Bitch

"SCARLET!" Kris's enraged voice roared throughout the underpass.
Several kid's heads shot up as they jumped out of their sleeping bags at the shrill sound of Kris yelling. Kris never yelled. Hell, Kris was never angry let alone angry enough to raise his voice. But now the anger shone through like a sore thumb, his temper thundered throughout the underpass as he stormed past the crowd of kids. His face was red with fury and his hair was ruffled as he repeatedly ran his hair through it, grey eyes heated and his jaw gritted tightly.

Kids stared in aw at him, chatting excitedly amongst themselves as Kris spotted Scarlet talking to Malcom casually, leaning against the wall and sipping coffee. Kris's anger was a rarity...no scratch that, it never happened altogether. Kris was the kind to usually solve a situation by remaining peaceful and thoughtful. Keeping a straight head and more importantly a calm face. But now he was just as angry anyone could be. Scarlet had clearly rattled his cage.

Scarlet spotted Kris trudging towards her, face like fury. She carefully placed her coffee on the floor before she straightened up and tried to remain cool as Kris came up towards her and jabbed Scarlet in the shoulder harshly.
"What are you playing at huh?" He asked, eyeing Scarlet up angrily.
Scarlet was taller than Kris, probably stronger too. Every move she made was swift and her slender arms were defined with strong muscles. She stared down at Kris calmly, although he did look a little deadlier with his furious expression and raging temper. A temper that seemed to act like a virus since every kid in the underpass was currently uncomfortable with the current situation, shifting nervously as they sat and waiting to see what Kris was about to do and why he had kicked off in the first place. It still made the kids uneasy, Scarlet must had committed something quite serious if he was this pissed off about it.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Scarlet replied firmly, gritting her jaw.
Malcom stepped towards Kris, laying a hand on his shoulder.
"Come on man, cool off-" Malcom began but Kris only shrugged his hand away, glancing at Malcom and glaring at him.
"Don't even think about it English boy," Kris spat, pointing a finger at Malcom now. "You're in this as well."
"Kris, what the hell?" A voice came and Chantelle who was sitting on the floor, looked over to see Alexus making her way through the crowd.
Kris gave out a short breathless laugh, "Gee, I dunno Lexi. What the hell? Why don't you fucking ask Scarlet over here. She seems to have a good clue on what's going on," he replied spitefully.
Scarlet laughed, rolling her eyes, "This seriously isn't about them notes is it?" She asked in disbelief.
"How could you?" Kris asked, shaking his head. "Me? Scarlet, I thought we were friends."
Scarlet frowned, "We still are, I don't see what your problem is."

Alexus stepped forward, "Yeah, what the fuck is going on here? Am I the only one in the dark about this?"
"Stay out of this," Kris called.
Alexus shot him a dirty look, half surprised and half angry.
"I'm sorry?" She asked in disbelief.
"I said." Kris sighed, "Stay out of this."
Alexus's forehead creased, "No," she replied stubbornly.
Kris groaned, "Please Alexus. You don't need to get involved."
Alexus's mouth hung open, "What? Kris, we've done everything together since we first met," She reminded him.
Kris sighed, "Yeah...but people are getting hurt."
Alexus frowned, "So? People are always getting hurt. Never got in the way of us before."
Kris pulled a face, "Soooo, I don't want you getting involved. We've already lost Edwin, we don't need to loose you."
Alexus suddenly looked surprised, her eyes widening, "We lost Edwin?" She asked, "Since when?!"
Malcom's forehead creased, "You never told her?"
Kris groaned, "Okay Alexus, kids have been going missing. I've had chats with a few of them and they say that they've been receiving letters and shortly after that they go missing."
"And you failed to tell me this?" Alexus asked, her voice rising.
"I've only known since yesterday!" Kris snapped back before sighing, "I overheard some kids talking about it."
"Isaac didn't tell you?" Scarlet asked curiously.

Kris tore his gaze away from the betrayed Alexus, glaring at Scarlet.
"Yeah," Kris replied darkly, "He sure did."
Malcom was about to say something, opening his mouth but Kris cut him off with a sudden outburst.
"AND HE SAID YOU ACCUSED ME OF KIDNAPPING INNOCENT CHILDREN!" Kris bellowed, his voice strained, face a heated red and angry veins protruding from his forehead.
Scarlet flinched, feeling his warm breath on her chin as he was standing so dangeroudly close. Kris's shoulders slacked a little after that, he ran a hand over his face and stepped back a little. He closed his eyes for a second and took a deep breath.
"After everything I've done for you, " He finally said after the pause, he looked up at Scarlet. "I helped you, I got you a place here, gave you tips. I help other kids, I feed the weak and I give them a place to stay. I've been supporting kids ever since I became homeless. I've cared for them, made friends, looked after them and what for? So you can accuse me of kidnap and murder? You wanna know what Isaac said? He told me you thought I was a murderer because I looked funny the other day." He cocked his head to the side as he stared at Scarlet, she dropped her head and stared at the ground guiltily. "Looked funny," he repeated, his voice almost spitting and filled with disbelief. "Is that all it takes Scarlet? Am I that much of an evil person that all it takes is for me to look funny and you can immediately assume me of murder? What were you doing following me in the first place Scarlet?" He took a step closer to her, his eyes dangerous and his voice on edge. "Huh?"

Alexus held her breath, she had seem him kick off like this once before. What people didn't know was that Kris was a bomb. A grenade to be precise. All it took was for someone to release the pin for him to explode. Kris had told her about this, it was why he ended up homeless in the first place. His parents had pulled the pin. And Scarlet had just done the same now.

Meanwhile Chantelle is sitting on the floor, her knees drawn up to her chest as she watched with interest. Must have been like a bloody show for her. Alexus bet that Chantelle was enjoying this. She could imagine Chantelle watching with excitement over fights at her school. Lucky bitch Chantelle. The closes thing she could have seen to drama was a fight breaking out in the school corridor. What Alexus would give to have attended school.

"Because if you were following me, that must have meant you immediately thought of me as a suspect. Is that right?" Kris pressed on.
Scarlet shook her head, fear obviously crossing her face now as she tried to restrain her bottom lip from trembling. Kris shouting was enough to make anyone piss themselves with fright.
"I didn't think you murdered anyone," Scarlet replied through gritted teeth.
Kris raised an eyebrow, "Is that so? Then what were you doing following me?" He asked.
Scarlet paused, "You....you looked suspicious," she replied, lowering her head.
Kris laughed, "See what I mean? You could just so easily suspect me of being a kidnapper, a murderer...just because I was looking suspicious? Me? Of all people? Me, who has helped a ton of kids survive the streets, made their lives better...and you thought I was a murderer? Doesn't that sound a little suspicious itself since you were the one following me?"
Macom sighed, shaking his head, "Aw come on Kris. She wasn't saying you were a murderer. She just said it was something to take note of," he explained, his voice sounding tired.

Kris nodded, his eyes not leaving Scarlet as he gritted his jaw together. "Is that so hey?" He asked, his voice shrill, "How about we take note of how Scarlet was following me yesterday when I was walking back from the bridge?" He paused, "Ah, and what was she doing at the bridge in the first place?"
Scarlet rolled her eyes, "I was...meeting up with Malcom and Chantelle."
But then she suddenly realized what she had done, just pushed Kris's accusing finger in their direction instead, leading him to bring up more of the previous events from the night.
Kris turned towards Malcom and Chantelle, "And what were you two doing at the bridge. Huh? Isn't that where the kid were meant to be going missing? Sounds a little suspicious doesn't it? And I also happened to see them there that night too...talking about waiting for another kid to receive a letter."
Malcom looked surprised, his eyes widening. "You were spying on us?" He asked in disbelief.
Kris nodded, "Good thing too, what was it about you saying "Lets wait for the next kid to receive a letter and follow him up to the meeting play"?" Kris looked back at Scarlet, "Sounds suspicious doesn't it?" Kris looked back at Malcom, "Lets not forget that Malcom here, seems to have a history of this sort of thing."

Suddenly something flared up inside Malcom, his eyes suddenly sparked and his jaw tightened.
"Don't you ever use that against me," Malcom spat venomously.
"Woah, Kris, that doesn't have anything to do with this," Alexus suddenly said, walking towards Kris as he gave Malcom a daring look.
Malcom tightened his fists, curling them up as he took a step forward. Kris had just cross the line. Malcom was a grenade too.
But Kris hadn't finished. "I mean, Malcom seems to have a history of hurting kids, doesn't that sound suspicious to you? Doesn't he get to be spied on or reported?"
Suddenly Malcom lunged at Kris, his fist making contact with Kris's strong jawline. Kris cried out and fell back against the wall. At first he seemed shocked, sticking a finger inside his mouth for it to come back bloody because he had bit his tongue. He stared at the blood, then back at Malcom who was staring at Kris with pure hatred. His chest was rising up and down rapidly, his nails digging into the palms of his hands as he burned a glare of daggers into Kris.

Kris unpeeled himself from the wall, suddenly charging at Malcom and punching him in the cheek before kicking Malcom in the stomach. Malcom gasped for breath, getting a good tug of Kris's brown hair as he went down winded. Kris was about to pull off another blow when suddenly he felt a pair of arms tightened around his waist and hauled him away. Kris thought back against Isaac, only to find Alexus coming up in front of him, telling him to calm down and chill out. Malcom was about to get up and lunge again but he was pulled away by a shaken Scarlet as she dragged him out of the underpass and into the cool night air.

Malcom grumbled under his breath, his eyes rimmed red as he punched a wall angrily and grunted in pain, slumping down onto the side of the curb and resting his head in his hands. His shoulders were shaking as he thought back angry tears, his hands gripping his grimy hair tightly and his shoulders hunched. Scarlet sat down next to him, sighing.
"Ignore him," she said softly but Malcom didn't look up. "Kris didn't mean what he said. He's... pissed off...it must be a one off thing."
Malcom still didn't answer, although his shoulders had stopped shaking so violently and his grip on his hair slacked a little.
"What you did is in the past now."
Malcom looked up, his face looking tired and pale while his eyes were red but he hadn't cried, yet tears welled up at the rims. He was on the verge of tears.
"Do you think I'm evil enough to be suspected of kidnapping these kids?" He asked, his voice strained.
Scarlet shook her head, "No," she replied firmly, "I don't. You couldn't hurt a fly."
"I have though, "Malcom pointed out sadly.
"You had no choice...that's in the past anyway-"
Scarlet was about to say something else before she suddenly overheard a conversation behind them.

"The bridge, I got a note," one kid said and Malcom suddenly picked up the conversation too.
"Why?" The other asked.
"I got a note, I dunno, sounds good though. Maybe it's Frank."
The other shook his head, "Frank aint comin' back Sid," He replied sadly.
"No," the other replied hopefully, "He's alive. I can feel it."
And suddenly the kid ran off, up the street. Scarlet and Malcom suddenly stood up, they knew where they had to be.