Brother

“How much of that… did you hear?”

“Are you two, like, criminals?”

The little boy’s question was justified, but Frankie wasn’t going to answer it. The alley was quickly filled with the scent of suspicion.

“Kid. Why’re you here alone?”

“This is where I live.”

“In this alleyway? Katie gasped.

“In this zone, jerk.”

Frankie stepped ahead, letting her sister rest.

“Sorry to disturb you.” Switching her tone, she addressed the youngster as equal. In his tacky children’s cowboy vest and little cargo shorts, it wasn’t an easy feat.

“That’s not what I’m mad about. You can stay here, I don’t care. I’m an outlaw too.”

Katie giggled.

“You… are?”

“Me and my sister…” He had a gloomy look on his face, but there was a little pride beneath it. “She beat you, right?”

“Huh?” From where she was standing, Frankie got a creepy view of the child’s forehead as he glared up at her without moving his head to face her directly, analyzing her appearance.

“She said a blonde idiot and a girly-girl in a pink dress came and lost thirty to her.” He saw the girly one wasn’t in what she described, but somehow he knew it had to be her.

Frankie growled.

“Yeah, that’d be us.”

“Okay. Well, she said you’d probably be around here tomorrow.”

“Why did she say that?” Frankie’s paranoia touched her again.

“I asked.”

“Were you looking for us?”

“Yeah, that’s it.”

Mindlessly eyeing her left flip-flop, Frankie leaned against the wall tiredly, still thinking about how they’d make back all they’d lost.

“Why?”

“You seemed funny.” He put his jaw in his hands. “I’m bored.”

Katie looked all around, taking point again.

“How could you be bored in a place like this?”

“It’s different when you live here.” He gazed out onto the usual streets, the trails and new-old buildings trapping him in a land out of time. “Sis’ never around until late. I gotta kill time until then.”

“You’re lonely?” She pushed forward.

As Katie spoke, Frankie half-wanted to stop her, but she was so out of leads and ideas that any chance encounter like this couldn’t be overlooked. She’d seen this one before- when you’re stuck, involving someone else will always push things forward. Even if most of the time it’s with chaos that’ll make everything worse, she was that desperate at this point.

“I’m not lonely.” The boy retorted. “I just don’t know what to do when my sister’s not around.”

“What’s your name, sir?” Katie smiled.

“Saint.” He hid his own expression of joy, letting the instinctual glumness of his worn face take control.

“Wanna go on a ride with us, Saint?”