Wrong Crowd

-1-

"Papa," the child said, raising her arms.

A soft smile came to his lips. He lifted the nightgowned little girl onto his lap. Smiling, she cuddled closely, clinging to his gray wool sweater. Her father smelled of peppermint and foreign spices, and she inhaled deeply.

Stroking her dark hair, he asked, "What is it, Felicia?"

She looked up at him with mismatched eyes, the right one green and brown, the left one blue and gray.

"Raemond is gone."

"Gone? Maybe he is hiding, Felicia. Are you and your brother playing Hide-and-Seek?"

"No, Papa," Felicia said in her small voice, her expression sad. "A man took him."

-

She opened her eyes.

Stared up at the ceiling.

Breathed. Concentrated on breathing. Nothing but the calm motion of air going in and out of her lungs. Slowly she became aware of her pulse beating just a little too fast. She tuned it out, focused again on nothing more than breathing.

"Felicia! It's time to get up, sweetheart."

"Okay," she responded. How much time had gone by since she awoke? "I'll be right out, Aunt Arielle."

Shoving her blanket off, Felicia rolled to her feet and stood from the floor. She padded across the hardwood into the closet, went through the closet into a bathing room. There was a large mirror over the sink that showed everything above the waist. Felicia carefully avoided looking at it.

She stepped into the shower and turned the water on too hot.

-x-

The phone rang.

Reaching under the pillow, he extracted the cell phone. He put it to his ear and grunted.

A feminine voice with the faintest trace of a foreign accent came over the line, greeting him, "Hey Skylar. It's Felicia."

"Yeah, Fi."

"You in the mood to go for a run?"

His response was muffled since he had buried his face in the pillow. Then he rolled off the queen-sized mattress onto his feet, starting for the door. Besides the black boxer-briefs he was fairly naked.

"Yeah, yeah. Give me a minute to put some shorts on."

"Come let me in first so I can watch."

As he rolled his eyes Skylar hung up the phone. He left his bedroom and ducked into the bathroom for a moment. When he came back out his black hair was pulled back in a tail that ended midway down his spine. He was rubbing his face on a violet hand-towel that he tossed back into the bathroom over his shoulder when he was finished.

He stopped when he saw the lithe teenager sitting on the arm of the couch in the living room, grinning at him. When their eyes met, she winked.

"I take it you found the hide-a-key," Skylar said.

"You moved it," Felicia replied, tilting her head to one side. "Trying to keep little ol' me out?"

"I dislike being woken up by a friend who decides it's a good idea to turn my stereo up as loud as it goes, and play the theme song to Rocky."

Felicia giggled.

Then she pointed at his outfit. "So did I miss the memo that boxer-briefs are the new Spandex? Because I can change."

His brown eyes flicked over her wardrobe. Black spandex shorts, a plain black shirt with long sleeves, ankle-high black socks and white-on-black Adidas running shoes. With her dark hair and eyes and burnt umber skin, she blended right in with the early morning darkness.

Growling under his breath, Skylar returned to his bedroom. Felicia trailed after him.

"Are you going to wear the matching outfit I bought you?" When his only response was to snarl, Felicia giggled again. She answered herself, "I'll take that as a 'maybe tomorrow.'"

"You can take that as a never," Skylar said, crouching to open his bottom dresser drawer. He took out a pair of red basketball shorts and slipped them on. "Okay, I'm ready."

They headed out of the bedroom, through the living room. Skylar stopped at a closed door diagonal to a staircase.

"Dad? I'm going for a run with Felicia."

"Hi, Mr. Larquin!"

There was a grumble from inside. Skylar and Felicia exchanged smirks. Then they went to the staircase. Felicia went down first. He groggily swayed after her.

"Remind me why I ever thought chasing you allover town was a good idea."

Felicia checked over her shoulder, a soft smile on her lips. "True love is inexhaustable, darling," she said.

Skylar frowned and looked away.

When they were outside, Felicia began stretching. He grudgingly followed her example. They started out running side by side.

Sending him a glance, Felicia sped up. Skylar matched the new pace.

By the time they returned to The Lark, Felicia was in the lead. They sprinted at full speed to the front door of the bar. Both were only vaguely out of breath. Together they walked around to the back entrance.

"Well," Felicia recovered first, "You're doing better."

"You've been saying... that... since we started... this stupid... routine. Three years ago."

"Keep in mind that you're exactly twice my size, Skye." She checked over her shoulder as they went into the kitchen. The tall, heavy-set Native American lumbered after her. "And weigh at least three times as much. And yet you come the closest to keeping up with me. Will you make me eggs and crispy bacon for breakfast? I'll make the toast!"

Before he could respond, Felicia was already banging around the kitchen in search of the toaster. It was a large kitchen, with two stoves, three refrigerators, a walk-in freezer, and many cabinets.

"If I were a toaster..."

"You'd be in the cabinet above Terry's stove," Skylar finished for her.

He smiled to himself as she stood on tiptoe, reaching for the toaster that the tips of her fingers barely brushed. He gave her a minute to try. Then he moved up behind her, leaning over her and easily grabbing the toaster. His front pressed into her back, and she relaxed against him, closing her eyes.

Bending at the waist, Skylar put his mouth to her ear.

Whispering, "Can you handle it from here, shorty?"

Felicia craned her head in order to grin at him. "I'm tall for my age, you know," she said.

Skylar smirked. "Five-foot-seven is only an inch above average for sixteen-year-olds," he said.

Shrugging him off as she moved to an electrical outlet down the counter, Felicia retaliated lightly, "You just wait. When I'm eighteen, I'm going to be six-foot-three just like you. And then you're going to feel bad for making fun of me when I was normal height, because then I'll be a freak."

Skylar snorted and went to get out the eggs from a fridge and the bacon from a freezer.

-x-

Skylar gave Felicia a ride to school. The Kowasaki motorcycle pulled into a parking space where eleven other motorcycles were lined up. Six boys stood around the space, nodding at Skylar as he cut the engine and smiling at Felicia as she took off the sleek black helmet.

She grinned around at them.

"Where's the rest of my Pack?"

A lanky boy with auburn hair and green eyes answered Felicia by gesturing with his cigarette at the brown brick building. "Danny's studying in the library," he said. "Alan is with him. Eddie said he was getting breakfast in the cafeteria. Hunter's and Milo's bikes were already here when I got here, so I'm assuming they're around." He moved forward, walking around her. When he was in front of Felicia again, he stopped and raised both eyebrows. He was smiling. "You forgot your backpack."

Felicia's face fell as she looked at Skylar. "Shoot! It's back at the bar! I left it in your living room!"

Grunting, Skylar started up the motorcycle he hadn't gotten off of while watching the exchange. He backed out of the space and sped off.

While she was watching him go, the auburn-haired boy moved up close behind her and put a hand on Felicia's hip. When she turned to him, he stepped even closer and bent to brush his lips over her nose. She smiled.

"How was your guys' run?"

"Good," Felicia said. "How long have you guys been here, Andy?"

He shrugged. "Not long," he said. Andy checked over his shoulder, focusing on a short boy with dark skin and hair. "How long have we been here, Cortez?"

Cortez checked the face of the cell phone he was on. "Ocho minutos," he answered.

Noticing the cell phone, Felicia frowned. "Who could you possibly be talking to at six-thirty in the morning, Cort?"

"My girlfriend happens to be an early riser, Fi. Not that it's any of your business," he replied coolly, smirking to take the edge off.

Andy walked around Felicia, slipping his fingers into the belt loop of her dark jeans. He dropped his cigarette and stepped on it as he started for the school. He tugged her after him.

Felicia waved at the five teenagers that lingered around the space as she let herself be dragged away. They were chuckling as they waved back.

She turned and followed Andy into Teal Creek High School.

"Eager to get to class, aren't you," Felicia asked his back.

He flashed a brief grin over his shoulder. "Yeah," he said. "Class. Exciting. Right."

"Where are we going?"

They were through the front doors by now and headed down a mostly deserted hallway.

"I've got ten minutes with you before Skye comes back and starts throwing threats at me," Andy explained. "I'm not going to waste that time defending myself to you."

Felicia shrugged, responding calmly, "Okay."

Within another moment they reached their destination.

"A utility closet," Felicia said, staring at the bold lettering across the door. "That's the big surprise? Plus it's locked, Andy." He revealed a small silver key. Her eyebrows rose with curiosity. "Okay. I'm not going to ask where you got the key. What's in there that you want to show me?"

"Can't ruin the surprise," he responded, green eyes glinting.

Andy unlocked the door. He tugged her inside and shut the door after them.

Looking around, Felicia said, "Aww. My dandy Andy. You shouldn't have." She picked up a box labeled Toilet Paper and hugged it to her chest, beaming at him. "I always wanted my own utility closet."

He leaned against the door and frowned. Noticing the change in his countenance, Felicia set the box aside and turned serious.

"What is it?"

"Damien Tregard is treading on my toes," Andy said lightly. "I like to dance, but he's screwing with my rhythm."

Felicia scowled, telling him, "Cut the metaphors. What's Tregard doing?"

"He's dealing on my territory."

"So deal with him. You're my Omega for a reason, Andy. So I don't have to get directly involved. I feed you info, you deal with it."

His smile was predatory. "Exactly," he said. "My guys have threatened Tregard, hurt his people. I personally trashed his stash. I thought it was taken care of, but then down the grapevine I hear he's got more. Tregard is dealing to middle schoolers, Fi. That's low for anyone, but he made it personal by bringing Cort's little brother into it."

"What happened?"

Andy shifted uneasily. "Cortez called me up at four this morning," he said, voice soft. "Says David came home around midnight, drunk. Being drunk when you're twelve is bad enough. I didn't drink until I was at least thirteen. Then Cortez goes to check on him later that night and David's having a seizure. Had a bad reaction to some drug. Cortez hasn't had much of a chance to get answers. But it's a tad too coincidental that one week after we bust Tregard, the little brother of the only guy in my crew who even has a younger sibling comes home drunk and high."

Felicia looked thoughtful.

"But you're not sure it's Tregard," she said.

"No. I am sure it's Tregard," Andy spat. "What I need from you is the evidence."

"Done," Felicia said. Her brown eyes looked around the closet before focusing back on him. "Remind me why you couldn't tell me all this in the parking lot."

Andy moved close to her in the already cramped space, leaning over to kiss her forehead. "Because I figured once I told you, I could ravage you," he said.

"Really."

"And maybe because it'll piss Skylar off to find you in here with me."

"What makes you think Skylar will even be able to find--"

The door opened.

The burly, freakishly tall Native American stood in the doorway. He held up a black Jansport backpack.

"Here, Fi."

He sent a cold glance at Andy, dropped the bag, and shut the door.

Felicia looked up into green eyes. "Why do you like to upset him like that?"

Andy shrugged elaborately, answering, "It passes the time."

Scowling, Felicia slipped past him and went out the door.

Skylar leaned against the far wall across the now totally deserted hallway. There was no emotion in his expression, but his eyes focused on Felicia with a strange intensity. She went to him, stopped close enough to breath on him, and leaned her head against his chest.

A motionless instant passed.

Lifting a hand, Skylar fingered her chin and tilted her head up. Felicia gazed up at him solemnly.

"Just business," he murmured, "Right?"

...

Soulbird's note: What's this? Written in 3rd-person narrative? Jumping around from one place to the other? And the main character is actually kind of goofy? No way! ES couldn't have written this!

Ah, but I did. Unfortunately. I like it, but at the same time I think it's crap. Hard to explain. Let me know if I should continue.

Review and I'll love you ;)