[A/n]
Question of the day; favorite song? Artist? Band?
Once again I apologize, I've been super busy with work. I hope you guys can understand.
{Official publish on} September 5th, 2016
{Republish on} October 30th, 2016
{Word count} 3310
* * *
"We're moving."
More still than a stealth stick-bug, I had imagine even that news was too dramatic to my heart that it stopped beating.
If we were moving a week ago before the incident with David, I would have been fine with it. Moving was the circle of my life, but all that's changed now. I found a job which could change my life, Miya is happy here at her school instead of being abuse by bullies. And we have a chance to get out of this hell-hole we're force to call home.
Moving would change the social connections that Miya already establish, not to mention a few friends I have already bonded with.
"No, we're not moving." I manage to breathe out. "I told you, if you're mad about us being late I'm sorry. It won't happen again." I apologize despite of me trying not to gag for just being in the same room as her.
My shoulders felt light, releasing some satisfaction. For once, it felt nice to say what was on my mind.
"We're not moving because of that," she says, adjusting the stick in her mouth and fuming smoke through her nose. "I'm surprise that you're not agreeing to moving, even though you've been bullied at your school."
"It doesn't matter what happens to me, as long as Miya is happy." I retort, standing in front of Miya to shield her away from my aunts eyes.
"That's funny, but I'm your guardian. You don't even have experience or money to help you pay for the school fees or even find a decent place to live." she states.
I hate to admit it, but she was right. Once she leave, we would be penniless and unable to find food.
'Maybe Levi will help us?...' I thought at first but thinking of the aftermath. 'No! This is my problem, I am old enough to do this on my own..'
"Moving truck comes in a few days, better say your goodbyes soon." Our aunt adds, then picking up her phone which began to ring. She averts her direction, then whisking herself away again into the kitchen.
"B-big sis, are we really going to move?" Miya asks, looking up her head with an desperate eyes looking for comfort from her big sister, me. She sniff, rubbing her eyes as those tears threaten to fall.
"I... I promise," I said, kneeling down and wiping away them away from the edge of her eyes. I won't let us move." I speak, squeezing her hand then latching my pinky with hers. "Get inside now, I have to talk with our aunt." I almost hiss at the term, then emphatically rush the child in my room, closing the door on her.
I climb down the staircase and silently walked to the kitchen. The kitchen had a door that would swing either in or outwards, and a opening that led to the living room. Without making a single creak of the swinging door, I open it partially for vision.
I spectate as she held the phone against her ear, "I know I lost the bet," she says in a lowly tone as if she was ashamed of herself. "I said, I would get the money. I'll have it in a week or so."
'Liar.' I thought, 'no wonder why she wants to move. She's trying to run away again.'
She gives a fake laugh into the phone then ending the call and throwing her cell on the counter. Her hands grip the edge of the counter, repeatedly mumbling the word, money.
'Well, I figured why she wants to move.. but how to convince her?' I thought strategically, thinking of ways to convince her but all had end in complex situations.
My e/c pupils expand like the Grand Canyon, an idea so crazy and risky yet it might just work. My hand push the door open, finding my aunt sitting at the table with a cup of cold coffee and another fresh cigarette in her hands.
"What do you want? Aren't you past your bedtime," she says, breathing in the toxic and blowing it out.
"I know how to get money. If I can pay the money you lost, Miya can continue with her life here." I said, getting straight to the point.
"What about your life?" she questions, slumping back in her chair with her narrow, beady eyes staring into me.
"My life was gone once we came to live with you." I almost snarl but felt pity for myself, "but. I'll do anything for Miya to be happy."
What I said, seem to weigh her mind, because with another last deadly inhale, she tap the stick and ash fell at the end on the surface of the table.
"I'm listening."
* * *
My moves mimicked a zombie from unrealistic horror movies or tv shows. I exit the kitchen, each of my footsteps getting heavier once I was nearing to my room where Miya sat patiently for good news. It was definitely good news, but she didn't have to hear what else was going to happen.
I sharply inhale as my hand rest on the doorknob, feeling like eternity, I open the door where I was instantly greeted by a bear-hug from Miya.
"Guess what? Auntie is going to let us stay here!" I said in my most cheerfullest voice, and wearing a comely smile.
"Really?!" Miya chirps, throwing her arms around my legs. "You're the best big sis ever!"
This is why I love her so much. My mouth curve to a genuine smile, then holding her hand and bringing her to bed for another regular school day.
"Wait sis, I have to change into my pajamas!" Miya says, letting go of my hand and running back to her room. I yawn, changing into a large plain t-shirt and some comfortable pants.
I decided to crawl in bed first, my eyes almost drifting until I heard the door click open and Miya scurry into the bed with her purple onesie pajama.
"Goodnight sis!" she says, landing a quick kiss on my forehead. She threw the covers over her then making herself all snuggle up.
I wait, till I heard deep breathing coming from Miya. I fix the blankets to completely cover her body below her head and tucking her in. I kiss her on the head, then laying my head on my pillow.
"I'm sorry Miya, I promise I will."
* * *
Levi's POV
It's only been a few days after the bombing, four days to be exact. The news broke out, telling the world about another Titan attack. I sat in my desk for another whole day of a boring school that I call a six-hour prison.
My eyes shift to the empty seat which belonged to F/n. It's been a couple of days and she still hasn't came to school.
"That brat still isn't here." I click my tongue sharply, as I avert my head to the front of the classroom.
'If she's sick or not, she still has a job.' I thought, tuning out from the teachers annoying voice. 'She didn't answer her phone, but at least I left a message.'
'Maybe that brat will show for work.'
* * *
"Welcome back sir, did you come back from the hospital?" Erd salutes as I enter the building of the new headquarters.
The building was bigger than the original one, we advance the security and patrol around and inside. We even built bomb detectors within all any doors that led outside. I guess Erwin didn't want to take any risky chances.
"Is cadet L/n here?" I ask, spectating other busy-bodies buzzing in the lobby.
"No sir, she hasn't even called in." Erd states. "I tried calling her phone but it keeps going straight to voicemail."
I sigh, gently pinching the bridge of my nose. "If Erwin is asking for me, tell him I'll be searching for our AWOL cadet. You're dismiss."
Erd looked a little frantic, but saluted and walked away to do his job.
I rub my forehead, feeling a sharp pain migraine from high amounts of stress. I exit the building, going to my car and drove to F/n's house. She just seem to vanish after the incident.
'Did the Titans get her?' I thought, idealizing millions of scenarios that might've happened to her.
I parked my car at the side of the rode across from F/n's house, then taking my time to observe. The house appeared empty, there was no car in the driveway yet at the window I saw the curtains shift.
'Don't tell me this brat just decide to skip.' I thought and march out the car, striding to the front door and banging my fist loudly, clattering the door. I could kick the door open, but I would have to pay the bill.
The door peep open, and a small eye shone in the darkness.
"Big bro!!" Miya flings the door wide open and tackles me. "Please help big sis!" she cries, since she was short, her face rub on my stomach and her small arms trying to wrap all around my waist.
"What's wrong?" I said as Miya lift her head with small beads of tears at the corners of her eyes.
* * *
Your POV
My hands pause to twitch, then involuntarily continuing to pack canned food into cardboard boxes. My hair was up in a hairnet, my hands were enveloped in thin, transparent gloves for sanitary reasons.
"F/n? Are you alright?" a man says, he was quite large but polite and had a thick mustache. He was also my boss. He looked intimidating but in reality, he's a shy guy.
"I'm fine sir," I reply, continuing to work by placing in the canned food into boxes and putting boxes in this machine which mechanically zipped the cardboard closed with tape.
"You look pale, am I working you too hard?" he asks, his brows scrounging up, concern. "You've been working since 1am and now it's-"
"What time is it?!" My head shot up, twisting and craning to look for a clock of any type.
"It's nearly four, in the afternoon."
"I have to go, and do you know when my check will be ready tomorrow?" I ask, ripping off the tight gloves and undoing the hairnet.
"Yea, you can come pick it up around noon. Some of the workers says that your phone has been ringing nonstop, you should take a look and see if everything's alright."
"Thank you for telling me, I will come around noon to pick up my check." I said firmly, automatically thinking of Levi who's been trying to contact me.
I walk in the employees room where my female coworkers would change in privacy. I swapped into my casual clothes, picking up a bag and hung my sweater on my arm. I set my bag down, putting one arm through the sleeve.
'Maybe I should call Levi? Tell him I should be coming back soon.' I thought, but felt weight loosening from my sweater pocket and heard a sharp crash on the floor. My eye dart to the location, finding my flip-phone in pieces.
"Oh no..." I kneel down, picking it up, hoping there would be fixable but sadly the phone cracked in two. "It was old," I told myself. "It was bound to break sooner or later."
I tidy the mess, throwing away the discarded parts into a trash bin and head out the factory. The factory wasn't anything grand, it was small and it's color was a dull blue. It was isolated from other buildings and protected with a wire fence.
Walking about ten to fifteen blocks away, I await by a sign where a public bus would daily stop at. I rub both of my eyes, yawning and cross my arms to wait patiently for the vehicle.
Ten minutes past and in the far left of the street, a shimmer of windows grow brighter, racing down the street and stopping at the stop sign. The bus hiss, oil which was transformed into gas flowingly spill into the air and the doors open.
I freely walk in with my possessions, talking a seat and setting my things beside me. The bus was nearly empty because nearly no one would be this far away from the city. The ride took a total of forty-minutes, so for time I gladly close my eyes, letting myself get some shut eye.
* *Flashback* *
"I'm listening," my aunt said, her eyes focusing on me. "Are you going to try to persuade me by giving me some sentimental things that'll change my mind?" she joked.
"You need money, I heard you on the phone," I said, frowning and calmly exhaling. "I can get the money."
"Honey, no, you can't get the money." She said, her facial expressions showing absolutely nothing.
"You let me worry about that. I can get the money. If I get the money, we're staying here." I bargained. "How much money?"
"Nine grand," she said, watching my jaw drop.
"N-nine-thousand?!" I utter in astonishment of how this woman could not get any worse.
"Ha, your face is priceless. This tells me you're ready to give up already? Not much of a fight, as always." She says, chuckling and whiffing another of the stick.
"No," I pursed my lips, sneering at her. "Everything's changed now, I will get that money, I need time." I insisted.
"Fine," she hums, dropping her cigar on the table and smothers out the smoke. "I'll cancel the moving truck. You have almost two weeks to get the money."
"I will." I said, turning my back and partially open the door until...
"Of course, there'll be a downside of you fail."
"What do you mean?" I frown, staring into her eyes but her attention was on her crushed cigar stick.
"If you fail, Miya and you will go to foster homes and get different families."
* *End of Flashback* *
My body jolt, my forehead hitting the seat in front of me. I blinked once or twice before comprehending that this was my stop.
I swipe my things, throwing it over my shoulder and rush out before I could be sucked in by the incoming passengers. After five minutes of walking, I reach my destination, a small gas station store where held my next job. I pull the door open, entering and a bell ringed above me.
The gas station was nothing special, refrigerators were built in the wall in the back of the store. There were couples of lines and aisles of junk food and a coffee maker at the side on the counter.
There were a total of two doors, one was to enter and the other to exit. Between the spaces of the door was a area for registers where you buy your items.
"Hey F/n," grins a older man wearing a clean green apron by the register. "Glad yer here, yer can start the job by putting the beer away."
"Yes boss, I'll get start right away." I said, walking into the employees only and putting my things into another locker then grabbing a clean apron and my name tag.
Walking out I spot my boss helping customer and sneaking some flirting remarks. I help myself by carrying a case of beer, then setting it down. I open the door of the fridge. I grab the glass bottles, sliding it in
I bent down to reach for more, grasping on one until I felt something warm rub my rear. I froze, turning my head and seeing my boss with a sadistic smile and a bulge in his pants.
No one else was in the gas station, the customer I had saw earlier had left, leaving me and him...
I bit my lip, trying to move away but he just seems to follow me, his large fat hand on me. I whimper, shutting my eyes, gripping my hands as a tear slip out.
'Just hang F/n. Just hang on until tomorrow. '
* * *
Levi POV
"What's wrong?" I said as Miya lift her head with small beads of tears at the corners of her eyes.
"Big sis keeps stressing herself big bro! Please help her!" she begs, burrowing her head into my shirt.
"Calm down," I said, kneeling down and patting her head. Quickly, for a second, my head twist behind me, seeing a rusty white van slowly drove by. The windows were tinted but the car kept moving forward.
"Let's get inside first, then you can tell me about it." I say, moving her inside the house then closing the door and locking it. "What happened?"
"When me and big sis went back home, auntie says that we're going to move. I told sis that I didn't want to move and she promised me that she wouldn't let it happen." Miya quickly says, then pausing and sniffing as more tears drip from her lashes.
"Don't cry," I said softly, awkwardly patting her head three times.
Miya gave a small giggle through her tears. "You never comfort anyone haven't you bro?" she says. "First if you see them cry, you give them a tissue and hug them."
"I don't have a tissue, but," I said, hugging her and patting her back. "Just tell me what happened, where is F/n?"
"I don't know," Miya replies, looking down at her feet. "She says that she's going to earn money and might be gone for awhile.. Big sis says that it's important that she gets lots of money."
"Why?"
"She wouldn't tell me." Miya pouts, "she doesn't come home at night. But she always comes in the morning to walk me to school."
My phone begins to ring in my pocket. I pick it up, answering it.
"What."
"Levi, a meeting, now. Meet me in my office." Erwin's voice says through the phone then ending the call.
"Miya, I have to go." I said, slipping my phone back into my pocket. "I promise to look for F/n."
Instead of happiness, Miya face was shameful and her head kept looking down at her feet.
"What's wrong now?" I ask.
"I want to help find big sis too..." Miya pouts, folding her hands and resting it on her stomach.
"Big sis will come home, ok? You have to trust big bro."
Miya's face sparkle, looking up at me. "Yes sir!" she shouts, with a smile.
"Be safe," I said, patting her head then leaving her behind.
* * *
It was already the next morning, six in the morning to be precise. Since I had insomnia, I slept for a total of three hours. After taking a hot shower in my apartment, I draped a white towel on my lower half of my body then rubbing the steam off my mirror.
I ran my hand through my wet hair, using another towel to dry off my black hair. After getting ready, I grab my keys and head out to my car, driving back to F/n's house then parking on the side of the road.
I remembered that Miya would say that F/n would come to drop off Miya to her school. Some odd reason, I felt my begin to sway and my eyes slowly closing until I didn't even realize I was sleeping.
My body jerked, and once again I was awake. This time it was around eight in the morning. I sigh, slumping back of my chair until I saw the door open and two figures walked out.
"F/n?"
* * *