily's sister, who wasn't even her sister. Emily just called Lori her sister so no one would ask questions.

She giggled when X started naming off things that were hot. "Yeah, lava is probably pretty dang hot." She said. "So, what do you mean by seeing her. Like in person or a picture?" She asked and giggled. "I live that way." She said and pointed down a road that ran parallel with the beach. "We live in an apartment a little farther than these woods." She added with a proud smile.

[Ashen]

"A picture?" Xzavier confirmed and shrugged. "If you've got a picture that's great. Let's see her."
Xzavier looked up to where Emily had pointed and frowned. "Although nothing is better than the real thing," he muttered with a smirk.
He started walking off without another word.
Xzavier was mysterious like that. He'd be talking to you and then he'd just walk away. He told himself it was so that he wouldn't be hurt by the person. He'd walk away, so they couldn't.

Xzavier looked behind him to make sure Emily was still there. He stopped for a second and broke into a breakneck sprint. He smiled as all of his surroundings zoomed by.
He knew Emily wouldn't be able to keep up, and he just wanted to see what she'd do.
Xzavier dodged the trees with ease, something that had taken years to perfect. As a line of house came into view Xzavier stopped and turned around. He leaned towards a tree and waited for Emily to catch up.

[Alltoni]

Emily smiled and began to follow X, then just out of the blue he started to run. "Oh, a race huh? I can do this." She said and looked around to make sure no one was watching then she changed into her cat form and took off.

She kept pretty good pace with X but he probably thought that he'd lost her because she wasn't in human form for the moment but she hoped he wouldn't find out about her secret any time soon.

She saw the apartment begin to come into view and smiled, well, as best a cat could smile. She knew that X was probably going to get their first but she was just happy that she'd kept up with him. Though he'd think that he'd beat her by a long shot so she ran in the ally beside the gas station beside the apartment to change back to human form to give the impression that she'd been a human the whole time.

Once she changed she peeked around to make sure that X wasn't looking and began to run towards the building, faking out of breath. "Wow you're fast." She panted. "I couldn't really keep up." She lied mostly to make him happy and not hint on to anything that would give away her secret.

[Ashen]

Xzavier watched as Emily walked up to him. She was too quick, and she hadn't even broken into a sweat. There was something wrong with her.
"Obviously," Xzavier said as he kicked away from the tree. "Do you know the kind of crap I have to run away from here? Especially Nixon, but it's not like he can run fast."
Xzavier flashed a smile and stared out at the buildings. "Which one is yours?" he asked as he started walking away from the woods. He kept an eye on Emily.
There was definitely something wrong with her.

Are you kidding me? Mary had yelled at the top of her lungs. You think you're the weird one? Did you just see that?
Xzavier shrugged. Big deal, he said with a sighed. You can turn-
Don't say it! Mary said as she covered his mouth with her hand. If they were to know they'd come and kill me.
Who's they? Xzavier asked, and to this day he had no idea who was out to get his girlfriend.
And who would ever know he'd get her before they did?

[Alltoni]

Emily shrugged. "I don't know you're situation, so no, not really." She said with a smile. She looked out at the many buildings and smiled. "The white one with the lime green roof and hot pink door." She giggled and pointed at an apartment that was the third one in from the main road. "It's hard to miss." She said and began walking.

(Sorry I couldn't make it longer. I have to go.)

[Ashen]

"Oh," Xzavier murmured as he saw the colourful building. "One for colours then, aren't you?" He started walking towards it and stared at the door. Xzavier had never liked pale colours, they always appeared weak.
They had wimpy meanings as well, most of which he didn't even believe.
A pale blue stood for tranquility, after the calm waves of an ocean, but Xzavier was only relaxed when he was staring at the complete opposite of an ocean, a fire.
His eyes contrasted his personality, and paired with his hair was completely not him.
His hair was the colour of fire yet his eyes were the colour of water.
It's like yin and yang, Mary had told him once.
You mean that show with the ninja bunnies? Xzavier had asked.
No you idiot, Mary had said, that's Yin Yang Yo! Yin and Yang is a Japanese belief of good and evil. She had pulled out her necklace which had revealed a circle. Half of the circle was shaped like a white tear drop while the other half, a black duplicate, fit perfectly in the other. Without one, the other would not exsist.
Xzavier hadn't understood her at the time, but now she knew what he was talking about.
Without evil, how could there be good?
And without good, how could anyone be evil?

[Alltoni]

Emily giggled. "Yeah, we like our colors." She said. She noticed that the curtian in the window had moved and knew that Lori would be wondering who the boy was. She opened the door and gestured for X to walk in first.

Once everyone was inside Lori walked up and told them hi then asked who the boy was. "This is X, I met him earlier today." Emily said and turned to X. "This is my big sister Lori." She smiled.

[Ashen]

Xzavier stared at Lori with no expression on his face. His eyes went first to her blonde hair and then to her eyes which reminded him of a marshland; not quite green but not quite brown either. He didn't say a word to Lori for a long while. "Xzavier," he said as his eyes stayed at her's. "But X is fine."
Xzavier turned away from Lori and looked around the house. "Pretty small, isn't it?" he asked as he ran his fingers against the walls. "Then again, it's bigger than my crummy little closet."

Xzavier sat himself down on a couch and placed his feet against the armrest. "Hey Em," he called. "Bring me a Bud?"
There was something about being around others that made Xxavier act mean. Alone, he could be a completely different person.
He closed his eyes and relaxed while he waited for Emily to bring him a Budweiser. She probably didn't even have any, and Xzavier knew this.

[Alltoni]

Lori didn't know what to say about a strange boy being in her home. She was confused as to why Emily would bring random people home with her and that she would bring someone like him home. She became very angry when he sat himself down like he'd been living there. Then she moved to outraged when he asked for a 'bud.' Lori knew he meant a beer. She tried her hardest not to show her anger but she couldn't help it. She grabbed Emily's arm and stiffly walked to the kitchen.

"Really Emily?" Lori said as she pulled the two of them down so X might not be able to see or hear them. Emily looked a little annoyed herself. "Sorry, I just thought...Okay, I'm not sure what I thought. He looked so lonely and sad by himself. Lori, he ran into me after running from a cop. He reminded me of us and other's like us when we ran away." Emily said. "I thought that I could help him."

Lori sighed and shook her head. "Okay, but I don't want him staying here for to long." She said. "He might just rub off on you." She smirked. "Now for his bud." She said and looked to the fridge.

"Here." Lori said and tossed a can into X's lap. When he looked at it she smirked. It had a piece of paper taped to it that said Budwiser on it. "There's you're bud." She said and sat down on the chair across from the the couch. Emily giggled and made her way to the chair beside Lori's. "Just pretend it tastes like one." She said as she sat down.

[Ashen]

Xzavier frowned as Emily and Lori left the room. His frown quickly turned into a smirk though when he noticed the girls were fighting.
Over him.

He wasn't expecting the can thrown onto his lap so the impact gave him a little start. He stared down at the can as if it were a nuclear rod and he would get infected by touching it. "What is it?" Xzavier asked as he picked it up carefully and examined the label. "This looks like some shitty knockoff. Can't afford the real can?"
Neither could he, but it didn't matter. Xzavier never really did think before he did so he popped the can open and took a long swig. "This even tastes like shit," he complained and slammed the can on the table next to him. "Nevermind, forget I even asked for anything."
Xzavier lay back down and closed his eyes. "So where you two ladies from?" he asked. He wasn't expecting a really interesting place; they were probably from right here anyway. Still, their life history was probably a lot better than his.
No.
No one should have to go through what Xzavier had.

[Alltoni]

Emily shook her head. "It's Dr. Pepper." She said. "I don't like it either but Lori does." She thumbed at her sister with a giggle. When X slammed the can down on the table Lori picked it up. "Fine, if you don't want it I'll drink it." She said and ripped the paper off of it, which made Emily giggle.

"We're from Corn Hill." Emily said. She wondered if Lori would let her tell him what they came from. "From what Emily told me, we're kinda like you." Lori said. "We ran away from an orphanage and have been living on our own sense Emily was 10, I was 12." She said and put down the soda. "Though I don't know how bad you've had it." She added. "You may be worse off than what we went through." Emily remembered everything that they went through and hoped that he didn't have it much worse.

[Ashen]

"Corn Hill," Xzavier repeated slowly. "I've never heard of that place but it sounds...nice."
He knew once Emily had finished talking it was his turn to lay out his own storyline but there was no way that was happening.
Xzavier was still living in denial; he wouldn't even be able to speak of it.
Xzavier felt a weird vibe from Emily and Lori, now together. He felt like he didn't belong, like he was invading their territory. Xzavier dug into his pocket and pulled out the brown string. At the middle of the string was a black and white circle, the yin yang, the good and evil. He traced the outline of the two tears and then applied pressure. When he lifted his necklace the imprint, faint, was still in his palm.

Xzavier looked up and realised, for the first time, he had company. He immediately shoved the necklace back into his pocket and prayed neither of the girls would mention it.
He let his elbows rest on his knees as he got into a sitting position and rested his head in his hands.
He had been carrying that necklace, every day, for years.
He had just never shown it to anyone.

[Alltoni]

"It was until we were sent to the orphanage." Lori said. All the memories of what they went through came back to her and she took another sip of her drink. Emily saw the Yin and Yang necklace and X's reaction as he seemed to realize he had people around him and quickly hide it.

She wondered if she could say something about it because the awkward silence was bothering her. "You like the Yin and Yang?" Lori asked before Emily could say anything. Emily read the look on X's face, he seemed sad and annoyed at the same time.

[Ashen]

Xzavier sighed in aggravation as Lori asked about his necklace. He picked himself off the couch and walked over to Lori. He lightly shoved her until her back was touching the wall. "First of all, it's not mine. It's my girlfriend's, and we're not going to bring this up again." Xzavier's eyes raged a dark blue as he stared at Lori. He took a step back and paused to come to his senses.
He didn't mean to scare Lori. Emily was probably ready to kill him too.
No one mentioned his yin and yang. No one but Mary.

Xzavier turned his back to Lori and took a deep breath. He felt a bit sorry but mostly angry. Why did life have to always be so hard?
"You have no idea what this means to me," Xzavier breathed, his words heavy. Sure it meant evil and good fit perfectly together, but not to Xzavier.
It meant so much more than that.
To Xzavier, it was not a sign of good and evil, but life and death.

[Alltoni]

Lori wasn't scared or even confused, she just nodded. "Okay, I understand, sorry." She said. Emily watched X with worry. She could tell that the Yin and Yang meant so much to him, but wondered why. "I didn't mean to offend you." Lori said. She truly meant it too, she just hoped that X could see that as well.

Then X confirmed Emily's thoughts, he told them that they had no idea what the necklace meant to him. "You're right, we don't understand." Emily said. "We aren't in you're shoes, but we do understand what it's like to be alone." She hoped she wasn't out of line by saying that. Lori looked at Emily then back to X, wondering how he would react.

[Ashen]

Xzavier thought about Emily's words carefully.
We do understand what it's like to be alone.
"No you don't," Xzavier said a bit loudly. "You have each other. I killed my only company."
Xzavier looked up in alarm. He stared first at Emily, then to Lori. "Shit," he muttered quietly before turning on his heels and darting away.
Xzaver ran through the bushes and trees, hoping to lose the girls, if they were even following. He had just blurted out a confession-blurted out the biggest secret in his life-and all he could do was run.
His fingers wrapped around the necklace in his pocket. He couldn'y believe what he had just said.
Xzavier's tears were blinding him, the tears he had been keeping inside for years. He held them back until he couldn't see right in front of him and he fell.
He lay there, motionless, on the ground.
Xzavier Vivé was not only a pyromaniac. He was a murderer.

[Alltoni]

Emily started to say something but then she realized what he said. The more she thought about it the more speechless she became. "X," She said just before he ran away.

She was stunned. She slumped down in her seat with her mouth hanging open. "Emily!" Lori said and stood up. "Did you just hear what he said?!" She yelled. "This..." She had tears building up in her eyes, "is why you don't bring home random people!" She didn't care if the neighbors heard her.

Tears dripped out of her eyes. "I..." She said and looked at the door. Without another word she changed into a cat and ran after X. He'll probably go to his camp sight. She thought. Her mind was clouded with questions and thoughts about the boy she met earlier that day. Why? She asked. Why did I bring him home?

She made it into the woods and changed into her human form. She continued to run and shout X's name over and over. She looked all around her and when she fell she got back up and continued her search. Please X, where are you?

Then she spotted something. A body. When she first saw it she thought it was dead but then she realized who it was. "X!" She shouted and ran to him. Kneeling down behind him she slowly reached out to help him to his feet. She couldn't see his face but she knew he was in pain. Not physical pain, emotional pain from memories.

[Ashen]

"Xzavier, what are you doing?"
"I can't take it anymore, Mar. I'm just so sick and tired of this shit everyone keeps putting me through. I'm done."
Mary stared at Xzavier, her eyes glued to the gun in his hand. "You wouldn't dare," she breathed.
"All my life I've been hated. I actually thought things were different with you Mar. I really thought I had a second chance, even though I never got my first." Xzavier placed the gun to his temple. "I've had it Mar."
Everything after that happened in a giant blur. Xzavier fired the gun, but the bullet didn't touch him.
Mary had knocked the gun out of his hand, sending the bullet flying in the opposite direction.
Sending the bullet straight through Mary's chest.
"Mary!" Xzavier screamed as he fell to his knees next to her. "Mary, my God, no!"
Mary's eyes fluttered and she struggled for air. "I still love you X," she sighed. "I didn't want to throw you out. I wanted to keep you...forever."
Mary's eyes closed, leaving Xzavier to stare at what he had just done.

Xzavier was still, even as he felt Emily kneel beside him. The medallion was in his palm now, and Xzavier clutched it with his life. He squeezed it so hard it broke down the middle, and Xzavier brought it to his face to look at it.
There was one clean crack running through the white and the black. There were two pieces now, both having a bit of black and white, good and evil.
He stared up at Emily, knowing the tears he wouldn't let fall were still at his eyes.
I killed my only company.
His words played on repeat in his mind. Maybe he could mislead her. "I killed my only company, yes," Xzavier said as he struggled to keep his voice even. "But she wasn't a person. It was a pet, you know? A cat."
Xzavier's expression fell as he realised what he had just said. He turned around and finally let his tears fall.
He squeezed his now broken necklace even harder, until the jagged points tore his skin, until he felt his blood leaking onto Mary's necklace.

[Alltoni]

When Emily's hands touched him, X moved. She jumped and looked down at him. It was sort of strange seeing the tough guy she'd known for about 12 hours crying. She was breathing heavily from chasing him through the woods, but she heard what he said.

"I killed my company, yes, but she wasn't a person. She was a pet, you know? A cat." Emily didn't believe him. "I don't think you would have run away for telling us you killed a cat." She said. "I know I don't know you very well but I know you well enough to make that accusation."

[Ashen]

Xzavier buried his face in his hands. "She was a cat," he protested. She was the best cat I've ever known."
He couldn't control his words now. Xzavier had been living in denial so long he had started to believe himself when he said he didn't kill Mary. Now that the truth was being unraveled he couldn't take it.
"Emily," Xzavier said slowly. He looked up and made no effort to hide the trails of tears down his cheeks. His lips were shaking as if he were freezing.
"Please don't tell anyone. My life is fucked up as it is."

[Alltoni]

Emily just sat there not knowing what to say to X. When he asked her not to tell anyone she nodded. "I won't. But Lori knows too and she's pretty mad." She said. "I'm pretty sure we can convince her that you're not a bad guy." She tried to be helpful but she knew that she was just blabing.

"I'm not going to push the truth out of you but I would like to know the story just to understand you a little better." She said though she knew that X probably wouldn't tell her.

[Ashen]

Xzavier looked away and pretended to concentrate his eyes on a single strand of grass.
"Convince her that I'm not a bad guy," Xzavier whispered quietly to himself. "I light fires where any other eighteen-year-old would be playing Call of Duty. I don't sit behind a video game and pretend to do. I actually get out there and do."
His hands started to shake in his lap. Xzavier looked down at them and traced the lines of blood Mary's necklace had made. "I murdered my girlfriend," Xzavier admitted slowly as if he was thinking about telling her even after the words were out. "She saved my life and I shot her dead."

After a few shaky breaths Xzavier lifted himself onto his feet and used a tree for support. He stared at Emily and knew this might be the last time he'd see her. He couldn't stay now, not when Lori and Emily knew what they did.
"I don't want to talk about it, okay?" Xzavier said roughly. He knew that Emily wouldn't believe him even if he did tell her anyway, which was most of the reason he wouldn't speak up.
"Goodbye Emily," Xzavier said as he turned around and started to walk away. This is what he did for a living.
He survived long enough until he didn't want to face his problems. Then he just walked away.

[Alltoni]

Emily didn't know why, but she started crying. "But, that's a good thing! Right?" She said when he told her that he was a boy of action. Then he told her that he murdered his girlfriend and Emily was stunned speechless. She had no idea how that must have felt.

She grabbed her arms and leaned over like she was going to be sick. What Xzavier had told her reminded her of her father. He was shot by her uncle, for something he didn't even do. She began to let all her anger and sadness pour onto the forest floor.

"Emily!" Emily heard a voice call out to her and felt arms around her. "What did he do to you?" The voice asked. When Emily looked up she saw Lori, who pulled her into a hug. "It'll be okay." She said and began to pet her. Emily shook her head. "No, he's gone." She cried. "But he'll make it." Lori assured her. "No, daddy's gone!" Emily hugged her 'sister' and continued to cry. "Oh, Emily." Lori continued to pet her, trying to calm her down.

Eventually Emily settled down to a tear every now and again so the two headed back to the apartment where they got baths and went to bed.

[Ashen]

Xzavier looked at everything he had bothered to keep. He had placed everything on a blanket and stared out at all of it.
There was the lighter Emily had bought him, along with a torn box of Newport that only had two cigarettes left. Beside that was sixty dollars in change and three-hundred dollars in bills. He had been meaning to convert everything to bills so it would be a lot ligther but that was just another thing he never got to. He had his spare gasoline tank, a lot smaller than his normal one but still did the job.
Clutched in his hand was Mary's necklace, something he'd never leave. And the last thing Xzavier had was a ball of brown wool, torn and matted in so many places. Another souvenir of Mary, Xzavier placed it in the middle of his checkered blanket and got up to leave.

He had been okay for four years. Why, now, did he have to leave? Xzavier was so sick and tired of living in denial, but he couldn't believe the story himself.
The only things on his mind were Emily and Mary, the only two girls he had ever loved.
Xzavier stopped himself as that thought came to mind. He couldn't love Emily. He had just met her.
An idea came to Xzavier's mind, an idea that would end everything. With a faint smirk he ran to the police station, clutching the things he cared to bring along.

"Good evenin', Mr. Nixon," Xzavier greeted with a smile as he walked up to the man.
"Here to turn yourself in?" Officer Nixon asked as he lowered the book he was reading.
Xzavier laughed. "Actually, sir, I'm here to apologize for everything I've ever done. I'd like to have you know I won't be around much longer to cause you any trouble."
Nixon sat up and eyed Xzavier. "And why is that?"
"You look completely famished. Here, eat." Xzavier opened his blanket and pulled out a slice of toast. "Made it myself."
"In that case, I won't have any."
After some assurance from Xzavier and a little arguement, Nixon had eaten the slice of toast. Xzavier sat across from Nixon until his poisons did their job, until Nixon was out cold. "Sleep tight," Xzavier said as he grabbed the gun from Nixon's waist. "When you wake up, your biggest problem will be gone. Me."

[Alltoni]

Emily didn't sleep well, she dreamed about the night that the police told her that her father was dead and she wouldn't be living in the house anymore. She was five years old so she didn't understand much but she knew that daddy wouldn't be coming home any time soon.

"Where is daddy?" The little girl asked Melody, her babysitter. "He should be home soon." Melody said with a smile. "Do you want to watch a movie until he gets here?" She asked. Emily nodded and ran to the movie case. As she scanned the movies a knock was heard at the door. "I'll get it," Melody said. "You look for a movie." She smiled and walked off. It was the last smile she would see from anyone for a long time.

When Melody returned she was in tears. She picked up Emily and held her. "I'm so sorry." She said over and over. "What's wrong?" Emily asked. "Are you hurt?" She didn't know it yet but her father had just died from a bullet to the head.

Emily woke up crying "Daddy!" Soon Lori would come to comfort her back to sleep. "It'll be okay." She told Emily over and over, holding her and rocking back and forth, running her fingers through her hair. "It's okay." She said and Emily fell asleep.

When Emily woke up she was tired and her mind was cloudy. "Good morning." Lori said. "Morning." Emily replied tiredly. "Feeling okay?" Lori asked. She was worried about Emily. Emily shook her head. "No, I feel really crappy." She said. "You want to call in sick from work?" Lori suggested. Emily shook her head. "No, I don't feel sick, just crappy." Lori nodded. "Okay." She said. Emily got ready for work and headed out, slowly on her way to Hottopic.

[Ashen]

Xzavier walked through the trees and bushes until he saw Emily's and Lori's colourful house. "There it is," he murmured to himself.
Getting all the way to their house from the police station was no easy task. He had to hide the Glock in his hands from all his eyes. He had almost been caught, but Xzavier was too clever for that.
He was too experienced.

Xzavier walked up to their window and peered inside. It seemed Emily and Lori were gone, but that wasn't a big problem. He would just wait until they got back.
Then he'd shoot the three of them so his secret would be safe.

Xzavier took cover in a bush and made sure his entire body was hidden from view. Even his bright hair looked brown with the amount of dirt that was in it.
Xzavier thanked the forest floor for that.
He knew he had a few hours to kill so he pulled out a cigarette from his blanket and lit it up. He did indeed have asthma-mild-so smoking wasn't the healthiest idea, but he had been lighting cigs since he was fourteen.
What did he care about health, when he was about to kill himself, as well as two other girls?
Two innocent girls.

[Alltoni]

Emily finished what seemed like a never-ending day at work and walked through the mall to find Lori at the pet shop to see if she was almost done so they could go home together. Once Lori finished everything and locked up the store she and Emily headed home.

On the way there they talked about how their day went and what they would do tomorrow, sense it was their day off. Emily suggested surfing and Lori though they could take a trip to the aquarium. They settled on a picnic sense neither of the girls had much spare money.

They made it to the house and Lori unlocked the door and the two went inside. Lori started on dinner and Emily set the table.

[Ashen]

Xzavier was startled out of his sleep when he heard the door open. He watched Emily and Lori enter thier house and smiled to himself.
It's show time.
He held onto Nixon's gun tightly as he pushed the door open. He took one look at Emily and his hand started to shake. He stared down at his gun and pointed it first at Lori, then to Emily, then to himself. "I can't let you go," Xzavier murmured quietly, almost inaudible. "My secret can't be safe if you're still alive."
Xzavier turned the gun back to Lori first and pinched his eyes shut. He told himself to pull the trigger but there was no way he could.
Instead, he dropped to his knees and threw the gun feet away from his body.

So much was going through Xzavier's mind. He was thinking that Emily and Lori would call the cops, that he'd be locked up for life with no chance of parole. He'd rot away behind bars, not being able to talk to anyone.
Not being able to reach into his flames and burn off a bit of himself.
That was it. Xzavier wanted his fire. He needed some kind of comfort, but he knew he wouldn't get that. His legs wouldn't move even though he used all his might. He felt like gelatin, no definite shape.
He was a puddle on the floor. His hearbeat was way too fast, and Xzavier wondered if he would die this way.
That would save a lot of trouble.
Xzavier opened his eyes, stained with tears, and looked at Emily. He offered her a smile and wondered what she would do now.
He just kept making their life a living hell, and for what?

[Alltoni]

Both the girls jumped when the door swung open and Emily's heart stopped when she saw the gun. She read the look on X's face and wondered if he would actually kill one of them. He looked very intent on it...until he fell to the ground and threw the gun away from himself.

Lori quickly retrived the gun to make sure no harm would befall anyone. She put the gun on the counter and turned around to see Emily making her way to the poor, messed up boy.

Emily returned a smile and sat down in front of X. "Are you okay?" She asked. Her heart was racing and she wondered if he had a plan B for killing the girls. Lori was watching her very closely, if X made any motion to hurt Emily she would stop him and call the cops. She had a hand on her phone just in case.

[Ashen]

Xzavier stared at Emily, trying to decipher her hospitality. After all, it couldn't be real. Not when he had just aimed a gun at her.
He looked away, blinded by his own tears. He forced his palms to his eyes and pushed until his eyes started to hurt. He couldn't kill the three of them. But maybe he could take himself.
Xzavier looked up and tried to calculate the time it would take to get to the counter where his Glock lay. Lori would try to stop him perhaps; he wasn't scared of Emily's small body.
He looked back at Emily. Emily's features were now gone, and in its place were Mary's. Her brown hair reached her shoulders and her eyes crystal eyes stared back at him. Mary's mouth formed the one word Xzavier couldn't bare to hear.
Why?

Xzavier pushed away from Emily and leaned his back against a wall. He stared at his wrists, at the lines that ran up and down, at his attempts to leave this wretched place. "Knife," he muttered quietly. "Gimme."
He knew Emily wouldn't give him one, but that wouldn't stop him from asking. He started to claw at his wrists until blood rose to his skin, until he had a physical reason to hurt, and not only an emotional one.

[Alltoni]

Emily knew that X was in pain and carefully watched him as he looked to the counter where the gun lay. Lori readied herself to stop X if he tried to go for the gun, the slowly stood straight as he looked back to Emily, who, strangely, he pushed away from.

"X." Emily said but didn't move closer to him. She knew it would probably scare him. Then he asked for a knife. And when he didn't receive one he began to claw at himself. Emily moved toward him and grabbed his hand. "Please don't." She said, tears forming in her eyes. "Please don't hurt you're self." She pleaded.

She thought of times she'd tried to cut her own wrist but could never touch the knife to her skin. She was afraid of all the things that might happen, and the pain that it would cause her and the people around her.

Tears dripped onto X's wrist. "Please..." Her voice was small, almost a whisper. Lori wanted to help in some way but wasn't sure what to do. She also had a strange thought that the two of them might be able to heal each other. Maybe he wasn't so bad after all. Well, save the fact that he'd just tried to kill them both.

[Ashen]

Xzavier startled when Mary reached out to him. He pulled his hand away and refused to stare at her. "Why aren't you dead?" he whimpered. "I shot you. Why haven't you died yet?"
His brain was finally going, he was seeing things that weren't there. Xzavier knew Mary wasn't the one who stood before him, but something told him the two girls had a lot more in common then they let on.
In one swift move Xzavier was on top of Emily's body, pinning her to the ground by her wrists. He knew she couldn't move, which was perfect. His own blood slowly trickled to Emily's skin, making it look like her own.
"Tell me your secret," Xzavier said through gritted teeth. "You aren't a normal girl. Tell me your secret before I...I..." Xzavier closed his eyes and just tried to relax.
Before he what? Killed them both? How would he manage to do that, with his gun so far away and Lori watching everything?

[Alltoni]

Emily looked up at X. Why was he asking her why she wasn't dead. He never shot her. Then she realized that he wasn't seeing her, he was seeing this girlfriend. "X-" She began but before she could finish he was on top of her telling her to tell him what was going on.

Lori quickly moved forward but stopped dead in her tracks when she reaized what he'd asked. He knows. She thought. What was she supposed to do? Could she manage to get him off of her sister? What would he do to her if she didn't comply.

"I..." Emily didn't understand. "I..." She looked to Lori for support. Lori looked from the helpless Emily to the demanding Xzavier. She looked back to Emily and nodded, for fear of what X would think up.

Emily did the only thing she knew would explain everything. First she grew cat ears and a cat tail. Then, in a time frame of only a couple seconds, she went from a human with cat ears and tail to a full fledged cat. "No," Lori said. "We're not human." Emily wiggled her way out from under Xzavier and sat down in front of him. "Mew." She meowed to help prove their point.

[Ashen]

Xzavier stared with wide eyes as Emily seemed to transform into a cat. He was off of her in seconds and on the other die of the room.
"Why?" he murmured to himself. "Mary go away. You're dead. Go to your heaven or whatever the hell you believe in."
He rocked back and forth as the memories flooded back. He knelt, knowing he was too weak to stand. "You two are..." he started but he couldn't finish.

"Xzavier, I'm a Neko."
Xzavier stared at Mary blankly. "Congratulations," he said with no emotion.
"You don't know what that is," Mary said, more of a statement than a question.
"You sould tell?"
Mary waved Xzavier off and let her inner self take over. In seconds she was a small tabby staring up at Xzavier. "What the fuck?" Xzavier said as he backed away. "You...freak."

Xzavier stared at Emily-or the cat that had replaced her. He snapped his eyes shut. "I don't believe it," he muttered. "You're all lying."

[Alltoni]

Emily watched as X scrambled to get away from her. She knew she was an outcast, she knew she would always be. "X," Lori said, she had changed into her neko form but not full cat. Her mouth opened to say something but closed with a sigh. She had no idea what to say.

Emily knew the look on Xzavier's face. "Mew, mew," Emily meowed to Lori. Sense Lori had the ability to speak to animals she understood what Emily had said. He's seen one of us before! Lori nodded and looked back at X. "You knew one of our kind before didn't you." She said and knelt down. "Don't lie to me, it's written all over you're face." She added and crept closer.

[Ashen]

Xzavier froze when Lori accused him of knowing another cat-freak. He couldn't think of any words to say. He couldn't even get any words out.
Xzavier's eyes stayed fixed on a small line in the wall. It must have been a place where paint had cracked and someone had just painted over it.
"My girlfriend was a neko," Xzavier admitted, not removing his gaze from the crack. "She didn't want to tell anyone because this guy was after her. He knew about her secret and he wanted to take her in for research. But it was brain research, and they wanted to kill her."
Xzavier closed his eyes and gently rocked back and forth. "Who would have ever guessed I'd be the one to kill her?"

[Alltoni]

Lori listened to everything X had to say and nodded when he finished. "Most of us are being hunted but Emily and myself have been fortunate not to run into anyone like that for this long." She told the scared boy. "If you want to you can walk out of here and leave us alone forever." Emily had changed back to her neko form and was now sitting with her back to the coffee table and X. "You don't have to keep torturing yourself." She added.

She expected that most people would react this way if they ever found out about her and a tear fell from her chin. Once she had began crying it was easy for her to continue. She'd always been an emotional character, it had gotten especially bad after her father died.

[Ashen]

Xzavier heard Lori, he just didn't reply. He didn't know how to.
He had come to kill both of them, but he couldn't kill either. He couldn't understand it, but he wanted to be with them. Xzavier knew it would have been what Mary wanted him to do.
Xzavier faced Emily and before he could offer a comforting word he began to choke.
His coughs wouldn't stop, they just kept coming. He didn't know what he was choking on; he hadn't even eaten anything.
Xzavier turned away from Emily. He couldn't breathe, and for the first time in eight years he needed his inhaler.

Xzavier passed out from the lack of oxygen and lay motionless on the floor. His coughing had finally stopped, probably because Emily was no longer a cat and her fur wasn't ruining his sinuses. He had never had an asthma attack with Mary; he had never thought he was alergic to pet hair.
Xzavier regained consciousness, or at least enough to know what had happened. He couldn't move, but he could breathe.
Maybe I'll just die here, he thought, or rather, he prayed.

[Alltoni]

When X's coughing fit began Emily turned around to see what was going on, then when he collapsed she raced over to him, Lori by her side. "What's wrong?" She asked. She wanted to do something but wasn't sure what.

Lori knew what was happening, she'd seen it before. "He needs an inhaler." She said and stood up. "But we don't have one." Emily's voice had a little panic in it. Emily nor Lori needed an inhaler, neither had asthma, or so Emily thought.

"Yes we do, I kept one from when I was younger." Lori said and ran to the end table. She jerked open the drawer and reached in the very back to pull out a white inhaler. Lori quickly ran back to X and put the end in his mouth. Please still work! Please still work! Lori prayed as she used the little device.

[Ashen]

Xzvaier frowned; they were trying to help him.
When his eyes finally opened and he started coughing up the air inside him he pushed away from Lori's inhaler.
His breaths were ragged and weak, but he was alive. "Why?" he muttered as he stared at the inhaler. "Why did you save me? Can't you see I'd much rather leave?"
His eyes were empty voids not removing their gaze from the inhaler. He hadn't seen one in such a long time. It looked so different, so foreign.
Thing sure can change in no time, Xzavier thought to himself. Even he couldn't have stopped his next thought:
Would Mary have?

Xzavier stared right at Emily. "I am so screwed," he said aloud.
He was a murderer, even if it wasn't intentional.
He had tried to take two more lives, although he had failed miserably.
He had even tried to take himself.
Xzavier didn't deserve the life in his lungs. He stood and looked to the gun on the counter. His eyes found their way back to Emily, their message clear: Please.

[Alltoni]

Emily watched X in surprise. He actually wanted to die. "Why?" He asked them. "Why did you save me?" Emily was confused. "Because everyone desirves to be saved." Lori said. "No matter how bad they think they are." Emily wanted to say something but couldn't come up with anything to say.

She realized that Xzavier was looking at her then she followed his gaze when it left her. She followed it straight to the gun on the counter. When she looked back to X, it was like he was pleading for her to kill him. She shook her head. "No," She said, her ears were laying flat against her head. "I won't kill you."

[Ashen]

Everyone deserves to be saved, no matter how bad they think they are.
Xzavier pinched his eyes shut at Lori's words. "What if it happens again?" He wasn't really sure what he was referring to. Lori and Emily wouldn't die soon, not if they kept restricing him.
"Are you going to call the cops?" Xzavier opened his eyes and stared right at Lori. His eyes were those of an innocent child, although he was anything but.
He tried to imagine himself behind bars for the rest of his worthless life. Surely death would be better than that.
Anything would be better than that.

[Alltoni]

Lori didn't say anything for a while. Emily sat on the floor staring at X then moved her gaze to Lori. When Lori did do something it didn't involve words.

She stood up and walked to the gun on the counter. She picked it up and looked it over. "Where did you get this?" She asked. "I could call the cops, because I bet you stole this didn't you?" She looked at X. "I could tell them what you've admitted to us, they could lock you up for a very long time for it."

Emily wasn't sure what Lori was trying to do, but sat there and waited for the outcome. "But you want to know something?" She asked. "I'm not going to call anyone. And you want to know why? Because I know that you have no intention of harming anyone. You're just a messed up kid. So I'm going to let you go. You can leave," She said, "Or you can stay here with us and help us to replay us for everything you've put us through."

[Ashen]

Xzavier's muscles tensed when Lori spoke of his gun. He closed his eyes as she went on about all the other things he could get in trouble for.
"I'm not going to call anyone."
It was these words that finally brought a smile to Xzavier's face. He sighed in relief and leaned back against the wall. He didn't care that Lori had called him messed up-like she had room to talk-it didn't even matter.
His secret was safe.
"Thanks," he muttered simply, knowing no other word could express his feelings.

Xzavier didn't know if he wanted to stay or not. He wouldn't be much trouble, he would make sure of that.
He just knew that sometimes, he couldn't control himself. Plus, living with two girls didn't sound like a friendly roomate relationship.
It sounded like so much more than that.
But his last girlfriend, who shared so much with the girls, was six feet under.
And it was all his fault.

[Alltoni]

Emily smiled. She knew that Lori wouldn't want to hurt anyone, but she could be strict when she wanted to. "We have an extra room, but we use it as our storage so we'd need to clean it out." Emily said. she hoped that Xzavier would want to stay. "Or we can get you a small house here." Lori suggested, in case X didn't feel comfortable living with two girls. "Your choice, either's fine with us." She said.

Emily was excited but she wasn't sure why. It's not like X had said that he wanted to stay, or anything, yet. She thought it may just be that she was so close to having a best friend. None of her friends at work, male or female, could be her best friend. None of them could know about her. Any of them could be hunting her.

[Ashen]

"I have a house," Xzavier muttered quietly, although he didn't want to stay there and his face showed it. His bills hadn't been payed in who knows how long. He sighed and stared up at Emily and Lori. "Were you born with it?" he asked, his eyes unmoving. "Were you born with that Neko crap?"
He hadn't meant to call it crap-he hadn't meant to call it so with Mary either. It was just habit.
He knew Mary had been born with her power, or so she had called it. Xzavier called it a curse, but that only got Mar mad.
He didn't want to face the decision he had to make-the simple decision he knew the answer to but didn't want to admit-the question of whether he would stay here or not.

[Alltoni]

Emily tilted her head. "Then why were you in the woods?" She asked. Lori set the gun down and crossed her arms, putting all her weight on one leg. She thought she knew why, but she wanted to be sure, so she was going to wait for X to say it.

Emily nodded when X asked if they'd been born with it. "Well, I was." She said and looked to Lori. "I don't think there is many people who aren't born with it. But, yes, I was born with it." Lori said.

[Ashen]

"I was in the woods because Nixon knows where I live," Xzavier said blatantly. "Besides, the best fires are set in that place. With all those dry leaves and grass, fire can spread there like crazy."
He gave a pathetic smile, knowing no one would want to live with a pyromaniac. He couldn't help his obsession, he never could.

Xzavier walked over to Lori and got a little too close for comfort, not that he had been around anyone long enough to know what was comfortable. "I want the gun," he said. He gave her a piercing look, showing he knew no other option, ever though he had a conviction Lori wouldn't give it up.
Still, it was his. He had stolen it fair and square.

[Alltoni]

Emily nodded, then realized what he said and tilted his head. "You like fire don't you?" She asked. There was a word for people like him, what was it? Emily thought for a moment then remembered what it was. Pyromaniac She thought.

Lori leaned away from X and put a hand on the gun. "No, not unless you're taking it back." She said, though she knew that probably wasn't the reason that he wanted it.

[Ashen]

Xzavier turned to Emily as she asked the most obvious question she could have. "Yeah, the locals know me as Arsonist, Pyromaniac, Pyro, and That Damn Fire Maker. It's hard work to make those fires. I'm wondering when people will finally notice that. It's not like I create them for no reason. They're quite pretty."
He smiled and turned his attention back to Lori. "If I were going to return it I wouldn't have stolen it. Well actually, I would have. But that's not the point. Give up the gun before I-"
Before he what? Called the cops?
"I won't use it," he said. "Promise."

[Alltoni]

Emily nodded when X finished talking. "They are pretty." She said with a smile. She hadn't really thought about how pretty it was, but now that she was, she agreed with him. Her smile faded when she stopped thinking about the fire and realized what he was doing with Lori.

Lori shook her head. "I'm not giving it to you." She said. "I'll take it back myself." She slid the gun behind her back and put her arm out to back X away from her. "Now get off of me." She said as she pushed X away from herself.

[Ashen]

Xzavier's eyes narrowed as he glared at Lori. "Oh yeah?" he asked. "So what are you gonna tell Nixon when he asks where I'm at? 'Oh, sir, I have a murderer living in my house. But yeah, here's your gun.' I don't think so. You know, you're technically an accessory in my crime, even if it did happen four years ago."
Xzavier had to smirk. That gun had to stay in this house. Lori couldn't go to the cops because they'd ask of him, no doubt, and Lori would have to tell the truth: that she was helping a murderer hide.
Xzavier gave another glance at the gun before turning towards the door. "Think about that one, Lor," he said with a smirk as he walked away.

[Alltoni]

Lori knew he was right, but she hated it. She hated it when she felt stupid because someone else outsmarted her. "Crap." She muttered. Emily stood up and walked to the door to watch X walk away. "So I'm guessing you're not staying here." She asked. She wanted him to stay, but it seemed that he didn't want to stay.

Lori sighed and walked to the extra room, looking for a place to put the gun. She didn't want to hide it but she didn't want anyone to see it either. So she chose to put it in the top of the closet. She thought that if they cleaned out the room she could put it in her nightstand beside the pullout couch. It had an extra compartment between the two drawers that allowed anyone to hide something. For the moment it was empty because Lori never found anything of so much value to her that she needed to hide it, but she thought the gun would be just that.

When she was done Lori headed back out to the kitchen to finish the dinner she was so rudely interrupted from preparing.

[Ashen]

Xzavier paused as Emily called after him. He would be back, but he liked that the girls didn't know that. They didn't need to, until he got back.
Xzavier walked next to the house and picked up the checkered blanket he had carried with him. He pulled out the lighter and one of his cigarettes and lit it up.
Carrying his blanket, he started off into the forest.

It was midnight, or so Xzavier guessed. He had been walking for hours trying to memorize each road he took, each tree he crossed. If he was going to be staying away from home and in hiding he'd better know every way out of this place.
Xzavier stepped into a clearing in the forest and came across a wooden shed, or maybe that's what it was three hundred years ago.
His eyes stared at it in awe as he thought of how quickly it could be consumed. With an estimated guess in mind, Xzaiver poured his gasoline around the shed and lit his lighter. He stepped back quickly and watched the flames engulf the shed.
This was how he got his stress out. The bigger the fire, the more he could forget about all of the problems he couldn't bear to remember.

[Alltoni]

Emily watched X walk away without a word. "You think he's coming back?" Emily asked Lori as she closed the door. Lori shrugged, "No telling with that kid." She said. "Wanna help me with dinner?" She asked. Emily nodded and walked over to help.

Once the girls had finished their dinner they got ready to go to bed. Emily looked out the window in her bedroom one last time before she crawled into bed. She wanted to make sure X wasn't coming back and wake them up after they were asleep. She just sat there staring out the window, waiting.

[Ashen]

Xzavier watched his fire for a while. It had moved to a few trees and bushes and he was just waiting for it to eat him alive.
After a long while, Xzavier headed back for Emily's and Lori's. He placed his fingers on the doorknob, taking in its chilling temperature. He turned it slowly, hoping to not wake either girl.
It was pretty late, and they must have had work the next morning.
Xzavier made his way to the kitchen and searched the fridge. He pulled out a bottle of water and turned to the couch.
His mouth twisted into a frown as he realised Emily and Lori barely had enough room for the two of them, let alone a boy who was bigger than both of them.
Lori had ready had to sleep on the couch, so that only left one place left for him.
Xzavier tucked Lori in, hoping the action wouldn't wake her up. He turned around and leaned his back against the couch.
He closed his eyes and eventually fell asleep.

[Alltoni]

Emily fell asleep at the window waiting for X to come back, so when the sweat on the window dripped onto her nose it scared her awake. She jumped back and fell to the floor with a thud hoping that it hadn't woken Lori up. "Ow." Emily said as she rubbed her lower back. She stood up and walked to her bed, crawling into it and quickly falling asleep.

(>.< Gah! I've run out of stuff to put down.)

[Ashen]

Xzavier woke up at least before Lori, but he didn't know if he could say the same for Emily. He wanted to go to her room and check but he wouldn't. She still didn't know he had come back in the middle of the night, as far as he knew.
Xzavier got up and wandered into the bathroom. He stared at himself in the mirror and noticed there were bags under his eyes.
He stepped out of the bathroom and saw a clock that read 6:38. He hadn't even gotten four hours of sleep.
Xzavier picked up the water he had laid next to him before he fell asleep. It took some time before his ears registered the sound everyone always took for granted: fire engines.
They had found his fire, obviously. A smile crept onto his face.
They'd been battling it for four hours.

[Alltoni]

At 7 AM, Emily's alarm clock went off and she pulled the covers back and sat up. With a yawn and stretch she got up and walked out to Lori. Just like always Lori's blanket was on the floor at the foot of her bed and she was tangled in her baggy night shirt and pants.

"Wake up." Emily tiredly said and shook the girl until her eyes opened and looked around the room. "Morning." She murdered. "Morning." Emily replied with a slight smile. Lori got up and went to the kitchen to get her breakfast ready, while Emily headed for the bathroom to get a shower.

Neither of the girls had noticed the boy sitting in one of the chairs at the foot of Lori's bed.

[Ashen]

Xzavier's eyes opened part way as he heard Emily. He twisted his body until he was facing them in the kitchen. "Good morning to you as well," he muttered.
He picked himself off the floor and battled a cramp in his side. Xzavier was used to sleeping on hard floors and even rocks since he never really did sleep at his house. The place was small and it felt nothing like home, or what Xzavier assumed home would feel like.
He walked to the kitchen and leaned himself agasint a counter. He faced Lori and with a smirk teased, "Anyone ever tell you you snore like a ship?"
He turned to Emily. "I hope you don't sound like her. Maybe I'll sleep with you tonight."
Xzavier turned away with a smile until he realised his words had two meanings. He froze, not knowing what to say or how Emily would take his words.

[Alltoni]

Lori jumped and spun around to face Xzavier. "Good grief!" She shouted and Emily came out of the bathroom to see what was going on. "X!" She said with a bright smile. She was excited he was back, but she could see that Lori wasn't. Lori's heart was racing from being scared out of her skin but she continued to fix her breakfast.

When X suggested that he'd sleep with Emily both the girls stopped and looked at him. "I don't snore that bad." Lori said. Emily covered her mouth to hide a laugh. "You won't have to sleep with me, today is our day off so we can clean out the room." Emily said once she stopped laughing.

[Ashen]

Xzavier cleared his throat. At least Emily didn't take him too seriously. She took his words as a joke.
But then again, his entire life was a joke.
"Room?" Xzavier asked with feigned interest, just trying to change the subject. "I haven't been exploring around here, but if your talking about a bedroom why doesn't Lori sleep in it?" he turned to face her. "Wouldn't it make more sense to sleep on a bed instead of a couch?"
He shrugged and walked over to the couch. Xzavier collapsed onto it and closed his eyes. "You wouldn't happen to have some coffee?" he asked. "I couldn't really sleep."
Xzavier's fire had been extinguished at about 6:45, or at least that'd when the sirens stopped.
After that he had just been thinking, and trying to fall asleep, but not for long.

[Alltoni]

Lori shook her head, "No, on the bed I'm closer to Emily, and in the room you're farther from her." She glared at X when she said 'farther'. Emily giggled at Lori's reply and went back to the bathroom. "I'm going to take a shower." She called and closed the door.

Lori poured the milk in her bowl of cereal and went to one of the chairs. "Don't hurt her any more than you already have." She said to X. "You're not the only one who's had a rough past." She added and began eating her cereal.

[Ashen]

Xzavier didn't think too much about Lori's words until Emily left to take a shower.
He straightened himself and stared at Lori as she ate her cereal. You're not the only one who's had a rough past.
Xzavier had been an orphan at just five years old, a murderer at fourteen.
But he had never realised Emily had been deemed a reject by one day old just by what she could do.
With dark eyes he turned away from Lori, still trying to think.
Because of his own hand, someone he loved was far away from him. She'd never have another breath in her lungs, and it was all his fault.
But Emily was like Mary. He didn't know much about Emily to think of her life as worse than his, but he did know Mary struggled with her ability.
She never let it show, but on the inside Xzavier knew.

[Alltoni]

Lori looked up at X to see his reaction. "Her mother left her for what she was when she was 5, then her father was killed when she was 8, by her uncle who she thought loved her. From that point until she was 10 she jumped from foster home to foster home. When she was 10 she met me and we lived on the streets until I turned 16 and got a job, not long after we found this apartment." She explained. "Her mother hated her and her father was scared of her. The only one who even liked her was her babysitter who didn't even know about her." She added.

She wanted X to feel bad. She wanted him to understand how she'd been hated her whole life and longed for love. Lori loved her, like her own sister, but that was it. She'd never know love from any blood relation and she wanted him to understand that.

[Ashen]

Xzavier was getting angrier the more Lori opened her big mouth. When she finished speaking he turned around with dark eyes. "So the bitch of a mother hated her," he spat. "Then it's good she's not in her life. She got to know her father, at least. My father heard of my mom's pregnancy and fled the city-probably fled the damn country. She was loved by her father, once. She was loved by someone, and at least she wasn't the one to put an end to their life."
He looked away from Lori. "I didn't know my mother. I was five when she died. I never knew my father. The only person I've ever loved was killed by my own hands. How do you think I feel?"
Xzavier glared right into Lori's eyes and took a step closer to her. "Emily has you. I don't have anyone."
Enough said, Xzavier turned for the door and stormed out of it.
Lori had nerve to convince him Emily's life was worse than his. Emily was a girl, and because of that people would feel bad about her. They'd be more likely to help her, to listen to her tales of woe.
But Xzavier was a boy, and when he felt depressed, all he got was take it like a man you pussy.

[Alltoni]

Lori saw the look in his eyes and had a split second of question, she wondered if she may have taken it a little too far. The quickly agreed that she didn't care. She just wanted Xzavier to understand that he wasn't the only one who had a horrid life. She listened to what he had to say and watched him storm out the door.

He'll get over it. She thought. Hopefully. Not long after Xzavier left Emily came out of the bathroom. She did a quick check of the house and looked at Lori. "Where's X?" She asked. "He left." Lori said and finished her cereal. "I don't know when he'll be back." She added. "Oh, okay." Emily said with slight disappointment. "So are we still going to clean out the room?" She asked and rubbed her hair with the towel. "Not sure." Lori said. "Let's wait until noon and see if he comes back. If not we'll have out picnic we talked about yesterday." She walked to the sink and put her bowl down and walked to get her shower.

[Ashen]

Xzavier was lying in a patch of grass watching the clouds fly by.
It had come to cloud watching.
He couldn't decide what to do with his life. He liked Emily, and he would gladly room with her, but he hated her sister.
"Hey!" A sharp voice startled Xzavier up, and his eyes came across the round officer running towards him.
"Nixon!" Xzavier said with feigned excitement as he got to his feet instantly.
"You little bas-"
"Love you too, bye!" Xzavier cut off before turning and breaking into a hard run.

Xzavier placed his hands on his knees to catch his breath. His poison hadn't lasted as long as he had hoped, but you get what you pay for.
His stomach rumbled and he let out a sigh, heading back to Emily's and Lori's.
He'd go there, eat, and leave.

[Alltoni]

Emily sat in the chair, looking out the window. "Are you going to help me pack?" Lori asked, but Emily was too deep in thought to hear her. "I guess not." Lori muttered as she put the sandwiches into the basket. "Lori, I see him." Emily jumped up from the chair and ran to the door. She jerked it open and waved. Lori walked over to see what she was getting excited about and saw X walking up the road. "Took you long enough." Lori said.

"We're about to have a picnic, wanna come?" Emily asked as X walked in the house. Lori tensed up and walked back to the basket. She knew that he wouldn't want to go unless she wasn't there. From what she told X earlier he would hate her guts for the rest of her life. "We're going to the beach." Emily added, she reached up to grab her bathing suit strap to show that they had planned on going swimming.

[Ashen]

Xzavier looked from Lori to Emily and back again. "A picnic?" he asked. "I haven't been on one of them in about four, five years. I guess I can go."
Xzavier looked down at his clothes, the clothes that he wore everywhere. They weren't the best swimming attire, but that didn't matter.
He stared up at Lori for a moment before turning towards the door. "You guys were waiting for me, weren't you?" he joked with a playful smile. "How cute."
He turned around again. "I'm starving. Toss me a sandwich, will you?"
So far he had been in the girls' presence for a few moments and already he had destroyed his plans.

[Alltoni]

Emily smiled with excitement when X said he would join them. "Yay!" She said. Lori became a little annoyed. For some reason she felt that she didn't want X to go. It was just supposed to be her and Emily. Not that stupid annoying boy! She became even more mad
when he asked for a sandwich. "No, you get one when we get to the beach!" She snapped.

Emily jumped and looked at her. "You okay?" She asked. Lori took a deep breath and nodded. "Yeah, just a little tired. I'll probably try and find time on the beach to sneek in a nap." She said. "Okay." Emily said, she was a little skeptical. "If you're sure." She added and grabbed the cooler, which was a little heaver than she expected and nearly pulled herself over.

[Ashen]

Xzavier narrowed his eyes at Lori but didn't mumble a syllable. His eyes flew between the two girls, knowing he was missing something.
Emily grabbed the cooler and nearly fell over. Xzavier smirked and took the cooler from her. "See, this is the good thing about having a guy as part of your team," he said and carried the cooler towards the beach. "No overworking those muscles of yours. You can leave it all too me."

Once they arrived, Xzavier set the cooler on the sand. "Is here good?" he asked Emily. The spot he chose wasn't too far from the water, but it was close enough that, come high tide, they'd get a little wet.
Xzavier watched the seagulls circle overhead. "I hate those thing."

[Alltoni]

Emily smiled at X. "Thank you." She said as she grabbed the towels and followed him out the door. Lori finished putting the sandwiches in, closed the basket, and walked out the door toward the beach, locking the door behind her.

Emily smiled and nodded, telling X that the place where he set the cooler was fine. She set the towels on the cooler and grabbed the bottom of the shirt she had over her swimsuit. She pulled it off, folded it up and set it on top of the towels.

She turned around to see if Lori was right behind them and smiled when she saw her. Emily ran over to get the sunscreen. "We did pack the sunscreen didn't we?" Emily asked. "Yes," Lori said and dug around in the basked she was carrying to pull it out. "Here." She said as she handed it to Emily. "Thank you." Emily said and began to put it on.

When she was done she held the bottle out to Lori, who took it and put it on. "Do you need sunscreen?" Emily asked X.

[Ashen]

Xzavier's eyes were fixed on Emily's figure, and a blush rose to his cheeks as he looked away.
Emily seemed so relaxed around him. Now why couldn't Lori feel the same way?
Xzavier took off his T shirt and pulled off his sneakers. He smoothed the edge of his sweatpants and turned his gaze up. Emily was now white with sunscreen, and Lori was rubbing some onto her own skin.
Xzavier looked down at his chest, a pale white only a few shades darker than the sunscreen. "No, I'm okay, thanks," he replied to Emily and turned towards the water.
"Now let's get wet."
Xzavier smirked at his dirty joke and headed off towards the water, not looking behind him.

Xzavier shivered as the water touched his shin. He went deeper anyway until the water was at his waist. He turned around and waved to Emily and Lori. "Water's great!" he called, a lie. It was freezing.
"You coming?"

[Alltoni]

Emily nodded. "Alright, but don't blame me when you get burnt." She said playfully as she continued to rub in the sunscreen so it wasn't white on her skin. Once she had it all rubbed in X called out that the water was great and asked if they were coming. Emily held up one finger as a sign for him to wait a second. She looked to her right at the surf shack and turned to Lori who gave her some money that she pulled from her shorts.

Emily smiled and ran to the surf shack. Once she had what she needed she headed to the water with a small surfboard under her arm. She tossed it into the water and stepped in. "Cat's don't usually like the water but I'm an exception. Lori however isn't she hates water, but likes baths. Weird huh?" Emily said to X with a giggle. She sat down on the surfboard and paddled it out a little ways. "You're a liar by the way." She said. "The water's cold." She stuck out her tongue at X.

[Ashen]

Xzavier watched Emily jog into the water. She sat on it and let only a little bit of her body get wet, although Xzavier knew that would change soon.
"Mary hated water," Xzavier said. "It was part of the reason we became such great friends. I never liked water-the damn crap puts out my fires-and she never liked getting wet. It was perfect in that way."
His eyes got a little distant as he stared into the ocean. He really did miss Mary. He had been every day of his life since her death.

Xzavier snapped out of his trance when Emily called him a liar. "I lie about a lot of things, Em," he teased.
Xzavier dove into the water and swam around Emily's surfboard. The water wasn't too deep at this point, but he could still swim freely.
His bright red hair gave away his location easily, which he hated. Still, Xzavier circled Emily like a shark waiting for its prey.
He rose up in a swift motion, causing water to splash over Emily's head. He smiled as he watched her get soaked.
"You looked hot," he said as an excuse.

[Alltoni]

Emily smiled and watched X swim around under her. Then, to quickly for her to react, he jumped out of the water and splashed her. Emily giggled when he said she looked hot. "Is that why you were looking at me the way you were earlier?" She teased. She had taken what he said and flipped it. She thought it was fun sense this was the second or third time he'd said something she could play with.

She stuck her tongue out at him and swam away on her board. Their weren't many waves good enough to surf on but she was going to try anyway. She swam out a little ways and sat up on the board to look for a good wave. Then she caught sight of it. She quickly began to paddle out to it.

Emily had a fair amount of practice surfing, sense they didn't live far away from the beach, but she still wasn't the best at it. Using her surfing knowledge she spun around and caught the wave. She stood up and tried her hardest to show off in front of X.

[Ashen]

Xzavier's face coloured as Emily spoke. He shook his head but no words would come out. Emily didn't seem to loiter on the words too long so he decided to let them go.
He watched her try to conquer a wave and knew she was showing off just to impress him. Xzavier decided to be a jerk and dive after her. When he was directly underneath her he jiggled the board so that Emily would fall. He underestimated the gravity and when Emily fell on top of him his body shot into the water.
When he resurfaced, Xzavier was gasping for air.
So much for showing off.
The wave Emily had set out to tackle crashed over his head. It took him a moment to peek his head above the water. "Emily?" he called as he wiped the saltwater from his eyes. "Em!"

[Alltoni]

Emily was almost done with the wave when her board began to shake. "Oh crap." She said as she tumbled in the water. When she fell in she hit something and was scared to death she had hit a rock and would be unconscious soon.

She was pulled around a little by the undertow but finally made it to the surface gasping for air. She wiped the salt water out of her eyes and looked around for whoever was calling her name. "X, I'm over here." She said and waved her arms. Then she looked around for her board. Once she found it she swam to it and climbed on.

"Xzavier." She called and looked around for an orange spot and swam to it when she spotted it. "Need a lift?" She asked the boy.

[Alltoni]

Emily was almost done with the wave when her board began to shake. "Oh crap." She said as she tumbled in the water. When she fell in she hit something and was scared to death she had hit a rock and would be unconscious soon.

She was pulled around a little by the undertow but finally made it to the surface gasping for air. She wiped the salt water out of her eyes and looked around for whoever was calling her name. "X, I'm over here." She said and waved her arms. Then she looked around for her board. Once she found it she swam to it and climbed on.

"Xzavier." She called and looked around for an orange spot and swam to it when she spotted it. "Need a lift?" She asked the boy.

[Ashen]

Xzavier didn't make eye contact with Emily. "Nah thanks," he said nonchalantly.
His cheeks were blazing. He couldn't help but notice the precise way Emily pronounced his full name. He loved the way she pronounced it.
He shook his thoughts and started to do the backstroke. "Maybe you should practice your balance," Xzavier joked although he knew the fall was all his fault.
He dove under the water once more, this time simply just to cool off. He opened his eyes under the water and half blinked when the salt hit his eyes.
There was a smile across his face as Xzavier watched the sand wear away with the water.
And only hours before he had wanted to kill himself.

Xzavier rose from the water and gasped for air. He wasn't counting how long he had been underwater but he knew it was pretty long. He looked to Emily. "I'm still hungry," he muttered. "You want to go get some of those sandwiches Lor packed? That is, if she's not in a bitchy mood."
He tried to decide whether his words would offend Emily but he headed for their spot anyway. If they had hurt her, oh well.

[Alltoni]

"Alright, fine." Emily said and when he said that she needed to watch her balance she laughed and nodded. "Yeah, I guess." She said and watched him go under water. As she watched him swim around she ran over what had happened on the board. It had just started shaking. Then she realized something. She didn't know what she'd seen before, but now it made sense. She'd seen fingers wrap around her board, and she'd hit something hard but if it would have been a rock she probably would be passed out.

When Xzavier came up and started talking about sandwiches and Lori's bad mood Emily looked at him with a blank stare. "You knocked me off the board." She said. "You came up under me and started shaking it." The blank look left her eyes and was replaced with fake anger. "You're so mean!" She said and splashed him with her foot. "Hey don't swim away from me!" She was laughing which made her slower at paddling. "Come back here!" She shouted.

[Ashen]

Xzavier tossed his head over his shoulder and stated at Emily. "Did I do that?" he asked in his best innocent impersonation. He continued walking even though Emily was going much slower than him. He didn't turn around to make sure she was following because he knew she was.
When he got back to Lori he took a seat on the sand and reached for the picnic basket. "Hope you brought some mustard," Xzavier said as he grabbed a sandwich and looked around for the condiments. "At least ketchup?"

Sighing, Xzavier leaned back on the sand. He looked at the sea to find Emily. "Imagine that," he muttered. "A cat in the water."
He closed his eyes in relaxation and took a bite of his sandwich.

[Alltoni]

Emily knew she wouldn't catch him at the rate she was going but she had to keep going. She finally made it to the shore and ran up to him. She sat down beside him and pulled her fist down on his chest. "You're so mean!" She shouted with a laugh. "Did you see what he did to me Lori?" She asked her sister. "You mean when you fell off the board?" Lori asked. "Yeah, he shook the board out from under me." Emily said and weakly pounded her fist on his chest again.

"Why did you knock me down anyway?" Emily asked as she laid back on the sand. She wondered if he was still trying to keep his cool around them or if he was really not bothered by their state. She didn't want him to be afraid but if he was there was no changing it.

[Ashen]

Xzavier had finished his sandwich by the time Emily stormed up to him. His eyes opened as he felt her fists pound lightly against his bare chest.
He didn't pay attention to the girls' conversation, but he could tell what they were talking about from their faces and tones.
They were both staring at him, and Xzavier assumed they had asked a question.
"Yes," Xzavier replied, not know or caring about what the question was really asking. He leaned back down on the sand and closed his eyes.

A seagull's cry ripped through the air and Xzavier's eyes opened at the disturbance. "Can't a guy get some peace on the beach?" he said in an aggravated tone.
He sat up and stared at Emily and Lori. Obviously he had t answered their question correctly. "Nope," Xzavier corrected. "Actually, let's call it a tie between the two options. Hey Lor, did you bring potato chips?"

[Alltoni]

Emily gave Xzavier a strange look and Lori shook her head. "Yes, I brought chips." Lori sighed and tossed them to X. "The question wasn't a yes or no. I asked why you knocked me down." Emily said with a giggle.

Emily asked Lori for a water and sat down beside X to watch the waves. "You want to learn to surf?" Emily asked X. It didn't matter to her what he said, she wanted back in the water, and weather he was going with her or not didn't matter. She loved the water and wanted to be in it.

Lori handed Emily the water and laid back down where she had been, on the other side of the basket from Xzavier.

[Ashen]

Xzavier's eyes flashed slightly with realisation but he made no movement to answer the question correctly. Instead he closed his eyes and threw a chip into his mouth.
He glanced over at Emily when she asked if he wanted to learn how to surf. He didn't want to learn how to surf-he hated water already-and especially not from Emily. Emily wasn't the teacher type, in Xzavier's eyes. She was too small to teach a sport, no matter it was a dumb sport like surfing.
"I already know how to," Xzavier replied and turned his attention back to the pale blue sky. "Besides, ain't there some rule that says you have to stay out of the water for half an hour after eating. I just ate. I am eating."
He loaded a couple of chips into his mouth and watched a single cloud move slowly across the sky. It was almost teardrop shaped.
Or ember shaped.

[Alltoni]

"Oh, okay then." Emily said and giggled when Xzavier asked if you had to stay out of the water after eating. "I don't but you can if you want to." She said and got up. "I'm going to surf some more." She said brushing the sand off her legs, picking up the surfboard, and running to the water. She threw the board into the water and jumped on, paddling out to catch a wave.

[Ashen]

Xzavier looked after Emily and eventually decided to join her in the water. He picked himself up and brushed the sand off of the back of his body.
Throwing the half-full bag of chips in a nearby trashcan, he ran after Emily, the sand hot under his feet.
"Watch out for that wave," Xzavier warned, although there was no wave. He was trying to throw her off, simply for the humour. "And you're supposed to stand taller. You're slouching. I thought you knew how to surf."
His smirk was wide with mischief as Xzavier watched Emily. He dove into the water and came up on the other side of the board. The water had gotten colder, or so it seemed.

[Alltoni]

Emily turned around when she heard X shout to watch out for the wave. "Okay." She shouted with a giggle. When he asked her if she really knew how to surf she turned around and shouted, "I'm not surfing right now, I'm looking for a wave! I'm just sitting on the board right now. When I find a wave I'll actually stand up and surf." She explained.

She watched X swim under her and when he surfaced she looked out to find a wave and smiled when the moment she looked out she spotted one beginning to form. "Please don't knock me down again." She said and paddled away.

[Ashen]

Xzavier shrugged Emily off for the most part. He spread his arms out on either side of his body and watched the pale blue sky slowing being littered with puffy white clouds.
He got out of his floating position when he heard Emily speak again.
He laughed at her begging. "Babe, I still don't know what you're talking about," he teased. "Damn, whatever you had this morning got you a little off in the head. Why would I ever make you fall? You're much prettier when you're blocking the sun."
He was complimenting her, in a way. Xzavier was never the best at giving compliments, but he did try.
"Hey Em?" he asked, now standing in the thigh-deep water. "Have you ever had a boyfriend?"
The question was entirely random, and Xzavier regretted saying the words as soon as they were out.
"Don't answer that. I don't know why I asked that."
Xzavier turned away so Emily wouldn't have to see his face, a bright red. A part of him still hoped Emily would answer the question.

[Alltoni]

Emily turned around when X began talking to her again. "Right okay," She said and giggled when he said she was pretty covering the sun. "Thank you." She said with a smile. Then X asked her a strange question.

"Have you ever had a boyfriend?" He asked her. Emily blushed slightly and giggled, which turned into a light laugh when he told her not to answer. It didn't matter, she was going to answer him anyway. "Um, no." She said. "My friends at work have tried to hook me up before though. But none of the people they suggested really understood me, if you know what I mean." She added, but she knew he understood what she was talking about.

[Ashen]

Xzavier smiled with slight surprise as Emily answered his awkward question. "Really?" Xzavier asked as he turned around, the colour returning to his cheeks. "That's pretty interesting. When do you think that'll change?"
He knew he was toeing a line between just asking and trying to get somewhere. He did find Emily pretty attractive, and she had a nice personality.
She just reminded him a lot of Mary, and whether that was good or bad Xzavier couldn't decide.
Then there was always Lori, who never seemed to fail in ticking him off.
With Mary being his one and only lover, Xzavier didn't have much experience with dating.
Then again, neither did Emily.

Xzavier steadied Emily's board with his hands. He carefully climbed on, making sure Emiky wouldn't fall. "Mind if I join?" Xzavier asked, although he didn't care about an answer. He placed his arms around Emily's stomach for support. "Let's tackle some waves."

[Alltoni]

Emily nervously smiled with a nod. "Um, maybe." She said. She could tell he was beating around the bush, but she kind of liked it, she thought it was funny. She wondered if she could ever compare to the girlfriend that X had spoken about. She didn't want to think about it for too long because if she did she would become depressed, so when X jumped on the board she smiled and nodded. "Alright." She said.

"First thing I need to know, do you have good balance?" She asked, because if he didn't she would have to make it up, and sense he was bigger than her it would be a little hard so she would need to be prepared.

[Ashen]

Xzavier thought about Emily's answer for a moment. She didn't sound very confident, and he figured it would probably be best if he left it alone.
"I can stay in a cramped place long enough for the cops to roll over, if that's what you mean," Xzavier said, almost boasting. "My balance is fine. I told you I knew how to do this stuff."
Xzavier scanned the ocean for any other surfers. He didn't see any and he turned to Lori. From this distance he couldn't tell what she was doing or if she was even looking at them.
"Why is she like that?" Xzavier asked quietly, keeping his eyes on their umbrella. "Why does she act like that? I know your backstory. What's hers?"
He knew some people had reasons to be witches, and he wanted to know Lori's. How could Emily possibly stand to be with someone that was so much different than her?
Then again, they both shared that secret, and maybe that was enough to keep them together.

[Alltoni]

Emily giggled at X's boasting. "Good." She said. She looked around at the open ocean waiting for a wave to begin appearing. Then X asked why Lori was the way she was.

"I don't recall telling you my past but I won't ask because I think I know where the info came from." Emily said. "And I'm not really sure what her past was like. If you notice she's wearing a loose t-shirt, she has scares on her back but she won't tell me anything about them." Emily shrugged and continued to watch the ocean.

"Once when I woke up from a nightmare she sang me a song to calm me down, later I asked her where she learned it and she told me her mother taught music, then a sad look came on her face and she left. That's really it." She said then caught sight of a wave beginning. "Get ready." She said and began to paddle toward it. "If you can help me paddle I'd appreciate it." She said with a smile.

[Ashen]

Xzavier was considering Emily's story when he looked up and saw a wave. He started to paddle weakly, still trying to figure Lori out.
"Scars?" he muttered. "Maybe she's depressed and cutting herself."
Habitually, Xzavier's gaze fell to his own scarred arms. He rubbed his fingers over his scratches gently. "Those mysterious creeps are never good friends. They always keep stuff from you. First it's keeping the events of the day. Then you're keeping the fact that you're flunking school. Next thing you know you'll be plotting suicide and no one will know."
Xzavier's gaze went to the wave that was slowly rolling towards them. He knew what he was saying was true.
He knew because he, too, had kept everything to himself, until the day a suicide turned into a homicide.

Xzavier shook his head and started to pedal harder. "Why do you hang out with her?" he muttered, dismissing everything he had just said. "I mean, you're both freaks of the cat world-don't take that the wrong way-but that's all you share. I mean, I'm not telling you you can't hang out with her. I know she's like a sister and all. It's just..."
He looked up and stared at Emily's back. "You're so nice and...and she's not. You don't want her rubbing off on you, do you?"

[Alltoni]

Emily listened to X as she paddled. "I don't think it's suicide marks. Remember their on her back. I think its abuse." She said. She continued to paddle as she sadly listened to Xzavier. She wondered how he'd know what the thoughts of suicide would do to someone, then she realized that he may have had some of his own. As far as she could remember she'd never thought of killing herself, but she hoped Lori didn't have thoughts of suicide either.

X quickly moved to the subject of Emily staying with Lori. "Um, well, she took care of me when I was little and, yes, she is like a sister and, yes, we are very different in character but I think most families are that way." She said. "Isn't that how they function?" She asked no one in particular.

"But to be honest, and just between you and me, I am slightly afraid that as I get older I'll become more like her surface personality, which is bitter and cold-hearted." Emily said as they reached the wave. "Time to see what you can do." She said and stood up on the board to catch the wave.

[Ashen]

Xzavier smirked to himself, a cold, empty smirk. You'd be surprised where you'll put that knife if you're really trying to kill yourself, he thought. When he had been serious about the matter, Xzavier had tried everywhere. He wasn't bleeding out fast enough in his arms and it was just getting tiring so he moved onto his legs, his stomach, even his genitals had a few mere scratches. Instead of saying anything, he just nodded silently.

Xzavier grew still as Emily started referring to families. He put on a nonchalant facade as he muttered, "I wouldn't know. I don't have family."
He still had his mother's husband, assuming he was still alive, but he didn't show Xzavier any attention. The kid wasn't his anyway.
People never care for something that isn't theirs.

Xzavier watched Emily balance herself on the board and stand, ready to take on the wave. He stood too and steadied the board. "This one ain't too big," he muttered to himself. "We got this."
He placed his hand on Emily's shoulder, a gesture of trying to gain balance, but a gesture that could mean more.
Xzavier shook that thought and readied himself for the wave.

[Alltoni]

X commented that the wave wasn't a big one and Emily smiled. "But it's the only wave out here right now." She said, then X said that they had it and Emily nodded. "Yes we do." She added. She giggled when X had to put his hand on her shoulder to balance himself. "Don't fall." She called.

Lori propped herself up on her arms and watched the two surf for a moment. Her eyes narrowed on X, he had his hand on Emily. She didn't like it, but unfortunately she couldn't help it.

[Ashen]

"Fall?" Xzavier teased. "Me? I don't think so. I've got plenty of balance, thank you very much."
Xzavier was smiling now-a real smile instead of sneers and smirks. His crystal eyes were trained on the wave rolling towards them both. "So then, are we going to scale this? It doesn't look too big but it may be big enough just to ride the sides. And, like you said, it is the only wave out here."
Xzavier looked around him for reassurance and couldn't help but stare back at the spot they had set up. He saw Lori's aggitated face and let out a laugh.
There was no way Lori was going to stop him.
Just for his own satisfaction of knowing Lori would hate it, Xzavier moved his hand lower on Emily's body. He let his fingers rest at her waist.
He wouldn't go farther.
Not yet.

[Alltoni]

Emily giggled when X told her that he wouldn't fall. "Good," She said and concentrated on the wave...that is until X spoke again. "Yes," She bent her knees as the wave approached. "That's what I was thinking too." She said.

She heard him laugh and tried to turn around to look at him, but she stopped herself after she felt X's hand move to her waist. She blushed and positioned herself to surf on the wave.

Lori sat straight up and glared at X. How dare he? He was teasing her because she hated water and they were to far out in it for her to do anything about him. But what he didn't know is that she would take care of him later. She knew that Emily wouldn't want her to but she was going to teach him a lesson.

[Ashen]

Xzavier stared down at his hand. He couldn't see Emily's face to know if it bother her but he could see Lori's.
He looked up at gazed at Lori with a smile. She was visibly pissed now, and Xzavier was loving every second of it.
He turned his attention away from Lori just to see the wave come right for them. He stayed perfectly still and closed his eyes, feeling the sprays of water hitting his face and listening to Emily's uneven breaths.

When Xzavier opened his eyes again the wave had passed and they were still standing. He took his hands from Emily's waist and placed them on her shoulders. "That wasn't bad," he remarked. "We're pretty cool as a team, aren't we?"
He looked to Lori to make sure she had seen them. Then he turned his attention back to the water.
"I was awesome out there, wasn't I?" He let out a small laugh. Xzavier had to brag; it was his nature.
"Of course, you were cool too."

[Alltoni]

Emily watched the wave come toward them, she braced herself and caught it at just the right time so they rode it for just a few seconds. When the wave had passed X began bragging about how they were a good team and how he was awesome for not falling. Emily giggled and nodded. "We are a good team and yes, you did very well. Better than I expected." She said. Then X added that Emily was pretty good herself. "Thanks." She said with a pleased smile. She was happy that X wasn't so closed up any more.

"I'm hungry," Emily said. "Let's go back to our spot on the beach." She carefully moved her way to a sitting position and waited for X to do the same before she began to paddle toward the beach.

[Ashen]

Xzavier mimicked Emily's motions and sat down on the board. He started to paddle towards the shore and let out a yawn. "I could use something to eat too," he muttered. Xzavier didn't care that he had just eaten. When you lived with little to no food, any freebies were taken without second thought.
When they got to the shore Xzavier stepped of the board and waited for Emily to do the same. When she was up he placed an arm around Emily's waist and with a sly smile gently pushed her towards Lori.
Xzavier smirked at Lori and then looked at Emily. "Those were some decent waves, huh? I'd bet we could ride a tsunami. Although I'd have to admit, I've never ridden a tsunami. Hurricanes are my limit."
He laughed to himself and let his hand slip to his side. He sat down on the hot sand and stared at the picnic blanket. He looked up to the sun and closed his eyes.
"What time is it?"

[Alltoni]

Once at the shore Emily got off the board and bent down to take the ankle strap off. She began to walk toward Lori but was stopped when X put an arm around her waist. "Wha-" Emily started but X had already began to talk, and push her toward Lori. Emily was afraid of what Lori would do, or look like.

Lori opened her eyes just in time to see X and Emily arrive. She watched them begin to walk up and sit down when X randomly grabbed Emily around her waist. Lori sat bolt upright and glared at X. How dare he? She thought. She looked at Emily to see if she was enjoying it but it seemed she was worried, probably, Lori thought, about what she'd wind up doing to him. As they sat down Lori tossed Emily a water. "I bet you're thirsty." She said as kindly as she could manage with tomato-head sitting beside her. Emily nodded nervously. "Y-yeah." She stammered. She was worried about X, and couldn't stop thinking about what Lori might do to him if she lost control. She hoped that X would never have to see Lori in that stage but didn't want to say anything for fear of bringing up questions that didn't need to be spoken about.

"C-can I have a sandwich." Emily gently asked Lori. Lori stiffly nodded and tossed a ham and cheese to Emily. "How are the waves?" Lori asked, trying to pretend X wasn't there. "They're...They're okay today." Emily answered before she bit into her sandwich.

[Ashen]

Xzavier sensed the tension in the air and he was loving it. He looked at Emily and saw that she was uncomfortable and Xzaviet didn't need to know rocket science to know it was all because of him. He looked at Lori, who was trying her best to keep herself calm.
Xzavier ran his eyes down Emily's body. He allowed his mind to think of the inappropriate things that were sure to make Lori mad.
Xzaiver wondered what would happen if he were to kiss Emily right now. She would be freaked out, undoubtedly, but would she push away?
Would she enjoy it?
Even if Emily didn't push away Lori would be on him in milliseconds.
Xzavier looked at Lori. She was 120 pounds at most, which Xzavier could handle with ease. Plus the expression on her face when he would gently brush Emily's lips with his would be priceless.
Xzavier looked to the sun once more and let himself go blind staring directly at the blazing ball of gas.

Xzavier got up and brushed the sand off of himself. He was slowing making sense of the situation he was in.
Emily didn't want him, or maybe she did but was just scared of Lori.
Lori wanted him about as much as Xzaiver wanted to be alive, which wasn't much.
So maybe he shouldn't stick around. If you weren't wanted, staying only caused problems and he knew that.
"I'll be back," Xzaiver called to the girls as he started to walk away.
Maybe.

[Alltoni]

Lori saw the pleasure on X's face and hated him even more for it. She laid back and closed her eyes so she could better pretend he wasn't there. Emily realized she was being looked over, tensed up and blushed. She took another bite of her sandwich and watched X stand up. He said he was leaving and that he'd be back.

Emily was worried that he wouldn't be back. She wanted to go with him, but would Lori let her? And what would X think? He'd probably send her back to sitting in the sand. But that was a risk she was willing to take. She jumped up and caught up with him. "Can...Can I walk with you?" She asked and hoped that he wouldn't send her away.

[Ashen]

Xzavier glanced sharply at Emily. A bunch of things ran through his mind, nothing he was willing to say aloud. "I don't think Lor will like that too much," Xzavier said and didn't bother stopping to see.
He knew he was right.
"You don't have to do this," Xzavier said, all the while avoiding looking at Emily. "Look, I'm not stupid, okay? I know neither of you like me and I'm okay with that. I'll go back to being a nomad and we'll all live happily ever after."
Xzavier was only putting on a show. He was hidding his sneer with his damp hair. "If you're only sticking around me for pity I don't wanna hear it, Kay?"
He looked up and noticed they were about to walk off the beach. He didn't know how far Emily would go without Lori but if he could get her farther he could have her all to himself.
But if she didn't want him, what was the point?

[Alltoni]

Emily opened her mouth to say something when she realized what X was saying. "No!" She said. "You really think I'm only hanging around you out of pity? I actually want to be around you. You're my friend now right?" She asked, then wondered if they could actually become more than friends. She ran up beside him and wanted to grab his hand but didn't. She was afraid he would shake her off.

Lori sat up and looked around realizing she was by herself. "Okay..." She turned around to see the two of them walking away from the ocean. "Heck with this." She said and picked up all the stuff from the beach. "I'm going to Matt's." She said as she cleared out a spot in the cooler to put the picnic basket. She stacked everthing so she could carry it and began to walk back toward the apartment. She had only taken a few steps when she realized Emily had forgotten to return the board. Sighing she put the stuff down and turned around, picking up the board, and heading back to the surf shack.

[Ashen]

Xzavier froze at one of Emily's words.
Friend.
How many people had given him that title in his lifetime? Xzavier could count on one hand, one on finger.
Xzavier looked up at Emily. "So you don't think I'm pathetic?" he said. His smile had disappeared and his mouth was now pulled into a straight line. "You don't think running around starting fires for attention is just plain sad?"
His gaze slid to the floor and his voice thickened. "You don't think suicidals are crazy lunatics?"
Xzavier shook his head; he wasn't going to let this side of him show. Xzavier reached out and placed his hands firmly on Emily's shoulders. He inhaled deeply before mustering up the courage to ask his question.
"What do you think of me?" he said in the most expressionless voice he could manage. "Don't give me some shit like, 'Oh, you're a cool guy' or something retarded like that."
He squeezed Emily's shoulders gently. "Tell me what you think of me."

[Alltoni]

Emily shook her head. "No, your not pathetic." She said, then she just listened. No wonder he was trying to convince me that Lori's marks were suicide marks! She thought. She wasn't expecting X to lean over her like he was and she tried to quickly think of an answer to his very sincere question. "You are a cool guy, but you're also independent. You're stubborn sometimes, and funny others. It makes me happy when I can be around you, because we connect on some levels. In these couple of days you've become a best friend to me, but I'm scared that I can't be anything like that for you." Emily's voice began to crack. "I'm scared of being rejected by you." She said as a single tear fell from her cheek. "Can I turn the question around? What do you think of me?" She asked and stared into X's eyes. "You don't have to answer if you don't want to though." She said looking off to her right.

Lori walked back to the cooler and picked up all of their stuff as she turned to head back to the apartments. When she looked up toward the house she was angered by the sight. X had his hands on Emily's shoulders. Lori thought it looked like he was trying to persuade her to do something that she didn't want to. Lori was over it. She was going to go to her boyfriend(Matt)'s house and forget about the whole thing. Emily could handle herself for the night. She made it a point to avoid walking past Emily and X to get back to the apartments, where she got dressed and headed to Matt's house.

[Ashen]

Xzavier's hands started shaking on Emily's shoulder and he had to hide them behind his back so Emily wouldn't notice. Everything she was saying was a lie. It had to be.
"Bullshit," he spat. "You want me to believe that?"
Xzavier was thinking about every one of Emily's words. They made his skin burn hotter than any fire had.
Xzavier turned away from Emily and stared at a tree. He thought of the thin wood supporting the weak leaves and wondered how many seconds it would take for a fire to destroy it.
Any thought was better than what Emily was asking of him.
Something in his mind told Xzavier to turn around so he did. He stated Emily square in the eye. "I think you've got plenty of-what's that word?" He searched his brain for the word on his tongue and realized this was another reason his life was so pathetic: he was an idiot dropout.
"Potential," Xzavier said. "You've got so much potential but it's all being kept in a jar. Lori is making sure that jar is sealed tight, and even though I know you can break the glass she's keeping you in, you aren't trying hard enough."
He turned back around and continued walking. "Interpret that however you want."

[Alltoni]

Emily listened to X, and began to cry at his words. It made her happy that he actually said something like that to her. She though he'd avoid the question and walk away. She looked up and ran to him hugging him from behind. "Help me," She said softly, "help me break it." She quietly pleaded. "Please." She said as more tears fell from her face.

[Ashen]

Xzavier was caught off guard as Emily hugged him from behind. A blush quickly rose to his face and he listened to what Emily was saying.
Help her? How could he help her when the only person's he's ever helped was himself, and he couldn't even do that right?
It took Xzavier a while to noticed Emily was crying. He turned around and placed is arms around her neck. She seemed so happy with Lori, and now he was going to break them apart.
What was he doing?
"How can I help?" Xzavier whispered in her ear, the words too fragile to say aloud. He wrapped one arm around her back and pulled her closer. "Shh," he cooed.

[Alltoni]

Emily was glad that X turned around and returned her hug. She tried her hardest to think of ways that X could help her escape from Lori's 'jar' as X put it. "Can you show me what everything would be like if I use my potential?" She asked between tears. "I'm scared...to hurt peoples feelings, especially Lori's, but...is it okay to..." She didn't know how exactly to put it. "...Be happy?" She asked.

[Ashen]

Xzavier pushed away from Emily and stared at her blankly. "I have a surprise for you," he stated and grabbed her hand to tug her along. "Not another word until I say so, okay?"
Xzavier walked silently through the town until he came across the local pub. He turned to face Emily and looked her in the eye. "You're going to stay right here until I come back."
He turned into the pub and took a seat.
A few minutes later he emerged holding two bottles. "Drink this," he said, shoving the bottle her way. He popped his own bottle and took a long sip.
"This is only the beginning of the fun. Just trust me to lead you and we'll have all the fun in the world."

[Alltoni]

Emily looked at X and nodded. "Okay." She said and followed him. She wiped the tears as they ran and stood right where X told her too. She wondered what was going to happen next and looked around. She felt weird standing by herself but, lucky for her, X returned soon with two bottles. She took the one he held out to her and looked at it. "What is this?" She asked and smelled it, she jerked back and shook her head. It was definitely not something she'd drank before, but she was pretty sure she had a good idea of what it was.

She looked at X and back to the bottle. "Nothing bad will happen right?" She asked. She wanted to know that everything was going to be okay. And now she was looking to X for that reassurance. She was scared, but she wanted to know what it was like to live. So, for X and for the sake of knowing that she could really live for the first time, she took a sip of the strange drink X had given her. It made her shiver, it was alot different than what she was expecting.

[Ashen]

Xzavier smiled wide as Emily took a sip of the alcohol. "Nothing bad will happen," he confirmed. "Nothing at all."
He ran his hand over her head as if petting her. "That'a girl," he cooed. "Now finish up the bottle, alright?"
Xzavier knew she wouldn't down the entire bottle. He couldn't even drink half a bottle his first time. Now he could easily drink a bottle or four.
"As you're drinking that we're gonna go pick up some gasoline. There's this old barn a few miles away from here that is screaming for someone to burn it down. I've been saving it for a special moment."
Xzavier tugged Emily along, his smile wide. Emily wasn't going to be the only one having fun tonight.

Xzavier looked at the gas station across the street. He shoved Emily towards it. "You're gonna go get some gas and you ain't gonna pay a penny. I don't care how you do it but I'm sure the alcohol will help you figure it out. Good luck."
He leaned against a pole. "No turning back now, darling." He flashed her a grin.
His first time wasn't easy, and he didn't even have someone to enjoy it with. Emily didn't know how lucky she was.

[Alltoni]

Emily was a little nervous about the whole thing but she listened to X and nodded. "I don't know about the whole thing." She said and took another sip of it. She nodded at his plan and followed him. As they ran Emily realized she was getting cold, she still had her bathing suit and flip flops on. "X, I'm cold." She stated, the drink was beginning to set in.

When they made it to the station Emily looked from X to the building. "I don't want to go by myself." She said and grabbed X's hand for balance. She had downed about a third of the bottle. "I'm scared." She said. "Their not gonna jus' let me prance in there and take some'f their stuff." She skipped like she was acting out what she was saying. "An' I'm not a threat ta an'one." She added, the effects of the drink were hitting her hard.

[Ashen]

"You're cold," Xzavier repeated evenly and scanned the streets of people. "No problem."
He spotted a woman carrying her baby in a thin blanket and smirked. "I'll be right back," he assured and walked over to the woman. "How much for the blanket?"
"¿Qué?" the woman murmured.
"Oh we got a Mexican here," Xxavier said with a sly smile. "So here's how it'll go. I'll take the blanket for my girl and you can go back to your country, alright?"
The woman couldn't understand what Xzavier was saying, but as he reached to grab her baby she screamed and stepped back. "Mi bebé!"
"I don't want your baby," Xzavier spat and snatched the girl out of her arms. "I want the blanket." He unwrapped the baby and took the blanket. Xzavier draped the blanket over his shoulder and handed the baby back to the woman. "Uh, gracias," he muttered.
The woman's brown eyes were wide. "Ayuda!" she screamed.
Xzavier walked back to Emily. He tossed her the blanket. "We have until someone who speaks Spanish hears that broad. Now let me show you how this is done."

Xzavier pulled Emily across the street and walked to one of the pumps. He felt it for a second before turning to Emily. "I know how to work these things. See that guy over there?" Xzavier pointed a finger to a tough looking guy with a giant tattoo on his arm. "He controls the gas. Once someone pays he switches the gas on it'll come over here. Since I don't have a tank we're stealing that too."
Xzavier strode to the guy he had pointed to and tapped on the glass he hid behind. "I need a tank," he slurred.
"You even driving yet, kid?" The man narrowed his eyes.
"I'm eighteen, thank ya'," Xzavier said. "I need a gas tank."
"Gas container is ten bucks," the man said.
"Can I see it before I buy it?"
The man sighed and put the shiny red gas container on the counter. "Ten bucks."
"Whatever," Xzavier said as he snatched the container. "I'll pay for it and the gas together. Give me a gallon on number three."
Xzavier shoved Emily on to the third pump and started filling up his tank. "That was way too easy," he said with a smile. "A normal place would take the money first."
He looked at Emily and frowned for only a second. "Jesus, look at you. Don't finish the bottle. Gimme." He took the bottle out of her hands. "How ya feeling? You just need to be able to run, alright?"
Xzavier looked up and saw the Spanish woman talking to a cop. "This should be enough gas," he said and hefted the tank up. "Run."

[Alltoni]

Emily gawked at X stealing the blanket. Even though she was drunk she knew it was wrong. But the whole thing was quickly forgotten about when she was dragged across the street to steal gas...and apparently a gas tank. She stood by pump number three watching X use his skills and wondering how much trouble they were going to be if they got caught, especially by Lori. She became lost daydreaming and was rudely jerked out of it by X yelling at her to run, she woke up and looked around and followed after him as quickly as she could without falling over.

[Ashen]

Xzavier was going at a pretty slow pace compared to what he was used to, but he knew Emily couldn't run as fast as he could.
Running from authority was nothing new to him, but Emily was probably terrified, if she was able to feel anything. The girl was obviously drunk, but that just added to the fun.
"Do you think you can go on?" Xzavier asked. It wouldn't be long before her legs gave way and he'd eventually have to carry her. He only hoped Emily stayed awake long enough to watch the barn go up in flames.
Glancing at Emily once more, he knew she wouldn't make it. She was just slowing him down, so he stopped. "You're going for a ride," he said and picked Emily up like a baby. She wasn't too heavy, but at least this way he didn't have to worry about her passing out. "Just enjoy the ride. I'll wake you up when we get there, okay?"
Xzaiver wondered how much fun Emily would have watching the old barn burst into flames. She wasn't a pyromaniac like he was but everyone loved fire, right?
It was worth a shot.

[Alltoni]

Emily was beginning to get tired from running. She thought that the blanket was weighing her down so she took it off and threw it behind her. "Here!" She shouted. "Have it back!" It wasn't long before she figured out that the blanket hadn't made a difference in her speed. Then X turned around and asked her if she could go on. "I think so." She said with a nod, but it didn't matter, X turned around and picked her up to carry her anyway.

X told her to enjoy the ride and she did. She laid her head on his shoulder and watched the scenery go by. The longer she laid there the less her eyes wanted to stay open. She eventually gave in and closed her eyes. From then to the time they got to the barn she couldn't remember anything.

[Ashen]

Xzavier flicked his eyes towards the blanket and showed an irritated expression. He didn't say anything and just continued.
After a few minutes Emily was getting pretty heavy. Xzaiver couldn't tell if she was asleep or not.
He wouldn't give up just yet.
The gasoline was heavy enough, plus Emily's hundred pounds about; Xzaiver knew his back was going to be hurting tomorrow.
It would all be worth it.

"We're here," Xzaiver cooed.
He rocked Emily back and forth and set her in the ground. His back was killing him, but he could forget all about that soon. He walked up to the barn and sprayed gas all around the walls.
"And now we find some sticks are something to ignite this baby."
Xzaiver searched around until he found two sticks that could easily catch fire. He rubbed them together until they sparked and threw them at the barn.
Xzaiver ran back and turned around to watch the barn. "You'd better get back," he called to Emily. "If a spark hits you you're gonna get a burn and I'm not talking those cooking burns. Third degree. Come here."

[Alltoni]

Emily woke up to the sound of X telling her they had made it. He set her down and she sat there for a moment remembering what all had happened and watching X. When he told her to get back she quickly stood up and followed him facing the flames. "Wow," She said in awe. "It's...really pretty." She said. The drink had began to wear off but Emily wasn't feeling to good. "I feel sick." She said and put her hand to her forehead.

[Ashen]

Xzavier watched the flames get higher and higher until thy looked like they were touching the clouds. He was struck speechless for a moment at the beauty of the fire. It was so much bigger than the ones he was allowed to start in the city and that made it all the more exhilarating.
Emily mentioned she felt sick and Xzavier just smiled. "You're a real lightweight," he teased. "That's the alcohol. It'll wear off soon. You might get major craps but some kind of fruit juice can cure that, or a heating pad. If you feel nauseous drink some black coffee. It helps."
After a moment Xzaiver looked to Emily. She really did look beat.
Even so, she still looked beautiful, and Xzaiver scolded himself for thinking this. She was too young for him.
Yeah, Xzaiver reasoned, that's it.

The flames were spreading pretty quickly and Xzaiver let himself worry about Emily. If the fire came towards them they'd have to run and she looked like she couldn't even walk.
Still, he left her watching. If the fire spread, he would have time.
Xzaiver smiled and he realised he could take advantage of Emily's drunken state. She could remember everything the next morning, but it was worth a shot, wasn't it?
"Hey Em," Xzaiver said, taking her hand. "If you could kiss me right now, would you?"
It was entirely random, but maybe if she said yes Xzaiver would actually enjoy it.
But them, what of she said no?

[Alltoni]

Emily nodded at X's advice. "I don' have any of that right now though." She said. "So I'll just 'ave ta live with it for a little while longer." She sat down, she was tired and was thinking she would really enjoy her bed tonight. But for the moment she was enjoying the warmth of the fire, and being next to X.

She worried what would happen if Lori found out about this. No! She thought. I am happy right now! I can't worry about stuff like this. Just live the moment. She told herself and smiled at the fire. She was living wasn't she? But it would all be over the next morning. She would go back to being Lori's little pet like she'd done sense she was 10.

Then X asked her a strange question. "If you could kiss me right now, would you?" Emily looked up at him and smiled, her cheeks turning pink with a blush. "I..." She looked at the ground and thought for a moment. "Yes." She answered looking back to X. "I would."

[Ashen]

Xzaiver heard the faint blare of sirens in the distance. He knew they still had a few minutes to spare, if that. He looked at Emily and noticed her eyes were faraway. She was thinking of the consequences, he just knew it. "When you're having fun," Xzaiver said, "you don't think about what's going to be screwed up afterwards. Quit thinking about Lori."
Upon mentioning her name, Xzaiver started to think of Lori as well. What if she did find out? She had evidence to lock Xzaiver up for a while but he didn't care about that.
What would she do to Emily?

Xzaiver let his thoughts drift to impossible things that would never happen. He could run away with Emily, but then he could be arrested for kidnapping.
It wasn't kidnapping if she wanted to go, was it?
He sighed and stared right at Emily's eyes.

The moments before she answered her question were torture. She seemed confused at the question which didn't surprise Xzaiver.
He froze as she murmured her answer and Xzaiver released the breath he had been holding. "Well then," he said, trying to think of what to do.
Even with Emily's confirmation, he didn't think he should kiss her. Ignoring his thoughts, Xzaiver pushed Emily to the ground and held himself above her. "Good answer," he murmured quietly, but he could not force his lips to hers.

[Alltoni]

Emily looked at X. "I know, I'm trying to push them out of my mind but they keep coming back." She said. "I guess it's habit." She shrugged and watched the flames.

Emily's heart raced as X leaned down to her and pushed her to the ground. They stayed like that for what seemed like forever to Emily. She wished this moment would last, but it wouldn't. She could hear the sirens getting closer. "If you could kiss me, would you?" She wanted so badly for him to say yes, and she wanted to remember this.

[Ashen]

Xzaiver froze at Emily's question. She was only parroting him, but that didn't take away from the question.
He stared at Emily's eyes and got lost. A week ago, he would have never seen himself on this situation. Life was always full of surprises, wasn't it?

Xzaiver found himself leaning into Emily. He paused for a brief moment before brushing his lips over hers.
With the scent of burning wood thick in the air and the sound of a crackling fire and sirens behind them, this was the perfect moment.
Xzaiver fully felt to be tasting Mary as he kissed Emily, but she didn't. She didn't have the familiar cherry taste hinted with faint sugar from whatever Mar had eaten that day.
Emily tasted faintly of alcohol, but there was so much more than that. She tasted no different, so new.
"Hey!"
Xzaiver pushed away in a swift move and looked up to find a police officer staring at them. Xzaiver muttered a curse and pushed himself off of Emily. "Em, come on," Xzaiver said. She forced her up and, knowing he would be faster without her drunkenly wobbling around, crushed next to her. "Get on my back."
Xzaiver was actually grateful for the police officer. At least now he had time to figure out what the hell he had just gotten himself into.

[Alltoni]

Emily was very happy that X's answer came in the form of a kiss. This was her first kiss and it wasn't exactly what she'd always dreamed it would be, but it was still her first kiss and she enjoyed every moment of it. So many things were running through Emily's mind but all of it came to a halt when she heard someone yell at them and X jerked away. Emily opened her eyes and quickly did as Xzaiver said.

"I'm sorry." Emily said as they ran. "If I wouldn't have asked you that they wouldn't be right behind us." She laid her head on his shoulder. She knew they would be caught. Even though Emily was light X had to do all the work before and was probably just as tired as Emily herself was.

[Ashen]

Xzaiver was trying his best to go faster but he was worn and Emily wasn't a feather.
He was finding it hard to carry on and the police officer was right behind them. "Stop apologizing," Xzaiver panted. "It's called fun, Em. We're having..."
Xzaiver's ankle twisted and he fell to the ground. Emily fell on top of him leaving Xzaiver immobile.
All the fun was ending.
"Emily, get away from here," he growled. "Cat, that's right. Can't you become a cat? Do that so they won't find you."
Xzaiver made it to a sitting position and rubbed his throbbing ankle. Emily might be able to make it out, but he didn't have a chance.
"Get away," he said through gritted teeth. "I'll meet you at the beach later."
Xzaiver tried to get up but he couldn't. The police officer caught up to them. His eyes flashed with recognition. "You're Xzaiver Vivé," he said.
"Em, now," he moaned.

[Alltoni]

"Xzavier!" Emily yelled and jumped off of him. "Are you okay?" She knelt down to him. Then He told her to run. "No, I cant just leave you!" She yelled, "Especially not if I have to turn into a cat!"

She looked up and saw the cop coming closer, her heart leaped and she felt the need to run away, but then she realized that X couldn't run with her. What do I do? She wondered. If I get caught Lori will kill me, but I don't want to leave X. She spent so much time thinking that the cop caught up with them and X gave one last attempt to make Emily go. Emily looked at X and then up to the cop. "I-" She looked back to X, "I can't leave you." She said and began to tear up.

[Ashen]

Xzaiver gave an aggravated sigh when Emily wouldn't leave. With the cop right there, he couldn't do anything else.
Everything had already been done.
The cop looked at Emily and his eyes narrowed. "Have you two been drinking?"
Xzaiver shook his head hard. "She has no idea what she's doing. I gave her the alcohol."
"How did you even get- I don't care." The officer walked up to Xzaiver and grabbed his wrists. "What the hell is the matter with you, boy? You think just because you like doing something it means you can do it whenever you want? No, Vivé, setting fires is illegal and you know it." The cop reached for his handcuffs.
Xzaiver looked at Emily. If he could get her to help him, they could run away.
Still, Xzaiver wouldn't be able to put weight on his leg. He glanced down at his ankle.
He could worry about broken bones later. After a bone healed, that was it.
An arrest would be on his record forever.

"Run," Xzaiver growled to Emily. He balled his fist and threw a punch at the officer's cheek.
The cop reeled and fell on his back. Xzaiver forced himself up and started to hobble away. His ankle was burning, but he needed to make it.
At this rate, he'd never be able to outrun the officer. Xzaiver motioned for Emily to keep going. "I'll catch up," he muttered and turned back to the officer. Xzaiver threw his body on top of the officer. He reached for his gun, but the cop saw his action and rolled from underneath of Xzaiver. "Put your hands where I can see them," the cop growled and when Xzaiver looked at him his gun was pointed towards him.
He looked down to see what kind of weapon he could make from his shorts but it was useless. He had no pockets.
"Shoot me," Xzaiver said evenly and made eye contact. "Last time I tried I ended up killing my girlfriend. Why don't you take me out and save me the trouble?"
"I can help you," the officer said and he put his gun on the ground. "You just have to let me."
Xzaiver glanced at the gun on the ground. It was about three feet away and if he could just reach for it...
He looked back to the officer. "What kind of help?" he urged.
"There are institutions for people like you," the officer said and smiled. "We could-"
Xzaiver reached for the gun and once his fingers were firmly around it he pointed it at the cop. "Screw you," he growled. "Now we're going to forget this ever happened, okay?"
"Put the gun down, Xzaiver," the cop tried. He reached for it, but Xzaiver only faced the gun to his face.
"I love gore," Xzaiver said. "I think you should go check who I shot."
Before the cop could say anything else Xzaiver fired off in the distance. He turned around and started to run as fast as he could with his twisted ankle.
"Emily!" Xzaiver called. He tossed his head over his shoulder to see if the cop was following him.
He wasn't.

[Alltoni]

Emily looked up at the officer, looking ashamed and scared. She had no idea what was in store for her. She nodded her head at the officers question, then looked at X while he explained. Emily watched and listened to the officer as he began to put X in hand cuffs, tears running down her cheeks. She looked down at the ground then back up to X. She noticed he was looking at his ankle. Then before she knew what was happening he hit the officer and tried to run away.

Emily jumped up and followed quickly overtook X with what speed he was going. She slowed down so as not to leave X behind. When she looked back to make sure he was following he told her to keep going and turned around to jump on the officer. Emily quickly stopped and stared at the two. She watched them trying to keep up with what was going on. When she finally realized what had happened the officer had his gun pulled on X. "No!" Emily squealed.

She couldn't quite hear what the officer was saying but she was too worried about what X would do. He decided to go after the gun that the officer had thrown down. "X don't!" Emily screamed. It seemed like ages before X finally shot off the gun and ran. Emily watched the officer sit up and helped X hobble away. "Do you think they'll come after us? He knows who did it, and he knows what I look like." She asked X.

[Ashen]

Xzaiver paused for a moment as he realized Emily hadn't gone as far as he had hoped. He wondered how much Emily had seen, but her question answered that.
She had probably seen it all.
"I wouldn't be scared if I were you," Xzaiver said and he leaned on Emily's shoulder. "You're a minor, and besides, you didn't even do anything. As long as we don't go home tonight, they won't know where we live anyway."
Xzaiver winced as his ankle scraped against the ground. "That cop won't recognize you, Em. We aren't in the same county and if you've never shown your face here they won't know who you are."
Xzaiver stared at the gun still in his hands. He didn't know what to do with it, but for now he would need it for protection.
"Hey Emily," Xzaiver said as he shoved the gun between his trunks and skin. "Whatever you do, and I mean this, do not mention a word to anyone about this."

After some time, Xzaiver felt that they were far enough to rest.
Honestly, he felt they were dangerously close to where the officer had found them and they could still hear sirens in the distance, but his ankle could not take any more.
He held onto Emily's arms and took a seat on a patch of grass. "Fun, huh?" Xzaiver said with a pant. There was no way he was letting anything ruin Emily's fun.
It was his job to make sure she enjoyed herself, and Goddammit he was going to do something right.

[Ashen]

((Double post))

[Alltoni]

Emily nodded and kept walking. "I'll try and stay away from here." She agreed and continued to walk. She nodded at X's request. "Not a word." She said with a slight laugh. Her thoughts wondered off to what Lori would think if she ever found out. Emily would probably be kept on a short leash, or Lori would feel so hurt and betrayed that she would care any more. Or...no, she wouldn't go that far, would she? Emily hoped she would never find out.

Emily felt X adjusting himself to sit down and helped him. "Are you okay?" She asked. "I mean, your ankle?" She sat down beside him and rested. "Where are we going to go?" She asked, she was wondering if they were going to go back to the apartment or somewhere else. As she thought she gently laid her head on X's shoulder.

[Ashen]

Xzaiver examined Emily's face and he gave an aggravated sigh. "You're thinking of Lori," he accused. "You'll make it back to her, okay? For now we just get to camp out."
Looking down at his body, Xzaiver added, with almost no clothes, and cops looking for us, and an extremely dangerous weapon right next to us.
He sighed and lied down on the grass.

"I'm fine," Xzaiver answered evenly although it was a lie. His whole foot by now was hurting. "It looks like we're going to have to stay here for the night. I am not well enough to go anywhere."
He looked at Emily and could imagine how cold she was going to get.
Why hadn't they gone to get some clothes?
"If you want you can go home. They really don't care about you. It's me they want."

[Ashen]

((Double post))

[Alltoni]

Emily looked up to X with a guilty look. "I know, but I'm worried what will happen after we get back." She said and looked around at where they were sitting. She pulled her knees up to her chest and hugged them. She was cold and scared, but at least she had someone with her.

Emily nodded at X's reply, to tired to care if he really was lying. Then she looked up at the sky to gaze at the stars and began to think. As she thought she began to pull a plan together. "X, do you still have your lighter?" She asked, she hoped with everything she had that he still had it somewhere. If he did, she could go find stuff to get and keep a fire going and she would quickly make her way back to the apartment to get clothes, blankets, and anything else they would need, just until X could walk again.

[Ashen]

After, Xzaiver repeated to himself.
He never did think of the after. Why bother living in the future when you'll only forget about the present? He didn't feel like even thinking about what would happen when they got back to Emily's house.
Who's to say they'd even make it back?
Emily might, but Xzaiver's mind was still back at the burning barn.

Xzaiver looked up when Emily asked for his lighter. He felt around his pockets and shook his head. "We aren't lighting a fire," Xzaiver said sternly. "Think about what just happened. If the cops smell another fire they'll come with reinforcements. Dear God, do not make me have to use this."
Xzaiver fingered the gun that was right beside him. "I really don't want to," Xzaiver admitted in a low voice. "I'd rater be hung upside down with thorns poking into me and get shot then spend the rest of my life in jail." An idea dawned on him, and Xzaiver sat up.
There was a gun in his possession, and he could leave this world if he wanted to.
Looking up at Emily, Xzaiver sighed and laid back down.

[Alltoni]

Emily held her hands up in surrender. "Okay." She said. "Sorry, I didn't think about that." She was more worried about keeping warm. "Would you be okay if I ran back to the apartment to grab clothes and blankets and stuff? Or rather, would it be okay?" She asked. She didn't want X to begin yelling at her again.

(I'm sorry it's so short, I've had a bad case of writers block lately. >.<)

[Ashen]

Xzaiver sighed. "Go ahead. Just make sure they don't find you, alright?"
He rolled onto his side and stared at the patch of grass beside him. "If you want you can stay home," he muttered. He didn't want to spend the night alone. He had had a lot of that in his life, and this company was all he had to really look forward to.
He faced the sky again. "Just don't forget about me, okay?"

[Alltoni]

Emily nodded. "I won't." She said with a smile. "Don't worry." She stood up and brushed the grass off of her. Before she left, X said she could stay home. "No, I'm comming back. You don't need to be by yourself." She said and started to walk off. "I'll never forget about you." She said softly and walked back to the apartments.

Emily took a back way that not many people traveled to get back to the apartment. She didn't run into any trouble but she did get weird looks from the people she passed. When she made it to the apartment she didn't have her key so she had to find the spare that she and Lori had hidden for such an occasion...well sort of like what Emily needed it for. Behind the house, beside the back door, was a statue of a maneki neko. If you picked it up and turned it over you would find a hole drilled in the bottom just big enough for a small hand to fit into. A hand such as Emily's. She reached into the doll and pulled out the house key. She had a strange feeling, as if she were being watched by someone, or something.

When she made it in the house she quickly wondered about getting necessary items; Blankets, clothes, for her and X, (Lori's boyfriend was about the same size as Xzavier so Emily hoped they'd fit.) food, and a backpack to put it all in. Emily changed into her clothes before she left so she wouldn't have to do it when she got back to X, and, since she didn't know how long her and X would be staying away from the house, she packed enough for three days. It took two backpacks to fit all of it in but she managed, all the food went in one and the clothes and blankets went in the other.

She quickly made her way back to X so he would freeze to death and smiled when she saw him not to far away. She ran to him and sat down. "Here." She said and handed him the backpack. "Your clothes are in the bigger pocket." She had packed her clothes in a separate pocket so they wouldn't get mixed together.

[Ashen]

Xzaiver grabbed a stick and started to scratch drawings in the ground. When he stopped and looked at his work he realised his own hieroglyphics former a storyline.
There was a small fire accompanied by a cat in one picture, and in the next the cat was getting devoured by the fire. The next one showed the fire entirely alone.
Xzaiver had ruined Emily. She could have lived the rest of her life happily ever after but now she was drunk and wondering a city by herself. If the cop could remember her, she would have a criminal record and that could follow her for the rest of her life.
Xzaiver had devoured Emily. He took her over and she'd never be the same.
Turning away from his disturbing pictures, Xzaiver wondered if Emily would come back.

Years of being a fugitive had made Xzaiver a light sleeper, and when he heard the gentle footfalls of a certain girl he was awake in an instant.
He stared at Emily for a moment before registering the two backpacks she had. When she placed one in front of him he sifted through and pulled out what Emily must have classified as his clothes.
"Was Lori home?" Xzaiver asked when he should have asked something like How was your trip or Are you all right?
He hated himself for asking that question and pressed his shirt against his skin. It was really warm.
He glanced at the other backpack. "What's that for?"

[Alltoni]

Emily shook her head at X's question. "No, she's probably at her boyfriend's." She said. "She'll be back at the apartment sometime tomorrow." She hoped Lori wouldn't get back, realize Emily wasn't there and go out searching for her. Right after Emily finished her thought she heard X ask what the other bag was for. She looked down at it and smiled at him. "Food." She simply said. "I don't know about you but I'm starving." She added before she opened it and pulled out half of a leftover Subway sandwich. "I brought caned stuff too." She said and pulled out a can of peaches with a proud smile.

[Ashen]

Xzaiver tried to get comfortable but the movement sent pain through his ankle. He winced and laid his leg wimply in front of him. "Canned food?" Xzaiver repeated. "You wouldn't have brought a can opener by any chance, huh?"
Xzaiver tucked his foot underneath of him and tried to push himself up. "I'll change out of this then," he muttered and reached for his shirt. He tugged it over his head and held up the pants. His eyes rested on Emily. "Well I'm not moving," he said and looked down at his ankle. "How uh, how long you planning on staying out here with me?"

[Alltoni]

Emily looked at the can and thought for a second. "Uh..." She hummed. "Yes! Yes, I did!" She said proudly, her drunkenness had mostly warn off but she was still a little...off. She sat there and watched X, until he hinted on that she needed to leave. "Oh!" She jumped up and looked for somewhere to go. When she didn't find anywhere she just turned around and put her hands over her eyes. "I wanted to stay out here as long as you can't walk. I want to make sure you're okay." She didn't want X to be alone. He had been alone for to long, she didn't want him to suffer through it any more.

[Ashen]

Xzaiver smiled when Emily told him she brought a can opener. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all.
Maybe.

When Emily turned around Xzaiver figured he could trust her not to turn around. He slid off his trunks with much difficulty and sat there with no pants on for a moment deciding how he was going to tackle this task with a limp foot.
After a minute of struggling Xzaiver had gotten the pants to reach his waist. His twisted ankle was somewhere in his pants leg and he decided it didn't need to peek out at the bottom. "I'm done," Xzaiver called. He sat up and stretched his shoulders.
"You know Em, that's really kind of you and I appreciate it, but what'll happen when you get homesick? What happens when Lor comes after you?"
Xzaiver scolded himself. Stop pestering her.

[Alltoni]

When Emily heard X say he was finished she turned around. When X asked her 'what if' questions. "I'm kind of tired of home, at least for now." She said. "And I don't know about Lori. I guess we can cross that bridge when we come to it." She shrugged. "Are you hungry? I have...stuff." She looked in the bag then looked back up at X. "I'm not sure what I brought that you'd want." She said with a giggle and handed him the bag. "Here pick out whatever you want. There's forks, spoons, and knives in a box in the pocket on the front and the can-opener is there too." She said with a smile.

[Ashen]

Tired of home.
Xzaiver knew you could never be tired of home. He missed being in Mary's house, even after he murdered her. He even missed being at his stepdad's house, even though he hated that place.
They were homes to him, and Xzaiver couldn't tire of them.

He shrugged Emily off and grabbed the bag to look for something to eat. He came up with a bag of pretzels.
Xzaiver looked up at Emily and almost smiled before he stopped himself. He remembered what they had been doing before the cop had come by.
It was his first kiss in such a long time, and he hated that it had had to end so abruptly. Xzaiver wanted to continue it, but he was going to stand his ground.

[Ashen]

((double post))

[Alltoni]

Emily took a bite of her sandwich and looked in the bag to pull out a water. When she had finished the bite she held up the bottle of water. "I forgot to mention that I packed water." She said with a giggle.

When Emily had finished her sandwich she laid down and looked at the stars. "They're pretty tonight, don't you think?" She asked X. They reminded her of just a few hours before. She wished they hadn't been interrupted. What would have happened if they hadn't been interrupted.

[Ashen]

Xzaiver looked up at the water bottle Emily held up and just shrugged. He let his gaze slide to the stars and before he had a chance to think blurted out, "Not as pretty as you."
Xzaiver froze, wondering if he had actually said his thoughts aloud. He dropped his bag of pretzels and would have run if not for his ankle. Instead, he was left pretty much glued to the ground to bask in his embarrassment and even shame.

Xzaiver tucked his knees under his chin and sang a song in his head to distract himself from what had been said. He looked up at Emily and realised he had no reason to be embarassed. They had been kissing after all, before everything went crazy.
He looked back to the stars. "When I was a kid I used to think I could catch the stars. Every night I would count them to see how long it would take for me to catch them all. I always fell asleep counting them." His eye caught on the Little Dipper and he smiled. "Once, Mary told me this bullshit story about the Little Dipper and why it looks like a spoon." He looked down to his fingers. "I wish I remembered how it went."

[Alltoni]

Emily smiled at X's remark, she wondered if he actually meant it or if he was just saying it. She giggled when he dropped his bag of pretzels. She looked over to him and saw that he'd curled himself up. She smiled and wondered how long they would stay like this, then her thoughts drifted to when Lori would get home to discover they were gone.

Luckily before Emily's thoughts got to far X began to speak. "I've looked at them alot but I've never tried to count them. It would take to long and I would loose my place eventually." She said with a light laugh. "I think I've heard it before." She looked at the group of stars and tried to remember. "Isn't it something about the runaway slaves?" She asked.

[Ashen]

Xzaiver scanned the stars and he let a smile played across his lips. "I lost my place all the time," he said. "I kept trying though, night after night. Gotta admire dedication like that."
He sighed and turned to Emily. "If you're talking about the Underground Railroad, then no, that wasn't what I meant." His smile faded as he remembered Mary telling him the story. "In the Underground Railroad Harriet Tubman led slaves by the North Star, Sirius. It's the brightest star in the night sky."
He looked up and right away spotted the North Star. "Twinkle twinkle," he muttered under his breath.

"Mary told me something like this: Once, a long time ago, a little girl shared her water she was going to use to save her mother's life. She shared it with an old woman who, little did she know, was magic. The magic woman grabbed the girl's spoon and threw it in the sky. It became one of the Dippers. The woman gave her a magic hold spoon which she took home with water to give her dying mother."
Xzaiver didn't dare look at Emily's face. He wasn't expecting to remember the story, but now that he had it sounded so stupid.
But it did remind him of Mary, and because of that, it was the best story in the world.

[Alltoni]

Emily smiled at X's dedication and giggled. "Yeah." She agreed. When X told her that it wasn't the story he was thinking of she just nodded. "I just thought that might be it. I'm not sure myself." She said as she looked across the sky and found the North Star right after X finished talking about it.

Emily listened to X's story and smiled when he finished. "What would you do if someone asked you for water that you knew would save someone close to you's life?" She asked looking up at him. "I'd like to say I'd let them have some, but I don't know." She admitted. No one really knew what they would do in a situation like that unless they were actually in it.

[Ashen]

Xzaiver was surprised at Emily's question but he considered it all the same. "In case you haven't noticed," he let out in a sigh, "I'm not the nicest person around. If someone I loved was dying I'll make sure to get their cure to them and I don't care who dies on the way."
But what if the one who dies was the one you loved?
Xzaiver pinched his eyes shut as he saw Mary's petrified face seconds before she died.
"How can you determine who's life is more important; which life is worth living?"

Xzaiver looked back to the sky. "It's no secret that I'm a total asshole," Xzaiver said. "That's the reason Mary's dead. I know that. Right now, I say I wouldn't share. I'd say I'm more important than they are and therefore I deserve the cure. But really, it all depends."
He turned his gaze down to Emily. "Who do I love so much that I'd go out and find a cure for them?"

[Alltoni]

Emily nodded at X's answer, she mostly expected it. "I understand." She said with a nod. She listened to him talk. "I'd guess you cant know who's life is more important." She said.

When he mentioned Mary, Emily tensed and looked up at X. As they looked at each other Emily wondered what X saw. Did he see a girl who desperately needed to be freed, or did he see a person he used to know, his girlfriend?

[Ashen]

Xzaiver sighed and laid down on the grass. He looked at all of the sparkling stars watching over him. "They say the stars are deceased loved ones looking over your life," Xzaiver stated. "I don't believe that-I don't believe anything from Disney-but I wonder. If it really is true..." His voice drifted. "So who's up there for you, Em?"

Xzaiver looked at Emily and smiled. He knew Emily would say her parents and he figured she would think he was mindless for asking a question with such an obvious answer.
Your parents weren't always the ones you loved the most, and Xxaiver knew that. Maybe his mom was up there looking out for him. Maybe she really did miss him.
But there was still a chance she didn't. You couldn't miss someone you didn't know, and Xzaiver didn't know his mother very well.
As he looked into Emily's eyes a thought tugged at his mind.
If Emily were to drop dead, would she be out there watching him? Would he be watching her if he were to die?

[Alltoni]

Emily looked away from X to look at the stars. "My grandmother, and aunt, I guess. They were like me." She said and looked back at X. "Grammy died before I was born but my aunt died when I was 7." She could still remember how she smelled when she came to visit her father, and how she could make anyone happy, even if they were lost in anger, or sadness. There was always an air of peace about her, everyone felt it.

Before Emily realized it she had tears streaming down her face. "Sorry," She giggled at herself and sat up. She wondered if X would laugh with her about her being emotional.

[Ashen]

Xzaiver sighed and looked away as he listened to Emily speak. He wondered what it was like to actually get to know blood relatives. They say siblings can sometimes feel each other's pain, especially twins or triplets, but Xzaiver wondered how true that was.
He heard Emily apologize and looked back to her to see what was wrong. Xzaiver muttered a swear lightly and sat up straighter.
Leave it up to him to make Emily cry.

"Don't cry," he soothed, a bit comforted that Emily was able to laugh at herself. "They're gone now, and, if you believe in anything the preachers shove at you, they're in better places-or a better place all together, depending on how you look at it."
Xzaiver smiled as he sighed to himself. "Now I sound like one of them arrogant preachers."

Xzaiver twisted his body so that his arms were supporting the rest of his body. He eased himself onto the ground and almost shivered as the cold grass touched his cheeks. "Is there anyone that you really think is up there that isn't a relative? Maybe like a dead friend?"

[Alltoni]

Emily lightly laughed at X's speech. She was glad that he could make her feel better. "I didn't mean to get emotional on you." She said as she wiped away the last of the tears and laid down on the ground facing X. "I don't know." She admitted. "I haven't seen any of my friends sense the foster home."

Thinking about them made Emily wonder how they were doing. She had made three friends other than Lori. She hoped they had a real home by now, and that they had a good loving family. One of the friends she made would have been old enough to live on her own now and Emily wondered if she had contemplated starting her own family. She missed her friends, but she was glad Lori had helped her escape from the home, it had allowed her to meet Xzavier and have this fun experience.

[Ashen]

Xzaiver thought about the shows he had seen that took place in foster homes. His expression dropped as he started to think. Where would he have been now if he had stayed in foster homes? Technically he was an orphan, or maybe his dad was out there somewhere.
He had never known his dad so he didn't care about the man. Never love someone who didn't love you back.

"What's it like?" Xzaiver murmured. "To have friends I mean. I've had some in elementary but never many. Usually just one kid that actually talked to me and a group of others that just wanted to see who I made fun of next."
He let out a sigh and turned his gaze to the dark sky. "There's a lot I'm not too proud of and I'm sure you know at least one thing." Like any other time he talked about Mary, her image quickly came to mind. "If I had the chance to turn back the clock I would do everything right. But I guarantee you I'll still have greats."
Xzaiver paused to swallow the lump in his throat. "Life is a big game that you can't win. It all depends on this: would you rather be in a job you hate making millions from the education you got wondering what if or would you rather be sitting in that jail cell knowing you'll never have as much fun?"
Xzaiver had chose the easy route, but that didn't stop him from wondering what if.

[Alltoni]

"It's nice to have someone you can trust." Emily answered and listened to what X had to say. She got the sense that he was venting, so she continued to let him vent. He'd let her vent before, she figured she'd repay him. She nodded when he said she probably knew one of his regrets.

He was talking about Mary. She had died after X's suicide attempt had failed. From what Emily remembered, Mary had tried to stop X and he accidentally shot her instead. Emily began to wonder why X had tried to kill himself in the first place. If he really loved Mary he would have been happy, right?

Emily continued to listen to X and nodded when he finished. "Everyone wonders what if about something. Everyone has regrets. But you can't let it stop you." Emily said. She hoped she could encourage X to keep looking forward, but she knew it was a longshot.

[Ashen]

Someone you can trust.
Those four words lingered at the back of Xzaiver's mind like flies. He let out a sigh and allowed a small smile to tug at his lips.
He knew you couldn't trust someone 100%, or at least that's what he was told.
But he didn't even have someone he could trust a bit.
Xzaiver turned to Emily.
So maybe that was a lie.

He contemplated Emily's words carefully and closed his eyes.
"Who says that's what's stopping me?" Xzaiver asked in a bare whisper. "I can't regret being born. I wasn't there to hand my father a condom. I couldn't have been. I can't regret that my father left my mother. I wasn't born to tell him to stop. I can't regret not getting to know my mother. She died when I was too young."
Xzaiver rolled onto his back and opened his eyes. "I know what you're thinking," he murmured. "You're thinking that because I have so many regrets I want to kill myself. That's not it, Em. Not at all."
He closed his eyes and ran his hands through his hair. "It's the fact that I couldn't stop any of the before mentioned things that makes me wanna slit my throat."

Xzavier traced the stars with his eyes and he yawned. "I'm ranting like mad," he stated. "I don't know how you do it. I haven't spoken this much in years. I guess I just feel comfortable around you."
He smiled and turned to face a tree, his back towards Emily.

[Alltoni]

"I wasn't talking to you specifically, just speaking in general." Emily said. As she listened to X she worried about him. Did he really feel bad that all this stuff had happened to him and the people around him. "But that's just it. You couldn't stop it. It's not your fault." Emily said. "Most of it you weren't even there to stop it. You can't do anything about the past, you can only hope for a future." Emily wondered if all of this was just going into one ear and out the other. She hoped she could at least make X feel a hair better.

"Your not ranting, your venting." Emily said. "And I'm not doing anything." She giggled. "It's all you." She wanted to hug X, but decided she wouldn't.

[Ashen]

Xzaiver stayed still for a long time. He was thinking about Emily's words and all the events that had happened in his life to get him where he was now.
"Haven't you ever felt horrible for something you couldn't prevent? No one wanted that earthquake in Haiti so many years ago, and people were upset because they couldn't prevent it."
He shrugged and closed his eyes. "Venting or ranting, whatever it is I'm sure I'm boring you to sleep. I know I'm exhausting myself. Goodnight, Em."

Xzaiver didn't go to sleep right away. He stayed still with his pale blue eyes wide open. He was still thinking about what had been said, and even before that, to Emily's kiss.
So maybe he couldn't have prevented a lot of rotten things like his conceivement or his mother's death, but he could have prevented that kiss.
But Xzaiver was glad he hadn't.

[Alltoni]

Emily nodded at what X said. "Of course." She said. "I think everyone gets upset about something that they couldn't do anything about at some point. Even though people like to put on a strong front." She giggled when X said he was boring her to sleep. "I'll listen to you for as long as you want to talk." She said. "But for now I'll let you sleep." She sat up and pulled one of the backpacks over. "Here." She said as she pulled out X's blanket. "You don't need to get sick on top of your ankle." She said as she tossed it to him and pulled out her own.

Emily tried to get comfortable on the cold, hard ground but couldn't seem to find a position that she would be comfortable in. "Stupid ground." She muttered and punched it. She wrapped the blanket around her so she was wrapped up like a burrito and went back to attempting to find a comfortable position to sleep.

[Ashen]

Xzaiver brought the blanket to his side and clutched it, not bothering to wrap it around himself. He closed his eyes and, when he was sure Emily was asleep he even hummed himself a tune that he knew his mother had sung to him before.
You are my sunshine, my only sunshine.
You make me happy when skies are grey.
You'll never know, dear,
How much I love you.
Oh please don't take my sunshine away.

Xzaiver awoke to a sharp pain shooting from his ankle. He sat alert to find that a branch had fallen on it and moaned to himself.
He removed the branch which couldn't have been much bigger than his arm and leaned his head against the tree. It was bright outside which meant they had made it through the night.
Xzaiver looked over at Emily, wrapped warm in her blanket. His was underneath him, somewhere.
He stretched his shoulders and scanned the area, resting on an old cigarette butt that could have been there for days.
Xzaiver would have loved to have a cig at that moment but he knew he wouldn't be able to get one. He forced himself to his knees and made his way to Emily's bag, being careful not to wake her.
He was hungry, he just didn't feel like eating.
When he came across some clothes he pressed the soft fabric to his chest. It felt so warm, and Xzaiver knew he couldn't stand living out here for long.

[Alltoni]

After Emily fell asleep she didn't sleep easily. She kept waking up because of the hard, cold ground. The last time she woke up, before she stayed awake, she looked up to find X digging through the food bag. "Morning." She mumbled. "Did you sleep okay?" she asked and sat up. She looked around to try and guess what time it was. From her not-so-great guessing skills she guessed around 8:00 in the morning.

"You wanna take a guess at what time it is?" She asked as she crawled over to the bag. "Let's see what's for breakfast." She said as she leaned over the bag, careful not to get in X's way. "How's your ankle, by the way?" She asked looking up at X, then to his ankle.

[Ashen]

Xzaiver looked up in surprise when he heard Emily's voice. He silently cursed himself for waking her. "Good morning, Em," he said with a yawn. "I slept fine," he murmured and moved out of the way for Emily to reach her bag, landing right on his ankle.
"I'll be okay," he said tightly, trying to hide the pain his ankle brought.

Xzaiver leaned against his tree. "I'm not too hungry," he said and turned away. His stomach growled and he let out a sigh. "Really I'm not."
He didn't want to waste what little food they had. After all, Xzaiver had no idea how long he would be out here.
"Maybe you should go home, take care of a few things. While you were sleeping you looked really uncomfortable."
He felt like a jerk for bestowing this on her. He was only trying to show her how to have fun, and in the process had ruined her night, maybe even her life.
Xzaiver's eyes rested on two boys playing with their Frisbee in the distance. "What do you want to do today?" he asked mindlessly.

[Alltoni]

Emily looked up at X as he moved away. "Please don't hurt yourself worse." She said hearing the pain in his voice. When his stomach growled she giggled and reached into the bag to pull out a bag of chocolate Poptarts. "Here." She said and tossed them to X. "Eat." She commanded with a giggle. She looked in the bag and pulled out strawberry Poptarts to eat.

She looked at X and smiled. "I don't want to leave you out here all by yourself." She said gently. "Don't worry about me," She said beginning to nibble on her Poptart. She followed his gaze to two boys playing with a Frisbee. "I'm sorry, X." She said.

[Ashen]

Xzaiver smirked when Emily told him not to hurt himself any further. He brushed the hair away from his eyes and shrugged, his own reply.
He caught the Poptart Emily had thrown at him and stared down at it. "When was the last time I actually had a Poptart?" he muttered to himself and broke off a piece to eat.

"You know," Xzaiver said as he chewed on his breakfast. "I am very capable of taking care if myself. I have been doing so for nearly my whole life. This little camp-out is nothing compared to what I've run from."
He looked down at his ankle. Sure he had run from some remarkable events but never injured so badly.
He looked back to the boys and bit his lip. "I don't know why you're apologizing," he muttered. "This is my fault."
Xzaiver leaned back and shoved the half-eaten Poptart back to Emily. "How about we play a game?" he suggested, trying to busy his mind with something. "Did you bring a pack of cards or something? I know how to play some Poker."
Xzaiver tried to make himself comfortable. "Or, what would you like to do?"

[Ashen]

((double post))

[Alltoni]

"I know, but still." Emily replied to X. She didn't want him to be lonely, she knew anyone, even the toughest people, could get lonely sometimes. Emily knew that before she met Lori and ran away from the orphanage she was very lonely alot of the time.

"I don't know." Emily said. "I kept pushing for us to be friends, now look where it's gotten us. You have a broken ankle because I was to slow when we were running from a cop because I told you I wanted to know what it was like to be free." She shook her head. "Sorry, I'm rambling." She apologized. She nodded when X suggested a game, she hoped it would get her mind off of everything. "Um," Emily hummed as she looked through the bag. "I thought I did...Oh! Here they are." She pulled out two packs of Bicycle cards. "Here." She said and handed them to X. "I've never played poker before." She added.

[Ashen]

Xzaiver sighed at Emily's stubborness but he was relieved that Emily was going to stay with him. After so many years of being deserted it was nice to know someone wanted to stay around.

He tilted his head to the side a little when Emily went on about all she thought she had done wrong. When she finished Xzaiver placed his hand on hers and smiled. "It's not broken," he said softly. "It's sprained, which is worse." He smirked and even let a laugh out. "You kept pushing for us to be friends," Xzaiver repeated, "and now look where's it's gotten us." Xzaiver brushed a stray hair behind Emily's ear. "We're just waking up from spending an entire night together. It may not be exactly as it sounds, but Emily, it's true. You weren't too slow when running from that fatso; you were too inexperienced. I've been doing this for years. My first time, so many years ago, I tripped over my own two feet and was nearly thrown into juvy. I did manage to slink away eventually. You wanted to know what it's like to be free because, God Em, you're only human."
He stared her square in the eye. "You are not rambling, you're venting," he said quietly. "Now I command you to stop apologising."
Xzaiver playfully shoved Emily back and distanced himself, knowing only moments before he had been breathing Emily's air and he didn't want to forget that.

He took the decks of cards out of Emily's hands and laid them out. He started shuffling in ways most people had never even seen and then flipped the cards to make sure they were no longer in order. Satisfied, Xzaiver shuffled again and dealt each of them five cards. "So the point of the game is to get the better hand," he explained. "Since I'm only teaching you, I'll show you my cards." Xzaiver flipped his cards to reveal his pair of sixes along with a four, jack, and a seven. "Right now, I have one pair, which is actually pretty crappy since it's only sixes. You want to try to get higher than that. In order to beat that, you can get a pair higher, or just have a better rank. I think the rankings are as follows: Your highest card is the winner determiner if no one has any ranks, then there's one pair, two pairs, three of a kind, a straight-five consecutive numbers,-a flush-all the same suit,-and other stuff that you'll never see in your life because it's so rare."
Xzaiver picked up the deck of cards. "So I'm going to try to get that best possible hand. I'll throw out anything I don't need, hoping to get something better. So, I'll throw out my four and seven. You don't want to throw out high cards incase the other person ties." Xzaiver drew two cards, a ten and a jack. "See, now I have two pairs. Then it'll be your turn. Do you understand?"

[Alltoni]

Emily listened to X. He was right after all, it was a good thing Emily had pushed for them to be friends. She liked that X had a soft side and that he seemed to care about her. She giggled when X called the cop fatso and nodded at what he said. She knew how tough it was to live on your own with no money, but Emily had never really been alone, she'd had Lori to take care of her after the orphanage stopped. She smiled when X parroted her words back to her and giggled when X playfully commanded her to stop apologizing. She nodded and smiled at X. She wondered if X had the same feelings for her as she had for him.

Emily watched X and nodded, making mental notes of everything he said. She looked at her own cards and then back to what X was showing her. When he finished explaining she nodded and smiled. "Got it!" She said. She looked back to her cards, she had a five, a four, a nine, and two eights.

[Ashen]

Xzaiver took his and Emily's card and shuffled them back into the deck. "Now that you know how to play let's do this for real then."
He shuffled the deck a few more times before dealing the two of them another hand. Xzaiver peeked at his hand and smirked. "Well the dealer usually goes last," he said. "And one more thing: The dealer always wins."

Xzaiver looked at Emily expectantly. "So how many do you want?" he said and readied three cards. "You can throw a max of three, unless you have an ace. If you have an ace you can keep that and throw the rest of your hand." He found himself staring at Emily a moment too long and looked away as a blush came to his cheeks. He didn't know why he was embarrassed; after all, Emily had already seen his deep dark soft side that he never let surface.
He turned back around and stared at his own hand again. His hand was horrible; his highest card was a ten. He figured he could go for a straight, if anything, but the chances of him actually getting one were slim.

[Alltoni]

Emily watched X shuffle the cards and picked them up as they were handed to her. She looked up at X and hummed as she looked back over her cards. She had two eights, a five, a ten, and a three. She took the five and three and held them up with the face kept to her so X couldn't see them. "Just lay them down?" She asked. She didn't want to lay them down face up and mess up the whole game.

[Ashen]

Xzaiver watched Emily examine her cards and wondered if she had actually understood how to play the game. His eyes rested on Emily's beautiful face and after a moment he realised Emily had asked him a question. He shook his head and looked at what she was doing. "Yeah, I'll take them. Don't show them."
Xzaiver grabbed the two cards and handed Emily another two.
He threw out his highest card, his ten of hearts, in hopes for a nine to complete his straight. When he drew a six he slid it into his pile.
He had a pair of sixes.
"What kind of games do you play with Lori?" Xzaiver asked. "I would think she'd teach you something like poker." He smiled and flipped his two sixes. "One pair, by the way."

[Alltoni]

Emily nodded and handed X the cards making sure not to show them. When she received her cards she sorted them out, she now had two eights, a nine, ten, and a two. She tilted her head and wondered what to do next. "How many times do we trade cards?" She asked.

"Oh, um, we play spades, and monopoly, and when she has her boyfriend and his sister over we play clue." She said with a smile. "What did you usually do for fun?" She asked X. She knew that with him on the run and alone he probably didn't play many games, but she figured she would keep the conversation going.

[Ashen]

"You trade cards once," Xzaiver replied. "That's all you get. And you probably won because my hand sucks."
Xzaiver flipped Emily's hand and smirked. "Beginner's luck," he sneered and dealt more cards.

"Spades is a good game. Two people spades is more fun because, with half the deck not in use, you have no idea what the other person has." He glanced at his hand and sighed; another crappy hand.
"I hate Monopoly though. Too long. I've never played Clue." Xzaiver started playing with his fingers as Emily bounced his question back on him. "Well I played cards to earn money a while back. It really worked too. I know a lot of games but I lack a partner. Solitaire is boring as hell after your hundredth loss." Xzaiver smiled. "Not too many one player games in the world, now are there?"

[Alltoni]

Emily saw the look on X's face when he looked at her cards and giggled. "I guess." She said. She liked playing cards with X, she also liked the fact that he was opening up to her.

"I like four people spades better, it's how I learned to play." She said with a smile as she watched X deal the cards. When she looked at her hand she wondered what she would need to lay down, she had a five, two, ace, seven, and nine. She nodded when X said that monopoly was long. "Yeah, I usually get tired of it before it ends." She said. "We'll have to let you play when we get back." She said when X told her he'd never played clue. "I have a question, if you have an ace, do you have to throw down everything else?" She asked, though she wish she didn't have to, because she just old X what she had. But, hey, she was only a beginner.

[Ashen]

Xzaiver frowned when Emily told him she'd have to let him th Clue when they got back.
When.
Not when, but if.
He shook his thoughts and listened to Emily speak. He shook his head. "No, you aren't obligated to throw any cards out."
Xzaiver touched each of the cards in his hand, thinking. He threw out his lowest three and drew more cards only to get slightly better cards, but still nothing.
If Emily kept that ace, she automatically won because he didn't have anything better.
"You can throw out any cards you want," he said smiling.

[Alltoni]

Emily nodded at what X told her and took her lowest three cards, what she got in return wasn't much better. "So, now we show our cards?" She asked. "Oh, and I wanted to ask, in movies and stuff you see people making bets and whatever, how does that work?" She asked, then, only after she finished her question, realized that they had nothing but food and clothes to bet, which made her giggle.

[Ashen]

Xzaiver let his queen show, his highest card. "Yeah, now we show."
He looked up when Emily asked about betting. "Well we don't have anything to bet," he said slowly. "But you would bet money thinking that you had a better hand than the other players. Whoever loses loses their money and the winner takes all."
Xzaiver looked around for anything they could bet. An idea came to mind and he hesitated before asking it aloud. "Have you ever heard of strip poker?" As soon as the words were out Xzaiver regretted saying them. Emily wouldn't want to play strip poker. The loser would have to take off a piece of clothing, one at a time, until there was nothing left.
Xzaiver couldn't force her into something like that.
"Never mind," he said quickly and stared at her cards. "So what do you have?"

[Alltoni]

"I know, I was just wondering." Emily said when X pointed out that they didn't have anything to bet. X asked if she'd ever heard of strip poker and Emily tilted her head and looked at him. "No, well, I guess yeah, but I didn't really know what it was." She said with a giggle and showed her cards. "Can we try spades?" She asked as she gave X her cards.

[Ashen]

Xzaiver smiled and took the cards and shuffled them into a deck. He split the two decks and took the one. "No wild cards," he stated. "No jokers."
Xzaiver dealt a quarter of the deck to each of them and put the other half aside. "So then you know how to play," he said. Xzaiver examined his thirteen cards and kept his poker face as he saw his abundant supply of black cards, most of which were spades. "I'll bet I'm going to get more books," Xzaiver stated. "If I win..." He smiled at looked Emily in the eye. "I get a kiss."

[Alltoni]

Emily watched X shuffle, cut, and deal the cards. She nodded at X as he said there were no wild cards and no jokers. She picked up her cards and tried to keep a straight face, her cards were mostly even between the two colors, but mostly high numbers. "Hm," Emily hummed and looked from X to the cards. "I bet five." She said and drew her name with a five under it in the dirt so she would remember. A giggle escaped her when X said he would get a kiss when he won. "And if I win I get a kiss." She said with a confident smile.

[Ashen]

Xzaiver watched Emily scratch her name into the dirt. He nodded and looked back at his cards. He smiled at Emily's part of the deal. "So it's a win-win," he said and examined his cards. "I'll call the eight," he stated. "And I do believe you are first."

Xzaiver looked at the clouds as he waited for Emily to make a move. The clouds slowly passed by, their shapes turning into figures Xzaiver could recognize: A dog, a fire, the face of Emily. He turned back to the real Emily and smiled. What did he need the clouds for when he could stare at that beautiful face whenever he pleased?

[Alltoni]

Emily giggled. "Yup." She said, "Oh...wait, do you have the two of clubs?" She asked, "Because from what I remember that's how you start, but if no one has the two of clubs then I guess the person that didn't deal goes first." She looked down at her cards then back up to X to find he was smiling at her, so she smiled back.

[Ashen]

Xzaiver straightened himself. "I've never heard that rule," he admitted and looked through his deck. "The two of clubs? Isn't that just when playing with wild cards or jokers? Well either way, I don't have the two."
He mindlessly fingered his three of clubs as he gazed at Emily. When she looked back at him and smiled he smirked and turned away. Xzaiver tried to concentrate on his hand and picked out his ace of spades and put it in the back of his deck. He sorted his cards by suit and kept a straight face as he noted the fact he had no hearts.
Just like in the real world, he thought to himself.

"If you don't mind my imposing," Xzaiver said and stared up at Emily. "Imposing. Am I using that correctly? Whatever, I hated school. How do you feel about Lori? I mean, you say she's keeping you from doing the things you want to do but she practically raised you, didn't she? And if you two get along so well..."
Xzaiver let his gaze go back to the clouds. "Relationships are confusing," he said slowly. "Maybe that's why I never had many. I was never good at figuring stuff out like that."

[Alltoni]

"Oh, maybe it's only used with four players?" Emily said. "Oh well." She giggled and threw down the four of clubs. She didn't want to start with high cards, she never really did. When X smirked and turned away she giggled and watched him lay his card down.

"Hm, I think you used it right." She giggled and thought of how to answer his question. "She's like a protective mother. Your mother...well not your mother...anyway, a mother loves and cares for her children, even though she has to spank them when they do something wrong, even though she has to keep them from doing the things they want, sometimes make them mad or upset, she still loves them." Emily explained looking to the ground. "Lori is kind of the same way, but she's more like a protective sister than a mom." She looked up at X with a weak smile.

She wondered if her mother ever thought about her, or if she was even alive. Emily looked away from X and back to the ground. She didn't want to cry again so she tried to concentrate on the game.

[Ashen]

Xzaiver stated at the card Emily had thrown and looked at his hand. He could give the book to her by throwing his three or he could take it with his six.
As if he would let her win.
Xzaiver laid the six and took the book. The gazed at the rest of his cards and threw his queen of diamonds, hoping to remove the ace from the game so he could play the king. He looked up at Emily. "I wouldn't suppose you can beat that," he said in a taunting tone.

Xzaiver sat back and listened to Emily. He paused when Emily mentioned his mother and then corrected herself.
Not my mother, Xzaiver thought. She didn't love me.

Xzaiver didn't seem to hear the rest of Emily's explanation. He was thinking about his mother and he gritted his teeth.
When he looked up, he realized Emily wasn't the same as she had been moments before either. "I'll stop asking questions now," he said and picked up a jack of clubs, the next card he was planning on throwing. "I just keep upsetting you when I speak."

[Alltoni]

Emily looked at the queen and looked at her hand, all she had was the Jack, so she threw it down and shook her head. "No," She said with a giggle and watched him take the cards, waiting for him to play another card.

Emily looked back to X, she had taken a few deep breaths and calmed down. "No, your fine." She said with a slight smile. "This stuff happens in friendships right?" She said and thought of the first day X came to Emily's house with her, he'd asked Lori for a beer and she'd gotten him a can of soda with a piece of paper taped to it and began to giggle.

[Ashen]

Xzaiver raised an eyebrow at the thrown jack. She wouldn't throw something so high unless she had no other cards of that suit.
Damn.
Xzaiver looked at his other suits and wondered what card he should play next.

He looked up when he heard Emily giggle. He tried to read her thoughts but he couldn't. With a shrug he tried to get into a comfortable position. Xzaiver landed on his good ankle and winced. Don't break yourself, he warned.

After a while Xzaiver laid down his last card. "Looks like we made our books," he said and counted the seven he had plus the one he was going to get. Emily couldn't win against the ace of spades after all. "So then, I'm in the lead by thirty points, right?"
Xzaiver leaned closer to Emily. He smirked as he raised her chin. "So then, do I get my prize?"

[Alltoni]

Emily laid down her last card and watched X take the book. "Actually, I think you get eighty points because you got all eight of your books." She said as she watched him move closer. At first she wasn't sure what he was doing, but then she remembered their bet. She giggled and looked up at him. "I guess, you do have three more books than I do." She said and closed her eyes.

[Ashen]

Xzaiver smiled as he wiped the cards he has won away. "Eighty for me and fifty for you," he said and turned to their scoreboard in the dirt. "So I lead by thirty."

He leaned towards Emily and stopped inches away from her. He loved the smell of her hair-grass and dirt mixed with the faintest scent of shampoo. It smelled like what summer should smell like.
Xzaiver kissed Emily gently and for a moment he was so caught up in the wonderful moment he forget about the pain in his ankle or the soreness of his muscles from sleeping on hard ground. Once these feelings came back to him, Xzaiver leaned away slowly and stated at Emily. He looked around them and smiled to himself. "Well," he said slowly. "Now what?"

[Alltoni]

Emily smacked her hand to her forehead. "Duh, I missheard what you said." She sighed at herself. "Sorry." She said with an embarrassed smile on her face.

She knew X was close to her, she could feel his breath on her face. When she felt X's lips press against her's, she wished she could hold on to the moment for as long as possible. Before Emily was ready the moment was over and she opened her eyes to see X had leaned back. He was asking her what came next. "I don't know." She said. "Do we play another game?" She picked up the cards and giggled.

[Ashen]

Xzaiver scanned the cards and turned away. He tried to think of something to do. A smirk crossed his lips. "Let's play charades," he suggested. "Only, I can't exactly act out anything. So I would like to see you make a fool of yourself." He gave a playful smile. Xzaiver didn't mean any harm by what he had said. "So act out something. Or, I want you to dance for me. Go, LMFAO." He stared at Emily expectantly. "You know what they sing, right?"
He got onto his knees and sat on his feet, sending a light pain to his ankle. It didn't hurt enough to make him wince. "Don't tell me you're scared?"

[Alltoni]

Emily tilted her head, she sat silently trying to soak up what he was telling her. "I...I don't know what that is." She said. "Is it a band?" She asked. "And yes, I don't want to look stupid in front of you." Her face was beginning to turn pink just thinking of what she'd look like.

[Ashen]

Xzaiver smirked. "Yeah, a techno band," he said. "You won't look stupid. If anything, you'll look incredibly hot."
Xzaiver used a tree to get to his feet. He limped towards Emily and grabbed her hand. "We can do it together. Maybe not techno. What kind of music do you like?"
Xzaiver put all his weight on his good foot. He pressed his forehead to Emily's and smiled. "I'll be fine," he said because he knew Emily would worry about his ankle. "Shall we?"

[Ashen]

((double post))

[Alltoni]

Emily nodded. "Oh, okay." She said, she liked techno music. "Oh, but..." She had a nervous tone to her voice. She watched X stand up and stood up herself. She was worried that X would hurt himself further but nodded when he told her he would be fine. "Music," She remembered, "Um, I like electronic stuff, and...um...the stuff that comes on the station we plat at the store." She said slightly embarrassed that she didn't have a descent answer.

[Ashen]

Xzaiver pressed Emily's head to his chest and started doing a slow waltz. "I don't know any electronic music," Xzaiver admitted. "I can drop a pretty decent beat though."
Xzaiver kept his eyes trained on his feet. He never danced, not since Mary embarassed him at some school dance. Still, dancing with Emily felt different. He felt like it didn't matter that he had two left feet, or that his ankle was throbbing. As long as he was here with Emily, he felt like he could dance the world away.

After a false move, Xzaiver froze, waiting for his ankle to finally break. He clutched onto Emily's shoulders to balance himself and was able to regain his posture. Xzaiver closed his eyes for a minute. "I'm okay," he assured, then under his breath muttered, "I hurt like hell but I'm okay."
He hopped away from Emily and gazed at her. "Your turn," he said. "Dance for me. You can't be much worse than me."

[Alltoni]

Emily let herself be moved. As her head laid against his chest she closed her eyes and followed his movements. X felt warm, and smelled good, to Emily. He smelled like the woods, and since Emily was a cat that smell lovely to her, and he also smelled faintly like smoke. She enjoyed dancing with X, that was, until he stepped on his bad foot and almost broke it. He muttered to her that he was okay, Emily didn't really believe him.

X sat back down and told Emily that he still wanted to see her dance. "But I just did." She said turning pink again. "Well," She said remembering something. "One of my foster parents did get me dance lessons." She said and slowly took the stance of a ballerina. "Now don't laugh." She said before she started dancing, playing the music to go along with it in her head.

[Ashen]

Xzaiver gave an exaggerated sigh. "You've had dance lessons and you won't dance?" he said. "I won't laugh at you," Xzaiver said. He watched Emily do her ballet moves with a smirk on his face. "I don't know what you're nervous about, babe," he said. "You are fine."

When Emily finished Xzaiver limped over to her and hugged her. "Don't be scared to show me things," he said slowly, "okay?"

[Alltoni]

Emily smiled that X seemed to like her dancing. "Thanks." She said. She remembered every bit of her lessons because she really liked dancing. But she didn't stay with the family very long so she didn't know everything about ballet. She wished she could take more lessons, but knew it wasn't going to happen.

She finished and stood up straight, smiling at X. He stood up and limped over to her to hug her. She wrapped her arms around him and listened to what he said with a giggle. "Okay, I guess." She said and nodded.

[Ashen]

Xzaiver nodded and looked out at the field once more. He saw that one of the boys that had been playing with a Frisbee earlier was now staring at Emily. He smirked and turned to Emily. "You've got an audience," he said and motioned to the boy with his chin. The boy noticed Xzaiver was staring at him and looked away.
Xzaiver laughed and shook his head. "So what would you normally be doing right now?" he asked and turned back to the clouds.
If it were a normal day, he would probably be toying around with his embers. He might be watching the ladies go by in the park or some other famous place.
All of his activities consisted of him being alone, and he sighed at that realization.

[Alltoni]

Emily looked let go of X just enough to look behind him at the boy. She giggled and laid her head back on X's chest. "That's okay," She said. "If I'm brave enough to dance in front of you I'm brave enough to dance in front of anyone." She smiled.

"Let's see. Right now," Emily thought for a second about what time it might be, "I might be on my lunch break, or maybe finishing up with the last customer before my lunch break." She said. She worked almost all the time, which reminded her that she would have to come up with some excuse why she didn't show up. "Is it time for lunch?" She asked right before her stomach growled a little. "Guess it is." She laughed and let go of X to pick up the food bag.

[Ashen]

Xzaiver stated at the position of the sun in the sky and agreed with Emily by nodding. It was probably noon, give or take a few minutes.
He slunk down to sit on the grass and watched her fumble around with it. "We could go out to eat," he suggested and looked up at Emily to make sure she was okay with it. "I can pay. There's this stack of money I got hidden. There's about a hundred and fifty dollars there. Way more than what we need to go out to eat."
He pressed his ankle, embracing the pain. He had always believed the more you make it hurt, the faster it will heal.
"If you want, I could give you directions. It's not too far from your house." Xzaiver smirked and looked away. "Just don't ask me how I got the money."

[Alltoni]

Emily tuned around to look at X. "Go out to eat?" She repeated questionably. "What about your ankle?" She asked. She wasn't sure if he could manage. "And the police, aren't they still after us?" She wasn't sure how long they would keep searching for them. She didn't want to go back to Lori after being bailed out of jail.

[Ashen]

"My ankle will be fine," Xzaiver insisted. "Don't worry about it. As for the cops, I don't give a sh-er, crap-about them right now. I want to go out and enjoy a very nice meal with a very nice girl."
He glared at Emily. "If I'm paying what is there to lose? Come on, girl."
Xzaiver put some weight on his ankle. It sent a sharp pain but he shook it off. His ankle was not going to ruin his time with Emily anymore.
"So how about it?" Xzaiver asked. "Do you wanna go?" He tried to make it look like it didn't matter which option Emily chose but he was dying to hear her answer.

[Alltoni]

Emily looked at X then to the ground, twiddling her thumbs. "O-...Okay." She finally agreed with a nod. "Just as long as we're both okay when the night's over." She giggled and looked back to X. "You wanna draw a map from my house or just tell me?" She asked. She realized since she was going to be near her house she could pick up a few things she'd forgotten before.

[Ashen]

Xzaiver let out the breath he hadn't noticed he was holding. He closed his eyes and pictured Emily's street. "Let's see how great I am with directions," Xzaiver said. "Exit your house and keep going north-or is that south? Uhh."
He opened his eyes and looked away. "Okay, go to Limberg Street. Make a right onto Bhutte Street and keep walking until you come across this red delicatessen. Take exactly six steps up the street-" Xzaiver looked at Emily's legs and realized they weren't as long as his. "On second thought, take ten steps. There will be a sort of fence. Jump that and you'll find my campsite. If you steal anything I will know. Bring the whole bag of money. I think it's blue."
Xzaiver smirked at Emily. "I know you're going to get lost," he said slowly. "If you do, just spend the night at your house, okay?"
Xzaiver laid on the grass and stared at the clouds. "I'll be waiting."

[Alltoni]

Emily listened to X nodding and mouthing his words, trying to memorize them. When he finished she shook her head. "No, I'll come back." She said confidently. "One question," She held up her index finger to put emphasis on her words. "Will I be seen if I jump the fence?" She asked. She didn't want people to think she was trying to steal something, because she wasn't, she was retrieving it.

[Ashen]

Xzaiver closed his eyes and pictured the dark alley the fence was in. He shook his head. "The only ones that might see you would be the raccoons," he said. "Good luck with that."
He imagined all of the things he kept in his little campsite. Xzaiver had six lighters, only four of which that worked, gasoline tanks, most of which were broken, a bomb he had been working on-not a real nuclear bomb, but a bomb that, if exposed to the gasoline he kept, would surely cause an explosion. Xzaiver had been working on the bomb for a while now. He wasn't sure what he was going to do with it, but if Emily touched that and then touched gas she'd go up in flames.
"By the way, there's this sort of device I've got," Xzaiver said, careful not to say the word bomb. "It's jet black and it kind of looks like a small bowling ball. Do not touch it."
He smiled to show he wasn't too serious. "Now you may leave."

[Alltoni]

Emily nodded at X and gave him a strange look when he told her that there was an object that she wasn't supposed to touch. She nodded telling him she understood and stood up. "I'll be back soon." She said with a smile and walked off toward her house to get to Limberg Street.

Once she'd made it to the shop X told her about, with slight difficulty, and took about ten steps until she found an ally that led to a fence that she easily jumped. She looked around at all the stuff he had, and quickly found what she wasn't to touch but didn't find the bag without a little bit of looking. Eventually she found the blue bag and began to made her way back to X.

[Ashen]

Xzaiver watched Emily go with a frown on his face. When she was gone he sighed. He would have some time to kill, and of Emily didn't figure out his directions, he'd have a night in solitary confinement.
Xzaiver smiled at this thought.
I always knew it would happen.

Xzaiver awoke when he heard screaming in the distance. He quickly forced himself up on his knees and scanned the field for Emily. She was nowhere in sight. "Emily!" he called. There was another scream, this one longer than the first. Xzaiver used the tree for support and got to his feet. He saw two girls in the distance. One looked about ten, the other around seven. Xzaiver took a deep breath before walking over to them. "Can't a guy get some sleep around here?" he said in an annoyed tone.
The older one looked up at Xzaiver. "I told her not to but she would t listen and now she has a gigantic burn and she won't stop screaming so we don't know-"
"Shut up," Xzaiver spat and the girl immediately quieted. He knelt by the younger girl and grabbed her hand. There was a burn running down her arm. "How did you manage this?"
"She was playing around in the-"
"On second thought, I don't care," Xzaiver interrupted. He ran his fingers along the girl's burnt skin. "Does this hurt?"
The little girl wiped the tears out of her eyes. "Yeah."
"If you rub an aloe plant on this it'll stop hurting faster. There's some aloe over there." Xzaiver tossed his head in the direction he had seen the plant. He got up and started away.
"Wait!" the older girl called. "How did you notice that?"
Xzaiver smirked and kept his back turned to the girls. "When you've lived on your own for as long as I have you learn to become observant. Now leave me to nap, will you?" He started off again and smiled as he heard the girl's crying come to a stop.

When Xzaiver made it back to the tree he saw Emily making her way towards him. He started towards her, careful not to put too much weight on his ankle. "Did you find it?" he called.