Chapter Five : Joshua

Joshua and Annabelle's sibling rivalry grows stronger.

“One of these- days we’re- not gonna get away.” I mutter through wheezing and deep breathing.  You’d think after all these years we’d be able to run away no problem, but no. Fitness is still a huge problem for both of us. I leaned on one of the nicely kept trees and glanced at some of the stores we were loitering in front of. The one right behind us was some type of doggie boutique. Some people are ridiculous when it comes to their pets.

                “Nah. We’ll always be faster than the cops if they keep hiring tubs of fat for their squads.” Annabelle laughed at her own joke, gaining her breath back faster than me. I guess 15 year olds just have better fitness quality than 18. I glared at her for a minute, my shaggy hair covering the vision in my left eye. I wanted nothing more than to be mad with her, livid, but I knew yelling wouldn’t get me anywhere. I shook my head and looked around. “Where do you think we are?”

                Annabelle pointed just north of us. “Our set up’s that way.”

                “How do you know that?”

She turned, looking at me. It was dark but, I could still see a faint outline of her features thanks to the street lamps. “I know my way around town. I don’t just stay hidden all the time like you do.” She folded her arms and cocked her hip, looking at me with that “you know I’m right’ look.

“Yeah, yeah okay. I get it. I don’t go out that much but, who even wants to be seen with you when you have that giant mat of fur in the back of your head?” I smirked, shooting the same look right back at her. Part of me really didn’t want to know who she hung out with.

“His name’s Darrius,” She said very matter-of-factly, “We meet around here twice a week and we’ve been talking for like, two weeks I guess? He’s fun. He helps me steal things and, one time, he even stole money from a café! It was so smooth and, he said he may teach me soon and-“

“Wait! This guy has you doing what? Annabelle, this guy is not good news!”

She snorted, flicking her bangs out of her face angrily. “Josh, you don’t even know him. He gets me! He understands the struggles and has taught me things I didn’t even know I needed to know!” She crossed her arms a little more tightly.

I rolled my eyes, not even knowing what to say at this point. I know one wrong word and she could dash but, how do you talk a 15 year old out of love? “What is he teaching you Annabelle: How to be a delinquent?”

That must’ve done it, because her face started to tense up and she looked away from me. “Is that what you think I am, a delinquent?”

I shrugged, looking down at my ragged black converse. “You don’t give me any reason not to.”

There was a sniff and a series of footsteps and, when I looked up, she was gone. I grunted and tensed my arms, feeling a mix of confusion, anger, and helplessness. I’ve always lived by things like “Violence is never the answer” and “Do to others what you would want done unto you”, and Annabelle stands for everything that’s the opposite. I clenched my fists and swung my leg at the tree, hitting the trunk hard with my shin. I grunted and grabbed my shin, quickly wishing I wouldn’t have released my anger on the tree. I shook it off and turned toward the north, deciding to go to set up with or without her.

I walked by all the nice shops and buildings, glancing into the dark windows occasionally. I stopped in front a sports store, wondering what it’s like to play some sort of sport. I looked in at the large wooden bat in the corner of the window display. It’s kind of amazing how someone would buy something just to destroy it. They buy that bat knowing after a few hits, it’ll break but, it’ll make them look cool. Look tough. I sighed and turned to continue walking.

About 25 minutes later I made it to the set up. I stepped into the alleyway and glanced around for Annabelle, even though I knew she wasn’t there. I grunted and jumped onto the ragged sofa we pulled out of the trash one day and pulled my arms behind my head. I stared up at the sky, thinking. That seemed to be all I could really do, is think. No action though. I heard a sound but, I knew it wasn’t Annabelle. It was some animal in one of the abandoned dumpsters. They, like us, knew that the two apartment complexes on either side of the alley had been empty for years. I grunted again, trying to ignore the animal noise and eventually, I drifted off.