Chapter Text
Rain patterns on the floor near Kenley, as she scratched her nails onto a nearby wall of an alleyway. Her legs ached. She had been running for hours.
Just to get away from that terrible place, her free hand reached to finally pull off the shock collar tightly and neatly locked onto her neck. It had gotten pretty wet since it rained a lot where she had been held. It broke off easily clearly whoever made it didn’t think this would happen. I mean escape seemed impossible to her.
She panted out of breath, giving out as she slumped over into the nearby alleyway she had decided to stop in as she used whatever strength she had left to push her limp body near the garbage can in the back. Back against the solid object she was able to sit up and take a minute finally. But her worries didn’t cease, in fact they had gotten worse by just the thought of getting caught because she took a break was all she could think about.
Kenley ended up passing out and decided to sleep there for a while and then continue her travels. She had made a nest of the sort behind the garbage, some newspaper, her bag and whatever extra clothes she had to cover herself on the cold nights. After a couple nights of wandering the streets and trying to find food to stop the now persistent grumbling of her stomach she had managed to get enough coins to wash what little clothes she had been able to escape with. She was aware that she stunk after all.
There was no way she didn't, she had run through mud, grass. Rain and even slipped into a few garbage cans. she had taken a piece of grass and food out of her tangled wet hair.
A feeling of sorrow clouded her brain.
10:37 pm. one weeks later. Kenley waddled into the laundromat shaking hands and body. It would be quite nice in here if it wasn’t for the other people in here. But she could ignore it. She wasn’t fond of other people, fear was all she had ever known. She quietly fumbled with her quarters and put them in the machine. She was short. She dug around in her ratty bag desperate for some extra to magically appear but of course. Nothing was there. She looked around quite distressed obviously. She was just about to end up leaving and had to start rounding up coins again. Until she felt a hand tap her shoulder.
She fell over in fear, tears already welling at her eyes as she put hands in front of her face as if preparing for something.
A girl was in front of her. Long brown hair flowing all the way down til it hit her bottom, sweet eyes on a concerned expression she was holding. Kenley's eyes examined the outfit the woman was wearing. Mainly the sweater she was wearing. It was purple and off the shoulder, Kenley didn't understand why anyone would cut their clothing to be like that, Wide eyes, nicely tanned skin and shoes that reached her knees.
The girl took a step back, her arm retreating to her side as she spoke.
“I am so sorry! I didn’t mean to scare you!”
The young lady flashed the coin in her hand she had.
“I was just gonna ask if you needed an extra quarter. Sorry again for scaring you.” The woman pushed a bit of hair behind her ear.
Kenley gulped, still backing up a little as she pushed herself up from the floor rubbing her tears away embarrassedly.
“I don’t need your help.” Kenley said hoarsely as if it pained the poor girl to speak.
The girl sighed
“Look I'm not trying to be rude but you look like you could use some. I just wanna help and then I'll leave you alone okay?”
Kenley debated running away, telling her to fuck off but she looked down into her ratty bag. Her clothes were absolutely dirty. And her only good sweater had a stain from when some random guy threw his milkshake on her.
Maybe she’d keep her word and leave afterwards. So Kenley quickly grabbed the quarter from the ladies hand not sparing her a glance as she shoved it in the machine.
“See no harm done.”
The woman said, still standing there with concern on her face changing to a relieved look.
“My name is Jamie by the way! It was nice to meet you…”
Kenley thought about it for a minute. Maybe she’d tell her a fake name. I mean she didn't know if .. They had sent her. But she figured they would've just dragged her out of there and not offered her a quarter. So she went against her better judgement and the trust issues she definitely didn't have.
“Kenley.. My name is kenley.” her eyes darted around the room as she mumbled back her response.
Kenley’s fingers hit the start on the washing machine as she decided to limp her way over to one of the chairs near the entrance of the laundromat. Jamie did not stick to her words. As she sat right near kenley.
“Excuse me if this is like.. Rude? But are you homeless?”
“What is that…’
The two girls looked at each other for maybe three minutes, blinking.
“How do you not- well- okay? It means you like uhm.. live on the streets.”
Kenley wasn't sure if she should answer that question. But she knew what happened when she ignored certain people.
Jamie could see the confliction on the girl's face so she decided to chime in again.
“You don't have to answer if you don’t wanna, I was just curious .”
Jamie decided to follow up with another question.
“Again..you don't have to answer anything that makes you uncomfortable but.. You look pretty young and way too skinny to even be healthy. How old are you? Again if that's okay of me to ask.”
Jamie proceeded to watch the frail girl look at her fingers and start counting slowly muttering under her breath. It truly was shocking.
“I’m uhm.. Sixteen I think?”
Jamie's face instantly became concerned again but she didn't question it.
“Surprising. Well I’m seventeen, guess we aren't too far apart yeah?”
“Yes?..”
Jamie waited with her until her clothes washed and dried. Asking her more questions she wasn’t used to like, ‘have you eaten”, ‘how are you feeling’, ‘why are you on the streets’ it was shocking how she hadn’t been hurt yet.
The machine dinged as Kenley quickly shoved her clothes into her dirty bag full of stitch marks from sewing it back together.
She grabbed all her things and pushed open the door of the laundromat back into the outsides cold winter air. Made her shiver and remember her clothes weren't great for this weather but what could she do. She had no way to buy anything new.
Before Kenley could make it halfway down the street she heard running footsteps behind her and panting. She immediately turned around and smacked whoever was behind her with her bag.
Poor Jamie who had been the one chasing after her stumbled back clutching her nose a little
“Oh. sorry.”
Kenley said, like she didn't just hit somebody.
“IT’s FinE.”
Jamie grumbled.
“Look again I know I said I'd leave you alone but.. It’s freezing! I really can't let you leave without something.”
Jamie had held out a freshly washed sweater she had gotten from her bunch of clothes.
“Take it please, I won't be able to sleep if you don't."
Kenley nervously took the item of clothing and started to examine it, checking for any wires or trackers just anything suspicious in general. She didn't know her intentions anyways. Which she spotted none so.. She hesitated before putting on the sweater she had been gifted.
It was warm and she appreciated that at least
“Okay goodbye.”
Kenley turned around and continued to walk away like nothing ever happened.