A/N: If any of you read my fanfiction, this story title might be familiar to you. That’s because it is the same title of a short Inuyasha story I wrote. Well, I’ve decided to go back to that story, create original characters, more characters and totally revamp the storyline. It’ll be MUCH longer, MUCH better and totally rockin’ it (I hope!). So please enjoy and give me as much feedback as possible!! I’ll try to update whenever I can, but I’m uber busy with senior year of high school, so I’ll need some slack. Thanks my loves!! D

Stolen Money, Borrowed Time

By: Lauren C

Chapter 1

“Money, Money”

Turning his back to her, he briskly began to walk away, her tiny feet unable to keep up with his long strides. Her voice kept calling out his name, yet it fell upon deaf ears. The man didn’t care about the little girl running after him and he merely ignored her soft cries. It pained him slightly to hear this, but his heart kept telling him she would only hold him back. They would all hold him back. He was changed and was a new man…this old lifestyle of his didn’t fit him anymore. So he would do the only thing he could think of.

He would run away from it.

The little girl’s long cinnamon hair bounced as she tried to keep up with her father, hot tears running down her pudgy cheeks from her jade colored eyes. She clenched her tiny hands as she put all her effort into catching up with him, yet the closer she got, it seemed the further he was. “Daddy!! DADDY COME BACK!! DON’T GO!!” She sobbed as she stumbled, her feet tripping over themselves. Normally her father would be there to catch her just as she fell, but this time, he wasn’t. She came crashing into the ground, scraping her knees and hand painfully as she tried to lighten her fall. Sniffling and wiping her nose on her sleeve, she looked up to try to find her father, but he now was only a little dot on the horizon that soon disappeared.

“Why did you leave daddy? Wasn’t I a good enough daughter?” The girl continued to blubber as her body seemed to change and grow. The teeny eight year old girl was now about nineteen, her brunette hair cut to her earlobes, yet her jade eyes shined with the same pain she felt when her father left her so long ago. She pulled herself up, her footing shaky as she brushed herself off and dabbed at the dripping blood on her knees. Her cheeks had thinned out and were now dusted lightly with freckles. Fresh tears sprung from her eyes as she bit her lip. Under her breath, she muttered softly, “Daddy…why…” as her eyes still scanned the horizon for any sign of his return.

Kailey gasped, springing upright in her bed. Her breath came in ragged and uneven as perspiration dripped down her brow. She looked around her shadowed room, trying to calm herself while her ears picked up the loud snoring of her roommate through the thin walls. She frowned, wiping absently at the few tears that had managed to trickle down her cheeks, while she let out a bitter chuckle.

“You have that dream again?” A quiet voice whispered across the room. A bit startled, Kailey turned to the source of the voice and nodded. In the darkness, she could make out the silhouette of her friend, Lucia, sitting up in the other bed that occupied the room.

“Did I wake you up? Sorry.” Kailey groaned, snuggled back under her sheets as Lucia did the same. “I don’t know why, but I always dream about when he left, no matter how long it’s been. It’s so annoying.”

“Hey, at least it didn’t wake Jay up. He’d have a fit if it did. Of course, it doesn’t matter how loud he snores.” Lucia chuckled from under the covers; referring to the other person the two girls shared their apartment with. Silence once again took over the room as Lucia dozed off, but sleep was the last thing on Kailey’s mind.

Kailey rolled over in her bed, the mattress squeaking until she found a comfortable position. As she sat there, her eyes opened wide, staring into nothing, a million thoughts began to swirl around in her head. She wanted nothing more than to fall asleep because even if she had nightmares, at least it was an escape from the reality she had to face. The nightmare of her father leaving her was nothing compared to what was happening to her now. Closing her eyes, she began to wonder what a mess she had gotten herself into, but another part of her told herself that it was worth it. If he would be okay in the end, she was willing to make any personal sacrifice. She knew what she was doing was wrong, but she tried to justify it by saying it was for a good cause.

There wasn’t anything else left that she could do, she saw no alternative route in sight. Her mother had already attempted holding down three jobs and was already down to only two. She had to quit the third job so that she could visit and spend time with her son before there was no time left. So Kailey took it upon herself to drop out of the college she had been attending on a scholarship, give all of her earned money to her mother and take up two jobs of her own. Of course, even this wasn’t enough and so Kailey had ended up creating a ‘job’ of her own. Feeling a heaviness surrounding her, Kailey allowed herself to drift back to sleep, knowing tomorrow would be another dangerous day.

Lucia smirked, poking Kailey’s sleeping figure to wake the other girl up. Sunlight was pouring in through the cracks in their blinds, its golden color painting the floor. Ignoring her friend, Kailey rolled over and pulled the covers over her head.

“Dun…wanna get up…” She mumbled, but apparently she had no choice as Lucia grabbed the sheets and ripped them off of Kailey’s body. The girl shivered, curling up in an attempt to keep herself warm.

“Get up Kailey! You’ll be late for your job!” Lucia snapped, knowing this would bring the cinnamon haired girl to attention. Just as she predicted, Kailey jumped out of bed and dashed past her, making a beeline for the only bathroom in the apartment. Lucia could only shake her head at this while she went about straightening up their room.

Pounding on the locked bathroom door, Kailey growled. “JAY! HURRY IT UP IN THERE!” She rolled her eyes while she walked back to the bedroom and watched her friend clean up, offering to help her. Lucia was taller than Kailey, reaching about five feet and eight inches. She had curly dark red hair that was cut a little past her shoulders and it always seemed to look perfect, even if it had just been slept on.

Lucia’s blue eyes sparkled as she grinned at Kailey. “Jay always takes hours in there…he needs to realize he’s not a male model…”

“I HEARD THAT!” A male voice bellowed from the bathroom. Both girls burst out in laughter. Looking over at her friend, Kailey smiled. She had been lucky to find two great roommates, granted it helped they had been friends through high school, but not many people were willing to take a risk living with a girl in her line of work. Of course, it helped that they thought she had quit. The smile Kailey had been wearing dropped as guilt at lying to her friends washed over her. Before she could muster the courage up to tell them though, Lucia left the room to make some breakfast. The three shared a one room apartment. It was tiny and cluttered, but a cozy and cheap place to live. Lucia and Kailey slept in the bedroom, while Jay, being the only male in the apartment, was left to sleep on their fold-out couch. The couch was in the main room of the apartment, which was part living room and part kitchen. The only other space in the apartment was the single bathroom and two closets.

Steam filled her line of sight, causing Kailey to look over at the open bathroom. Jay was emerging, clad in a pair of jeans and a navy t-shirt while he dried his hair with a towel. “I may not be a male model…but at least I can look like one without having to cover my face in make-up and spend hours prepping myself.” He smirked, throwing the towel into the bathroom while his tousled blonde hair seemed to fall into place. Somehow Kailey had managed to get roommates that had the perfect hair. Thinking about his retort, Kailey knew there was a bit of truth in what he said, after all, Jay was quite good-looking and it was all natural. He had been the heartthrob in high school but he was by no means the typical heartthrob kind of guy. He usually kept his ego low and back then he had also hung with a more recluse crowd, namely Lucia, Kailey and some others. Girls that fell for his big, baby blue eyes soon learned he was anything but a baby, but rather a tough and prideful guy. Kailey figured what held her back from going after him was the fact that she had known him since he used to stick crayons up his nose, but Lucia…that was another story.

Dressed in a restaurant’s bright uniform, Kailey said farewell to Lucia and Jay. As she walked away from the apartment buildings, she slid into a nearby alleyway and quickly pulled off her uniform. Underneath was a pair of jeans and a black shirt. Pulling a baseball hat out of her purse, she tucked her hair up under it. Readying herself for her day’s work, she said a silent prayer and took off down the road.

“She’s still doing it you know.” Jay looked over at the red haired Lucia after Kailey had left.

“I know.” Lucia frowned, sticking out her lower lip. “I tried to talk to her again but she just ignored me. A couple weeks ago I went to the restaurant she was working at to visit her and they told me she had recently been fired because she was caught stealing money from the register. Apparently she got a hefty fine from the police and had to do community service. The fine wiped out what she had saved and if she’s done the service yet, I don’t know, but this is already her second time getting caught! She’ll be in prison if she keeps this up! I don’t know what else to do, unless you want to keep her locked in here forever or else follow her all the time!” She stood staring at the closed apartment door before Lucia turned around and sat down on the couch.

“I know…” Jay agreed, sighing. “She says she’ll pay back everything she takes but…she needs to face reality. People won’t just let her steal and then pay them back. Sure, she has a noble cause, but she needs to just let go. Her brother is going to die and nothing she does can stop that.” As much as it pained Jay to say this, he knew it was the truth and it was something Kailey needed to realize. Even if telling her this caused her to hate him, he knew it would help her in the end and would make it a bit easier for her when her brother did pass away.

“She won’t accept that Jay. You know her as well as I do...and her determination won’t ever waver.” Lucia stood up, walking to the bathroom to get ready for her day of college classes.

Kailey casually walked down a crowded sidewalk, keeping a cool and collected appearance on her face. Every once in a while she’d spot a well-off looking person and would ‘accidentally’ bump into them, leaving with their wallet hidden in her sleeve. After doing this a few times, she knew she’d have to change streets because it was too high of a risk to hang around after pick-pocketing so many people. Glancing across the street, she watched her partner in crime smoothly talk to some nice looking men. No doubt she would soon have them fooled that she was an innocent and sweet girl, while their money would disappear into her pocket. To be blunt, her partner, Morgan, was a vixen and a deadly one at that. She was tall and slender, with radiant blonde hair cut around her ears. She didn’t care who her victims were, where Kailey at least tried to steal from people who seemed they could afford losing some money. She didn’t totally mind stealing from the rich and snobby people she found, she figured she was saving them from wasting their money on more expensive things they didn’t need. If there was one type of person she disliked more than the kind of person she had become, it was rich, pretentious people. But Morgan just took from whomever she could find.

Kailey and Morgan had been good friends in high school, but when she had discovered that Morgan was stealing and hanging around with the campus thugs, she ditched their friendship. At the time, the cinnamon haired girl couldn’t stand the thought of someone doing something so wrong and cruel. No one had a right to take someone else’s things.

All that changed though when she was faced with a trialing predicament. Her younger brother was in danger and the only way to save him happened to be extremely costly. Her families insurance wouldn’t provide any money and even with the help of friends, her mother was having a difficult time coming up with the money. Her mother even had to work three jobs at one time, but had to quit one because she was becoming so exhausted that she would often faint. Meanwhile Kailey worked as often as she could, but money was not appearing out of thin air and time was running out for her brother. If her father was still with them, then she knew things would be okay and her brother would be all right, but her father had left them long ago, taking with him all of their money. He had wiped out the entire bank account he shared with Kailey’s mother, leaving the family practically penniless while he ran off with a foreign girl. Despite that, the family had managed to work hard and have a decent living, but when fate decided to go after her younger brother…all the money went into saving him.

Now, Kailey needed money and she needed it fast. She wasn’t about to let her brother die. Remembering her recent years in high school, she recalled that after Morgan started hanging with the school’s thugs and their ringleader Carlos, she had started wearing all of the designer clothing and jewelry she wanted. Without a second thought on the consequences she would face, Kailey tracked down Morgan and begged her to introduce and show her the world of easy money. From then on, she worked with Morgan, stealing little things here and there, while pawning almost everything she owned. Kailey was introduced to the people she had always feared and despised and now she had become one of them. Some nights she would meet with Carlos, the man who had taught Morgan her current lifestyle, and he would teach her things like how to unlock a car from the outside and to start the engine without a key, how to pick open locks and to always change the appearance of what you stole if you were planning on selling it.

A discreet wink from Morgan brought Kailey out of her thoughts. It was the signal to change streets. Bumping into one last person, she turned and bolted down the sidewalk, rounding a corner and dashing through a mess of alleyways before she slowed down to catch her breath. In a few minutes Morgan would arrive and they would split their earnings, change their appearance and then tackle another area of town.

“Daaaaang you’re getting good at this girl.” Morgan grinned, counting the money Kailey had collected. Grinning, she tossed the empty wallets into a trash can, folding the cash into a tight wad and handing it over to the brunette. “Hey, get this. I was talking to Carlos and you won’t believe what he told me.” She trailed off, purposely leaving Kailey in suspense. “Hey, let’s grab a bite to eat while I tell you, I’m starved.” Turning on her heel, Morgan began to strut out of the alleyway and towards a fast food restaurant. Kailey promptly followed after her, deciding not to waste her money on buying food. She’d eat leftovers when she got home.

After they got into the restaurant and ordered, Kailey began to bug Morgan to continue her story. She tried to ignore the smell of food while Morgan scoffed down a hamburger, her stomach rumbling for one also. “So what did Carlos tell you, eh?” Kailey persisted.

Morgan chewed thoughtful then swallowed and cleared her throat. “Okay, here’s what he told me. You know that club downtown, I think it’s called Rave?”

Kailey nodded, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear. “Yeah I’ve heard of Rave once or twice. But isn’t it tough to get in there? Only the rich and famous are allowed entrance, or else people with connections. Why would we want to go there? The place is probably swarming with bouncers too.”

“You just said why we would want to go there.” The golden haired girl smirked mischievously. “There are rich and famous people there. Spoiled people who have tons of money and can afford to lose some, the kind of people perfect for you to steal from. They’re the kind of people you hate, so why not take out some of your anger on them? After all, they probably deserve it. They walk over little people like us all the time. They’re people like your father, people that have been corrupted by money. Taking it from them will be like doing them a favor!” Morgan exclaimed, already becoming exciting just thinking about all the money they could take.

“I know…” Kailey hesitated. “But won’t there be lots of security around? It’s way too risky for me.”

“It is extremely risky, but can you afford not to take the risk? Time is running short Kailey, you and I both know that. If you can’t get enough money as soon as possible then…well…I’m afraid the worst will happen. At this point, you should be ready to take the risk because if you don’t get caught, the reward will be a lot better than this lousy pocket change we get each day.” Morgan leaned towards Kailey, her voice becoming nearly a whisper. “The chances of making it out of there uncaught are low, but I thought you of all people would understand that people can try to beat the odds. The chances of your brother living are so slim, but you believe in them regardless. Can’t you do the same for this? Carlos has some connections with Rave. A few bouncers there owe him a favor and he’s friends with some waitresses there. They’ll let us in and then it’s matter of staying low and out of sight. I’m sure those rich snobs carry big bucks with them and wear a lot of gold and diamonds. Plus, Carlos was telling me that this is the perfect chance for us to test out our car-jacking skills. If we steal a car, he said he’ll take care of switching the license plate and painting it another color, then we can pawn the parts or he’ll take it and sell it to some acquaintances of his.”

Kailey sighed softly. “But…Morgan…I can’t…” She frowned, unsure of what to say or do. Her logical side was screaming not to do it, that it was far too dangerous and that she would surely be arrested and if she were arrested, she wouldn’t get off lightly like she did in the past. If she were arrested, her mother and everyone would find out what she’d been doing and would know what kind of double life she led. Honestly, Kailey would be too ashamed to face her mother if she knew the truth about her daughter. The disappointment she knew her mother would feel was too much for her to take. She never wanted to disappoint her mother, she wanted to be the perfect daughter for her, but their situation had caused her to change and to take drastic measures. Kailey was ready to give into her logical side, when her desperate and daring side screamed out. She had to do this. It was her only chance to actually make enough money to possibly save her brother. Sure, she had been making good money so far, but it wasn’t nearly enough. She wasn’t even close to the amount she needed and what if she passed up this chance and her brother died? If that happened, she would regret never going to Rave and raising enough money to save him.

“Kailey, this is the perfect opportunity for you! It’s just what you’ve been looking for! You can’t just pass it up.” Morgan persisted, sensing the hesitant in Kailey. “Besides, if you do it, I promise you I’ll give you my share of the money from what we steal. You’ll be so close to having what you need then!”

Looking around at the people in the restaurant, Kailey briefly wondered what kind of happy life they led. What kind of trials had they faced? How had they survived them? Had any of them felt the same helplessness as she felt right then and there? Snapping herself back to reality, she directed her gaze back to Morgan’s ocean blue eyes. She only uttered a single word. “When?”

Morgan grinned ear to ear, her smile reminding Kailey of the look a child gained when he was given candy. “In two days. Tomorrow let’s meet with Carlos and formulate our plan of strategy and then the next night, we’ll go claim our stake at Rave.”

Kailey nodded, wondering what exactly she had gotten herself into now, but as people always said, desperate times called for desperate measures…