Off to a Running Start

Participants:

anna_icon.gif keagan_icon.gif

Scene Title Off to a Running Start
Synopsis After a practical joke goes south, Keagan and Anna find themselves running for their lives. A romantic spark flickers to life.
Date December 26, 2010

Chinatown


Evening has come to Chinatown. The late evening shoppers are starting to finish up for the evening, many of them have to work tomorrow. Keagan…he's not shopping, but he has a bag of candy over one wrist that indicates he was shopping at some point. He's not as noticable as the group in front of him, though. Some older teens, three boys bouncing around on each other and being a general nuisance to people around them. They whoop at passersby, and a middle-aged couple move to the edge of the sidewalk as they pass to avoid them as much as possible. They point and laugh and make fun of their clothes.

Nor is Anna shopping. This teenager is stalking behind Keagan, heading over his way, "Hey Keagan." She says softly, grinning faintly as she closes in. She's wearing a horrible assortment of winter garments… purple beanie, purple mittens, and a polka-dot scarf. "What'cha up to today?" A chuckle, "Anything I can get in on?" Her voice is soft, evading attention grabbing volumes.

Keagan, unaware that he was being followed, spins about as if he had been caught in the act of something, a candy cane hanging from his mouth. "Jeez, Anna," he says, holding the cane at the side of his mouth, "you scared the tar out of me." He holds out the bag toward her. "Watching these jokers make fools of themselves." He bounces on his heels as he walks. "You think they would be peeved if I made them think that one of their buddies had stolen their wallets?"

A soft chuckle comes from Anna's mouth, and picks a bit of candy from the bag, starting to snack on it. "I think they would be." She says in that voice that suggests excitement at the prospect. The teenaged girl looks over at the older teens, "But if you get caught, I'm outta here, understood, boy?" She chuckles, "Not that you would get caught, though." And she finishes up the candy, not grabbing for more yet.

"Of course I'm not going to get caught," Keagan says with a bit more confidence than he might ought to. What remains unnoticed is the fourth friend, who had been trailing behind to flirt with some girl. The mischevious youth ceremoniously hands the bag to Anna. He pulls his candy cane out of his mouth briefly to say, "Don't eat all of it." He puts it back in his mouth, and closes the gap between him and the other boys. A nimble forefinger and middle finger pluck the wallet from the boy on the far right, and slip it into the pocket of the boy in the middle.

From behind, "Hey guys! She said yes! Gonna take her to that club on Friday, we'll get crazy!" The fourth friend is coming up behind Anna, and Keagan's discovery seems imminent.

Ever the helpful accomplice in crime, Anna turns around to face number four. "Excuse me~?" She asks with a tone of voice that suggests she's lost, before popping another bit of candy into her mouth. "I recently moved to this part of the city, and I wondered if you knew where I could find the nearest grocery store?" A cheerful smile, like she is used to asking questions like this all the time. "If you don't, that's totally okay and I'll just ask someone else!"

The tall and smarmy player looks down at Anna, distracted instantly. "Hey sweetcakes," he answers. "Sure, I'd love to show you all over the town," he says. He moves a little closer than is appropriate. "Kevin!" The boy on the left spins about, spotting Keagan behind his buddy. "What're you doin'?" he asks, an instand defensiveness in his voice. "Hy Rob, look at this!" Keagan backs up a little. "What?" he asks, having already finished the deed. He looks back at Anna and Kevin. Well, this isn't going quite as well as he had hoped.

Fuck. Anna thinks to herself, but she can't go too far, lest she be considered part of Keagan's accomplices. Not that that'd be wrong, but it'd be annoying. So Anna looks over to Keagan again and raises an eyebrow, before looking back to the player. "I'd appreciate that, thank you. Name's Caitlyn, what's yours?" She isn't carrying any ID on her anyway, so it's not like they could prove her different…

Kevin the player laughs, "Kid was gonna pinch your wallet," he says. "You were so gonna lose it." The three make a circle around Keagan and tuck into an alley. Kevin follows close behind, "Hold on sweetie, we gotta have some fun with this guy first." He keeps Anna in front of him though, to prevent her from ducking out.

"I didn't do anything to youse," Keagan contests, giving a hefty shove against the smallest of the three, still far larger than himself. It isn't very effective. Keagan doesn't try to let on that he knows Anna, not wanting to put her in the same pickle as himself.

Anna follows along, and clinches a little at the sight of Keagan's impending beatdown. Not too much, mind you… "What kind of fun..?" She asks carefully, "I mean, I know he's a thief and all… but do you really need me to watch this?" She asks, oh yeah, not intending to be joining Keagan's plight. She holds no hope that she'll be allowed to leave just yet however… being only slightly taller than Keagan, and probably even worse in a fight.

Keagan's eyes dart from one enemy to the next, then shoots a glance at Anna. Not helping a bit. "Don't worry," Kevin answers. "It's gonna be a little different from the fun we're gonna have." No lack of innuendo. He's a rather forward douche.
Keagan contests, "Check your wallets, I didn't steal anything," he says in his defense. Something they do, and one turns up short. "Hey, mine is — " a punch to the nuts cuts his sentence short, and Keagan bursts through the weak link, knocking him to the ground.

Tick tock, the pieces fall together in Anna's mind. And she decides that right now would be a good time to start playing this game, she doesn't want Kevin's kind of fun, not at all. So she chuckles, "Fifty dollars, mate. I ain't free." Not that she's a whore, but she might as well try to get some cash out of the whole deal before running away from him. "Pay comes beforehand, the tip comes whenever you feel like giving it."

As Keagan makes his way past downed goon number one, the second, Robert, catches the edge of his coat. Keagan has no intention on letting him keep hold, and sheds the coat, leaving it behind. He also takes the opportunity to drop the candy cane from his mouth. "She's not a whore!" he exclaims as he lunges fist first at Kevin, now only wearing a t-shirt.

Kevin is busy smiling at Anna, and starts to answer. "Fifty? I think that's pretty — " Anna's ploy is cut short as Keagan's fist catches him unaware. The fourteen year old doesn't have enough force behind him to do a lot of damage, but it stuns Kevin, and Keagan makes a grab for Anna's hand as he continues past. Time to make a run for it.

And run Anna does, on to get away from those buys. Unlike what she pretended earlier, she actually knows the area pretty well, and quickly drags Keagan into another alley, and then to another street and up inside an apartment building. Confucius Plaza. Wheezing slightly from running, she goes to hug Keagan. "That was close." She whispers into his ears, "If only that fourth guy hadn't been there, and you would've made it, I just know."

Keagan follows along, not knowing the area as well as Anna does. Not his part of town. Between people and in and out of the crowds he runs with her, thankful for the warmth as they tuck into the apartment building. He returns the hug, and the boys rush past. "Yeah," he pants back into her ear, still holding her close. "You weren't serious, were you?" he asks, having heard her comment despite his own struggles.

"Of course I wasn't serious." Anna whispers back, maintaining the hug. "Like you said… I'm not a whore. And I'm not a slut either." She goes to plant a kiss on Keagan's cheek, "Thanks for getting me out of his reach, Keagan, I appreciate it." And then she grows a little silent, trying to grab control off of her air flow again.

Keagan turns a little red, that was an unexpected, and he blushes a bit. "Hey, what kind of knight in shining armor could I expect to be if I let some jerk have his way." He holds on for a moment longer, and then pulls back a little, but comfortably. "And…that really hurt." He holds his right hand up. He's a southpaw, but that doesn't mean he wants to be without his right hand. He wiggles his fingers and makes another fist. Not broken, just bruised. "It never seems to hurt in the movies."

Anna laughs warmly, "Well, I did tell you I wouldn't help you… so you were in no obligation to help me." She smiles as she releases Keagan, "So I think you deserve my gratitude for that." When she looks at the bruised fist, she holds out her hand, "C'mon, put that fist in my hand, I know a way to make it better." She grins, "Please."

"Nope," Keagan answers, distracted momentarily by a poster on one of the walls. "My dad would've killed me if I left a girl in distress," he tells her. "Besides, I would've killed me if he wouldn't have." His dad has been gone for four years, but that doesn't keep him from wanting to live up to the hero he's built in his mind. "What are you gonna do?" he asks with a slight edge, but he lets her take his hand. "It's a little tender, still."

Anna plants a swift kiss on that hand, then stretches again and with a giggle says, "Kiss it better!" Not that it helps or anything, but it's about the gesture. In the girl's eyes, anyway. "Well, I can still appreciate it, can't I?" She grins, "I think wanting to protect me is kinda cute~" A grin, "So thanks again, Keagan." And she steps back to lean against a wall, "Did I ever tell you I kinda sorta live in this apartment complex? Not really a home, but it's a roof and a bed, so it works…"

Keagan turns a bit red again. "You live here?" Keagan echoes. "I thought you were just on the street," he says. "I mean — I'm glad, I'm just surprised." Keagan hasn't hidden that he has a place to live, but he's never said exactly where. He doesn't want to get labeled as the rich kid. It's not a life that he clings to. He puts his hands in his pockets, tucking his arms in close. It's December, and he doesn't have a coat anymore. "I knew I shoulda worn a sweatshirt today."

"Well, I might have to hunt for a new place soon." Anna responds, "What with me being missing and all… don't want to be found either." She grins, "I'm staying at some guy's apartment for now. He's a nice guy, though I don't think you'd get along well with him." A faint chuckle, "Anyway… I'm not sleeping on the streets… not in this weather. And I hope you aren't either…" She pauses, "I'm sure I could help you find a place if you need one.."

"I got a place," he says, "What do you mean you're staying with some guy?" he prods suspiciously. "You gotta be careful, those kind of guys could be lookin' for something." Back to that topic, uncomfortably. "How old is he? Is he married or anything? There another girl there with you?" He seems awfully concerned on the subject, and as he acts when he's concerned his sentences rush together with scarcely a breath between them.

"He isn't, trust me… and I was in a really bad spot when he offered me to stay with him." Anna responds, smiling faintly, "Anyway, he's twentysomething, there's another girl there, slightly younger than him… but not too much. I think they like eachother." Anna giggles again before she asks her next question, "Do you have a girlfriend..?" Nope, no ulterior motive to that question, what'd make you think that?

Keagan reaches up to scratch the back of his head, his shaggy locks tossed by the scratch, "Nah," he says, laughing nervously. He grabs his arms, rubbing them to keep warm. He takes several seconds to let the air fill with silence. He seems uncertain how to fully respond to her question. He's not always the sharpest tool in the shed, but he gets the drift.

Drifting closer again, Anna grins. "Want one?" She asks, seriously. "Because I, like, like you." She offers, "And I think you're pretty cute to boot, too." She holds out her arms for a hug, which Keagan can accept if he wishes, though she won't force one upon him. In her mind, the words please don't say no dash around rapidly, but that wish is not spoken aloud.

Keagan looks like he's ready to pop. Is this really happening? He laughs, and takes the hug. "Um," he says. "Yeah," he squeaks, and clears his throat. "Yes," he repeats. "But…you don't know me even that well," he tells her. "You sure you want me?" He's never had a girlfriend, and he most likely won't be telling his aunt about this exchange. Nevertheless, he holds her tightly. Partly because she's warm, and he's cold. Partly because he feels the same way that she does, though he doesn't have a good reason to give either.

"Don't they say love is blind?" Anna asks before pressing her lips against Keagan's, it's a brief peck and released soon again. But in her mind, that seals the deal. You don't just kiss anyone on the lips. Like Keagan, Anna holds her boyfriend tight. Like Keagan, she never had one before. But, after all, there's a first time for everything. "And yeah, I'm sure I want you."

"I gotta get myself into critical situations more often," Keagan answers after the peck. "But let's not move too fast." He wants to keep some integrity about himself. "We don't want to end up being stupid." He looks back at the apartment complex. "So…where's your… um, landlord?" he asks, scanning the apartments. "Which one does he live in? Should I meet him, since we're going out now, and all?"

"Yeah, let's not go too fast." Anna agrees, "And Brian doesn't need to know… not yet, anyway." She responds, and giggles faintly. "I'm later than I told him though, don't want him to get worried. I'll see you again soon, promise!" She gives another peck to the lips and then releases herself from Keagan, waiting for him to let her loose.

Keagan is a little slower to release, but he does, putting his hands back in his pockets for warmth. "You want my phone number?" he asks. Yes he actually has a phone. Maybe not as much of a street rat as he pretends to be. He doesn't expect that Anna has one, but he figures she could find a way to get a call to him.

"That's a good idea." Anna responds with a smile, "Sure. Do you have a slip of paper?" She asks, "Because my memory isn't quite perfect." She chuckles to herself. "A pen would probably help as well…" She leans back against the wall, waiting for that number to be given to her.

Pens? Yes. Keagan has lots of pens. Wait, they were in his coat. "Sure!" he says, checking his pockets. No pen. "Hold on," he says. He rushes back to the street, asking each passerby frantically for a pen. Finally, he receives one, and clumsily rushes back up the steps to the complex. "Got one," he says with a silly looking grin, lopsided to the right. He goes to the bulletin board, and irrespectively yanks the first advertisement off that his hand finds. Taking the pen in his left hand, the southpaw petty thief jots his number down, with his full name for the girl. "There you go," he says, folding the number inside, and handing it toward her. "Call me," he says with a smile. "Oh, but if a woman answers the phone, it's my aunt, just hang up, she's really nosy." Little has he noticed that the owner of the pen, an older woman, has stopped to watch the two with one of those 'aren't they cute' looks on her face.

Anna nods and takes the number, "Will do. Both calling you and hanging up if it's your aunt!" Anna giggles and heads for the elevator, "See you again soon!" Like Keagan, Anna hasn't exactly noticed the look on the older woman's face… more concerned with her boyfriend and not being too late back at the apartment. "I miss you already!" And with that, she's entered the elevator.


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