The Street Urchin Finds His Diamond in the Rough

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All My Love Is Books

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"Bye!" Slam! An audible sigh can be heard as the soft footsteps of a girl comes forth from the shadows of the obscured building. With her she carried a small brown leather bag. She set it down on the ground and looked up and down the street before pulling her long, dark brown (almost black) hair into a ponytail. She fixed it with a rubber-band that she had found on her way out. Glancing back at the building that she had just left, the girl let out another audible sigh. After 10 years, the 21 year old would finally be going back to hopefully her Fathers' bar The Lamp. In reality it wasn't actually a bar, but that was the cover story and because of the service, food and drinks it had made itself quite a name.

Which is why the feds never looked at what went on behind the closed doors. Illegal gambling, theft and even the occasional assassin. At the head of it all... her father. His father had run The Lamp and soon it would be time for her father to pass it off to someone. Unfortunately he'd had an only daughter and she was currently standing on the sidewalk with nothing to her name. It was a race to find out who was going to be the next Mob Boss. The race was between both of his right hand men; her friend from her kid days and a mean old man who she did not like.

Shifting her weight, Aleksandra Fahti, also know as Alek to her friends and family looked around again. The above friend was supposed to be coming to pick her up. Ten years ago he and her father had dropped her off in this very spot and said goodbye to her. She had not seen them since then and my how she had grown. The reason for leaving? No she was not a bad kid and needed military school. She came from a long line of rare magicians. She could preform almost anything under the sun at a simple rate, but as a kid she'd had no control over her powers and they would flare up randomly. Now here she stood, everything under control and had specialized in fire. Her teacher had said it was because of her fiery personality.

Pulling at the sheer baby blue top that covered up a darker blue tanktop and some dark blue skinny jeans, she let out another sigh. Now she was impatient. Although there could have been a good reason for not showing up. She did not even have a cell phone to call. She had been isolated for her time here at this god forsaken piece of no good nothing. Alek really just wanted to go back and see her father. She had hoped that he would be the one to come and pick her up, but being head of the clan he just couldn't make it. At least she would get to see her former best friend. Maybe he still was or maybe he had turned into some dope. Alek giggled at the thought as she picked up her bags and began walking.

Quickly she realized that she was lost as she had not been on this side of the city in a long time. Most of her time training had been spent out in the middle of nowhere with occasional months spent here inside of the city so that she could be with other students who trained elsewhere. "Well... this sucks." she muttered, looking around. Everything had changed! Now what was she going to do? If only her magic allowed her to teleport. Not even she had gotten that one down. Most of the time it had been a limb or two and it was not fun to try and put yourself back together especially without an expert doing it.

So she would continue on and hope that she was going the right way or that she would just happen to stumble upon The Lamp.

((Oh gawd. This sucked. Sorry. :( But I wanted to get it out tonight.))
 
The young man parked his car along the curb, wondering if he had missed her. For all of the years that had passed, and all of the training he had received, Rajani just never could get a firm grasp on timing and deadlines. As he looked around impatiently, he stroked the ears of the fennec fox currently riding shotgun. A woman was walking into view, and Rajani realized just how long it had been since they had seen each other; feeling awkward at wondering what his would-be sister might look like as something more than the girl he used to cause trouble with.

"Whad'ya think, Appi? Time to hoof it?" The young woman was already walking away. With impatience like that, his doubts began to receed. It had to be her, and even the old stray he kept by his side seemed to recognize her. As he shut the door and locked the vehicle he hollered her name.

"Yo ALEK! Is that you?" Already a decent pace ahead of him, he wondered if she could even hear. So he took off at a light jog, Appi apparently exhilirated at the change of pace. The young man's shaggy black hair bounced as he ran, and he regretted not taking the time to change out of his semi-formal "bartending" garb. While he enjoyed vivid color, a purple vest just didn't scream the "respect" he was trying to gain from Alek's father.
 
((Okay so the only thing is your font. Sorry, I'm pretty much blind and this font makes my head hurt to try and read. :( ))

Aleksandra heard her name being yelled and she stopped to turn around. At first she did not realize who it was that was calling her and especially not how a man in a purple vest knew who she was, but then she recognized the purple vest as part of the outfit the bartenders at The Lamp wore. She gawked at the man running up to her and the animal beside him. That was new. Then she moved to the man. "Rajani?" Alek asked and then she burst out laughing. She couldn't help it. This was the little kid that she had grown up with!

She stopped laughing as he came up to her and she was quick to wrap her arms around him. "Hello Rajani." Alek told him with a smile on her face. Then she turned down at the fox that was at his side. "I guess a lot has changed." she turned back to him and smiled at him. "How have you been?" she asked him, reaching down to grab her bag and hoist it over her shoulder. In reality she wanted to go and see her father, but she also wanted to catch up with Rajani.
 
Rajani smiled and replied, "I'm alive. And not nearly as bad off as I used to be. That's Appi. Found him roaming the alley. How about you? Looks like you made it out with few scars." He began walking down the street again, fixing his collar and gesturing toward the row of rear entrances to neighboring storefronts.

"C'mon, it's a shortcut." While he generally enjoyed walking much more than driving, discretion was part of his job now, his life. And this was merely one of his shadowy corridors through the city.
 
Aleksandra followed him Rajani through the shadows and she realized just how much had changed since she had last seen him. "You are turning into my Father. I can't decide if that is a good thing or a bad thing." Alek murmured softly, moving along with him. It was easy for her to blend in with the shadows because she had been doing it before she could walk thanks to her older brother who had taught her when nobody was around. He had died though, an assassin hit when she was young and her Father had vowed to never let her into this life again.

Only this time they were working against something that would require her skills. They did not know what or who, but it was powerful and there was no man power way to stop it. They needed magical help and that was where Alek came in. When they reached the other side, there in the distance stood The Lamp. "I don't think I'm ready to go yet." Alek stood absolutely still, not even her eyes blinking. She wasn't ready to see her Father. It was he who had practically banished her to that forsaken place in the beginning. "No... I should just go back. My Father doesn't care if he sees me ever again. That's why he gave me away." If she sounded bitter, it was because she was.
 
Rajani stopped when it was apparent that Alek would not be following. He'd become accustomed to following orders, and the safe deliverance if his boss's daughter was possibly the most important demand he had shouldered. But he sympathized with the girl - for every day he spent trying to earn the Don's interest, he knew she was growing up without her father - and that was an experience they shared. Except in Rajani's case, no matter how often he imagined the scene, there would be no homecoming or resolution on that front. So he tried to be gentle and remember this wasn't about him.

"How about we go for a ride instead?" He said with a smile, in hopes the turn of face would lift her spirits and confidence. It worked when they were small, and being around her reminded him of how carefree he used to be...how he missed being.

Appi had picked up on the word "ride" and tilted back his ears, probably annoyed by indecision and the prospect of that cramped box on wheels. Rajani tousled his head, attempting to perk him up, before walking back toward Alek.

"I know it's been awhile. We should probably catch up. So...catch up!" With that, he bolted into a run toward the car.
 
Aleksandra looked over at him, dragging her eyes away from the place that she had been born and raised in. "Oh uh, okay.." Alek murmured but Rajani was long gone. Aleksandra realized she had to hurry and with a smirk she took off. Only she was a lot faster than he was. Super speed made up for the lack of being able to teleport and she blew past him like a lick of wind and was at the car long before he would even realize that she would have gone by. Her bag was sitting on the hood and she was casually leaning against the side door, waiting for Rajani.

When she saw him, she smirked again. "What took you so long? I practically turned into a street urchin waiting for you." Alek told him with a loud laugh. So far his plan of cheering her up had been working and though she knew that was what he was doing, Alek was letting him because she did not want to face her father by going back to The Lamp. Instead she wanted to just sit down and think about what she was going to say after ten years of not seeing him.
 
"Street urchin...good one," he puffed as he beamed at her. While he kept in good shape, his breathing labored around exertion and laughter, with a touch of embarrasment. She'd won before, oh yes, but he at least used to see her passing. Once his body calmed down, he sought conversation. Unlocking the car and letting in his pet, he glanced back at the bar. To hell with business and punctuality, he thought, she deserves to be free. He turned on the car, but left the radio off. "Care to see anything specific?" He asked Alek. "I'd offer a meal, but don't wanna ruin the one your father has planned." And just like that, he realized her presence let his guard down and out of his mouth shot the details he wasn't supposed to share. None of this was reflected in his face or manner, and he continued speaking. "Our old spot is still around, if you're up for climbing."
 
A feast? Of course he had prepared something for her. How could he even know what her favorite foods were when he had not come to see her in so long? Her face crossed annoyance which she tried not to let overcome her, but it was hard. "Yes, please. Please." Alek begged him when he asked if she wanted to go to their old spot. It was a spot that they had gone to many times throughout their youth usually whenever Alek was mad at her Father. It was just outside of town so that she was able to get back to The Lamp if she was needed; a tree house that the two of them had built with their bare hands with the occasional help from her magic. Just outside there was a small pond that they would go swimming in during the Summer. The place was the epitome of relaxation which was what she needed right now.

"I am kind of glad that it was you who came to pick me up." Alek admitted while he drove. She looked over at him and smiled at him, her hand reaching out to squeeze his shoulder. Pulling away Alek let her hand fall into her lap and she turned to stare out the window. "I hated it there. It was horrible. My teacher was a bastard of a man who did not care if I was to sick or tired to go on. I was never allowed to visit anybody nor were they allowed to come see me." Alek told him, her head resting against the warm pane of the car window.
 
Her words inspired memories of his own, the echo of futile attempts to find his best friend still resounded in his mind. "It must have been Hell," speaking softly, he squeezed her knee. "It certainly sucked for us." He wondered how much to say, finding simultaneously eased by Alek's company and unsure of where they stood. People change, and that tends to distance friendships. And he didn't want that, not after the years of feeling lost and friendless.

"I, uh...tried to find you. Your father, he refused to tell me where you were." No matter how vivid the drop-off had been, Rajani could never recall the turns of that last ride together. "He never found our place! As many times as I ran off there...he let me go, didn't have me tailed. Never asked about it. Then again, none of them would have kept up with me. Not like you always have." The amount of rooftops they'd jumped alone would be enough for her father to strangle him. Yet he smiled, despite himself.
 
Aleksandra seemed sad again. She closed her eyes to try and hold back a few tears. "You did?" she asked softly, opening one slightly damp eyelash so that she could see him. "I always knew that you would come... but you never did. I was so angry at you for so long because I was so sad about being dumped there without any rhyme or reason." Aleks' voice was still soft and she closed her eye again. "I'm not mad at you now. I was afraid you were dead, to be quite frank. But when Nathaniel told me that you were going to be picking me up I was so elated, I laughed with happiness." Alek told him with a very brief smile.

"I am glad that he never found this place. Feels like something is still right in this world because I don't know what is anymore." Alek admitted with a sigh. By now they were coming to the edge of the city and she opened her eyes as she felt the sun take over the entire car now that they were not surrounded by buildings. "Go faster." she urged him, looking from the road to him. "Nobody is out here. I just want to run around and feel the grass between my toes."
 
"I tried..." he began again, "and I never really stopped. Even when your father explained you were learning things neither of us could teach you, I still wanted to see you. As a kid all I wanted was my playmate back. As I got older...I saw why your father wanted you away from the biz. But every black-haired girl that walked into The Lamp got my hopes up." Though he still carried anger for her father, Rajani had come to recognize that his actions had come from a place of love and concern. "He loves you, Aleks. He does terrible things all the time, but he had your best interest at heart when he sent you. If he didn't care...I don't think we'd have been the ones to take you." There was no telling how deep the anger Alek felt really dwelled, but he hoped she wouldn't let it change her.

At her insistance of speeding up, he smiled. The smirk on Rajani's face as he shifted gears was a familiar one; the one he wore every other time Alek had nudged him just another step up on the ladder of trouble. Driving there didn't take all that long, not at these speeds. The treehouse was hidden from the main stretch of highway and he barely slowed down for the dirt road which lead to the clearing. Turning the wheel sharply and yanking the E-brake, Rajani spun the car in such a way that Alek could step directly from the car to the walking path.

"Well that was fun," he chortled. Then he smiled at her as he opened her door and said, "Welcome home."
 
"I tried..." he began again, "and I never really stopped. Even when your father explained you were learning things neither of us could teach you, I still wanted to see you. As a kid all I wanted was my playmate back. As I got older...I saw why your father wanted you away from the biz. But every black-haired girl that walked into The Lamp got my hopes up." Though he still carried anger for her father, Rajani had come to recognize that his actions had come from a place of love and concern. "He loves you, Aleks. He does terrible things all the time, but he had your best interest at heart when he sent you. If he didn't care...I don't think we'd have been the ones to take you." There was no telling how deep the anger Alek felt really dwelled, but he hoped she wouldn't let it change her.

At her insistance of speeding up, he smiled. The smirk on Rajani's face as he shifted gears was a familiar one; the one he wore every other time Alek had nudged him just another step up on the ladder of trouble. Driving there didn't take all that long, not at these speeds. The treehouse was hidden from the main stretch of highway and he barely slowed down for the dirt road which lead to the clearing. Turning the wheel sharply and yanking the E-brake, Rajani spun the car in such a way that Alek could step directly from the car to the walking path.

"Well that was fun," he chortled. Then he smiled at her as he opened her door and said, "Welcome home."
 
Aleksandra squealed happily as Rajani picked up speed. When they suddenly pulled off the main road, Alek was laughing and throwing her hands up in the air. As he squealed to a stop, her laughs quickened and when they stopped she was out of breath from laughter. "That was more than fun! That was the most fun I've had in a loong time!" Alek cried as she jumped out of the car and slammed the door shut behind her. Above her was the treehouse and through the trees, just a few glints of the lake were visible.

Alek walked over to the tree with the ladder and ran her hand over the rough bark. "Missed you old tree. Glad to see you're still holding strong." Alek said with a big grin on her face. "Going up?" Alek asked as she climbed the rope. She was quick and it was obvious that she had done this before. After scaling the rungs, she reached the top and crawled in.

Over the years he had changed a few things such as adding a small comfy looking chair, a battery powered stereo and a few other things that Alek loved. "I like what you did!" Alek exclaimed, falling into the chair. Next to her was one of two beanbags that she would usually lay out on, but she wanted to try the new stuff. In the corner opposite of her was a small chest that housed clothes they could change into if they got dirty and it held their bathing suits so that way they could go swimming whenever.

"Can we go swimming, Rajani?" Alek asked, pulling her hair down and then putting it back up with a blue scrunchie she found sitting around.
 
Watching Aleksandra flit and flounce about the place was much like observing a kid on Christmas, and it lightened Rajani's mood. While it was risky to keep a man like her father waiting, it was probably even riskier not to indulge his daughter.

"Alright! Suit's where it always-" he was cut off when his own swimming trunks covered his face, thrown at him before he could answer. Rajani shook his head, glad to see his friend still needed no man's permission to be herself. After he changed he brought back a couple towels, being sure to make eye contact when he wasn't averting his gaze entirely from her womanly figure. As many times as they'd changed in front of each other, he felt embarrassed now and wouldn't dare ogle her.

He was already down the tree's ladder and adjusting his sunglasses, feeling almost like he was on a mini-vacation. Putting work aside in the clutter of his mind, he soaked up the sun and breathed in the cool lakeside air.
 
Aleksandra was quick to follow him down. She had pulled on a pair of short dark blue board shorts with a blue string bikini piece on top. As she climbed down the stairs, she could admire the view that painted the landscape. With a soft sigh, she smiled and climbed down the rest of the way. She had noticed the way Rajani had tried not to stare and she realized just how much they had both grown up.

Except not to grown up to put her sunglasses on, run down the hill and shove him into the water with a hooting laugh. She stood on the bank, doubled over laughing her usual happy demeanor back from earlier when everything had been sad and depressing. "Rajani! You look a little wet!" Aleksandra burst out laughing again at her own joke, taking deep breaths of air to keep from passing out.

Just like the old times...
 
((So apparently we each have to reply in here to make sure that notifications of when the other replies shows up in our alerts. So that is what I am doing. xD))
 
Arms flailing and a twisted look of surprise overtook Rajani as he landed in the water with a splash. Spitting out water at her retort, the young man launched himself at the bank to drag her in too.

"Alek...you swim like a rock!" He taunted, dunking the girl beneath the water. Laughing heartily, and splashing her again when she resurfaced. The sunshine warmed his tanned skin and warmed his previously cold outlook. Nothing could have been more perfect than reinitiating the security of their friendship, and allowing their inner children to play.

Rajani found himself gazing at Alek's grin, hoping she wouldn't lose track of those smiles once she confronted her father. All of this fresh air was clearing Rajani's mind and left him optimistic in spite of recent business. He had missed this carefree spirit and general happiness that emanated between them. So he let enjoyment wash over him.
 
Aleksandra screamed like the little girl she truly was when he dragged her in. "No Rajani!" Alek was laughing as he dunked her under, causing lots of bubbles to surface as she came back up. Then she was promptly splashed in the face with a look of sheer revenge on her face. Oh he was going to get it now. "You messed with the wrong genie." Alek told him with a grin as she lowered herself in the water. She was gone rather suddenly, her bathing suit blending in with the water. She swam away from him, behind him and came back up.

Being quiet as she surfaced, Alek tried not to giggle as she summoned a large wave starting from the other side of the water. It came at great speed, gaining more water as it came and promptly dumped all onto Rajani. Aleksandra burst out laughing as the water came down, so glad that they had decided to come out here before she had to deal with her father. There was going to be very little chance that they would get to come out here like they had used to do once they went back and began their respective jobs.

Plus she didn't mind having to look at Rajanis naked chest while he swam.
 
Losing sight of her, Rajani tried to shake the water from his face and sought the direcion she had swam. Once he cleared his vision and noticed the water an inch lower on his waist, he knew he was in for something terrible. Her powers could only be stronger, and that was confirmed by the huge smirk on her face as she threw the swell at him. He tumbled around underwater before resurfacing, coughing up a bit of water.

"Uncle," he choked. "You know I'm not that cool, Miss Magician." He smiled all the same, until a cell phone rang from the treehouse. Rather than rushing to answer, he floated on his back and took a few more waterless breaths.

"That's probably Jamal. He's such a creeper." Looking over to Alek, he described her father's right-hand man, "he gets this look in his eye sometimes. Like he can't stand your father but would wipe his ass all the same. Acts like The Lamp is a waste of time and money, trying to talk him into levelling the place." The bar was, aside from this swimming hole, the one familiar place that Rajani and Alek had shared as kids. She was the reason he even volunteered to "bartend" on his off days, plus it was like his first home. It was a much lower position than he had been offered, but if it meant preserving that bit of personal history...it was worth it.
 
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