Bitch

Alexus hated the bitches. She hated the way they looked you up and down like dirt on your shoe and how they thought they were better than you. They thought they knew everything but when shit happens they squeal and rely on others for help. This was exactly what Chantelle was like. Alexus saw the way she looked at her, then bewitching blue eyes were full of vanity and arrogance. Yet she's completely helpless in a situation like this because she's got nothing left. That's the thing with bitches, the money and the popularity drives them but when that's all taken away from them they're like snails without a shell: they've got nothing to hide behind.

But all this amused Alexus slightly. Yeah sure, the girl had been kidnapped and she felt a little guilty for that but it was still hilarious to see Chantelle squirm in terror at all this poverty around her. A rose stuck in a dessert full of cactus. Alexus found it amusing. Yet it also brought back bad memories. She remembered the time before Kris had saved her, she remembered Russak, that cruel and vile man...

Alexus shook her head, her past was a touchy subject. Always had been and always will be. They say time is the only thing that can cure your wounds but right now it must be using an infected plaster because these wounds just seemed to be getting worse as time went on. Or maybe she was just allergic to the plaster and it wasn't time itself that was making them worse but Alexus. Maybe she was just too weak to handle the past.

Alexus was originally from Tokyo, Japan. That explained her appearance. She wasn't from America and she certainly never belonged to the dark streets of New York. She couldn't remember much of her life in Japan. All she knew was that she was from there and she came to California when she was around four years old. That's as much as she'd been told. She couldn't remember how she ended up in New York and she never knew who her real parents were. This was usually why she felt so...lost at times. It felt like she was trying to head somewhere but she didn't know where. She didn't know what to do with herself and she didn't know where her life was taking her. She had no grades since she'd never attended school and she had only recently learned fluent English. All she knew was how to survive on the street and how to steal. There was nothing else to her life and this was how it was going to end. Always the same starvation and cold. She was never going to have a normal life.

And then there was Kris who'd helped her through every problem that had come across her so far. He'd been the one to find her at the age of 7, being beaten and pushed around by her "husband". He'd been the one to shove Russak to the ground and save Alexus from a much more bleak future than the current one that daunted her path.

She looked at the blonde egotistical maniac sitting on the same bench as her with burning hatred and also pure envy in her eyes. Chantelle didn't know what she had. She had a nice home and a loving family. She could go to sleep at night without worrying about maybe freezing to death or being stabbed for the change in her pocket. She could eat food without the fear that maybe the food was out of date and would give her food poisoning. In fact, she didn't even have to dread about where her next meal came from. It was always there in the fridge at home, freshly cooked and tasted delicious. Whereas Alexus has seen others kill someone just for a sandwich or had to fish left overs out of a bin to prevent them from starving.

Alexus had eaten left overs before, it was how her and Kris used to survive a few years ago. They used to actually live round the back door of a restaurant. Alexus had seen the way rick folks ate. They would eat as much has they're bellies could take before just simply chucking the precious food away. So Alexus and Kris used to scavenge for left overs. It was simple really, you would wait for the people to finish eating and after they'd gotten up and left the restaurant, Alexus and Kris would sneakily take their seats and pretend they'd been sitting there all along. They would finish the meal for the customers. But this was all before they were eventually caught and kicked out, never to be let back in again.

Alexus sighed, looking back at Kris, Scarlet and Malcom who were chatting happily amongst each other and while she was just sitting there all lonely with Queen Bitch sitting right next to her. It made her feel left out which wasn't a new thing for Alexus. She just wasn't exactly a friendly person. She could never learn how to mix well with others and make friends. It just wasn't in her to do so. Like a faulty switch.

"I'm gonna go guys," Alexus suddenly muttered, standing up, not being able to take the anxious stares coming from Chantelle much longer.
Everyone fell silent at that, nodding in agreement.
"Actually, I think we should all go," Malcom nodded, his British accent drawling.
They left the shop and slung their rucksacks over their shoulders. Well, apart from Alexus and Kris who weren't carrying rucksacks. They had no need for them.
"Wait, so you're telling me he never turned up to the meeting?" Kris asked Edwin as they discussed Edwin meeting up with his friend earlier that day.
Edwin nodded also giving a shrug. "Yeah, we were gonna go and see the alley kids but he never met back up with me. Apparently he went to go and see a 'friend'." Edwin told Kris suspiciously.
Kris shrugged, "I'm sure it's just nothing mate, I bet Kyle just got held up by something."
Edwin nodded. "I really hope so, but you know how it is. He went to go meet his friend up by that old bridge and you know what it's like over there. People get snatched. I've been worrying about him all day, I told him not to go alone but he said that no one else could follow him."
Kris just shook his head. "Seriously Edwin, chill. Kyle is probably just back at the underpass waiting for you, we'll see when we head back. Just stop panicking."
Edwin nodded quickly, pinching the bridge of his nose. "You know what it's like Kris, I'm still not used to this. These streets aren't the same as New Jersey." He explained.
"Yeah Ed, just calm down, you're making a big fuss out of nothing," Alexus muttered, deciding to join in on the conversation.

Kris gave Alexus a warning look, knowing how stressed Edwin had been ever since he moved to New York. Edwin wasn't from around New York, he originally from Manhattan but soon moved to New Jersey and then to New York about 9 months ago. From what Alexus had heard, he had been brought up in a normal home too and had only been living on the streets for about a year. But apart from that she barely knew the kid. But she kinda guessed that he had to rely on his friend Kyle since Edwin was new to the streets. Now Kyle had gone missing and Edwin was panicking.

"Jesus, what if he isn't at the underpass though?" Edwin asked, running a hand through his short hair. "I'd have to try and find my way around here by myself."
"It'll be fine Ed," Kris sighed. "I'll walk you back to the underpass if you want, we'll find him there and if not I'll help you find him tomorrow. Right now we just have to get back though because it's getting dark," Kris explained and Edwin nodded.
"Yeah, you're right," he agreed unsteadily.
Kris patted Edwin on the back. "Jeez mate, you gotta get yourself sorted out. Kyle can't look after you your whole life."
This was the thing about Kris. He was a people's person. He was happy to help others and that's why everybody liked him so much. Unlike Alexus who everybody tended to avoid at all costs in case she decided to bite their heads off. But Kris was something different, him and Alexus were two completely different people yet they were so close. And that's why they worked so well with each other. She was the hard core one who could beat down any man no matter what size while Kris was the softer one who could easily talk his way out of a situation.

They soon came to the underpass where Chantelle and Malcom disappeared to do whatever it was they do at night while Alexus followed Kris and Edwin through the crowd. Somewhere in this they also lost Scarlet as Edwin look frantically around for his friend who was apparently still not present.
"Kyle," he called, attracting the attention of a few curious teenagers but no Kyle responded.
"It'll be okay," Kris assured him. "I'll help you find Kyle tomorrow."
"God, I hope you're right," Edwin shook his head. "Kyle has helped me through so much."
Kris nodded. "Yeah I know mate, we've all been helped by someone to get through this. I don't know what I'd do if Alexus went missing." Kris motioned towards Alexus who could help but let a small smirk escape onto her lips.
Edwin nodded. "Okay, I'll see you tomorrow then," he nodded and Kris patted his back once more before walking away.
Alexus followed him, trying to keep up with Kris's long strides.
"What are you gonna do?" She asked. "Everyone knows that when someone goes missing, it usually means they're lying face down in some alley somewhere," Alexus honestly pointed out.
Kris sighed. "Yes, but I wasn't gonna tell him that was I?" He asked sarcastically. "He's known Kyle a while," he muttered.
"Yeah but he's gotta learn to suck up to it, we've all lost someone before y'know," she replied bitterly.
Kris shrugged. "I'm still gonna help him find Kyle, there's a chance he could have just camped with the the kids tonight," he pointed out and Alexus shrugged.
"Or they stuck a blade into his stomach before taking his rucksack," she muttered and Kris let out a sigh, shaking his head as they walked out of the underpass.
"You're terrible," he muttered. "I see now why Isaac tries not to dump the newbies on you."
"You don't have to be good at something you don't wanna do," Alexus mumbled as they crossed the street and took a turning into a very run down suburban area.
"You were a newbie once," Kris reminded her and Alexus shrugged.
"I still never cried when my best buddy went missing," she muttered and Kris let out a short laugh.
"None of your friends ever went missing, and Edwin wasn't crying."
"Yeah, but he was on the verge of it. I swear he was about to call up the milk carton company," Alexus joked.

"Ah, there you two are!" A voice suddenly came and Alexus spun round on her heels to see Isaac running towards them, he looked out of breath and his breathing was rasp. "I've been looking for you."
"What is it boss?" Kris asked, rolling his tongue across his teeth.
"I want you to keep an eye on Malcom," Isaac told them both and Alexus shrugged.
"Why?" She asked.
Isaac sighed. "Because I don't want him to do anything stupid around that girl."
"Like what-oh," Alexus remembered, nodding. "Okay, got it."
"Come on Isaac, he's past that now," Kris replied. "He's not going to do it again."
Isaac shook his head. "Yeah, but you can never be too careful, I want that girl kept safe. It would look bad if the guys came back and something bad had happened to her," Isaac pointed out and the two nodded.
"Okay, we'll keep an eye on the British kid," Alexus agreed.
"Ok and some kid went missing today too," Kris told Isaac. "Some called Kyle, do you know him?" He asked and Isaac quickly shook his head.
"Don't know anyone called Kyle," he replied bluntly. "Okay, I'll see you both tomorrow, but make sure you stay close by to Chantelle and Malcom. Got it?" He asked and Kris nodded.
"Got it."
And with that Isaac turned in the other direction and took off again. Alexus watched him as his black coat followed shortly behind, flapping around his ankles in the gentle breeze. She also noticed his brand new leather boots. She wished she could afford boots like that, or was lucky enough to actually find them. She only wondered how Isaac managed to get hold of them.

Alexus and Kris came up to the abandoned house at the end of the run down street. It was dark and the temperature had dropped rapidly. Kris strolled up the cracked rubble driveway, sliding past the rusted wrecked car that had long since broken down and was unrepairable. Alexus followed Kris up to the rotted chipped front door as Kris pushed it open without needing a key, still weary as they entered since anyone could walk into this place at random. It had happened before. They both walked down the coridoor, passing damp patch after damp patch on the grimy peeled wall. The place stank of rotting wood and mouldy wallpaper. The floor was filthy with crumbs of dirt and muddy foot prints and the corners of each room were decorated with huge clumped masses of built up cobwebs.

After finding out the house was still empty, Alexus entered the first room, sitting down on the stained worn mattress dumped in the middle of the floor and kicking off her shoes. The house didn't own any furniture apart from a wooden chair sat in the corner of Alexus and Kris's room. And the windows were so thin that it wouldn't make a difference if Alexus was outside or in because the draft just simply let in the biting cold. But it was still a home. And any home was good enough. It was better than nothing.

Alexus groaned, running a hand through her short messy hair and trying to ignore the constant rattling as the wind suddenly picked up against the shaking windows. Kris entered the room, picking up his backpack that had been sat in the corner and rummaging around it until he found his sleeping bag. They didn't exchange words as Alexus also brought out her sleeping bag and unravelled it onto the mattress. But she wanted to. She could have laid there all night and just chatted to him if she wanted to. She'd never discussed her feelings with Kris before, they never talked about their pasts either. But Alexus knew that she could have opened up if she wanted to. She wasn't shy around Kris, it was just that she didn't know how's he'd react if she ever opened up to him. She knew he was the only one she could ever talk to but she just never did.

Alexus slid into her sleeping bag, trying to avoid a sharp jutting out spring and resting her head on her hands as she stared up at the flaked ceiling, trying to pull her mind away from the constant dripping noise that echoed throughout the rackety shack. She closed her dark brown eyes, feeling the mattress tilt as Kris also got into his sleeping bag and rolled over so his back was facing her. She bit her lip, trying to put her mind off the fact that at any moment during the night someone could walk right into the house and murder them both. She always slept with a knife tucked into one of her woolly socks. She had done that since the night Kris saved her. She guessed that when you lived on the streets like this, you never knew what would come at you during the night.