Little Red Riding Hood [Closed]

Daisy shifted her messenger bag further up her shoulder as she walked. The sidewalks were bustling as usual and the sounds of cars and people and just plain noise filled the air around her but she couldn't hear it over the sound of music coming from her headphones. Daisy was on her usual route to her grandmother's apartment, but she was running a little late today. She had left her keys at the library and had to do a little searching before remembering where they were. At least she was on her way now, and that was all that mattered.

Daisy had always been very close with her grandmother and so every Friday afternoon, she went to visit her. It was a bit of a walk, about a half hour from her own apartment, but Daisy didn't mind. It was good exercise and it allowed her to get some fresh air. Well, at least as fresh as city air could be. Someday she'd like to get out of the city and live somewhere quiet and out of the way, but right now it was worth it just to be attending college and being somewhat near her grandmother.

A soft smile played at the edges of her lips as she realized where she was. On her frequent walks, Daisy had come to notice the same guy in the same spot every Friday. She didn't know what he did there every Friday, but once she had begun to recognize him in that spot, she would always smile at him and usually give a small wave. She wasn't sure why, but she felt drawn to him. She wished she knew his name, but every time she tried to talk to him, he would duck his head and walk away. After two or three times, she learned her lesson and had settled for simply waving and smiling. That had done the trick, he hadn't walked away since and usually acknowledged her with a small nod.

Today was no different despite her tardiness as she recognized his figure leaning against the building. Her lips quirked up into a smile as she passed him, giving him a little wave. It was such a small thing, but seeing him every Friday put her in an even better mood. It had become an unspoken agreement to have this routine with each other, despite being complete strangers. Well, almost complete strangers. She had given him her name one of the first times she had tried talking to him. So he knew her name, but she didn't know his. That was alright though, it was still nice to look forward to their silent exchange each week.

She continued on past him, nearly to her grandmother's now. Another ten minutes or so and she'd be there. And ten minutes later, she was. She buzzed herself up and her grandma, having been expecting her, opened the door instantly. "Daisy!" She exclaimed, pulling her granddaughter into a warm hug. "Hi Grandma, I'm sorry I'm so late," she apologized, hugging back. Her grandmother took her inside and they sat and talked about each other's day. Her grandma pulled out a deck of cards and they played as they talked.

"What did you have for dinner?" Daisy asked, knowing her grandmother sometimes forgot to cook and would skip meals frequently. Tonight was one of those times as her grandma commented that she hadn't eaten dinner. Daisy got up and looked through the pantry and refrigerator, searching for something she could put together for her grandma so that she wouldn't have to cook for the next few days. It would be way past dark by the time Daisy left, but if she knew that if she didn't cook her grandma something now, she probably wouldn't eat dinner for the next few days. So she quickly pulled out several ingredients and put together a simple pasta, using her grandma's own recipe.

"Stay and eat with me, dear," her grandma insisted. Daisy bit her lip as she glanced at the time. She really shouldn't. She had planned on taking the bus back to her apartment so she wouldn't have to walk back alone this late and the last one left in less than 10 minutes. It wouldn't be too big of a deal if she had to walk, would it? With that thought, Daisy had made up her mind. "Alright, but I really do have to go after this. I have class pretty early tomorrow," she told her grandmother.

Within the half hour, Daisy was leaving her grandma's and on her way home. She had pepper spray, something she had never had to use before thankfully, tucked in her bag and a phone in her pocket. It was only half an hour, right? And most of the streets, save for a select few, were still occupied even at this time of the night. She would be fine... right?

Zachary pulled the cigarette away from his lips. Soft, gentle wisps of smoke curled into the air. The rough texture of the building snagged his shirt as he shifted to look down the road. He lifted the cig to his mouth again and took a long, relaxing drag of chemicals. When the cigarette had fulfilled its purpose, he slowly pressed the burning stick against the wall, extinguishing the flicker. He dropped what remained to the pavement.

His mind rested for a moment on the girl who happened to walk by whenever he stood here. He knew her name was Daisy. Wasn't she normally past him by now? Maybe she hadn't waved today - maybe he'd overlooked her. But that would be very unlike Zachary, as it was quite unusual for his dark eyes to miss a moment. Especially when the moment was as enticing as Daisy. Although he knew nothing would ever come of it, he often thought about her. She seemed so innocent.

Zachary didn't admit to himself that the reason he was still outside was her. Every Friday, he allowed himself a single cigarette. He was honestly trying his best to detach himself from the various addictions that had leeched on his money over the years. On Friday, he would walk outside to smoke and watch the movement of the city street. The small taste of leisure and nicotine would be plenty to fulfill Zachary's appetite. However, he quite enjoyed seeing Daisy. It was like an extra little treat.

Her innocence really did astound him. Zachary sighed, running his palm across his cheek. Daisy slipped out of his mind. He needed to figure out what he was doing with his face. He was always indecisive about whether to shave the stubble or let it grow. At the moment, he looked scruffy and messy, which wouldn't do at all. Zachary peeled himself from the wall, beginning to head back to his apartment, when he glanced up and saw Daisy. Her cute little wave released a sneaky smile onto his lips. He nodded, as was procedure.

When she was gone, he turned to head back to his apartment. It was a short walk. Zachary flipped the lights on in his apartment and checked the fridge. His phone buzzed against his leg and he slid it out, answering the call from Jay.

"Yo, Z, can you hook me up with some buds? I know you is tryin to stop or whatever man but you still oughta have some stash, yeah?"

"Sure," Zachary said with a small sigh. "I got you, just come to my place tomorrow-"

"Nah, man, I gotta get it now. How is it if I meet you at the corner by your building?"

Zachary rolled his eyes but agreed. It was a good idea to get rid of what was left of his drugs before he hit a wall and started using again. Stuffing it in his pockets, he headed back out to where he had been earlier. There, he met up with his friend Jay. "I'll pay you for this later, man, swear," Jay promised.

Jay's car screeched away. Zachary pulled his hood up, turning to return again to his apartment. He was looking forward to a solid night's sleep. But as he turned, he saw a small figure heading towards him. As she walked through the street light, Zachary recognized Daisy. He wondered what she was doing walking at this time. Didn't she know this neighborhood was full of people with bad intentions? Like you? Zachary shook his head, but he would never shake clean the voices that told him he couldn't ever be good.

Maybe he could be good though, for tonight. Zachary slipped his hands into his pockets and raised his eyebrow at Daisy as she approached. "Evening, Daisy," he grinned. "You're looking lonely," He said with a soft confidence. "Wouldn't want you to get in any trouble out there," he added as he gestured to the darkening streets.

Daisy felt a little nervous walking along the street. It was dark except for the streetlights every few often. She hadn't realized the bustling sidewalks were this dead at night. She kept her head down and walked quickly, trying to avoid any confrontation. She heard an unfamiliar voice speak her name and she nearly jumped, not realizing she had been near anyone. Relief flooded over her as she recognized his face though. The next feeling was utter shock that he was talking to her. "Hello," she said, smiling softly at him. She looked at the streets he gestured to. Was he really offering what she thought he was offering?

This was her a great opportunity to get to know him. At least to find out his name. Plus, she really didn't want to walk alone this late. "I, uh, I'd love to have some company," she said, not wanting to force him to walk her but really wanting someone with her. She paused awkwardly, waiting for him to start walking and then she began to follow. "Thank you," she said after a long silence. "I'm usually home by now. It's just been, ah, a long day," she rambled a bit, not wanting him to chase him off or seem too talkative. She actually wasn't sure how she was supposed to act around him, their silent exchange had been going on for so long and she didn't know anything about him. It was hard to think of a conversation topic.

So instead she looked around now that she wasn't as anxious about keeping her head down and she noticed that it was actually really nice at night. A lot quieter and more peaceful than during the day. She didn't think she had ever taken a walk at night before. It was safer not to but being here now, she could almost forget that minor detail. "You know, I don't even know your name," she mentioned hesitantly, looking over at him. Would he actually tell her his name?

Zachary was quite adept at recognizing emotions, and even in the dark he could read her like a book. He'd initially frightened her, which was unsettling. He hadn't meant to scare her. But her smile reassured him.

For a while, they walked with each other in silence. His eyes scanned the streets often, not because he was afraid, but out of habit. When she spoke, his throat rumbled, and he parted his lips slowly. "Of course, you're welcome," he murmured, raising his eyebrow at her as she asked his name. He wondered briefly if he should even tell her. But he supposed there would be no harm done if he did, unless she looked up his criminal record.

Zachary had made a number of mistakes in his early youth, the majority of which he regretted. Although he was done using heavy drugs, he had once been chained down by the brilliant highs he'd discovered. Small crimes littered his record, although he was only caught a few times compared to everything he'd stolen. Zachary had been blamed for the death of his closest friend, who had overdosed, and he felt at fault for his mother's hospitalized condition. Strong history flowed through his body, and he felt like he would never clear his reputation.

"I'm Zachary," he said gently. "You can call me whatever feels right," he added, glancing up at the sky. his eyes searched for a star - to no avail - in the dirty city smog. She didn't seem too keen to talk to him, and he was fine with that. In all honesty, he just wanted to make sure she got home safe. He saw her as a sort of unblemished flower, and he knew that such delicacy had to be protected from the world.

"It's kind of beautiful here, don't you think?" He said as he looked around at the dimly illuminated streets. "In a sad sort of way, almost."

He thought about what they could possibly have in common. "Where is it that you walk every day? If it's not too intrusive to ask, of course." He spoke with a hint of deep curiosity in his voice. Zachary had wondered before why she didn't drive, or take a taxi.

Zachary put his hands in his pockets and sharpened his focus on an approaching figure. The homeless man shook his cup at them, drool dripping down his chin. "Please," the homeless man begged. "Please," was all he could say.