'Scars' (Polopocalypse and Battleaxe) - Mature Content

As far back as either can remember, the pair had been together. Fast friends - they stuck by one another through thick and thin, until finally young Mitch - the weaker of the two at the time - simply couldn't cope any more, and slipped silently away one night - not leaving a single word of goodbye, nor any clue to where he was going.
Eight years have passed since the childhood friends last played together - and now with both grown up, one has to question... If two totally different worlds collide, can forgotten scars be remembered?
Clearly, people change over time... But is it possible that they might still hide a part of their true selves underneath...?

Character:

Name: Mitch ‘Matches’ Reid
Age: 20 Years
Gender: Male
Gang: Sons Of Saints

History: Mitch has no memory of his parents – not even a foggy dream, or a crumpled old photograph. His first memories are of the orphanage where he spent his childhood years, timid and alone. He was a different person back then – just a boy, shy and cowardly. The other children took advantage, forever bullying him and pushing him around. It became worse and worse, and by the time he turned twelve, he could take it no longer.
He ran away, then – and the next few months saw him living on the streets, surviving off petty crimes, until finally – his life started in earnest. He was found by the deadly gang, Sons of Saints. They took him in, and as the years went by, he rapidly climbed the ranks. He became known especially for his enthusiasm towards arson, his fierce loyalty towards the gang, and his complete lack of sympathy when faced by anybody considered an enemy. He gained the nickname ‘Matches’ through his tendency for arson, which led him to start a series of deadly fires which claimed a great many lives, and even more publicity – thus making Sons Of Saints the most dangerously regarded gang in the city.
This put Mitch right in the top ranks, on par with the other members constantly battling it out to become leader. He never bothered to involve himself in these scuffles – and in a way, it was this more than anything that gained the members’ respect, and they soon began to regard him as their leader without even realising it.

Personality: Fiercely loyal. Unscrupulous. Violent. He tends to be quite dependent on others, yet his generally quiet ‘loner’ type attitude still makes others regard him as independent. He comes across as having loose morals – but in reality, his morals just differ hugely from the norm. He can be Hellishly stubborn in some situations, and relatively blasé in others. He is also quite easily influenced, and his entire personality can tend to fluctuate often due to his drug addiction.

Appearance: Mitch

Kelli Rae Solaris
Kelli
20
Female
Looks
Personality
I’m a hard-working person. I’m funny and innocent. I try not to get too caught up in relationships, but it doesn’t always work out. Like last week, I just broke up with Andres. It was good while it lasted, but I don’t really enjoy “dating”. I’m in the local community college a couple blocks down, and I like it. I’m going to get out of there though, the ghetto I mean. I’m going to move somewhere where the grass is green and people can walk their dogs without the fear of being shot in a gang fight.
As you can probably tell, I’m a dreamer, an optimistic. I see the glass as half full rather than half empty. I haven’t had many opportunities in life, but that’s okay. I will always get some.
I’m an orphan, and I spent the first fourteen years of my life in an orphanage. It was run-down and depressing. I had a best friend there, Mitch. He was a good kid. We always had so many adventures together, but then he ran away. I don't know what happened to him after that, but I sometimes think about him. Sometimes I wish I had him back.

***

I stood uncertainly by the door of my cheap flat, ears straining to hear the sound I swore I just heard. It was like footsteps. People would think I was crazy for being scared about footsteps when I lived in a huge apartment building, but I knew my neighbors. Lizzy, the 45 year old pregnant woman that lived on the floor above me, walked heavily, each footfall loud and pronounced. Larry, the Mexican cable guy next door walked quietly and subdued, usually coming home late and leaving early. Sandra, a girl who was a year ahead of me in college, walked usually with a clack of heels. I’d been thinking she was a hooker.
These footsteps, though, were long and deliberate. They sounded dangerous, like a cat stalking its prey. Don’t ask me how I knew that.
They paused outside my door, and I heard a crackle. It sounded like a match. Frowning, I went over to my door and checked the peephole. No one was there. Maybe I was just hearing things.
I walked into the kitchen where I kept most of my belongings and helped myself to a bowl of cereal. I poured the food, listening absently to the ring of the pieces as they clang against the sides of the chipped bowl. Sticking a spoon in, I went and sat down in my recliner, grabbing a newspaper and eating the cereal dry. I began to read and let the words take me into a different world. I knew I had so many other things to do, but I couldn’t seem to do any of them. There would always be tomorrow.

The first thing I noticed was the heat. The room suddenly began to feel sweltering and claustrophobic. I began sweating, but I didn’t know why. I was wearing boxers and a tank top. I then saw flickering shadows on the walls in front of me.
What the hell…?
I stood up and turned around, my breath hitching in my throat at the sudden appearance of the fire. Where had this come from?! I remembered the footsteps and the matches and cried out in aggravation for being so stupid. Why had I not investigated?
I glanced towards the door and saw it was engulfed in bright oranges tongues of dancing fire, as if they were mocking me of my inability to escape, as if they were laughing because they were going to feed off of my dying screams and my dead body…
Snapping out of my morbid thoughts, I immediately thought of a window. My room! I sprinted across the small distance of my three roomed flat, but even the short amount of space felt like it took years to cross. It was like one of those dreams where you’re trying to run from something and escape it, but it’s like you’re moving through honey. I couldn’t get my legs to pump faster, I couldn’t get my lungs to breathe faster, I couldn’t, I couldn’t!
I shoved open the door to my room, coughing and spluttering like the disheveled refugee I was and moved towards the window. At last, I reached my salvation.
Choking on smoke, my fingers fumbled for the latch, but I couldn’t find it.
Come on, where is it, where is it?!
Then it hit me. I remembered all those sweltering summer nights, when all I wanted to do was open that blasted window and get some fresh air, but the latch was on the outside.
Curse you, stupid builders, curse you stupid landowner, curse you grimy window, I thought angrily as I sank to the floor in despair, slowly realizing that I was going to die here in this burning building.
I let out a shrill scream. Out of all the ways to die, I did not want to burn. Someone had to come save me and quickly. I would do anything. I just couldn’t burn again, not after that first fire with Mommy and Daddy, no, not after that.
“SOMEONE HELP ME!” I screamed again, my voice hoarse from all of the smoke billowing into the room. My eyes were smarting and I couldn’t see a thing. The only sound I could hear was the roar of the fire and the crackling of the wood that succumbed to its wrath. I could not do this.
Giving one last cry, I lay my head down and prepared to die.

[[*dances* Very very excited for this one ]]

((Excellent!!!!! Ooooh, I'm so excited, too! ^_^
Just one quick side-note - she's not supposed to know what happened to him since he left the orphanage... Y'know, that he's a gangster and stuff? Because I don't want her to recognise him straight away. It's more suspenseful and mysterious, then... ))

When he paused by the exit, there was a smile on Mitch's face. He looked back into the furnace that the building had become, and nodded with satisfaction. The flames danced and writhed in destructive joy - and watching them, Mitch swore he could feel what they did.
They were something alive, trapped and misused for eternity, but he had set them free... And now, they did as they were supposed to: They destroyed. They killed.
Just like him...
With one final smile, he turned to leave - since the heat was getting to him now - but before he could take a single step, he heard a shout that stopped him in his tracks!
It was just one cry for help amidst hundreds of others - but he knew that voice. It had changed since he last heard it, and it was muffled by walls and high from panic, but he knew it. How could he ever forget...?

His eyes widened, and for one heartstopping moment, he was back in that orphanage again: A helpless little boy, shy and bullied, with nothing to hold on to - except for that one precious person...
Except for Kelli.
He gritted his teeth, and the moment passed. With his courage returning, Mitch uttered a growl of frustration and raced back into the flames.
He cursed freely as he ran through burning fire, feeling his skin sizzle horribly, and the smoke begin to clog up his lungs. He had to hurry...
"Shout again!" He called, panting heavily, "Let me hear your voice!"
He waited a moment - and when it came again, he rushed toward the source.
With a heavy kick, he had the door down, and he burst into the apartment in a cloud of falling sparks and splintered wood.
He caught a glimpse of her through the next doorway, and raced forward - coughing against the smoky fumes rapidly filling up the apartment.
"Get out of the way!" He snapped angrily, and with that, he picked up the little table beside the bed, and hurled it forcefully at the window.
The impact caused the glass to shatter, and Mitch drew in a grateful gasp of breath at the fresh air. "Jump!" He yelled, grabbing her arm and dragging her with him without giving her even a second to object.
The fall was a long one, but he caught a washing line on the way down - and though he couldn't hang on for long, it broke their momentum just enough for Mitch to drop himself and Kelli safely into the nearest dumpster.
The impact was still a hard one, but thankfully, the stinking rubbish gave way - and he got away with just cuts and bruises, rather than broken bones.
Muttering a incessant string of curses, he emerged from the sea of rubbish with a look of utter disgust, and managed to crawl out of the dumpster. Then he seized Kelli's collar, and pulled her roughly after him. She was grimy, dirty and stinking - her gorgeous blonde locks all messy and tangled, and decorated with old spaghetti.

He remembered that blonde hair, those blue eyes... She had matured well, he had to say. He might have, too, had he taken a different path in life... He had a well-toned body – that was for sure, better than any of those gay fitness-freaks who spent all their time in the gym. Of course, the scars and burns didn’t help much – though at that moment, they were covered by his hoodie.
By his face, he might have been considered handsome – but his eyes were bloodshot from drug use, and surrounded by dark circles. He was prematurely lined, too, making him seem years older than he was. He couldn’t complain, because he’d done it to himself, but seeing Kelli now made him regress, and for the first time in years, he wondered… What if things had gone a little differently?
Would he be in college now? Starting his first job? Perhaps dying in a gang fire started by somebody else…
This thought jerked Mitch back to the present, and he shook his head and refocused.
“You’ve got to get out of here.” He told Kelli harshly. “Run. And don’t stop running until you’re as far from this place as you can get.”

((Might be an idea to try to force Mitch to stay with her for now, so that they can actually interact, and we don’t end up Rping on our own… XD
Maybe she could have hurt her leg? Or she could just insist that he goes with her? Maybe she doesn’t know where to go? Or she could just ask for his phone number? XD LMAO! I dunno. ))

[[Gave up on first person xD]]

Kelli tried to scream as the glass above her shattered. The flames danced higher, gleefully eating up the new source of oxygen, roaring louder and consuming more and more of her life story around her. No, this couldn’t be happening, it just couldn’t. She couldn’t die like this.
Something strong and sure moved around her waist dragging her up and letting the glass bits fall off of her smooth, scar-less skin. Gulping in a breath of air from the broken window, she felt a little less dizzy, but still, time was running out. They needed to leave, and now.
They?
Yes, there was someone else in her apartment, getting her out of its fiery grasp. Someone had come to save her, just like she’d hoped when she was pleading and screaming and crying. She’d needed this person, and probably still did. She was too weak to leave, and still too blind to move.
The sudden dependence on a human being which she couldn’t even see made her too vulnerable. It made her feel like one of those princesses from a fairy tale, who were saved and whisked away and forced to marry some knight. What if this guy expected something similar? No, she was not going to give him herself or anything having to do with it. She had no money. She had no house. She was poor and homeless. What could she give him?
In fact, what could she give herself anymore?
Before she knew it, Kelli’s arm was being yanked in the direction of the coolness, and she experienced a great falling sensation and the wind whipping back her blonde curls. Almost screaming, she tried to open her eyes, but the ashes in them still smarted, and she couldn’t. Something stopped their fall for a moment, which was probably a very good thing, unless she wanted to splat on the ground, but they began to fall again, landing in the soft stink of what could only be the dumpster.
Kelli wrinkled her nose in disgust, and struggled in the nearly endless mess before finally finding the edge. Placing to sturdy hands on it, she tried to life herself up, but a wrack of coughing and spluttering caused her to fall again. As she lay back in the garbage, she wondered what kind of person would just drop her and leave her in the garbage dump to get her own blind self out. Besides, if he’d gotten her this far, couldn’t he help her a little bit more?
Irritably, even though she knew she owed the guy her life, Kelli frowned and almost called out to him when she felt his hand on her clothes, pulling her out after him. Finding herself glad he wasn’t a serial rapist – if he was, she’d have been done with by now – she tried to clean off the mess she knew was there but couldn’t see.
Wiping her dirty blonde hair off, she felt what could only have been the spaghetti she saw Larry eating last night. This realization only hastened her movements, and made her want to gag. It wasn’t that Larry wasn’t nice it was just that… He was just gross and creepy.
Kelli was about to call for the guy and see where he went, when his voice cut across the coolness of the now still night. People had stopped screaming, which meant they were dead, she realized, a knife twisting in her gut. She should have perished alongside of them, but this mysterious guy had saved her.
“You’ve got to get out of here.” He told Kelli harshly. “Run. And don’t stop running until you’re as far from this place as you can get.”
“How am I supposed to run if I can’t see?” Kelli called, confused by his instructions. Wouldn’t he want to get to know her? And besides, didn’t he know she had nowhere to run?

[[I love this already. Dude, I feel like this RP will totally show me Mitch's true character concerning girls, considering I don't really count Shae as a girl. Well, she technically is a female, but she really doesn't act like one, soooo she'd not a girl ]]

((Me too!!! And I'm excited to see how he handles a girl, too... Although it won't really be 'him' - since in this one he knew her back when he was a total softie, so... Y'know... XD
Ah, Shae is awesome. XD Haha! I love how she and Mitch totally don't trust each other, and know that either one could kill the other, and they're just like... Meh, whatever.
And I don't think Mitch has noticed she's a girl, either... Well, not in 'that' way... I mean, Dude, he was more turned on by a sword. I love this guy. ))

At Kelli's objection, Mitch cursed loudly, pacing up and down and wracking his brain for a solution. The gang would be looking for him. "Okay." He said at last, sighing dramatically, "I'll help ya, but you've got to do exactly what I say - and I mean that! If you don't, you're dead. Literally - dead. He emphasized his point with a low growl, then grabbed her shoulders in a firm grip. With one quick heave, he had tossed her back into the dumpster.
"Stay there." He snapped, "Keep down, and don't make a sound. I'll be back."
With that, he turned and sprinted off down the alleyway.

((Not going to describe this part, because I don't want it getting too long. XD ))

*******************************************************************************

Mitch managed to excuse himself from the gang with some difficulty, and finally arrived back at the dumpster where he had left the girl. "Let's go." He grunted briefly, digging her out of the trash, and heaving her back out of the dumpster again. "I know a place nearby where you can hide." He said, taking her arm and starting to run again - just jogging slowly this time so she could keep up. "There's an old warehouse not far from here..."
They ran for about twenty minutes - walking sometimes so Kelli could rest - and finally arrived at the warehouse. The metal door barring off the entrance screeched horribly as Mitch forced it upwards. It had been broken for years, and it was heavy as Hell - but he was used to doing this...
"Get inside!" He grunted urgently, struggling with the weight.
Once they were both inside, he let it drop. It crashed to the ground, and for a moment everything was black. Then Mitch flicked the light switch, and glanced around the place. It was literally just a big, empty room with a concrete floor and unpainted walls. He stared about it for a long while, until finally his eyes fell on a tap in one corner.
"This way." He told Kelli, taking her arm and tugging her roughly toward it.
He turned it on, poured water into his cupped hands, then splashed her face with it. If that didn't wash the ash out, she was on her own. He had no better plan.

Frowning when the boy shoved her back into the dumpster, Kelli wondered what his problem was. Seriously, what kind of guy did that? If he saved her that much already, couldn’t he be a little nicer to her?
Huffing irritably, she reflected on his words with growing fear.
"I'll help ya, but you've got to do exactly what I say - and I mean that! If you don't, you're dead. Literally – dead.”
What did he mean she would be dead? Had he saved her just to play his own sick games? It would be easy enough to say that her body had been burned up so much that finding her remains would be impossible. People would write her off as dead, when in all reality, she would probably be being held in some underground prison cell and being used. Shuddering, she knew that he would grow tired of her pretty quickly, considering she was so awkward and inexperienced in those kinds of situations. Immediately, she thought of Sandra and how much more apropos she was for this situation.
Shaking the bad feelings away, Kelli clung to thee last shred of hope that the guy – whoever he was – was good and not evil. Hopefully he would just let her go. After all, she’d rather be homeless than dead. Right?
Squeezing her eyes even more tightly together, she inhaled deeply – and regretted it instantly. The odoriferous stink of the dumpster filled her and made her gag. That whole bowl of cereal came up and she struggled not to let it get onto herself. After a moment of squirming, she wondered what it mattered. She was already so dirty.
Just then the man got back and told her to get up, it was time to go. Frowning, Kelli was about to ask him where, when he answered for her.
Why were they going to hide? Who did she need to hide from? What was going to happen to her? Would she ever leave? Who was he?
Of course she didn’t ask any of these questions. The man’s bluntness stopped her. It seemed like he’d only say what he wanted, nothing more, nothing less. There was something familiar about that…
There was also something familiar about the way she could run with him and trust him not to hurt her. That was impossible, though! She’d never met this guy any time before in her life, and that should have been terrifying her. But it wasn’t. There was something so familiar about this man, a trust so real that she almost believed it was there.
Shaking herself awake, Kelli remembered she’d only had that kind of trust with Mitch.
If only he were here, she thought miserably.

The screeching metal of the door made Kelli jump. The sound was unexpected, and she still couldn’t see. The concrete floor was cold against her bare feet. She limped. Something sharp had embedded itself in her right heel, and the pain was intense. All she wanted to do was see again, but she had little hope of that. What had happened? It was just ashes, right? So if she washed them out, she should be able to see. Her thoughts made sense, but she was afraid to ask.
”This way.”
A tug on her wrist told her which way to walk, and she found her heart racing nervously. She shouldn’t have come here. This was dangerous. She was going to die a horrible death here. What could it be? Rape? Knife? Fire? Any of those possibilities could happen.
Yelping as the water splashed her face, Kelli rubbed her eyes furiously, watching as the colors slowly flowed into her mind. There were bare white walls. There was a huge metal door. And there was a scary man standing next to her.
Jumping away in fright, she trembled, but tentatively asked, “Who are you? What do you want?” She stared at him with the huge eyes of cornered prey, shivering under the dampness of the icy liquid.

[[Haha Shae and Mitch are so interesting together. I feel like if they weren't as terrible of people they are, they'd actually be friends xD]]

((Keeping it short.

And I know, right?! XD They're so funny. ))

”Who are you, and what do you want?” Kelli asked, jumping back in fright. Mitch raised an eyebrow calmly, and watched her with mild curiosity. It was the first time he had been able to properly relax since the fire… And now he could see – Kelli was exactly the same as he remembered her.
“Never mind that.” He answered, scratching his head and glancing away. He looked back then – taking note of her fear.
Funny… If it was Kelli, he just couldn’t enjoy it as he should.
“Oh, relax.” He sighed, “I’m not going to hurt you, okay? In fact…”
He frowned, glancing around the empty warehouse thoughtfully.
“I should probably be going, come to think of it…”
He considered this a moment, then just shrugged and sat down on the floor. He had managed to get away from the gang for a while – he might as well make the most of it.
And besides… He was curious to see how his old friend was doing, even if it was as a creepy stranger…
With a shrug, Mitch produced a small, white cigarette from his pocket. He popped it into his mouth, and lit it carefully. When he breathed out, the scent was certainly not that of nicotine – but he didn’t seem to care if Kelli knew.
What was she going to do? Turn him in to the cops? Sure – a bit of pot would make a huge difference to a guy already wanted for arson and murder.
“You okay?” He grunted – finally speaking again, but staring at the puffs of smoke issuing from his mouth rather than at the girl beside him. “Didn’t get burnt or nothin’?”

[[So sorry Dx Mother dragged me away. Please don't sic Mitch on me, I'm a good girl, I promise.]]

Kelli balled her hands into fists and tried to be brave. She was a good actress, and it worked to her advantage often, but sometimes people could see through her. Hopefully this would not be one of those times. It would not be good if he knew she was scared. People like him fed on fear.
People like him.
But who exactly was he?
He was asking if she was alright, in that familiar way. That deja vu feeling from before began to creep up her again, pricking her neck and forcing her to stop and think. Who was he? He looked so familiar?
Then she realized.
Staggering back and clapping a hand over her gaping mouth, she nearly fell to the ground as a wave of dizziness collided into her. It was Mitch, the boy she spent her entire childhood with. Her best friend. Her partner in crime, although crime had a veyr different meaning back then. As a blush came to her face, she also remembered that she swore she was going to marry him one day, and she'd never really gotten over him after he ran away. Never hearing back from him had really taken its toll on her. She had felt, forgotten, deserted, abandoned...
But now he was back, walking into her life as if none of it had ever happened. Obviously he'd gotten into some things, like drugs. But it was still the good old Mitch she knew and loved.
Running forward, Kelli slammed into his body and wrapped her arms around his waist, not wanting to let go ever. She buried her face into his muscular chest (and his moobs xD) and breathed in his scent.
"Mitch." She whispered quietly.

((Grrr... You're forgiven... For now.
And dude, leave Mitch's moobs out of this, you perv! XD ))

At first Kelli didn't respond to him, and Mitch looked over at her with a slight frown - only to see a very strange expression on her face.
Oh no... Oh, no, no, no, no...
But it was too late. For better or for worse - she knew. And without a moment's hesitance, she dashed right at him, and threw her arms around him.
He staggered backwards a step - then just stood there awkwardly, not completely sure what to do with himself. It had been years since anybody had hugged him.
When she whispered his name, he patted her back awkwardly - noting vaguely that he was taller than her, now. In fact, considering what a little squirt he'd been as a kid, it was surprising just how tall he had grown.
Damn... All this had made him regress. He felt like that vulnerable little kid again - but he was the opposite of that kid now... It was all so confusing. He had no idea what to say or do, as past and present battled out in his head.
At last, he hesitantly folded his arms around Kelli. It felt strange, but oddly familiar at the same time. "Kelli." He murmured softly. "It's been a while."
He wanted to say more - but he didn't know what - so instead he just stayed silent - pulling away from Kelli and shifting uncomfortably.

[[But Mitch's moobs are hilarious xD]]

As Mitch pushed her away, Kelli instantly wondered what she'd done wrong. They'd only been hugging for a couple of seconds, she couldn't have done anything too wrong! But they hadn't seen each other in a while, just as Mitch had said, and best friends or not, it would still be a little awkward.
Taking a deep breath and hugging herself around the waist, she stared at the ground in embarrasment. It was kind of funny. Whenever she imagined meeting up with this boy again, it had always been under different circumstances. He would be at the same college as her or something, and they'd meet up in a class and pick up right where things had left off. Or maybe they'd just meet by a lucky twist of fate in a restraunt or something. It had never crossed her mind that this could have happened.
Now she felt like a fool child for believing in a silly fairy tale. That was all her visionary Mitch was. A fairy tale. She'd bought into it and now the miracle of reuniting with Mitch seemed so... ordinary. Disappointing even. She'd expected something more, like a flock of birds and a sunset. Not this guy getting wasted in front of her.
He was getting wasted?! What the hell...
"It has. I'm very disappointed in you choices." Kelli replied, a teasing smirk on her face as she indicated the cigarette in his hand.
If Mitch was really still the same person inside, he would start jokin with her, and it would be just like old times.
If not, well, she didn't know what would happen.

(( O.o Oh snap! Oh no she didn't! You better not be mocking my character's moobs, sista. Or my drawing skills, for that matter!
Just kidding. XD They are funny. :3 ))

Mitch followed Kelli's gaze to the cigarette in his hand, and sighed heavily. After staring at it a long while, he dropped it and stamped it out.
"I'm a little diappointed myself, to be honest..." He murmured - his lips twitching towards a smile for the first time - though he did not sound happy. "It's a little ironic, really... I ran away because I couldn't cope, but..." He snorted in amusement, "I ran from bad to worse. Out here, it's kill or be killed."
He looked away, grinding his teeth - more from habit than frustration.
This meeting was more than a little awkward - nothing like what had hoped for. Judging from Kelli's expression, she felt the same...
"Pity we didn't meet up under happier circumstances, huh?" He commented, laughing humourlessly.
Without thinking, he lit a new joint, and began puffing absentmindedly on it.
He couldn't help it - it had become second nature. And besides, everything was easier when he was high.
"So what've you been doing with your life?" He asked, leaning back against the wall as he watched Kelli, "Anything interesting? Anyone interesting?"

[[I am mocking neither, Queen Polo. Well. Maybe just Mitch a bit :3]]

"I hear ya, bro." Kelli agreed when he talked about meeting under happier circumstances. She didn't want him to see her like this, and she was sure he felt the same way. For some reason, she felt he was always trying to impress her. Like at the orphanage, she knew he was deathly afraid of spiders, but she wasn't. And one day, there was huge one on his pillow. So he just calmly took it and let it go outside, but his hands were shaking. He was always trying to be like her in some ways.
She supposed he'd changed now. Everyone did at some point.
Kelli snorted at his joke. "No, Mitch, I have not done anyone interesting. In case you can't recall, I kind of vowed I wouldn't?" She didn't add the second part of the promise that she'd said silently to herself that lonely night. They'd been sitting on the rooftop of the orphanage, watching the stars, pointing them out, giving them names. It was the typical nine year old stuff. Making stories about distant planets and what went on while discussing their lives and what they were going to do when they got out. Kelli remembered that conversation. She'd been disgusted with some of the older kids, the messed up teenagers, who "did it" with each other. She now knew that it wasn't real love. It was just a way to get back at the supervisors, who strictly forbade it. And in her opinion, sex should be reserved for true love and true love only.
So no. She hadn't done anyone interesting lately.
"I'm in college, though." She continued quietly, wishing that they could go out on the roof and look at stars like old times. But the city polluted the sky so much it was impossible. Such a shame. Kids these days would never be able to do that.
Shaking her head slowly, she chuckled and smiled at him.

((Dude, back off Mitch's moobies - you know they're awesome.
And that joke was TOTALLY unintentional!! I meant for him to ask if she had met anyone interesting, but apparently he took matters into his own hands... Haha! That was funny. XD ))

"So you actually stuck to that, huh?" Mitch asked with a laugh. He was surprised, but secretly glad to know that Kelli was the same innocent girl he had left behind. He wished he could say the same for himself...
Upon hearing that she was in college, Mitch raised an eyebrow slightly. "Congratulations." He said, sounding rather impressed. "I'm proud of you... What are you studying?"
Collage, huh...? That was a distant dream.
"I'm a little ashamed." He admitted, laughing and scratching his head awkwardly, "All this time you've been moving forward and making something of your life, and I've been..."
What? What exactly had he been doing? He had made a name for himself. He had become one of the most respected men in town... If fear could count as respect...
"Well, let's just say I've done some things I'm not proud of."
Was that true? Was he really not proud of what he had become? Oh, he was proud all right - so why was his brain getting so screwed up? He was forgetting who he was, and turning into who he had been...
Did Kelli even know about what he had become? And if she didn't, should he tell her...?

Kelli arched an eyebrow at the part where he said he'd done things he was not proud of. Did he mean the drugs? Or running away from the orphange? Must mean the drugs, since he never looked back when he ran away. There had been plenty of chances for him to come back and tell her, but he didn't. He'd just left her. And sometimes she hated him for it. But now was not the time to bring up these bad feelings. It was time to reconnect and rebond and maybe start being together again. Hopefully, even if he was a pot-head.
"What are you up to now?" She asked curiously, eager to see what her long last pal was doing with his days now. She wondered what he was doing now. He probably wouldn't be in college. No, he never had the inclination or the attention span for that. When they were little, she was lucky just to get him to sit still and talk to her. It was hard for him to sit in a classroom. She knew that from the days they didn't skip orphange school. He would glare at her from his little corner like "Why did you make me come here?!" She would just roll her eyes, sometimes wink at him as they got older, and turn back to the front of the room. Mitch would always be the first to leave, sprinting out the door as if the devil was chasing him. That would always make her laugh.
So what exactly was he doing?

Mitch looked at Kelli, and his bloodshot eyes searched her face. Searched for any hint of what she was expecting, or what she might do when she found out the truth. Searched for signs of judgement, or of fear. Would she hate him? Would she be afraid...?
Would she be angry, knowing that he had just burnt her house down? Well, yes... Yes, he supposed she would.
So that left him with the question: Did he really want to tell her?
"You don't want to know." He said at last, dropping his gaze and shaking his head. "You really don't want to know..."
But he didn't stick to that answer. He remembered from old times that Kelli would not accept it. She would push him and push him until she got the truth... Sometimes she had even gone so far as to tickle it out of him. He remembered panting and glaring at her as she smiled smugly, and taunted, "Well that wasn't so hard now, was it?"
He nearly laughed at the memory - but then he remembered what he had to say, and it was no laughing matter...
"What you have to understand..." He murmured quietly, "Is that I've changed since you knew me. Life on the streets was tough, and I had to adapt... And then I got caught up in some stuff, and I got in real deep..." He frowned, and shook his head, "Before I knew it, it had become my life." He paused, biting his lip thoughtfully.
If she had stayed in that apartment, she would know. Everyone in the area knew. All it would take was a simple word...
He felt his heart start to race as he slowly built up to the truth.
"Nobody calls me Mitch any more." He said bluntly, "Until today, I haven't heard that name in years.
In the gang, they call me Matches."
Matches, the arsonist...
He met her eyes, his gaze hard, waiting for her reaction.
He knew Kelli... Or at least, he used to know her - but in this situation, he could not even guess what her reaction would be.
His looks alone had warned her that he was not a good guy - but could anything prepare a person for learning that a kind, timid childhood friend had grown up to become a vindictive, mudering gangster, and a junkie to boot?

[[Dude. Wait ten minutes for me to eat and then I'll start my reply. Don't. Fall. Asleep.]]

"I don't want to know?" Kelli repeated, watching himm intently, blue eyes radiating kindness and warmth and understanding. "Mitch, I've known everything about you until you left." She refrained from saying "left me", even though that little stab of revenge would have felt nice. The boy was clearly struggling with something, and she didn't want to make matters worse.
She wanted to know.
She wanted to understand.
He went on to say how hard life was in the real world, and Kelli nodded along. The orphanage had in now way prepared her for the real world. She was kicke dout into its brutality, and barely found a place to live before winter. The first month out of that hellish place, she'd spent living in a tree. A damn tree. That made her angry.
She could only imagine how much worse it was for him.
"Matches."
What the f**k had she missed?!
"Jesus, Mitch." Kelli breathed, watching him with those same eyes. He was still the same person, just in a lot more trouble - which was actually quite an accomplishment. It was hard to have gotten in more trouble than he did at the orphanage.
But she still looked at him with the kind understanding of a caring mother, or a sister.
The kind that didn't fade.
"Want to tell me exactly what happened?" Kelli nodded to the ground and sat down, just as she noticed the puddle of blood by her foot.
Swearing, she grabbed her foot and fell back on her behind because she wasn't balanced. That led to another string of cursing.

Mitch dropped his gaze and swallowed at Kelli's reaction. It felt so strange... The way she still looked so warm and understanding - he felt like he was being scolded by the mother he never had.
Why was he so different with her to anybody else...? There was not one other person in this Hellish city that could make him avert his gaze.
When Kelli sat down, Mitch was about to begin explaining as asked - when suddenly she let out a string of curses, bending over and clutching her foot.
He frowned, and dropped into a crouch beside her.
"You're hurt." He said, "Hold still, let me see."
He took her foot in large, rough hands, and studied it carefully. "It's a piece of glass..." He murmured, "Best just yank it out. Bear with me, this could hurt."
Funny... Had she been anyone else, he would have been grinning when he said that. And he would probably have been pushing the glass in, rather than pulling it out...
Shrugging, he pinched it in strong fingers, then tugged it out. The cut was deep, and immediately started bleeding faster.
Cursing under his breath, Mitch automatically shrugged off his shirt - not giving any thought to the fact that this might be an awkward situation for Kelli - and ripped a long section of material from it. He wrapped this clumsily around her foot. It certainly was not a good job, but it stopped the bleeding, which was the main point.
He considered the bandage a moment, then nodded and sat up.
Finally, he seemed to register the fact that he was shirtless, in front of a girl. More specifically, in front of Kelli.
His chest was marred by numerous scars, but most predominant was a long, horrible gash right across his abdomen - healed long ago, but marked forever. His tatoos could be seen, too - the cougar by his hip, and the Sons of Saints brand on his shoulder.
He felt impure before Kelli's innocent eyes, and automatically reached for his hoodie, lying on the ground beside him.
He would be hot, but rather hot than naked.

((Just so she can perv over Mitch's Moobs - we all know she wants to. ))

Kelli bit her lip and squeezed her eyes shut when he told her it was going to hurt. She didn't want to show any pain, but she knew she would. Her body was tense with fright, and she yelped when he yanked it out. Blood poured from the gash even more quickly, she realized, trying not to panic. Mitch would take care of her.
And he was. He was yanking off his shirt and tearing it up to wrap around her. It certainly wasn't the best bandage, but it would have to do. Besides, didn't gang people just tough it out? What did they need bandages for?
Quickly, she undid the cloth and tightened it in a more orderly way, taking a bobby pin from her hiar and clipping it onto the fabric to hold it together. Crimson had already seeped through the white material, she realized with a frown.
"Sorry I ruined your shirt." She chuckled, then glanced up at him standing there uncomfortably and reaching for his hoodie.
What had happened?!
"Stop." Kelli commanded forcefully, standing up and moving over to him. Grabbing his hoodie, she threw it over her shoulder and turned him to the side to examine his tattoo. Muttering about the design quality, she slowly, let him turn back toward her, and preoccupied herself by memorizing all of the new cuts and scratches. Much as it embarassed her, she'd always pictured this scene - just not him looking like this and in an abandoned warehouse.
Her slim fingers hastily moved from scar to scar, tracing over each texture, memorizing the rough surface. She always wanted to know who he truly was, and these markings would give her clues.
She wanted to know what her other half had become.

[[Kelli, behave. Stop being a girl. O.O]]

Mitch was surprised when Kelli ordered him to stop, and even more surprised when she snatched the hoodie away from him. He would have said it looked like she was undressing him with her eyes - except for the fact that he was already undressed... "Uh..." He mumbled hesitantly - but he didn't continue. He could tell that Kelli would just ignore him if he made any objection.
As her fingers explored his bare chest, he felt heat rising up the back of his neck - and for perhaps the first time in his life, he actually blushed. He was feeling incredibly uncomfortable, but he didn't try to stop her. He understood what she was doing... Familiarising herself with what he had become. Each new bulge of muscle, where he had been flat and soft before - each tattoo, each ugly scar... They all told a story, a part of his life... A part that his best friend had missed out on, because he was too much of a coward to face a few bullies.
And now he was practically leading a gang. Funny how that worked...
"Fires, most of them." He grunted, indicating his scars. "Building collapsed on me - you'd be surprised how much burning wood can cut..." He trailed off, gnawing on his lip as he recalled the horrific memory.
He had very nearly lost his life that night... He was lucky to get away with just a scar, no matter how large.
"Hey, Kelli..." He said, laughing slightly, and scratching the back of his head awkwardly, "D'you wanna give me my hoodie back, now?"

((Leave her be! It isn't her fault she can't control her hormones - it's 'cause this crackhead is a smokin' hottie! XD LMAO!!!!! ))

[[Go to bed, Polo. It's past your bedtime. And I've got to go to swimming anyway xD I'll reply in the morning. Don't let the bed bugs bite ]]

Frowning at his comments about the burns, Kelli moved her fingers to the largest one, the one he'd just talked about. Silently, she let her hand trace along its pink spidery lines. It was smoother than Mitch's normal skin, which was funny. It made him look even more scary. Like "look at me. I survived this. I can survive you trying to defend yourself against me and my fire."
She looked up into his eyes and strained to see the same vulnerable boy that had been there years ago. There was still a hint of them, but not much left. She needed to save that wisp of him from being lost forever into the dark recesses of "Matches".
Moving her hand to the stubble on his cheek, she frowned as she stroked it. She wanted so badly to tell him everything, but she couldn't. He would think she was crazy. Or would he?
This was Mitch she was talking about!
His gravelly voice snapped her out of her thoughts.
Kelli chuckled at his last comment and handed him back the sweater confidently. God, he had a lot of scars. There were just so many. Where had he gotten all of them? The large one across his abdomen was really nasty looking.
Sighing, she hugged her elbows again and looked up at him. "You said I needed to hide here?" She asked, even though it wasn't really a question. She knew the answer. Mitch could not tell the gang about her, and if she was seen walking around the city, they'd know he hadn't completed his job. She didn't want to stay in this cold, lifeless warehouse until she withered away, though.
Looking at him expectantly, she awaited his answer.

Mitch took hs hoodie from Kelli with a slight smile, and pulled it quickly over his head, rolling his shoulders to make it sit right. Then, Kelli's quiet voice broke through his thoughts: "You said I needed to hide here?"
He looked up at her, and smiled tightly. "Just until they-" He broke off, then corrected himself, "Until we are gone. Nobody was targeting you, specifically. It was the whole building they wanted down - I honestly dunno why, I just like blowing crap up."
He shrugged, then turned his head and stared at the door where they had come in. "Just wait here about a half hour after I leave, and you should be fine. Just steer clear of downtown - 'cause if you wander into our territory and they get hold of ya, there ain't nothin' I can do - and I don't want to see you hurt, Kelli."
His gaze was hard and direct as he said this, and his tone was earnest. He honestly meant that... How long had it been since he had not wanted to hurt somebody? Usually he got nothing by pleasure from watching pathetic strangers writhing in pain.
"So I guess..." He murmured with a heavy sigh, "That I should be going... I hope I see you again some day - and hopefully next time it won't be because I have to save you from myself..." He chuckled slightly, and rubbed the back of his head awkwardly, then smiled sadly at Kelli.
Damn, no wonder I just left last time... He mused silently to himself, I'm crap at goodbyes.

Kelli watched him, large blue eyes emxamining his every motion. She believeed that he wasn't involved with the politics of gang life; he was never the one for it. He always just did what he was told - or actually didn't, for that matter - because he felt like it. So there was no reason to get mad at him for setting fire to the building and burning all of her stuff...
All of her stuff.
And she realized she had no place to go.
Kelli frowned and glared at him. "Seriously, Mitchell Reid? All of my stuff is gone. I expect full compensation for my loss." Grinning, shelaughed and limped over to the tap (as you British people call it, I've learned from Dreameh. Even though you live in South Africa. Tap is British. right?) and began rinsing the blood from her hands and face. The icy water helped clear her mind, and for that she was thankful. She needed every part of her to work right now.
She rinsed all of the garbage from her hair and neck and arms. When Mitch left, she decided she'd probably just take off her clothes and take a full on bath, but not now. Even though Mitch was the one person who knew mostly everything about her, she hadn't seen him in years. And in that time, they'd both... matured.
Sighing, she looked over her shoulder at the boy - who was really a man now - and found that he'd grown up well. He'd probably have been the kind of guys that made high school girls swoon. Well, if he didn't have all those nasty scars and a connection to the Sons of Saints.
As she walked back over to him, seriousness returned to her voice, making it a little shaky, though she did her best to keep it strong. She was never good at being the strong one. That had always been Mitch, holding her when she cried first about her parents, then about the supervisors. He would just quietly, and a little awkwardly, sit there until she was done.
"I have no place to go, Mitch."

((Dude, only you wacky Americans call it a 'faucet'. XD I mean, DUDE, you call dummies 'pacifiers'...
Okay, so I secretly prefer that term - since it makes more sense, but... Still...
Just messing with you. *Offers hug* ))

Compensation...? For a moment, Mitch was slightly worried - but then Kelli's laugh put him at ease.
Of course, she was joking. He had forgotten that people in the real world still did that... He echoed her laugh, and automatically followed her over to the tap.
It was just like old times, when he had followed her everywhere - never confident enough to try anything on his own.
He stood there a while, smoking thoughtfully as he relived the old memories - until finally Kelli's voice jerked him out of his thoughts.
The first thing he noticed was that she was trying awfully hard to keep it steady...
"I have no place to go, Mitch."
Of course... He had burnt her house, and all of her worldly possessions...
He bit his lip, and swallowed thickly - feeling honestly guilty for his actions for the first time in years.
What the Hell was wrong with him?! He was like a bull with a ring through its nose around this girl. She had him wrapped around her finger...
This thought drew a faint snort of amusement from him, and he shook his head with a smile.
As long as he lived, he would always have a soft spot for Kelli. She was the best, and only friend he had ever had. And it was because of that that he had to help her, for better or for worse.
"I guess..." He frowned slightly, gnawing on his lip as he considered Kelli through a haze of smoke, "You could crash at my place until you get back on your feet. It's a sh*thole, but it has walls and a roof." He shrugged.
Actually, it wasn't all that bad. It was small, damp and musty - and nestled in a dark, quiet section of town - but at least it was free. The owners had fled when he had burnt down the other houses on the street long ago, and he had taken the least damaged one for himself.
It had a big, comfortable couch... Kelli could stay there, for sure.
There was just one problem...
"I just... I don't know how safe it would be." He frowned, "Don't take this the wrong way, but you're kind of..." He trailed off, gesturing vaguely toward her slim, curvy form, and shining blonde hair as he searched for the right word.
"F*ckable." He finished at last, just tossing out the first adjective that came to mind after his patience ran out. ((Good word choice there, Mitchy. XD )) For a moment he just left it at that - but as he thought back over his words, he realized how badly he had just put his foot in his mouth.
"I-I don't mean-" He stammered awkwardly, making hurried amends, "Not me, I mean, I wouldn't - but the Saints-" He broke off, irritated with his nervous babble, and continued in a more sensible fashion - frowning, and pretending not to notice how warm his cheeks felt.
"The point is, my private life ain't all that private, and if the gang finds out about you, we could have a problem. If they get their hands on you, there isn't a Hell of a lot I can do, y'know." He shrugged, then raised an eyebrow at Kelli - ultimately leaving the decision up to her.