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Jun. 12th, 2012 02:42 am Houston was not the city of gold she'd spotted an hour ago, but neither was it the city of stars that had taken its place fifteen minutes later. It was large, and imposing, like the city she'd spent roughly two years of her early life navigating in her lonesome, with back alleys, and dangerous night times, and wild-but-not animals roaming and just as hungry as she was. The lights from the windows and beaten down signs flickered as they passed, promising cheep liquor and you-get-what-you-pay-for nights with the street corner ladies in less than more clothing. The noise of police sirens only brought back horrible memories of her first time alone, and her mind wandered as they passed the flickers of red and blue, or when red and blue passed them: would they know that she'd stolen food from the vendors? Would they know that she'd slipped into plenty of thrift stores and lifted a jacket or two when fall had come? Would they know that she'd run from the orphanage and take her back? Would she go to jail?
A comforting pat on her leg had her turning her attention from her anxieties and focusing on her brother next to her. He did a quick nod of his head towards the building they'd stopped in front of, and she nodded, settling in her seat so she could unbuckle the seat belt he'd insisted she wear-- she'd only agreed because he promised to wear it too, even if it did make him roll his eyes a little bit-- and crawl over the seat and out through her brother's side door. When she'd exited and brushed the imaginary dust off her jeans, Bro had already moved their suitcases from the trunk of the bright yellow taxi with it's faded and peeling paint, and they stood like the original and it's miniature, Bro's duffle bag resting behind them. She stood next to them too, and patted the top of Bro's suitcase, making nonsensical beats and bopping her head to her own imaginary rhythm. She stopped when the taxi's red light caught her attention as it pulled itself back into the nighttime traffic, and Bro ruffled her hair before grabbing his luggage, and she had to move fast before he could grab hers and carry it for her. They locked eyes for a moment, before he gave in with a shake of his head, and beckoned for her to follow.
"C'mon, squirt," She followed him inside, where he talked with the guy at the front desk, and she looked around, making sure to stay close to Bro, one hand on the end of her rolling suitcase, and the other gripping the fabric of her brother's jeans. The place was pretty empty, but then, she figured it was night time and everyone was asleep. They had some trees in pots in some places, and a few places to sit and some coffee tables, and that was all she could see before Bro was on the move again. She followed him through a door and stood in the back next to him.
"Y' wanna press the button?" He asked as he motioned to the panel of buttons on the wall. She blinked at them curiously, because usually you would just walk though another door. "We're on floor 23," he said before she could press every button, so she pressed the 23 which was faded and chipped, and only barely readable, but obvious enough. She squeaked when the floor started to move, and glared at Bro when he laughed, but then the door was opening again, and they were walking again, this time on carpet, and they passed a lot of doors. They didn't stop until they got to the very end-- apartment 14, if the number on the door was right-- and Bro fished out some keys she hadn't seen before, and opened the door.
The inside was dark, and there wasn't much furniture, but there was a large space, and a little bit of a kitchen in the back right corner. There were two doors, and she immediately abandoned her suitcase to go investigate. She was assuming this was going to be the new home. It was mostly empty space and tiny bathroom, and there was only one room, but that was ok, she shared a room with Bro anyways, it wasn't a big deal. It felt very foreign though, and she wasn't sure how she was going to be able to cope with the idea that this was now 'home'.
"There's nothing here 'cept really ugly carpet," She told him when she got back to the main area, and saw that he was blowing up the air mattress. She pulled the duct tape out of her own suitcase in case he needed it. "An' it smells like Mr. Donnahue," she said as she wrinkled her nose and thought of the old man who usually sat outside the convenience store and smoked his cigars with fat puffs of yucky smoke.
"Yeah?" he mumbled as the air mattress finally finished blowing up. He placed the pump on the floor while he reached for the lamp and plugged it in, and the room was shrouded in light. He looked at the mucky brown carpet and grimaced himself. "Yeah, ok, that's gross," he agreed. "First thing we'll fix up in this dump, now git your pjs on, its late and you shoulda' been asleep hours ago,"
"S'not that late," she argued but she turned towards her suitcase anyways, pulling out her pajamas so Bro couldn't see her yawn. It was only a little past 11:30, if the taxi cab's clock wasn't too far off. "Don' look," she said as she glance back, and he waved his hand to let her know he'd heard her before she removed her shirt and replaced it with her pajama tank top. Next, she went for her pajama shorts, before Bro interrupted.
"Ooh lookit that booty~"
"Uugh bRO SHUT UP!!!" She yelled, her face hot with embarrassment, but he only laughed and ruffled her hair, passing her and heading for the kitchen.
"Chill, shorty, 'm just messin," he said without even looking at her-- the nerve, she thought-- and she watched as he placed their breakfast tomorrow in the fridge. She pulled her shorts up all the way before bro could turn around, and when she looked back towards the air mattress, she saw that Cal had taken to unfolding their sheet and was leaning against their one pillow and smiling at her. She smiled back and crawled over to him, blowing her hair out of her face with a few short puffs of breath before she took Cal into her arms and took his spot on the air mattress. She yawned again and tried to hide it, but Bro caught it, and even if he hadn't, Cal would have told him.
"A'right, baby bird," he said as he took a seat next next to her. In her situations he'd managed to remove his own day clothes and was comfortably situated in his boxers and a faded orange tank top. "'s bedtime." She groaned in response, but he was laying down in the bed next to her, and Cal had his arms wrapped around her, his own words telling her that it was time for all birds to go to sleep. She snuggled up to Bro and got comfortable, and he flicked off the light, and she thought a moment in the dark, thought of how empty her world was, now that DJ and Mama were gone... her fingers wrapped up in bro's shirt as he kissed her like he always did before bed, like Mama did, and like DJ had before he left for work. "Git some sleep, Dove, we got lotsa' work t' do in the morning," He said before quieting, and he mind started working in overdrive.
She was thinking, and it was late, and her world seemed so small now, just her and Bro, and she knew about kisses, and how they worked, and it made her wonder... Bro was all she had left after all, and it wasn't like they were actually related or anything like that, that'd be kinda gross, and he was nice to her when not many boys were-- or girls, if she thought about it, but Bro wasn't a girl, she didn't-- and it made her wonder... what if she... just...
And she leaned up and kissed him, just like that. It wasn't any different form the other times they'd kissed, but it got Bro cocking his eyebrow at her in the darkness. "What're you up to?" He asked, and she just sank back into his chest, her entire everything embarrassed and she wasn't quite sure why.
"Night Bro," she mumbled, and breathed a soft sigh of relief when he just let her oddity go, and she didn't have much more time to think before she was whisked off to dream land and fantasies of chocolate swamps that lead to cities of stars where no one left.
It wasn't until morning that she thought again about her thoughts from the night before, and she shook her head, because really, what was she thinking? This was Bro after all, and Bro was kinda dumb, but that was ok, because he was her brother and that was all that mattered. Nothing more, nothing less.
"God, what even was I thinkin'," she mumbled before looking over at Cal, who was laying next to her like he always was when she woke up. "Right Cal?" He flopped his arms in agreement, and she giggled a bit, just as Bro returned form the kitchen with a plate of pancakes, and their plans for the day.
A comforting pat on her leg had her turning her attention from her anxieties and focusing on her brother next to her. He did a quick nod of his head towards the building they'd stopped in front of, and she nodded, settling in her seat so she could unbuckle the seat belt he'd insisted she wear-- she'd only agreed because he promised to wear it too, even if it did make him roll his eyes a little bit-- and crawl over the seat and out through her brother's side door. When she'd exited and brushed the imaginary dust off her jeans, Bro had already moved their suitcases from the trunk of the bright yellow taxi with it's faded and peeling paint, and they stood like the original and it's miniature, Bro's duffle bag resting behind them. She stood next to them too, and patted the top of Bro's suitcase, making nonsensical beats and bopping her head to her own imaginary rhythm. She stopped when the taxi's red light caught her attention as it pulled itself back into the nighttime traffic, and Bro ruffled her hair before grabbing his luggage, and she had to move fast before he could grab hers and carry it for her. They locked eyes for a moment, before he gave in with a shake of his head, and beckoned for her to follow.
"C'mon, squirt," She followed him inside, where he talked with the guy at the front desk, and she looked around, making sure to stay close to Bro, one hand on the end of her rolling suitcase, and the other gripping the fabric of her brother's jeans. The place was pretty empty, but then, she figured it was night time and everyone was asleep. They had some trees in pots in some places, and a few places to sit and some coffee tables, and that was all she could see before Bro was on the move again. She followed him through a door and stood in the back next to him.
"Y' wanna press the button?" He asked as he motioned to the panel of buttons on the wall. She blinked at them curiously, because usually you would just walk though another door. "We're on floor 23," he said before she could press every button, so she pressed the 23 which was faded and chipped, and only barely readable, but obvious enough. She squeaked when the floor started to move, and glared at Bro when he laughed, but then the door was opening again, and they were walking again, this time on carpet, and they passed a lot of doors. They didn't stop until they got to the very end-- apartment 14, if the number on the door was right-- and Bro fished out some keys she hadn't seen before, and opened the door.
The inside was dark, and there wasn't much furniture, but there was a large space, and a little bit of a kitchen in the back right corner. There were two doors, and she immediately abandoned her suitcase to go investigate. She was assuming this was going to be the new home. It was mostly empty space and tiny bathroom, and there was only one room, but that was ok, she shared a room with Bro anyways, it wasn't a big deal. It felt very foreign though, and she wasn't sure how she was going to be able to cope with the idea that this was now 'home'.
"There's nothing here 'cept really ugly carpet," She told him when she got back to the main area, and saw that he was blowing up the air mattress. She pulled the duct tape out of her own suitcase in case he needed it. "An' it smells like Mr. Donnahue," she said as she wrinkled her nose and thought of the old man who usually sat outside the convenience store and smoked his cigars with fat puffs of yucky smoke.
"Yeah?" he mumbled as the air mattress finally finished blowing up. He placed the pump on the floor while he reached for the lamp and plugged it in, and the room was shrouded in light. He looked at the mucky brown carpet and grimaced himself. "Yeah, ok, that's gross," he agreed. "First thing we'll fix up in this dump, now git your pjs on, its late and you shoulda' been asleep hours ago,"
"S'not that late," she argued but she turned towards her suitcase anyways, pulling out her pajamas so Bro couldn't see her yawn. It was only a little past 11:30, if the taxi cab's clock wasn't too far off. "Don' look," she said as she glance back, and he waved his hand to let her know he'd heard her before she removed her shirt and replaced it with her pajama tank top. Next, she went for her pajama shorts, before Bro interrupted.
"Ooh lookit that booty~"
"Uugh bRO SHUT UP!!!" She yelled, her face hot with embarrassment, but he only laughed and ruffled her hair, passing her and heading for the kitchen.
"Chill, shorty, 'm just messin," he said without even looking at her-- the nerve, she thought-- and she watched as he placed their breakfast tomorrow in the fridge. She pulled her shorts up all the way before bro could turn around, and when she looked back towards the air mattress, she saw that Cal had taken to unfolding their sheet and was leaning against their one pillow and smiling at her. She smiled back and crawled over to him, blowing her hair out of her face with a few short puffs of breath before she took Cal into her arms and took his spot on the air mattress. She yawned again and tried to hide it, but Bro caught it, and even if he hadn't, Cal would have told him.
"A'right, baby bird," he said as he took a seat next next to her. In her situations he'd managed to remove his own day clothes and was comfortably situated in his boxers and a faded orange tank top. "'s bedtime." She groaned in response, but he was laying down in the bed next to her, and Cal had his arms wrapped around her, his own words telling her that it was time for all birds to go to sleep. She snuggled up to Bro and got comfortable, and he flicked off the light, and she thought a moment in the dark, thought of how empty her world was, now that DJ and Mama were gone... her fingers wrapped up in bro's shirt as he kissed her like he always did before bed, like Mama did, and like DJ had before he left for work. "Git some sleep, Dove, we got lotsa' work t' do in the morning," He said before quieting, and he mind started working in overdrive.
She was thinking, and it was late, and her world seemed so small now, just her and Bro, and she knew about kisses, and how they worked, and it made her wonder... Bro was all she had left after all, and it wasn't like they were actually related or anything like that, that'd be kinda gross, and he was nice to her when not many boys were-- or girls, if she thought about it, but Bro wasn't a girl, she didn't-- and it made her wonder... what if she... just...
And she leaned up and kissed him, just like that. It wasn't any different form the other times they'd kissed, but it got Bro cocking his eyebrow at her in the darkness. "What're you up to?" He asked, and she just sank back into his chest, her entire everything embarrassed and she wasn't quite sure why.
"Night Bro," she mumbled, and breathed a soft sigh of relief when he just let her oddity go, and she didn't have much more time to think before she was whisked off to dream land and fantasies of chocolate swamps that lead to cities of stars where no one left.
It wasn't until morning that she thought again about her thoughts from the night before, and she shook her head, because really, what was she thinking? This was Bro after all, and Bro was kinda dumb, but that was ok, because he was her brother and that was all that mattered. Nothing more, nothing less.
"God, what even was I thinkin'," she mumbled before looking over at Cal, who was laying next to her like he always was when she woke up. "Right Cal?" He flopped his arms in agreement, and she giggled a bit, just as Bro returned form the kitchen with a plate of pancakes, and their plans for the day.