Forward love story

rley'

Well, maybe it was, but when you had a best friend li

to discipline us. Prayers? Didn't work. Locking us in the library? Just made us smarter troublemakers

borhood? Oh,

a freshly waxed floor. He ran a grocery store nearby and was always yelling at us for "stealing air" when

last

oor. Nina, being the daring idiot she was, lit it on fire and rang the bell. We ran so fast, but w

r "harassing her poor dog." In our defense, her dog started it. It barked at us every time we passed

say? We wer

nd games. Surviving as

r local businesses mostly sketchy ones, like "Lose 30 Pounds in 3 Days" or "Palm Readi

ood that wasn't the orphanage's cardboard-like bread. Nina sometimes helped, but mostly,

ecause that's the thing about growing up poor in a dangerou

ppene

ch I had saved from lunch. The next, a black van screeched to a st

r my head. The scent of sweat a

f voice warned. "You just

Mr. Donovan? No, he wouldn't kidn

warehouse. When they finally pulled off the sack, I was face-t

fering in our busi

less you own the Lose 30 Pounds i

og-Man slapped m

fused to give them th

two op

nd wait

y girl they re

I chose O

t normal screaming insane,

ERGIC TO CRIMINALS!

nicked glances. One

lsing, eyes rolling back dramatically.

ing a seizure?" o

don't

reaking out

bed a nearby chair and slammed it into his face. He c

abbed a metal pole, and smash

n I

foot, heart hammering. My body ached, m

then

t. A deafening

a

hard pavement. Everything blurred

an, I think y

s still breat

n. My entire body felt like I'd ju

I saw

blurry, stupidl

rown eyes, and a strong jawline that looked

e, staring like he didn't

muttered. "

acke

sly fancy bedroom that smelled like

t across from me, looking too casu

?" he aske

killed me. This is my ghos

re well enough to in

pain shot through me.

he least I could do was make sure you weren't dead. My best friend Talon

ly. "Almost dying because of a ric

learly enjoyi

ple owing me." His golden eyes glinted mischievously. "S

at him, h

hell