(This is heavily inspired by Star-fire taking the teen titans to that carnival and also the last few chapters in Renegades, its a book)

Apparently we weren’t acting like a team. Whatever that means.

Just because we don’t spend every waking second glued at each other’s hips doesn’t mean we hate one another. It means we like out own personal space. But the agency thinks we need to bond, become friends. Since we’re going to be spending the next 6 months together, it’s not like I’m already sharing a room with one of them or anything. I don’t know whether the minibus ride is loud or not, I put in my headphones and was listening to music. I’m pretty sure Maisie did the same, her whole thing is sound so she almost always has her headphones on. She does it because it calms her down. I do it because it gives me an excuse not to talk to people. Once we step off we are greeted by obnoxiously loud music and blinding colourful lights. I grimace at the sight. One of the agents sets out our rules, I don’t actually know their name. I don’t know any of their names no one ever tells us and it’s always a different agent. This one tells us that we will each be given £100 to spend on games and food, we should avoid talking to anyone who isn’t in the program and we have to be back at the minibus by 11:30. I check my watch and it is currently 8:17. I don’t know how I’m going to survive this.

Callum and Maisie have already walked off together, making polite conversation. Liam wanders behind them staring at his feet. Amity is still standing beside me, I know her the best because she’s my roommate. But then again we’ve only shared the same room for 3 nights. Actually I don’t even know her last name. She smiles at me, a lopsided one and it doesn’t quite reach her eyes. I walk to catch up with the others. I can hear her footsteps trailing after me. I’ve never been to a carnival before, but I got the essence of it. Rides and game stalls and ridiculously over prized food. But this is… better then I was expecting. Sure there are a bunch of screaming children running about everywhere, but they’re happy. That’s cool I guess. We take our tickets from a lady standing in a booth and head inside. “Soooooo… what do you guys wanna do first?” Callum asks. He’s wearing black jeans and a Rolling Stones shirt, I don’t know if he actually likes the band or if he’s just wearing it for the sake of it. “I wanna try one of dance machines.” Maisie says, of course the girl with the super hearing wants to find the dance machine. That’s not a bad thing just kind of obvious. “If that’s okay with you guys?” She adds. We all give mummers of agreement. It take awhile for us to find the dance machine, lucky the queue isn’t to long. It’s one of the ones where you have to challenge someone else and whoever gets more points win. Although if we did go up against Maisie I doubt any of us could win. So when she asks who wants to do it with her none of us are to eggar to volunteer. She looks between us for a few seconds, before her eyes land on Callum and she gives him her best begging smile. He caves, laughs and steps onto the other lit up floor. “You guys can find something else if you want.” Maisie says over her shoulder. “We’re gonna be a while.”

Amity and Liam walk off somewhere I follow behind them. “I’m quite hungry you guys wanna get something to eat.” Amity says her combat trousers complement the grass floor and her golden chains stick out on her black shirt. Her platinum hair is being blown about by the end and the edges stick to her forehead. “Yea I could grab some food.” Liam replies he’s got his hands shoved into the pockets of his aviator jacket and a Yankee baseball cap sits on his head, a short black ponytail stick out of the back. She turns his head and hums in surprise, “I didn’t know pizza trucks were a thing?” Of course we all immediately start walking to the pizza truck. We get one big pepperoni pizza to share but Amity takes of hers and gives it to me and Liam because she thinks it make the pizza spicy. We fall into polite conversation as we eat. Mainly about what we think we’ve actually been brought to the base for, none of us buy the ‘honing our skills bullshit’ that we’ve been told. But we can’t figure out any connections that could tie us together. Maisie has super hearing, Callum can turn invisible, Liam can glimpse into the future (he has already warned us that he can’t do it on command), Amity can change her appearance( remember that short blond hair, yea yesterday it was ginger and down to her waist) and I can talk to the dead. Also only one of can fight, Callum’s parents are in the army so he can hold his own, but the rest of us only started training a few days and we have all been knocked on your asses by the instructor more then once. We leave a few slices for Callum and Maisie and start playing some trivial fair games, throwing darts at balloons, throwing rings over bottles, throwing baseballs at cardboard cutouts of clown faces. They all seem to involve throwing if that wasn’t obvious, and not being the most athletic person to ever live I’m pretty horrific at most of them. But Liam gets us enough tickets to buy a stuffed animal at the prize booth, a giraffe to be exact. Time passed quickly, now it’s 10:52 and we only have half an hour or so left.

We decide to ride the Ferris wheel. “Where do you think Maisie and Callum have gone off to?” I ask, I’m looking out of the window and I can’t see them on the dance machine anymore. “Probably making out.” Says Liam. Amity looks startled, “but they’ve only known each other a few days!” “Nah,” says Liam using his hand to swat the air. “They both did a summer camp thing last year for kids with abilities, for the past three nights all Callum has been talking about is how happy he is that he found her again. Hasn’t Maisie told you guys that?” “She doesn’t sleep in our room.” I say Amity continues for me. “I think it’s something to do with her hearing, like she needs dead silence to sleep.” “Good” says Liam, “when they wanna get all lovey dovey in her room instead of kicking me out of mine.” He laughs. I hope he’s not suggesting that their gonna have sex or anything. If they did it would put the whole team dynamic at risk. By the time our teammates dating life has been thoroughly discussed the Ferris Wheel has come to a stop and we are all stepping off of the platform and back on to the wet grass.

A cold chill passes down my spine and arms, my breath is stolen from my throat and I can’t breath. I look around frantically for the ghost (all of those things are paranormal indications). Instead my eyes find a very concerned Amity and Liam. “You okay there Cleo?” Liam reaches out to touch my arm but I flinch away, he immediately retracts his hands and holds them up in surrender. “Got it, I’m not touching you.” “Is this a ghost thing?” Asks Amity, she’s looking around. As if she could actually see the ghosts. Her voice is muffled. I spot a figure moving behind them I push my way forward and no one reaches out to stop me. I stand in the centre of the carnival and watch as the ghost of a mother and daughter elephant pass through the stalls. Travelling elephant circus. Apparently they didn’t treat their animals very well. Good thing they don’t have them anymore. They pass in front of me, unaware to their single audience member. I don’t feel cold anymore I feel warm, I feel their love for each other. How happy they are that they can stay together even in this life. How happy they are. How peaceful. They disappear from my view and suddenly the noises of families and fun blasts through my ears and colourful lights blind me. Suddenly a hand holds out a packet of tissues towards me. I hadn’t realised that I had started crying. I take the tissues with a muttered thanks and dry my eyes. “You okay?” Asks Amity. “Yes” I actually feel better then I have in a really long time. Maybe people were right when they said love was the most powerful thing in the world. “Your eyes like glossed over, I thought you’d be possessed of something.” Liam laughs, as if possession is a funny thing. “No it’s wasn’t a poltergeist, just animal spirits, they’re generally quiet docile.” “Animal spirit?” “Pretty sure this used to be a travelling elephant circus, some of the elephants souls must have tethered to something that they still carry around.” It’s a pretty simple explanation I think but both Amity and Liam’s faces look like I’ve just spoken gibberish.

“Whatever lets just go back to the bus.” A say walking between them. “But we’ve still got like half an hour left.” Reasons Liam slightly jogging to catch up with me. I turn to face him, “okay, is there anything else you want to do.” He shakes his head, “Amity?” She’s done as well she says. “Well the lets find Callum and Maisie and go back to the bus.” It doesn’t take long to find them both, just needed to look in the most obvious make out spots. They were in the third one we checked. Behind all the food stalls. They had their arms wrapped around each other and their tongues shoved down one another throats. It was a disgusting display of attraction. They started apart very quickly once we made ourselves known. After fixing each other’s hair and Maisie tucking her tie dye shirt back into her shorts we finally started heading back to the bus.

We arrived with 17 minutes to spare. The bus ride was less awkward then it was there. Maisie and Amity launched into a conversation about the best type of coffee brand, occasionally asking for my opinion which I gave. Callum was giving Liam tips on fighting and proper stance, while Liam kept on cracking jokes and getting occupied by something else, he wasn’t listening at all. As we drove by the carnival I felt cold again, I looked out of the window to see two transparent elephants walking together through the tents and running through unaware people. “You good Cleo?” Liam had once again stopped listening to Callum and had turned to face me his arms holding on to the top of seat. “I’m fine.” “You put cinnamon in your coffee! That’s absolutely rank!” The appalled voice of Maisie rings out through the car. Immediately followed by Amity who was trying to defend her coffee making habits. Liam smiles at me before he pretends to listen to Callum again. Honestly I was kind of dreading this whole team bonding thing, I think we all were. But maybe these guys aren’t so bad. I mean sure the situation we are all in is hella shady but we can all be in a shady situation together.

It’s a happy bus ride back.

Who on earth would want to spend there winter holidays in Scotland. It’s not even a winter wonderland like mum promised, its just slush and fog. I knew it was going to be cold but nobody warned be it would be below negative freezing. If someone had I would have packed and actually coat instead of just cropped jumpers. I was fine with staying in the Canary Islands, you know, where I actually live. That’s what we’ve always done for Christmas, me and my friends are always together. Also it’s the only time of year I’m aloud to see dad, besides my birthday. Mum said it’s because my great aunt Shelly is getting old and is probably gonna kick the bucket soon, so we should spend the holidays with her because it might be her last. Which doesn’t make sense because I didn’t even know I had a great aunt Shelly until two weeks before we left. I think mum’s just using her as an excuse because she doesn’t want me spending anymore time with dad.

“I have custody over you, not him!” She tells me, for the hundredth time. It’s not like I’m asking her to hand over custody I just want to spend time with him. But no we have to fly to what feels like the other side of the world and freeze our bugs off in Scotland. I was promised snow, I was promised chestnuts roasting on an open fire, I was promised bagpipes (whatever those are). Instead what I’m given is a pull out sofa and blocked roads so we can’t even go Christmas shopping. And this great aunt Shelly lady doesn’t look anything like me or mum, she could be for dads side but mum has vowed to never speak to anyone from the side of the family again. I’m like 80% sure she’s an actress mum hired to play a part just so she could have a reason to leave home for the holidays. I don’t want to be here, I want to be in the sun and lying in the sand not huddled underneath a mountain of blankets. I want my dad I want my friends I don’t want scarfs and burst pipes. The only upside of being here is Edinburgh, apparently the Christmas market is suppose to be amazing, but the roads are ice so we can’t drive down.

I tried to call dad to tell him I won’t be there for the holiday but I just got his voicemail. I’m terrified that he’ll be sitting at the dining table waiting for me to knock on the door and sit down for dinner with him. Outside in the warm air surrounded by the native mosquitoes instead of freezing my tits off in a strangers house. Christmas is supposed to be about family and being together but I’m not even in the same country as most of them. Christmas this year is really gonna suck.

Claire couldn’t tell if the date was going well. She was trying to be open, she really was. But walls built as strongly as hers don’t crumble easily. This has been her 14th first date in three months. None of which had ever led to a second. No matter how hard she tried only one word answers would leave her mouth and anything else was a comment that could come off as rude if you didn’t know her specific sense of humour. She couldn’t pull up the edges of her face into a smile. She sat across Zoey in a booth inside of the arcade. Pretty basic first date spot but a nice atmosphere. Zoey was doing all the talking her box braids swinging back and forth over her shoulders. Her baby blue nails matched her blue tank top and white jeans and her gold bangles complemented her brown skin. Claire had thrown her curly into a bun because she couldn’t be bothered to brush it. Her plain black shirt plus her black jeans and shoes made her look like a void of happiness. Her nails had been bitten down to the nub with anxiety.

“I love this place though it’s so much fun.” Squealed Zoey before taking a sip of her cherry cola. “Fun if you like snooty kids and over prized foods.” Claire mentally hit herself in the face. “That’s fair.” Zoey laughed, picking up the menu. “£6.50 for a burger, it better taste like how it costs.” Not having expected a joke to her reply Claire found herself becoming incredibly awkward, she crossed her arms and looked down at the table. Zoey thinking her joke had fallen flat placed down the menu and started speaking about how her job at the hairdressers had become insanely busy because of COVID. She thought her rant was falling on deaf ears but Claire was hanging on her every word.

At the end of the date they spilt the bill and walked out the car park. They stopped just before Zoeys car and stood there looking at each other very awkwardly. “I sorry.” Zoey blurted out her eyes scrunched up and arms fisted tight by her sides. “I should have known from the start that you weren’t having fun and I kept on wanting to suggest we go something else but by the time I worked up enough nerve our food had already arrived and I didn’t want to-“ “What makes you think I wasn’t having fun?” Claire caught her off. Zoey opened her eyes and looked up. “You kept making sarcastic comments… and you didn’t smile.” “No no no no,” Claire rushed waving her arms about. “That’s just- that’s just me, I’m always kinda rude and stand-offish, I come off as mean. I know that. But, honestly… I really like you… and I would really like to see you again.” Zoey stood their staring up at her shocked face, eyes blown wide and mouth slightly hanging open. Suddenly a startled laugh came out of Zoeys laugh and she started rapidly nodding her head.

“Yes, yes that would be really cool. You free next Friday?” “I have a collage lecture that ends at 2 so maybe we could grab a late lunch.” Claire said rubbing the back of her neck. “That sounds amazing.” Zoey said. They stared at each other for a few awkward seconds before they said their goodbyes and Zoey drove off in her car. Claire felt the sides of her face pull up into a smile and breathed out what could have been called a laugh. She was really looking forward to that lunch.

I have always though myself quiet lucky. I live in one of the most blessed places in the entire kingdom, and I have complete solitude. What more could a girl ask for. No one really knows when the drought happened,because it happened so long ago. Every family has a different rendition of how it happened. Some say it all magical dried up within a day others say it took over a year to trickle away. I say I don’t know, because I don’t. And honestly I don’t really care. I live behind a waterfall with a giant pond at the base. Water isn’t one of my worries. Others, people who live in the kingdom, have to ration. Take limited baths (I try to avoid the village for that reason, they all stink.) and drink limited water. While I can bath whenever I want to and drink as many times as I wish to. The royals have plenty though, in order to fill up those marble baths they must have a plentiful supply of water. You may call me selfish for choosing to keep this all for myself, but I don’t really care what you think. If anyone found out that this place existed then they would steal all of the water, just like they’ve done everywhere else is the kingdom. I would rather not lose my home to greedy people.

Right now I’m actually preparing to leave my home. Despite having an endless supply of water I tend to run out of food rather fast. I don’t like hunting, don’t get me wrong I would gladly kill a deer for a good steak, I’m just a terrible hunter. I’ve tried multiple weapons (all stolen from royal guards) and I can’t seem to figure out how to use any of them. The one time I tried to use a bow I shot myself in the foot, and when I held a sword for the first time I nearly chopped off my arm. No more handling weapons for me. It’s a quick walk down to the Past Stream (it’s called that because now all the waters dried up so it’s more of a ditch). Some herbs grow there, over the years I’ve perfected stew. My own original recipe. I’m currently wearing my green dress, trousers would be better but I would draw quite a lot of attention if I tried to purchase some in the village. Also I would have to wash them at least five times before the stench went away. I’ve settled for chopping it short so that it hangs halfway between my ankles and my knees. I’ve got a dark grey cloak thrown over my shoulders and the hood hanging over my head. My hair is to short to be tied back so it hangs loosely by my ears. I grab my leather shoulder bag and head out to the Past Stream. I make quick work of collecting herbs, seeing as I have done it over a million times. I’m heading back to my home when I hear a twig snap near me. I turn to face through the trees. I don’t see anyone, but it’s a dense forest someone could easily hide from sight. I take a step closer only to have a boy jump out of the trees, pointing a sword at me!

“Don’t move!” He yells at me. Does he think I’m an idiot? Of course I’m not going to move while he’s pointing a sword at me. “What are you doing here?” He asks. Sword still pointed right at my throat. “I’m getting herbs for my stew.” I explain calmly, No matter how much to shout at him it probably wouldn’t be the best way to go about this. “I saw where you came from, it was from the west. The village is to the east. That means you don’t live in the village.” “Figure that out all by yourself did you?” It’s not a good idea to be sarcastic to someone how’s holding a very pointy metal stick. “Where do you live?” He ignores my comment. “In the woods.” “By decree of the Queen all citizens must live within the cities walls.” Maybe I should visit the village more often because I have no recollection of that law ever being passed. It’s a stupid law I think. “Tell your Queen to shove it up her ass!” I duck under the sword and ram into his stomach affectively knocking him over and running past him.

A startled yelp passes his lips before a groan when his head bounces off the floor. I hear him clamber after me. I’m jumping over pot holes and ducking under low branches. From the commotion I hear behind me my guess is that he’s just hitting them out of the way. I find my house and duck behind the waterfall. I suddenly realise how stupid I am. Leading a royal guard right to an abundance to water that he is no doubt going to report back to his superior. I turn around to find him standing beside the waterfall, looking up at it with his mouth hanging open. He looks at me with a startled look in his eyes… before he rushes off. I don’t know weather it was his metal armour that slowed him down or my desperation to keep my home secret that propelled me forward. But either way I mange to run into him and knock us both into the pond at the bottom of the waterfall. I resurface almost immediately but the guard remains underwater.”

“Blast it all!” I cry out load after remembering the armour he was wearing, there’s no way he can swim in that it will pull him right to the bottom. I take a deep breath and dive down after him. I open my eyes to find that I was right. His eyes are screwed shut and he is drastically waving his arms around and kicking his feet wildly, trying to claw his way to the surface. His back gently hits the floor and he shakes his head, willing himself to wake up from this nightmare. Except it isn’t a nightmare. He’s drowning. I reach him and hold down one of his hands to avoid getting hit in the face. Instead he brings his other hand to wrap around mine. He’s grasping it like a prayer, like these are his last moments. I really hope there not, I would feel incredibly guilty if I was the cause someone of drowning. It’s quite difficult to undo his armour clasps with one hand but i still make quick work of it. I’ve already gotten his leg guards and chain mail off and I’m about to unclasp the last side of his breastplate when a stream of bubbles escapes his mouth and his hands go limb around mine. I want to gasp but I’m underwater so that would be a stupid idea. Instead I use both of my hands to undo his breastplate and I wrap my arms around his middle and start kicking like crazy to carry us both to the surface. After we get there I push his limb body up so that his head it well above the water, meanwhile I’m struggling to hold his weight up and keep my own head up while is swimming both of us over to the side. I keep gulping down mouthfuls of water.

A pull him on the side of the bank so that he’s lying on his back. Honestly I don’t know how to wake him up, or even if he can wake up. Feeling panic set in I decide the best course of action would be to slap him right across the face. Surprisingly it does the trick. He wakes up with a cough and then proceeds to throw up a lungful of water. Thankfully he does this on the side that doesn’t have me kneeling beside him. I laugh out of pure relief. After he can breath again he turns back around so he’s lying on his back again and taking deep breaths. “Did you slap me?” He asks. My happiness instantly evaporates, yea I slapped you not like it was to save your life. “Yes but I saved your life you ungrateful little bugger, I just brought you up from the bottom of the pool.” “If it wasn’t for you I wouldn’t have been at the bottom of the pool.” …I forgot about that bit. “Either way your alive and breathing because of me so now you owe me.” I state getting up from my kneeling position as I start to ring out my hair. He is quick to get up after me, swaying on his feet for a brief moment before following the direction I’ve started walking in. “I owe you nothing!” He exclaims. He grabs my arm and turns me round to face him. For some reason my brain chooses this moment to realise that since I undid his chest plate he’s just wearing a white shirt that has turned see through because of the water and… wow. I mean he’s a royal guard so obviously he has muscles they probably all do. But still… wow. “I’m not letting you do back to the palace and blab about my home so that tomorrow I have the royal guard knocking down my door.” I don’t actually have a door I have a waterfall but still I think I get my point across.

“You can’t stop me from doing anything.” He steps closer, good makes it way easier to kneel him in the groin. Which I do. He drops to his knees groaning. “Wanna bet?” I ask my voice dripping with sarcasm. I pull him up and drag him behind the waterfall. I sit him down in the seat in front of the fire to let him dry off. He’s still stiff, no doubt expecting another assault on his private parts. Unfortunately causing him pain wouldn’t be the best way to get him to do what I want. Which is stay here. He’s definitely not going to like that. Maybe I should chain him to the walls. However I don’t have any chains so that’s kind of impossible. I walk over to the basket of herbs I dropped earlier and start chucking the greenery into a pot that rests over the fire. He watches me carefully. I can feel his eyes burning into my skull and I can feel my patience growing thin. “Since you’re going to be staying here I should probably know your name” I say turning around he face him. “I’m not staying, you don’t need to know my name.” He says voice flat. I hold out my hand for him to shake,“well my name’s Louisa.” He stares at my hand before turning his head back to the fire. “Well then Mr Serious,” I say as my hand drops. “I hope you like stew.”

He stands up abruptly. “I leaving.” I don’t panic. “Do you even know how to get back to the village from here?” I ask. “And even if you do get back what are you going to tell them? That you found a whole waterfall in the woods because you chased a defenceless girl after having pointed a sword at her when she posed no obvious threat?” He stops walking and I throw a silent party in my head. “Your not defenceless.” He decides turning to face me. “Finally we agree on something.” A muse. “Although your colleagues might no be to impressed to find out that you got knocked down two times and then proceeded to drown.” “My colleagues-“ I cut him off. “Won’t believe a word, and even if they do, the chances that you find this place again are very slim. And if by some miracle you do I can guarantee you that when the Queen gets my greedy hands on with water that you’ll never see a drop of it ever again. She’ll be to busy guzzling it down in one of her fancy cups.” “That treason!” He yells walking closer to me. I just laugh in his face. “She’s not my Queen I can say whatever I want about her.”

He looks defeated and I feel victorious. “Before you go off and get yourself lost at least have stew.” I say walking back over the pot and ladling the liquid into two bowls, I pass one over to him. “I don’t have any spoons so I hope your not posh enough to refuse to drink from the bowl.” I say bringing my lunch to my lips. I see him bring the bowl to his mouth and drink. “My names Charles.” We loos at each other. “Since I’m going to be staying here awhile you should probably know that.” We both smile.

“If watching cartoons has taught me anything, it’s that you don’t actually start falling until you look down.” Lisa explained calmly.

“I’M NOT JUMPING OFF A CLIFF.” screams Meg.

They were cornered at the end of a ravine. While Meg and Lisa were fighting over the best course of action for their escape route, Nick was shooting holes into the tires of the all terrain vehicles that were racing towards them.

“I’m running out of bullets over here.” Nick called out behind him to the girls.

“Did you not watch Wiley Coyote when you were younger?” Asked Lisa, still being abnormally calm about the whole situation.

“Is there any other way out of this?” Called Nick over his shoulder. He wasn’t to keen to jump off of a cliff but if there was no other option he gladly would to get away from these guys.

“No” spoke Lisa.

“I’ll find one!!”

It was just when Meg shouted that, when Nick had run out of bullets and could no longer stop the trucks racing towards them.

“NO TIME” called Nick he ran towards the cliff, where Lisa was already jumping and Meg was still complaining very loudly.

Nick was still running towards her. “There’s water, it’ll be fine.”

And with that he grabbed Meg’s hand and pulled both of them over the edge.

Maybe I went to bright. Just a little I mean it’s not like I look like one of those hippies. Just a bit of colouring, but now that I’m looking at the big picture maybe sea green wasn’t the best choice of hair dye. It’s not like I asked for sea green I asked for teal, and that’s what I got! But when I got home and washed my hair the next day I don’t think the chemicals in the hair dye reacted well with my shampoo. She now I’m stuck with this mess.Not only is it a horrific colour but the texture has turned straw like. I’m suppose to go to my first college party tonight, if I show up like this I will never be invited to another one ever again. A open the drawer to my bathroom cabinet, rummaging through it trying to find a comb and a bottle of hair spray. When I shut the cabinet I move back to my mirror.

But my reflection isn’t holding a comb and a bottle of hair spray like I am, instead they have their arms over their chest and are glaring at me with downward pointing eyebrows. “I knew it was to cheap to be good.” They say. I’m still desperately trying to rake the comb through my hair but it keeps getting stuck. “Well it’s a bit late to realise that isn’t it? I have to be at the party in 3 hours, there no way I can get a last minute booking.” “Maybe we can a wear a hat?” Says my reflection, but we both know what I look like in a hat. An egg. I look like an egg when I wear a hat. “That’s it” I say pulling out my phone from my back pocket, my reflection starts screaming. “NO ANYTHING BUT A YOUTUBE TUTORIAL!!” I huff and roll my eyes. “I don’t think we have a choice.” “Your an idiot if you think that will change anything!” “We’re the same person, you just insulted yourself.” I have already pulled the scissors out of wardrobe. To be honest I have no clue what I’m doing I just want my hair to not look like an experiment gone wrong. After lots of sniping from the scissors and squeals from my reflection. I look… quite cute.

“Omg our face is like the perfect shape for jaw length bangs.” My reflection gushes. “I think we look quite good with shoulder length hair,” I muse. “THIS IS THE BEST LOOKING WE’VE EVER BEEN!!” They scream with delight. “No it’s not” I deadpan. “Not it’s not.” They immediately agree. “But we are going to own that party, we are gonna have so many friends by the end of it.”

I shrug my shoulders unbothered. “I’m happy with just Tara, the only reason I’m going is cause she asked me to.” I’m straightening my hair while I speak, I still trying to pay attention though, a burnt ear is the last thing I need right now. “Yea Taras great, but there’s no harm in expanding our social circle” my reflection explains to me. “I mean I don’t think we can survive collage with only one friend.” “I could survive on my own.” “That’s really sad.” “I know.”

I walk out of the bathroom and head to my wardrobe shifting through my rails of clothes. I pick out some black jeans and a white tight polo neck. I stand in front of my full body mirror and hold the clothes up against myself. I stare at it for a few seconds before my reflection reads my mind. “Different top.” “Definitely.” I settle on a mustard yellow knitted sweater so that I can match it with my yellow high top converse. When I return to the mirror after getting changed. My reflection throws a fit. “Absolutely not you cannot wear that!” “Why not?” I don’t really care about what she says, I’ve already started putting in my star stud earrings and looking around the room for my star sigh tote bag that will go with my jeans. “Cause mum gave us that sweater, we can’t go to our first collage party wearing something our mum gave us.” She explains, I see no logic. “People aren’t going to know that mum gave it to us.” A say, I’ve started stuffing my purse and phone into the tote back, some medication as well. Don’t worry I’m not planning on drinking. “Well yea… but… still!”

“I’m leaving now” I say heading out of my room and walking out into the corridor. I reach for the yellow converses I told you about earlier and start lacing them up again. My reflection once again appears in the framed mirror in the hall, beside the door. “YOU CAN’T LEAVE. We haven’t done our makeup yet!” She insists, my hand pauses on the door knob and I turn to face the mirror. “We don’t wear makeup.” “…oh yea.” “Bye.” “WAIT PLEASE!!”

I open the door to Tara’s car and sit in the passenger seat, she’s wearing a long black skirt with a dark blue long sleeved cropped shirt. Her hair in its normal braid. “Holy Shit, your hair looks so cool!” She squeals as I do up my seatbelt. “Thanks” I laugh. “So you ready for the party?” She asks. Her hands are gripping the steering wheel so tight I’m scared she might leave an imprint. “Yea… you sure you want to actually go?” “Maybe?” Tara has always had trouble connecting with other people, but so have I that’s why we became close really quickly. I was quite surprised when she asked me to go to a party. Honestly I didn’t want to go, but it’s Tara I had to. “Or maybe we should just go to the mall?” I say. “Yea mall sounds good… sorry.” She apologies, she starts driving the car down the drive. “Don’t be, I wasn’t to keen to go either.” I confess. “Imagine that, your first date and both of us would have been miserable.” We both laugh.

The house is pretty run down, but it was cheap. Mum doesn’t approve of the area obviously, “to many crimes,” “you’ll get robbed.” Yes mum that’s kinda the point. Mum doesn’t know about my job, I doubt she’d be very happy to find out her youngest son in thief. Robbie the eldest is a neurosurgeon (whatever that is), Chris runs his own radio station and has thousands of regular listeners, and Mike (that’ me) appears to be unemployed when is in fact an expert robber. What mum doesn’t know wouldn’t hurt her. My clothes are shoved into the wardrobe, the only thing I have in the kitchen is a loaf of bread and a coffee maker, and I’m yet to require sheets for my bed. It’s a work in progress. Very slow progress. It’s a flat in one of the most ugly apartment buildings I’ve ever laid eyes on, I thought Nickolas was going to refuse to move in when he saw it. Nickolas is my cat, a lazy thing but my only form of living contact seeing as I know absolutely no one who lives here. I also haven’t seen anyone else who lives in the apartment blocks, no one coming in with groceries, no one knocking on my door asking for a cup of sugar. Which is probably fortunate considering I couldn’t give them one. It’s a bit odd though, I feel like I’m the only person who actually lives here. The quiet suits me. Gives me space to think about my next heist. A small jewellers on the corner of Crows Row. It mostly just sells watches but they are very expensive watches, around £25,000 each. Would help me buy some proper furniture for this place and you know maybe some food. I love caffeine but I can only survive for so long on coffee and uncooked toast. I grab the blueprints of the jewellers off my kitchen counter and step outside on to the fire escape. I got the prints from the building contractors who redid the jewellers before it was a jewellers and was a tattoo parlour. Their archives are more poorly organised then their firewall is coded. It took me six minutes to hack it. I lean over the railing staring at the plans I hold in my hand, not the most complicated heist I’ve ever done. Disable the alarms and security cameras, throw in some some smoke canisters, smash the display cause, grab a few watches from their stands and bam no more living in an empty apartment. The watch stands seem to be all blocked together, rookie mistake, I can grab more that way. As I was thinking about how much time I should spend in the shop as to not seem suspicious, maybe even buy a small ring. But my thought process was cut short by a raised voice coming from above.

“No Rosa for the last God Damn time we are not smoking the place!” A male voice yells, they have a strong Scottish accent. I tilt my head up. The apartment above has their fire escape door open and were speaking about something I was pretty sure I wasn’t supposed to be hearing. “Why the Hell not it’s the safest way to get everyone out while remaining inconspicuous.” A female voice answers back, a strong Brooklyn accent… which makes sense seeing as we are in Brooklyn. “Come on Rick help me out here.” “I’m good thanks, I know better then to intrude on your little couple fights.” Another male voice, same Brooklyn accent. “We’re not a couple.” The Scottish voice again. A sharp edge, a topic better left untouched. “Oh as if your not dying to get your hands on me.” Says the girl, Rosa. A pause, I can feel the tense energy even from down here. I hear creaks, someone’s moving about. “We are not smoking the jewellers Rosa that’s my final decision, last word.” Says the Scottish accent. Wait jewellers as in the jewellers I’m about to rob, are they thief’s as well? A burst of rage suddenly screams from the room. “SERIOUSLY ARTHUR!!! Your gonna use a last word on something as stupid as a watch heist!” Screams Rosa. “Come on Arthur that’s a bit extreme don’t you think.” The male Brooklyn accent appears again, he hadn’t spoken in so long that I had forgotten he was even there. “Stay out of this Rick” Arthur says. “We used smoke bombs on our last job, if we use the exact same ones their going to make a connection and start looking for the same suspects.” There was some logic that I could see in Arthur’s explanation, Rosa couldn’t see it. “THEN WE’LL BUY SOME NEW GOD DAMN SMOKE BOMBS.”

More creaking floorboards. Someone steps out on to the fire escape a lit cigarette in their hands, they take a long drag before breathing out and tilting their head back. There wearing black baggy jeans and some sort of black T-shirt with a design on it but I can’t see it properly. They have blond hair that sticks up in every direction and I can’t help but make the assumption that this is Rick. Considering that the female and Scottish voice are still screaming at each other inside. A smashing comes from the room, rick grimaces and knocks his head down as the screaming continues. His cigarette still placed between his fingers. Our eyes lock. Rick is really cute. He tilts his head to the side and narrows his eyes, they then find the blueprints that are still in my hands he lets outa breathy laugh like he can’t believe what he’s seeing. He looks back to my eyes and gives me a teasing smile.

Without looking away from me he calls out behind him towards the screaming. “Hey guys?” No answer, he lets out a huff and turns quickly towards the inside of his apartment. “HEY GUYS!” The screaming comes to an abrupt stop. Having earned their attention he turns back to me and resumes talking, “you remember that new neighbour we got about a week back. Well I reckon we’ve been quite rude, time to say hello.” Sudden footsteps echo and suddenly another man stands on the fire escape, his pale fingers grasp the rail as he leans down to look at me, he has dark hair that’s cut short, I don’t think the hairstyle suits him. He’s wearing black slacks pants with a a plain white button up, pretty fancy. The gold rimmed glasses make him look very professional even though he can’t be older then 25. Anger coursed through his brown eyes behind the glass, even though I have never seen him I assumed that this was a constant thing. He doesn’t really seem like the type of guy to have fun. He sees the blueprints as well, his knuckles whiten and I think he might break the bar he’s gripping it so tightly. “Arthur meet the new owner of flat 3d” says Rick, he takes a another puff of his cigarette and blows it off to the side that Arthur is standing. He waves his hand through the air dispersing the smoke, while still glaring at me. “Who the fuck are you?” Arthur snarls.

“Didn’t you hear Rick? He’s the new owner of flat 3d.” A voice says behind me. I turn around quickly to be met with a girl, holding my cat. If her accent is anything to go by this must be Rosa. She’s got dark skin with braided hair, the occasional gold band running through them. She’s wearing a leather mini skirt and a white tank top, and lots of bracelet. “How’d you get in here?” I ask. From above me I hear Rick say something along the lines of ‘omg he speaks.’ “I picked the lock of course, I would have just come out onto the fire escape but you know… wearing a skirt… didn’t really wanna flash you.” She smiles while stroking Nickolas, that traitorous cat. I hear Arthur call down to her, “he’s got blueprints for the Crow Row job.” Rosa eyes say she’s surprised, but it looks like an act like she already knew. She laughs to herself as she lets Nickolas jump out her arms and slowly starts walking towards me. “You know” she starts. “When most people buy watches,” she’s right in front of me, taking the blueprints out of my hands. “They don’t go to the trouble of acquiring plans of the building.” She’s so close to me pushing me right up against the railing. She traces her hand along my jaw and smiles at me. “Now won’t you help me out here.” She leans into whisper in my ear. “Where did you get those blueprints.” I sidestep out of cage and grab the blueprints from her hands. “That would work better if you were guy, sorry seduction isn’t a great tactic with me.” I say straightening out the plans. Rosa lets out a huff and leans back against the railing.” Arthur, Rick get your asses down here!” She shouts up. Sudden footsteps clamber above and the outline of the two boys disappear from the fire escape.

“Sorry about the whole,” she waves her hands in a dismissive manner. “Honestly getting kinda sick of the whole pretty girl routine.” “Why do it then?” I ask. “It’s a good distraction.” She says sadly. “But honestly it doesn’t even work half the time, most guys now are gay or racist pigs.” I lean against the bar so I’m beside her. I take a bet and hope she doesn’t punch me. “I’m sure if you spoke to your boyfriend about it he’d find a different distraction.” She doesn’t punch me so that’s cool. But she dose freeze and stare at the floor. “Arthur isn’t my boyfriend.” Rosa says quietly. Like she doesn’t want to say it. I just shrug and start walking inside as I hear Rick and Arthur’s footsteps coming down the stairs, Rosa didn’t close the door behind her. “Could have fooled me.”

Arthur bursts into my apartment, Rick follows behind him seeming very unbothered about the whole ordeal. Arthur’s eyes scan from me, who is placing the blueprints down on my kitchen counter, to Rosa who is still looking glumly at her worn out black converses. He immediately turns on me stalking towards me. His hands are in a fist like he intends to punch me. Thankfully he doesn’t. Instead he just snarls at me and asks me who I am. “My names Mike.” “Last name?” He persists. I huff and roll my eyes. “Mike Lowen.” “Well Mikey would you mind telling us what your doing with the blueprints to the shop that we’re robbing?” Asks Rick, did he seriously just call me Mikey? “I think you mean the shop I’m robbing.” I counter, I see a hint of hesitation in Arthur’s eyes. Rosa whips her head that was currently facing Arthur to me, Rick raises his eyebrows in surprise. “Just you?” Rosa asks “Just me” I confirm. I’ve never tried working in a team, I’ve wanted to. But you can’t really go up to people, tell them your a thief, ask them if their a thief and then ask them if they want to help you steal something. “Can you get blueprints for any building?” Rick asks. I’m about to answer but before I can Arthur explodes (figuratively.) “Absolutely not Rick, he don’t need his help.” “I’m just saying dude, a talent like that could be helpful.” “We don’t even know him!”

Rosa walks over to me and hops up onto the kitchen counter with her legs dangling over the edge. She picks up the plans and looks at them. I walk over to her. Arthur and Rick are so caught up in screaming that they don’t notice me hoping up on the counter beside her. “What are they fighting about?” I ask. “Whether you should help us on the job or not.” She says. Rosa says it like it’s no big deal but to me this is like the coolest thing ever. “Yea, having blueprints like this could be hella useful.” She says again eyeing the plans in her hands. “I don’t just do blueprints you know I can do security tapes, get you fake Documents.” “Ricks the fake ID guy but we need someone for the tech stuff.” “If Rick is the fake ID guy what are you and Arthur?” “Well I’m the distraction as we have already been over, and Arthur’s the plan guy. All of us go in though, we are all physically able for running and shit like that.” “I could be your tech guy.” I say. Holy shit this is it, well at least I hope it is. I’m not going to become part of a gang thing. Besides there’s safety in numbers less likely to get caught. And every great spy movie has a team of thieves instead of just one guy. But that might just be the movie business, no one wants to watch one person rob a bank by themselves. There’s no interaction, boring! Rosa looks up from her plans and looks at me with a startled look that quickly turns into happiness. She snaps her head around to face the boys in my apartment that are screaming at each other. “SHUT IT!” She yells. Both boys turn to face her a startled look on their face obviously hopping for a few more minutes of screaming. “Mike’s joining out heist, and future heists. Final word.”

I have no idea what the whole final word is but Rick and Arthur have very different reactions to this. A very angry string of curse from Arthur and a smug laugh from Rick directed at Arthur. “You can’t last word something like this Rosa!” Arthur defends, I find it quite concerning how desperate he is to keep me out of this. Oh well that only makes me want to define him more. I can tell I’m gonna love pissing him off. “Dude you literally used a last word like ten minutes ago.” Rick laughs. That seems to put Arthur at a lose for words. Which gave Rosa the opportunity she needed to cut him off. She jumped off the counter and walked towards him. She traced his chest with her hands and smiled up at him. “A smart guy like you should know that this is a win for us.” She says wrapping her arms around his neck and pushing against him. One hands takes his glasses off while the other strokes his neck. Arthur keeps his hands firmly at his sides, but his fingers twitch he wants to touch her. To hold her. “Don’t you want to make me happy darling?” Honestly I understand why she plays the distraction. Feeling suddenly really awkward I look past them to Rick. He’s already looking at me. He takes a breath of his cigarette while still holding eye contact. He looks me up and down as he exhales and I feel myself blush and tense up. At some point Arthur has pushed away from Rosa, or she let him go, I wasn’t paying attention to them. “The only reason you want him on the team is to piss me off” Arthur tells her. And turning to Rick he accuses him as well. “And you only want him cause you think he’s cute.” I blush again. “Yea” says Rick. “That and blueprints would be hella helpful on jobs.” “Also he’s quite sweet.” Adds Rosa who has walked back over to me and taken the prints. She nods her head towards the door. “Come on we’ll show up around the apartment.”

Fucking awesome.

( the character i choose is the boy who is sweeping while watching his friend play with the broom)

My name is Manchu Ching. And i am one of the six boys who have been chosen to train at the martial arts school, and become warriors. Well I don’t think you can call it Training. All we have done so far is sweep the arena and fulfil household chores around the temple, I’m not complaining. But Chow is. And very loudly at that.

I met Chow when I was five, i am now ten. Chow has always meant to be a warrior, well at least that is what i think. He when he found out that we would be sweeping the courtyard he wasn’t to pleased.

Chow was causing a ruckus, knocking things over with his broom using it as a staff and hitting things. He suddenly stops and drops to his knees. Bowing low enough to lick the ground.

Master Kichia had walked into the courtyard with the dragons champion.

The dragons champion is a highly skilled fighter and strategist, only one can be picked from each unit. They go onto do great things for our village this one is seven years my elder. He is also my brother.

I think that is the only reason i got into the academy. Because of my brother. Everybody thinks it, nobody says it.

I wish to prove them wrong, i know I’m just as great as my brother. I will become the dragons champion. And i will fight and honour my family. My thoughts are demolished ata. Tug on my trouser, i look down and see Chow patting the floor.

I will become a hero one day. But until then i am still a minor, they are still me superior. And i still must bow

The rain covers my window. The weather is frightful awful. It has been for days. But still it rains on. Without stop just keeps going. The rain makes me think. Nothing in particular, random things. Things like friends and family. School and my summer job. If summer ever actually comes. I think about my life. Sounds like a big topic. But my life is ordinary. I don’t go on adventures. I lie in bed thinking. I don’t have many friends. A few good ones only. I have a small family. No distant cousins to visit. No secret grandparents to meet. Just my mum and dad. I don’t want my sister. So I don’t count her. I have three white dogs. Names all are Christmas related. I was five year old.

My daddy built this swing for me.

Actually we built it together. Mummy protested of course, kept saying about how irresponsible daddy was, that she didn’t want her little girl dangling in the air, a slip away from the death. But daddy protested said i was responsible enough to not swing to high.

So we started building.

Metal reinforced bars attached to the top mouth of the cave obviously, safety precautions and whatnot. Made mummy feel better about the whole thing. Iron chains, wooden seat. And then it was done.

It was the most beautiful thing i had ever seen.

And I’ve seen a lot of beautiful things in my life.

I have been sitting on it for the past 6 hours looking over the city like some type of angel. My butt is incredibly sore but I don’t care.

I love my city.

I love my mummy.

I love my daddy.

I love my swing.