Hard.

"Life's hard isn't it," she mused.

The boy half smiled, "It's only hard if you make it hard."

"Every time I complain you have to cut in with your philosophical bullshit," she sighed, "Can't I ever complain without you biting my fucking ear off?"

"Nope, never,"

She smiled, "Okay then."

Allison and Ben were sitting on a bright blue bus. They didn't know where it was going exactly, but they did know that they wanted to go somewhere. It was something aimless and adventurous, well that's what Ben liked to describe it as, and two dollars for an adventure was a fair price in their opinion.

"Where are we going to end up?" Allison asked, staring out the bus window.

Ben grinned, "Who knows, that's the whole point of an adventure."

Allison smiled, Ben couldn't see it but he knew she was.

"That's fine with me," she said.

Allison loved bus rides; she liked to sit around the middle of the bus because that's where you could hear everyone's conversations. She loved to listen to what was going on in their lives; it gave her a weird sense of satisfaction, knowing the details of other people’s lives.

They were nearing the city now; the traffic was getting thicker, as was the buildings. They weren't in the midst of it yet though, still in the outskirts, where the old style buildings and cafe's were, along with the souvlaki stores from the 1990’s. Allison loved it.

"I want to get off here," Allison said, pulling Ben up and pressing the 'Stop' button.

The bus came to a slowing halt at the side of the busy, tram lined road. They jumped off and began exploring, Allison still holding Ben's hand tightly. The street was lined with shops on both sides of the road, a variety you could say. You'd see a toy shop, then a sex shop. A tattoo parlour and then a barber shop. Big, bright neon signs flashed out at you, begging you inside to see the strippers and dirty men.

Allison led Ben down the walkway, stopping every few seconds to look inside shop windows or go inside. Her maroon Doc Marten's would thump onto the ground as she took big, deliberate steps. Her floral dress swayed softly in the wind; occasionally it would blow up a bit high, revealing her child-like underwear. Ben laughed and blushed, although he wouldn't admit the latter.

"Ally, keep your goddamn dress down!" he laughed.

She turned to him and smiled, a dimple appearing on her left cheek, "You like them, yeah? I bought them yesterday." she boasted.

Allison always did that, especially with Ben. It was as though she had no girls to talk about it with. That or she just enjoyed teasing him. Either way, he didn't care, just as long as she was doing it.

"Nice legs honey," one man cat called to her.

Allison smiled back at him, "Thank you," she replied.

She was unaware on the affect she had on men. She was like this grunge goddess sent from the Kurt Cobain era just to taunt her. She was the Nancy to his Sid, the Courtney to his Kurt, and the Doc to his Martens. She was his best friend, slash object of his lust. Even her legs, though concealed by black stockings managed to put him in awe.

To clear thing’s up, he didn’t love her. Ben was far from that point. They were simply friends, and he happened to be graced with her as one. He found her lustful, full of sexual attraction. He was a sixteen year old male after all. That was the majority of his brain; he wanted her purely for his own pleasure. Not for feelings.

"I love it here," she breathed.

Ben didn't know if he was meant to hear her or not, so he kept quiet, trailing behind her. Suddenly she was pulling him into a little op shop on the corner. It was a miniscule shop, with everything busting out from the shelves, and things hanging from the roof. It almost made you feel claustrophobic. The aisles were no more than an arm length, making it hard to manoeuvre yourself through the store. Ben was struggling through the aisles; Allison was walking through with ease, looking at everything with a loving gaze upon her face.

"Oh, look at this," she'd remark, holding up a thick, glass, scotch bottle. Or, "Hey, this is cool!" and she'd present him with an egg cup, which he'd then have to find a new place for.

"Can you stop passing me things," he said, flustered at the sudden amount of objects he had in his arms.

She laughed and didn't pass him another thing, as they walked throughout the rest of the small shop. Allison ended up buying a few things along the way, lampshades, spoons, fabric. Basically things she didn't need that Ben would end up carrying. But he didn't mind much.

Soon they were at a diner, ordering milkshakes and nachos. Their favourite, it always had been. Ben got a mint milkshake, Allison got strawberry. She hated mint and took every opportunity she could to pay him out about it. He laughed and played along, giving her some wit back. She loved it when men played back. It's what fed her, made her ego boost.

"I want to go out tonight," she whined, sucking up the pink liquid throw an oversized straw.

"What'd you have in mind?" he asked, smirking.

He loved going out with Allison, they always had fun. And always picked up.

She smirked, "Clubs, drugs and men."

"You realise I'm not gay, I feel weird having to always remind you."

"And women,” she laughed, “Happy?”

Ben laughed with her, “Over the moon.”

“I really think you need to start choosing more wisely though," he began.

“Oh, don’t fucking start again,” she begged.

He threw his hands up in defence, "I’m just saying, I weep for you when you pick up some Ben Gibbard wannabe."

Allison crunched a nacho chip in her mouth, her lip curling, “There is nothing wrong with Ben Gibbard, thank you very much.”

Ben snorted, but then saw the look on Allison’s face; “Sure,” he smiled.

Allison quickly forgot about their previous conversation, and got right into the details.

“My house, six thirty, bring your fake id.”

He nodded, staring at the little dimple in her cheek again.