A Different Type of Miracle

Stars scatter the sky as the sun drops below the horizon. Rex knows that she's in trouble when she gets home to her uncle Gavin, but she could care less right now. This is her only escape, to breathe in the crispy air, a lukewarm breeze fluttering around her. She pulls her hood over her head once she starts walking down the dangerous streets, even though she's familiar there. The long street filled with stands and groups of people is known as The Fortune. It's a really fancy name for such a dirty and sad place. Buildings clutter this street and some are abandoned, broken, or just scraps of material that stands.

"There's a lot of commotion tonight," Rex comments to herself. "A fine young lady she is," "Look at her long hair," "She'd make a nice little treat," A voice mutters sinisterly.

Rex glances around, "What is everyone talking about?" Snickers and giggles fill the ally way, and mischievous grunts echo. Then she sees her. A girl with a tight black dress on wanders around aimlessly, lost.

"Checkin' her out too?" A boy named Leo smirks. "Shut up my god. Obviously, she's lost. Can you all just shut up?" Rex snaps. The lost girl turns down an ally out of sight. 'God this is so bad' Rex says to herself. She rushes down there looking in all directions for this random girl who's stirring up so much trouble. She's easily spotted in minutes.

"You there!" Rex calls to her, "are you lost?" She sees the thin figure stop. Rex gets closer and lowers her voice. "Ma'am-?" Rex mutters, touching her fingertips on her arm. Freezing. The lost girl flings around and places a pistol right against Rex's chest.

"You better keep your tone down, I'm undercover and I need you to go on about your day before I have to end it-" She rambles but Rex cuts her off. "Who in the hell do you think you're talking to?" Rex then quickly reminds herself of the steps to disarm someone. She twists the girl and wraps her arm behind her removing the weapon from her slim hands.

"Ow! What the fuck- how-" The lost girl stutters. Rex pushes the unknown girl against the cold ally brick wall, pressing the pistol to her chest. Rex sternly demands, "Name. Age. Why are you here and you better fucking answer me." The lost girl simply shoves Rex. Before Rex can react the girl speaks up. "Mars. My name is Mars damnit. I'm 16 and I'm here because I'm, uh I'm a new student here." "New student? You're aware that there isn't a school around here?" Rex remarks, "I mean for crying out loud we're in the middle of where gangs and crime is. What are you really doing here?" "No, I am a new student. I am. But I just, can't find where I'm supposed to go-" "because you don't know where you're supposed to go. It's also nighttime, you're just asking to get hurt." Rex sighs and puts the pistol in her pocket. 'At least she had something to protect herself '. Rex looks around, placing her hand on Mar's shoulder, taking notice of her curves. "What are you doing?" Mars says noticing Rex's look. "Nothing- just- aren't you cold? Why are you wearing a tight dress anyway?" "None of your business. I'm not cold so don't offer your hoodie like a teenage boy."

"Fine then. Just stay close and you'll be safe." Rex scoffs.

"I'm getting tired." Mars sighs.

"If you look ahead, you'll see a house. We're going this way through the woods because I'm not supposed to be doing this." Rex points.

"If you're not supposed to be doing this then why are you?"

Rex stops tumbling through the woods and turns to Mars, the light from her house illuminating her face. "Because back there, you were going to get seriously hurt if you kept lingering around the way you did, not to mention-" Rex said gesturing at the dress she was wearing, "there's a lot of gross people in the world."

"Excuse me? Are you saying what I'm wearing is a ticket to get in my pan-" Mars spat but got cut off.

"No! Well, yes- Look if you were in a normal place it wouldn't matter what you were wearing just that you were in The Fortune- if you know what The Fortune was you'd know that you'd want to look invisible to not bring attention on yourself. There's a lot of dangers there."

"Woah Woah hang on. I can defend myself and I don't need you to look after me like a little kid. In fact what the hell am I even doing here with you? You look like you're-" Mars spat.

"I look like what huh? I don't even know you and you're going to insult me for taking care of you? I don't do this often at all really, and If you think you're gonna be safe without knowing where the fuck you're going then leave. I'm wasting my time. Unless you come with me and you won't be in danger." Rex yells, turning around and crunching on sticks and leaves while she makes her way to the house. Mars watches her walk away and considers her choices. She sighs, tagging along after Rex. "Could you at least slow down a second? It's hard walking in the dark!" Mars whines.

"What? Why?"

"Just do it!"

Rex tries to slide the window shut gently, but it slams just like a million times before. Footsteps clonk down the hallway with a groggy voice that follows, "Rex? God damnit where were you?" Rex jumps up and covers Mars with a layer of pillows. The door slams open, the lights flick on and hands fly towards Rex.

"Where the hell were you, huh?" The greasy unwashed old man shouts. Rex tries to pull his hands off the collar of her shirt. "Quit that!" The man yells hitting Rex, "now where were you?"

Rex coughs, trying to keep a steady voice, "I was at The Fortune, I was going to refill your bottle since you were out but they were closed."

"You liar!" the man screams, hitting a blow towards Rex's face. She winces looking down. The man scoffs and grips Rex's shirt collar tighter, "you think I'm gonna believe that? You lie just like my brother. No wonder why he dropped you off here that piece of shit." Rex slides her hand in her pocket and pulls out the pistol from earlier. She aims at the man.

"Hey now woah-" he stammers, immediately releasing Rex from his grip, stumbling back towards the door, "hey put that down-"

"I was on my way to refill your pills you bastard," Rex grunts, pulling out an empty orange pill bottle from her other pocket and throwing it at the man. He reaches to pick it up and grabs the doorknob.

"Get out of my room Gavin!" Rex shouts and points the pistol at the man. He scurries away and slams the door behind him. Rex sighs and gets up to lock the door, "You can come out now." The pillows move and Mars surfaces from the mountain of blankets, gasping for air. Rex notices that her face was pinkish and she looked kinda sweaty.

"Sorry you had to be in there for a few minutes- That's why I needed you to hide," Rex says, placing the pistol on a cluttered desk. Her eyes glance over at a torn picture of a girl with black hair and blue highlights. So fragile at first, but now meaningless to Rex.

"What's that?" Mars asks. Rex looks over at her, "oh.. this is uh, my friend Julie." Mars nods and stands up, "So where am I going to sleep? Also, where is the school?" Rex takes a look at her and realizes that a tight black dress isn't exactly comfy.

"Here," Rex says opening a drawer and pulling out a big t-shirt and pajama pants, "you can change into these, I'll step outside my bedroom door-" "you don't have to," Mars says, taking the pj's out of Rex's scraped and bandaged hands, "You're safer in here anyway."

"Oh um, no you're changing- I'll step out."

"Mmkay."

Rex goes to grab the door handle and turns to Mars, "The school is kinda complicated to explain where it's at, we'll get there by bus."

"A bus?"

"Yes?" Rex asks, "I know it's not the best but gotta do whatcha gotta do." Rex then closes the door behind her leaving Mars alone. Mars slips off the dress and pulls on Rex's clothes. Mars catches a glimpse of herself in a mirror on the wall and straightens her hair out with her fingers. Her eyes linger on the desk with the torn picture on it, and she gets closer. Mars picks it up flips it over. "The love of my life~ My Julie" it reads. "So this Julie isn't a friend- but an ex-girlfriend".