darker_london | Stephie (biting Misty's head off)

Stephie poked the scar on her arm. It was pretty long, but very shallow and it had stopped bleeding a while ago. She'd done it as she's broken her window, just desperate to get out of her room. The quarterstaff have served to break the glass but she'd used her arms to get the rest of the glass out. She's read somewhere, ages ago, that putting a pillowcase round your arm would sheild if from broken glass. It was a stupid thing to believe, but at least she'd had a pillowcase to stop the bleeding, once she had enough distance between her and her house.

It had been such a stupid thing. The twins had been constantly and deliberatly hassling her and she'd just snapped, badly, and pounced on one of them. The other had jumped in for her sister's sake but Stephie has been in more fights than either of them would in their lifetimes. She shouldn't have done it. They'd got what they wanted, proven to themselves she was little more than an animal.

She'd promised herself she'd be better than this. And she was trying. But it hadn't even been a month and she was acting like her old self again. Fuck.

She'd hit the playground near the skate park and found it deserted, holed up in one of the kids tunnels and bawled. The side of her fist ached where she'd smacked it into the concrete side of the tunnel. She'd felt better afterwards, though. Embarrased and utterly stupid, not to mention dreading how much trouble she'd be in when she finally went back home.

So Stephie went walking, aimlessly. Maybe she'd find some lunch and disappear in some cafe. But she didn't want to be around anyone she knew right now.

Misty was on another one of her walks she seemed to be taking so much lately. Her head was in the clouds as usual, so she didn't notice there was a girl who seemed to be doing the same thing.

At least, she didn't notice her until the 2 of them got close enough that one or the other would have to change directions to avoid a head-on collision.

Misty noticed in time and took a step back and to the side and called out "hello." She got a good look at the girl and noticed she looked banged up. "Are you ok ?" she asked after a moment.

Stephie shot a poisoness look at the girl and shook her head, sharply. "Just fine." She couldn't hide the bitterness in her voice.

Misty raised an eyebrow and gave a gentle laugh. "Obviously."

"Well, I was headed to get a drink or a snack, or something." Misty said off-hand. "You are welcome to join me, if you don't have anything pressing or going anywhere specific." Misty said with a shrug, letting it be this girl's choice. Hey, not like I would mind the company, misty reminded herself.

"Not hungry." said Stephie, then added a grudging "thanks."

"To be honest, neither am I. I am mostly just wandering around aimlessly. Figured I might get hungry or thirsty at some point and would do it then." Misty said mildly.

After a pause, she shrugged. "This is where manners say to reply with you are welcome. But since they are not always my strong point, probably more accurate to say ok."

Misty looked up at the trees and then gave this girl another shrug when she looked back down to the girl. "Glad to meet a new person. My name is Misty." Misty said offhand.

Here Stephie haulted and raised a sceptical eyebrow. "As in Renee and Deirdre's Misty?"

Misty gave a small laugh. "I wasn't aware I was theirs. In fact, I believe Renee specifically referred to me as Jamie's dog. But hey, if it means I might get a few more hands feeding me or brushing my coat, I guess there are worse things." Misty said with a raised eyebrow.

Stephie laughed, mostly without humour. "Jesus Christ on a stick, London is shrinking."

Misty laughed a little too. "Tell me about it." she excalimed. "Figures our connection would be 2 of the 3 people who saw me at about as bad of a moment as I have had since I moved here."

Misty shrugged. "So now what ?"

"So now we both piss off and go on with our happy little lives." Stephie stated. "Isn't is obvious."

Misty shrugged. "If that is what you want, we can do that. If so, it was nice to meet you."

"Later," Stephie forced a smile and turned to walk away.

When Slink hadn't shown up at the skatepark Jude had waited a little while, getting colder by the minute, and then stood up with a sigh. She'd been blown off. She pulled out her phone to txt Slink but before she could even open her messages she thought better of it.

Well, she had no desire to go home. And she didn't really feel like going anywhere with other people...

She wandered slowly across the empty skatepark before finding a bench that wasn't taken by a bum and laid down across it, her head resting on her hand. It was sort of ironic, she thought. Here she was, with enough money to do anything she wanted and be anywhere she wanted and she was lying on a park bench with sleeping bums for company.

Whatever.

He hadn't heard from Slink since asking her if she wanted him to bust her out. It had been meant more as an amusing alternative that wasn't quite serious. He'd been unsurprised that Slink had vetoed, but then when she hadn't replied back, and the hours had passed, he began to wonder.

Not overly much though. Slink would kill him if she knew. Slink could take care of herself. She certainly didn't need anybody else, especially one she could potentially beat in an arm wrestle 'worrying' about her.

About two blocks after leaving Misty, Stephie felt all the anger drain out of her and her feet start to drag. She dragged her hands over her face and raised her eyes skyward, letting the apathy take over. It was easier, this way, when you didn't care about what anyone said or did to you. Made you stronger. Lonlier.

Mood swings sucked. Stephie felt her eyes pricking again. No. Crying was the last thing she was going to do. She slammed her fist itno her thigh to bring herself back a little, and decided that she would go to the library. Libraries were places of rare peace and that's what she needed right now.