Ice Cream Wins Every Time

Participants:

adisa_icon.gif koshka_icon.gif

Scene Title Ice Cream Wins Every Time
Synopsis Taking a break from chores, Koshka strikes up a texting conversation with Adisa.
Date February 21, 2011

Bay House and Dorchester Towers:Adisa's apartment


The Bay House is isolated enough that it's nearly as dull as the Garden was, at least so far as entertainment goes. The little boys have their hand held gaming devices, paper, crayons, and wild imaginations. While Koshka has a building to clean and enough supplies to see it through. She shouldn't complain, much worse could have come about from being caught stealing, far worse could have come. And every time she thinks about it a sick knot forms in the pit of her stomach like pouring salt over fresh wounds.

The teenager is still torn up over how stupid she'd been. In one afternoon she'd been caught trying to pickpocket, spilled nearly all to Sami and Brian, and completely broken their trust. Koshka had since been restricted to the new safe house, assigned to cleaning and working to make the place more habitable. There will be more kids joining one day, younger kids and babies, it had to be spotless and safe and cozy.

There's still cleaning to be done. Koshka's hidden herself away yet again, unable to bear the disapproving looks from Brian and Sam. Shame and misery only deepen under those gazes, knowing she's let down two members of her pseudo-family. So in hiding the girl works. Or she should be.

In the room Koshka has closed herself in, it only sounds like she's working and only when footsteps approach the doorway. She's taking a few moments, a break after a long morning of chores, to send out a text message.

«adisa. cant come into town. think brian will let u visit?»

While Koshka has been holed up in a building cleaning, Adisa has been in her room nearly all day. However, she hasn't been cleaning, and it hasn't been because she was grounded by any means. No. She just didn't feel like going out today. It's just how it is. Who'd have thought that Adisa would actually get bored in a city that she considered to be a fashion heaven? Laying back on her bed and texting a multitude of friends back in Chicago, she receives one text from a friend who is a little bit closer than her home city. She is quick to respond.

«dunno…ill ask him. r u at the apartment?»

Koshka's reply isn't so quick, she's making herself look busy, hearing voices and footsteps outside the door. No one's bothered here thus far, but just in case, she's not sure if she's even allowed to be texting anyone right now.

«im grounded.»

The younger girl's answer isn't really an answer at all. She can't say where she is, her actions have already put people at risk. Something she feels awful about having not realized that more than just herself was at risk.

Adisa doesn't quite notice the not so fast reply by Koshka. After all, she's texting a few other friends as well, so their messages alone are keeping her busy enough that the doesn't even think of what might be keeping the other girl from responding. When the response arrives, she blinks a little. Her own reply is, once more, quick in the coming.

«omg y? r sami and brian being meanypants?»

Letting out a sigh, Koshka moves to the door, pressing her ear to it. It's quiet on the other side, the distant sounds that reach her sound like the children playing. Turning, she sinks onto the floor, back resting against the door. Her legs cross, folding in front of her and elbows brace against her knees. She's ready this time when the message comes back.

«no. got caught stealing.»

Adisa nearly drops her phone in surprise. Koshka? Stealing? It's hard to believe! Why would the other girl be stealing? She makes a few quick texts back to her other friends, saying that she can't talk at the moment, that something has come up, and then she goes quickly to a response to Koshka. She needs details. Like…detailed details.

«omg y stealing? wat did u steal?»

When the response comes back, Koshka can only manage to stare at it. A hand comes up, fingers rubbing at the bridge of her nose. She doesn't really want to go into details. It was bad enough going into them three times before. It's not really something that's easily related in texts, either, and so she summarizes.

«wallets frm ppl.»

A little frown forms on Adisa's face. Wallets? Sure, there's the allure of getting money and stuff. But surely there's better ways for people to get money…right? She shakes her head and starts to formulate a response to Koshka.

«y? 4 money? u couldve borrowed sum money from me if u needed some.»

Koshka grimaces at the reply. Her phone is placed on the floor in front of her, hands now freed pressing against her cheeks. How to explain how this all came about? Sucking in a shaking breath, she begins typing a response.

«just suppose to be a temp job with daryl. to make money. cant get a real job and wanted something.»

It's all starting to make sense to Adisa now. Bad boy syndrome. Girls are subconsciously attracted to the bad boy who steals and such. She sighs and shakes her head. "Koshka, Koshka, Koshka. Should've come to me before doing this." She mutters to herself before getting back to texting.

«couldve come to me, wouldve gotten u a job at my work or something.»

If only it were just that. The adrenalin rush one gets from thievery is also alluring, making each risk taken more and more of a game. Koshka shakes her head, swallowing against that familiar ill feeling, that shame for something taken too far. She knows she could have, and should have, stopped. But the reply has the girl pressing her hands to her eyes. She's not registered and underage. Getting a job is near impossible.

«brian says i probly cant get a job. wanted to try n find something real, not stealing. just stealing was easier.»

This almost seems unreal to Adisa. She's never had a friend who attempted stealing before. But then again, she usually attempted to make friends with the more upper echelons of her school social structure. Meaning, the richer they came, the more she wanted to hang out with them. Thus, they usually had money and didn't even think about stealing. Usually. If they thought about it, they never acted upon said thoughts.

«u shouldnt listen to all brian says. u can proly get a job easy. ill help. we should talk face 2 face. maybe over a giant tub of ice cream»

Ice cream. That brings a small grin to Koshka's face, a little sad still, but a grin all the same. And oddly, if fate had dealt a different hand, she might never have resorted to stealing. Ever. She'd have been one of those more privileged kids. After a peek at the door, she types out her reply.

«ice cream sounds good. and brian is smart, he knos things about jobs. if he says yes to come here, i cant leave tho.»

Ice cream wins every time! Adisa nods, smiling a little. She definitely knows about not feeling happy and about good pick-me-ups. She's had to dish out a few of them in her time, both for herself and for friends.

«let me deal wit being allowed to see u. wat kinda ice cream u like best?»

Standing, though still leaning against the door, Koshka's reply is quick. Sounds like footsteps are coming her way again.

«something w/chocolate.»

The footfalls stop outside, sending the younger teenager scrambling to sound busy. Mostly this involves running a rag over a wall and tucking her phone into her pocket. She should probably see if she's allowed to text anyone, even though she's already done it.


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