Promise Me The Stars

They sat there until the horizon started turning pink with the sunrise and Forest said they had to get home fast. There was only one shift change left before noon and it happened in ten minutes, it was a twenty minute walk home, at least.

With the threat of being caught, plus the memory of Forest nearly dying, heavy on their minds they sprinted down the streets towards home. But Forest was sure they could have gone faster, could have left earlier, probably could have avoided it all if Forest hadn't insisted that his sister sneak out with him. But he was sick of roaming everywhere alone and he missed all the fun he had with Hazel back in Colorado. Ever since they left there had been no fun with them together. Hazel was always with them and Forest was always alone trying to find something fun to do in Huntington Beach at three in the morning. Which wasn't much if it didn't involve drugs, booze, or hookers.

Forest skidded, quite literally as his feet slid over the dirt and rocks on the sidewalk, to a stop at the corner of the Baker property. There was a guard standing just outside the gate talking to another one, they were chatting and laughing and there was absolutely no way they could slip past through the front.

"Shit, follow me." Forest said grabbing Hazel's arm and dragging her into the bushes just outside the fence.

"How are we going to get in? I knew I shouldn't have come with you." Hazel hissed ducking down to follow Forest quickly through the bushes, earning more scratches on her wounds and a few new ones on her cheeks and neck.

"Oh quiet down." Forest said, refraining from mentioning the earlier events that made them late. Hazel huffed and kept quiet as they got to the section of the fence that was near the game room which was below Hazel's room. As she looked up she could see her bedroom perfectly in the light that was getting brighter as the seconds ticked by.

"So there's a small window i'm sure you can slip through in the game room, i've fit through it so you gotta. It's unlocked so don't worry about that,"

"Forest!" Hazel nearly yelled but the hurt in her voice dimmed it down a bit, "You've gone out before and didn't take me?"

Forest gave her a look and she glared, trying to cover up her disappointment.

"Of course I have." he stated shrugging like it was nothing, "Onto greater subjects, i'll boost you over the wall and you crawl in."

"What about you?" Hazel asked looking at the fence that was probably about seven feet tall.

"I'll get over some how don't worry."

"What do you mean? You haven't climbed the fence before?" Hazel asked with wide eyes.

"Me? No. I always went through the gate. But don't worry, it can't be that hard." He shrugged and looked up at the fence.

"Forest," Hazel whispered worriedly.

"Shh, now step up." Forest said holding his hands together to make a step.

"Forest." Hazel said again.

"Stop fussing about Hazel and step up before someone sees us." Forest said rolling his eyes as he began to get irritated.

"But,"

"We'll deal with everything later now step up or help me over because i'm not going to just stand around here and wait to get caught." Forest said firmly looking at his sister.

Hazel stopped complaining and trying to argue with her brother when she saw the look on his face. That look meant he was dead serious and he would leave her behind if she was going to be difficult. Though he always came back for her anyway and just gave her the silent treatment for awhile, which sucked majorly when your only friend ignored you.

"Fine." She sighed and stepped on his hands, using her other foot to boost herself more against the wall so she could grab the top of the concrete fence.

"Do you want me to pull you up or just go?" Hazel asked as she straddled the fence and looked back down at her brother.

"Just go, i'll see you later." Forest grinned and ran off before Hazel could yell.

She watched, nearly horrified, as he disappeared back towards the street and she was left sitting on the fence.

"Oh no." She whispered looking down at the drop she had to make, "This isn't going to end well."



Forest ran from the house as quickly as he could, avoiding the guards as they looked his way for a moment by turning his back and jogging like it was an everyday thing. He knew Hazel would be fine, unless she broke her neck falling. But she wasn't that stupid to just fall on her face. He got her home remotely unharmed so everything was fine.

Forest skidded around a corner and was met with shops and buildings lining one side of the street, on the other side was a small park where a few people were walking through and stopping at the crosswalk. He slipped in with a group of people and that was where Shadow made his first appearance since the previous afternoon.

"See what happens when I leave Stan? You nearly die," Shadow said as he synced his steps with Forest's.

"Why in the hell are you calling me Stan?" His thoughts directed at Shadow since talking out loud would probably be bad.

"Because I can't think of any good nicknames for the name Forest and I think it's about time I gave you one. So Stan it is." Shadow said happily.

"Whatever." He thought, veering off from the small crowd of early rising surfers and beach goers to step into the doorway of a small coffee shop. The smells of early morning drinks and bakery goods filled Forest's nose and his mouth started to water at the thought of some sugary baked good being eaten by himself.

"Good morning sir!" The barista greeted cheerfully as he neared the counter, "What can I get for you today?"

The place was mostly empty which was odd since people drank coffee religiously now a days and it was five in the morning, the time for those devoted orthodox patrons to frequent the small coffee shops everywhere. But this place only held a few patrons and they already had their drinks and baked goods so he was the only one standing in line that morning.

"Just a black coffee, if that's still made nowadays." Forest said smiling at the girl who seemed just a few years older then himself.

"We do here," The girl said cheerfully avoiding his gaze a bit, "What size do you want?"

"Large as they come." He winked at the girl and tried not to let out a laugh at the deep blush that formed on the girls cheeks.

"I'll have that out right away." She muttered quickly and turned from Forest.

Forest turned from the counter and set his gaze on the four large windows that lined the front wall, giving you a view of the street and the people out there a view in before they got to the door.

A few people passed by slowly and then a woman rushed into the shop with a cellphone plastered to her ear and a briefcase strapped over her shoulder. Forest watched, leaning against the counter that held cream and sugar, as the woman huffed when the young barista didn't reach her quick enough from getting his own coffee.

"Can I help you?" She asked glancing over at Forest who had gone back to looking out the windows.

Forest didn't hear what the business woman said in return because his eyes caught on a girl standing near the entrance to the park across the street.

She had dirty blonde hair that was tied back but a few strands were hanging in her face. She stood looking at her surroundings with curious eyes and a few bags were by her feet while a guitar was strapped across her back. It was a battered acoustic that looked dull in the rising light that bathed her in golden streaks of light.

"Sir?" A timid voice behind Forest broke him from his thoughts about the girl. He turned and smiled at the Barista, handing her the money in his pocket in payment for the drink.

"Anything else that you want?" she asked.

Forest let his eyes pull themselves to the glass cases that held the baked goods and his mouth watered again, begging him to buy one of the things being offered and shove it in his mouth to satisfy his taste buds.

"And you say i'm a bad guy." Shadow scoffed, listening into Forest's thoughts once again.

"I'll have two of those." Forest said ignoring Shadow and stabbing his finger against the glass as he pointed at a sugared croissant. Besides, he wasn't even sure he knew what Shadow was talking about in the first place.

"Alright." The girl smiled and went to work quickly placing two of the food items into a small box and handed it over to him.

"Your total for the croissants is four twenty nine." She said pausing to look at the cash register.

Forest dug the money out of his pocket again and handed it over. She smiled and took it, giving him his change and wishing him to have a good day. Forest smiled and nodded, tucking the box under his arm and grabbing the hot coffee that burned his hand but felt so good.

He walked out of the shop and caught a glimpse of his reflection in the coffee shop window, he saw Shadow only he was beaten and bruised. His chin was dripping blood, the space above his right eyebrow was cracked open and gushing blood that joined the blood from his lip at the base of his neck. Scratches littered his body everywhere that was visible, and as Forest turned and walked he noticed the dark stain on the back of Shadow's shirt as he followed in the window reflection. His eyes were sunken in and darkened like he had two black eyes.

He looked dead and at that moment Forest realized that the reflection of Shadow were his own injuries just on Shadow's body. His hand went to his head and he felt the gash and dried blood. He let his fingers trail down his face to where most of the blood had pooled in the crevices of his collar bone. Wet blood was still there and it smeared his fingers in it's thickening state. When he pulled away and looked at his fingers the blood was a dark red almost black, it shimmered in the sun and he couldn't believe he had walked into the coffee shop like that.

"Get hit by a car mister?" Forest turned and was staring at the face of the girl with the guitar on her back.

"Fell off a cliff." he said after a moment. It was the truth but he could tell she was contemplating whether he was lying or not.

"Big cliff?" she asked, her eyebrow shooting up towards her hairline.

Forest shrugged, "Moderately sized."

The girl let her serious expression drop and she laughed. It was a nice noise that lifted Forest's spirits whether he acknowledged it or not.

"Well I know this place, they can clean you up, patch up those wounds all for the price of washing dishes or raking leaves." The girl said.

Forest knew he could just go back to the house, say he fell or something, and be taken to the hospital all for the price of nothing but his illegitimate father's cold hard cash. But something tugged at his thoughts and he found himself nodding and smiling at the girl.

"Great! Let's go!" She said happily grabbing her two bags off the ground.

"I'll take one of those." Forest muttered reaching for the larger of the two bags.

"Thanks, I'm Kylie by the way."

"Forest. Want a croissant?" He held out the box and she smiled and nodded, opening the box with one hand and taking one. She smiled a tight lipped smile as she chewed on the food and he took a bite out of the other one, tossing the box in the trash.

"You always take care of random guys bleeding all over the place?" He asked.

"Only the cute ones." She grinned and looped her arm in Forest's as he laughed.