Maybe if You Got to Know Me

Crossing Paths

Rory's POV:

I woke up and I was hit with reality. Fifteen years old, living in an abandoned ally with nothing.

I had a dream that everything was fixed and I thought it was real...but it wasn't.

It was cold, dark, wet, and it smelled. I've been living like this for a year, barely getting enough to eat or drink. I have a dark past let's say...I didn't do anything wrong though. I don't like getting into it.

I got up and started my daily "routine" I guess. I got up and I climbed the fire escape in my ally. I got up to the roof of the building. I live in Greenville, North Carolina. It is honestly a beautiful city. I feel bad that it has to hold me in it's streets. A five foot dirty ass girl with unkempt hair and the same three outfits for three years that are all dirty and tattered now.

I walked over the rooftops and finally got to where I had to go, I jump down the next fire escape and hit the ground with a bang. I walked over to the man that I see everyday and smiled, "Hey, Frank."

He gave me his big Italian smile and gave me a side hug, "Ahhhh, Rory! How have you been holding up?"

I shrugged, "Oh you know how being an orphan is. Crazy. Hey, so what will you give me if I can find at the least two dollars?"

He smiled and laughed at me. "I'll give you three apples and maybe even something else special." he winked. I knew he was talking about my cannoli. Every morning we have the same bit, I say some random amount of money I'll try and find (I usually find whatever amount I say) and he gives me three apples and a cannoli. He pretends he won't but he always does. Frank was a very good friend to me, closest thing I have to a father without having a father. He owns a shop on a street corner, it is an Italian bakery, but he also sells all kinds of fruits out front.

I know you're probably wondering why he doesn't just call child services. Because he doesn't know everything. He knows I am an orphan...he doesn't know I live on the streets.

Anyway, I headed out into ally's and street ways looking for cash. Today I was also feeling lucky so I decided to ask someone if they had two bucks.

I saw this group of tall guys walking around and went up to them, "Hi, I was hoping maybe you could have two dollars to spare." I asked with a small smile. I have social anxiety so I don't normally talk to random people it made me nervous.

The guys laughed, one in the back made a comment like, "Yeah, cause Jimmy defiantly doesn't have at least two dollars." I looked at them weird. Who were these guys? But no matter, their reaction made my anxiety really spike. I decided to get out quickly.

"Um...okay then, I'm sorry I bothered you," I said quietly and I sprinted off back into nearby ally. I hid behind a trash can and also peeled out to look. The guys had stopped laughing.

I noticed that some of them had cameras. The guy in front was wearing a straw sunhat. He seemed to be looking around. I had hoped they hadn't notice where I went.

I looked around, there were some good quick escapes...and I get quick luck because here was also a five dollar bill on the ground, I snatched it and sped up the nearest fire escape and got back to Franks place. It wasn't that far so I hoped that the group of men weren't heading that direction.

Don't get me wrong, I am pent up with sarcasm and confidence...with people I am close to. So really only Frank. I used to have friends...but things are different now.

I got back to the store and I went in, "Here you are, I got lucky." I smiled.

Frank gave me a joking glare, "Did you have to mug anyone?" he laughed.

He knows me too well to think I'd rob someone.

I laughed and walked behind the counter, "Do you need any help toda—" I started to day and that is when the group of men with cameras walked into the store. I caught the eye of the one with the straw hat. I ducked down behind the counter. "Uh...on second thought I'm just gonna grab that cannoli and go, it's cleaning day. I'll get the apples on my way out." I grabbed a cannoli and rushed out the door not making eye contact with any of the guys and pretended I wasn't there, "Thank you, Frank!"

"You're welcome, Rory!" he called back out to me with a laugh.

I grabbed my apples and sprinted, I didn't even bother with a fire escape I needed to disappear fast and climbing with things in hand is hard. I just booked it.

I didn't even care if people were giving me weird looks.

I was so embarrassing, I couldn't even act like I didn't care in front of strangers. God damn.

Once I got back to my ally and ate my food and eventually just laid down and tried to sleep. I wanted to block out the world.

•••

Jimmy's POV:

The girl booked it out of the store when we walked in. I wasn't going to judge her in her choices but I didn't really get why she kept running away. I was just a person.

We came to this shop to get pastries for the office cupboards because Chandler keeps eating them all, also...I decided to do a challenge, last to leave tub of powdered sugar gets 10k. And this was the last place we needed to hit to collect the many pounds of powered sugar.

Once the boys all picked out food I went up to the owner and talked to him about giving us at the least three big bags of powered sugar. He was glad to do it. I thanked him and gave him $1000 for a thanks.

The boys and me were just about ready to leave but then I just felt a pull in my gut to go back, "Hey, guys gimme a second, I'll be right back."

"Okay." they all said.

I walked back to the store.

"Hi, Frank. I have a question for you. That teenage girl that was here earlier, Rory? I think you said her name was. Is she okay. She looked a bit distraught," I asked.

Frank's demeanor changed he was no longer smiling, "Get out of my store."

"What?" I asked confused.

"Got out of my store and never come back. Keep your money and the sugar and get out," he handed me my money back and pushed me out of the store.

He slammed the door behind me.

Karl looked at me, "What happened?"

I looked back and frowned, "I accidentally got us banned for life..."

Chris screamed, "WHAT? THIS IS MY FAVORITE BAKERY JIMMY!! WHAT DID YOU DO?!!"

I looked at the bakery and shrugged, "I asked a question that seemed to be an extremely sensitive topic and he got mad. I've never seen Frank mad...ever."

The boys were not happy with me, but I was more concerned about something else.

•••

This is not gonna be a love story but I promise you it will still be good, I hope you stick with reading loves. Please send me feedback <3

~Daughter Of Poseidon