The Place (Open for any)

[musicankane]

With a sigh Trevor Scott dropped the box onto his desk. The box was filled with miscellaneous odds and ends, and signaled that Trevor and his Mom Diane were officially moved in. He ran his hand through his uncombed dark brown hair and turned to get a feel for his new room. It was smaller than his old room but there was no avoiding that. He grabbed a set of folded sheets off the end of his bed and began to make the bed.

As he tucked in the bottom sheet he thought about the changes in his life. Trevor was a good enough student living a steady but unremarkable life in Malibu with his parents. He was a good enough student to get into Pepperdine University, which was a good school, but not Ivy League. He had been set to start college in the fall, but two weeks before graduation his father passed away. His father had been a lawyer, a well paid lawyer at that, able to pay for their home in Malibu and send him to the expensive school. When he died it left his mother to try and support them both in a costly home on the beach.

Diane worked as a legal secretary and made decent money but not enough to keep a home in Malibu nor send Trevor to college. The family had a savings sure, but with the medical bills and funeral cost Trevor and his Mom had no choice but to move. Why Diane chose Northridge California was beyond him. Diane grew up in the area and thought it would make a good place to return too, rent was cheaper and it was close to Pierce Community College for Trevor.

Trevor thought going to a community college would be a waste of all the effort he put forth in High School but his mother couldn’t afford to send him to school even with the reduced cost of the suburban home. He would need a summer job to pay for school and he wouldn’t be able to pay for anything over the cost of a community school.

Diane had made some calls for Trevor and arranged a job at a Kiosk selling sunglasses. Not exactly the greatest job on Earth but it beat flipping burgers at McDonald’s or someplace. At least he could work at the local mall, officially named The Place in order to make the mall seem more trendy or upper class. The name was a failure but still it stuck.

Trevor let tried not to think about anything as he finished unpacking his final few boxes and got ready for bed. He was holding a picture of the last family trip they had taken to the Grand Canyon. It had been two years ago before his Dad starting getting sent away a lot on business. His name was Michael Scott the third, a name he hadn’t passed down to Trevor thankfully believing that the generation of namesakes didn’t need a fourth go around.

There was a knock on his bedroom door and he glanced up to see his mother leaning against the doorway. He gave her a small smile and set the picture back on his desk. Diane came over to him and put her arm around his shoulders her gaze on the picture he had set on the desk.

“Grand Canyon?” She asked softly.

Trevor nodded, “Yeah, good trip.” His voice was empty.

Diane rubbed his shoulders gently. “You doing alright Honey?”

Trevor took a deep breath. “Yeah, I think I’ll be alright. I just need to adjust you know? Once I start work I guess things will be ok.”

She let him go and fished out an envelope from her pocket. “This is from Armand, he’s the guy who owns the Kiosk. His assistant came by and dropped it
off.”

Trevor opened the envelope and pulled out a yellow piece of legal pad paper and a small padlock key. He read over the note quickly, “It’s the key for the Kiosk and instruction for the register.” He explained to his Mom.

Trevor frowned at the envelope after his mom said her goodnights and left him alone. He took his time putting the Kiosk key on his key ring, somehow feeling locked into yet another boring unprogressive chapter in his life. He flopped back onto his bed and stared at the ceiling. After graduation he always thought things would be better. The degree in business seemed even further away than the Wall Street job he pictured himself holding after school. He groaned and rolled onto his side and sighed, this could be a good thing he thought to himself. He almost laughed at the thought, what could possibly be good, fun, or remotely interesting about a sunglass booth?

The next morning the alarm blared to life with the music of a country music station. Trevor hated country music so it was the best way to get him out of bed in the morning. Never in a million years could he sleep through an alarm of Garth Brookes or even worse Dolly Pardon. His hand lashed out and whacked the switch on the clock to shut the alarm off. The bed felt suddenly more comfortable than it ever had felt before when Trevor thought of the job that awaited him in just a couple of hours.

He groaned and kicked the covers off. His morning routine was simple and quick, but this morning he took his time in the shower, letting the hot water burn out all the weariness of the morning from his bones. Maybe selling glasses wouldn’t be so bad, if nothing else it would allow Trevor to catch up on his reading and music studies in the free time.

After brushing his teeth and slicking his hair back with a small amount of styling paste, Trevor got dressed in a pair of black jeans and put on a blue-grey button up shirt. He trotted down stairs where Diane was having a cup of coffee at the kitchen stairs.

She smiled when Trevor walked into the kitchen and grabbed the box of Poptarts from the cabinet. “Did you sleep alright?”

Trevor tore open a package and took a bite of the strawberry pastry. “I slept alright I guess, new place and everything,” he told her through a mouthful of poptart.

Diane groaned and waved at him. “Close your mouth Trevor.”

He shrugged and stuffed the rest of the poptart into his mouth. After a few minutes of chewing he grabbed a glass of milk and chugged it down. “I need to go to the bank before work, I don’t have any lunch money.”

“Alright, just make sure you watch what you spend. You need the money for school.” She warned, her tone motherly.

Trevor nodded, “Believe me the last thing I want to do is spend more time than absolutely necessary working at a sunglass booth in ‘The Place’” He said making finger quotes at the name of the mall.

Diane rolled her eyes and began to rinse out her empty mug in the sink. “Look I know you think it’s a bad job, but you never know what can happen. You might find yourself making friends which is what you need now I think.” She gestured toward him with the empty mug before turning to put it away. “Listen, just give a chance if it is so horrible you can’t stand it, then it’s not a big deal to find something else. I figured you might like it best working at the mall.”

Trevor shrugged, “Yeah typical teenager right? Love the mall.”

Diane gave him a look, “Don’t be an ass, get going.”

Trevor said goodbye and walked out the door. Unlike most soon to be college bound young people, Trevor didn’t have a car nor a bike which meant he had to walk to the mall. While it was only a two mile walk, as the summer went on it would become a miserable experience when the temperatures got into triple digits. For this first Monday the walk wouldn’t be so though, but it was warm enough to hint at the summer heats to come.

There was a bank in the parking lot of The Place, and Trevor hit up the ATM to grab forty bucks before heading into the mall. He pulled out the yellow note he had gotten from last night and read directions to his cart. The sunglass booth was set on the outskirts of the food court just opposite the Cinnabon, a sweet shop that specialized in cinnamon rolls and coffee. Trevor double checked the paper before setting to remove the giant tarp that covered the cart. Already he could smell the hot cinnamon rolls coming from the store nearby and he shrugged, there were worst smells to be stuck with. Trevor would have to be careful not to eat too many rolls.

He found the padlock the locked the tarp tightly around the base of the cart and opened the lock with the key on his ring. Trevor was unaware of the person at the cart next to his watching him as he pulled the tarp carefully off the cart inevitably knocking a couple of the sunglass displays over. He balled up the tarp and tucked it away underneath the kiosk.

“So you’re the new guy eh?” A voice said behind him.

Trevor turned from fixing a display and saw a tall young guy standing behind him with his arms crossed. The guy had short jet black hair combed over two one side. He had a large nose and a permanent five o’clock shadow. Not a horrible looking guy, but definitely not a ladies man either. He wore a T-shirt that had a modern rock band logo on the front and a pair of brown khakis. One his left breast was a nametag that identified him as Zack.

Trevor nodded and glanced back at the sunglass kiosk. “Yeah, I guess.”

Zack nodded and then shook his head. “You poor lost soul.” He shrugged and stuck out his hand. “Welcome forsaken one to the poorly named Place.”

Trevor gave him a friendly but unconvincing smile and shook his hand. “I’m Trevor, Trevor Scott.”

“Zack Green.” He told him, then gestured to the mall around them. “Well, let me show you around before Place opens up. You’ll want to know what to avoid around here.”

Trevor glanced back at the kiosk then followed Zack who was stopped at the kiosk next to his. It was still covered with a tarp and the clerk who would be manning the kiosk was nowhere to be found yet.

“This is the Proactive booth, you know that stupid acne medicine. The guy who works here is Steve Miller, he’s an alright guy but he’ll talk your ear off if you let him. When he’s not working it’s his sister Lacy who, while hot, is one of those chicks that knows how gorgeous she is and probably wont give you the time of day.” The way Zack spoke about the places and people of The Place made it obvious how much he despised his job.

Trevor listened carefully trying to be open about information he’d probably learn one way or another. It was nice to get the inside sort from a guy who was clearly too smart for a mall job and, like Trevor, was working here because of an unfortunate situation.

“So you going to school around here?” Zack asked as he moved on form the Proactive kiosk toward the next kiosk in the short line of kiosk’s near the food court.

Trevor nodded, “Uh, yeah. Or well, I will be. I was supposed to go to Pepperdine actually, but uh my father passed away and my mom can’t really afford it.”

“So where are you going for a back-up.”

Trevor sighed. “Pierce.”

“The Community College?”

“Yeah, it’s the only place I can afford with a job like this.”

Zack stopped in front of the next booth and shook his head. “That blows. Anyway this abomination of a booth is the cheesy and crappy world of remote controlled toy helicopters. If you get bored feel free to come by and fly a helicopter around. I find it therapeutic to try and hit little kids or chicks in skimpy clothing, sounds cruel I know but don’t knock it till you’ve tried it.”

Trevor chuckled and pictured little kids running by screaming as a flying toy helicopter chased them around. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

Zack turned away from the cart. “Alright next we have the food court. Let me explain the rules of the food court as it pertains to mall employees.” They walked to the center of the food court near the set of escalators and Zack gestured around to each of the dozen or so food spots. The food court was split into two sides, east and west with the kiosk row starting on the south side and the mall’s exit to the north. On both east and west sides of the court where six individual shops. The west side started with the Cinnabon, that sat closest to Trevor’s kiosk, then followed up with a Quiznos, Hotdog on a Stick, Koo-Koo-Roo, Chin-Chang and a Red Robin which was the only real sit down restaurant in the mall. The east side of the food court had a generic set of stores starting with a Mongolian BBQ, Tommy burgers, Donatelo’s pizzeria, Taco Ding, Surf’s Up smoothies, and finally a Hawaiian BBQ place called Aloha Aloha.

Zack pointed to the Cinnabon and said. “With the exception of Cinnabon you never ever, ever, eat at any of the places in the food court. Every one of these bastards will fuck with your food, at least until you make some friends. Usually you’ll be able to eat for free once people get to know you.”

Trevor glanced at the Cinnabon and could see a girl working in the back, but couldn’t make out any features. “What makes the Cinnabon safe?”

Zack pointed to the girl working in the back. “Krista Meyer, sometimes I think she’s the only sane one in this place. Anyway she won’t spit in you cinnamon rolls or your coffee.”

“That’s good to know I guess.” Trevor admitted.

Zack walked toward the Cinnabon, “Let’s go say hi.”

“Uh,” Trevor started to protest but Zack was a head of him and Trevor had to trot to catch up.

Krista Meyer was at the prep station, was blocked off from the public by a glass shield so that people could watch the employee’s making the rolls. The glass went up only five feet so Zack leaned over the glass and smiled.

“Hey Krista.”

Krista looked up as Trevor walked up to the window. Trevor faltered a step as he caught sight of Krista Meyer for the first time. She wore almost no make-up that he could tell but despite that she was incredibly beautiful. Her skin was as soft as her features, her gentle brown eyes seemed down-to-earth and smart. She was slim, but her figure was hard to make out in the baggy Cinnabon uniform though Trevor had no doubt that she was built wonderfully. Her light brown hair was stuffed carelessly into the blue and purple hat that matched the uniform she had to wear, but even that seemed perfect.

Trevor noticed at this about her in about a second. He shook off his initial shock and put on the most casual smile he could.

Krista gave Zack a gentle smile, “Hey Zack, what’s up?” Her gaze went from Zack to Trevor.

Zack turned toward Trevor and said. “Krista, Trevor; Trevor, Krista. Trevor is the new sunglass booth guy.”

Trevor smiled and raised his hand in a casual wave. “Nice to meet you.”

Krista nodded and said, “Hey.”

Behind her the oven buzzed with a loud annoying sound and Krista rolled her eyes excusing herself with a weak smile to turn and yank the tray of rolls out of the oven. She quickly spread a layer of frosting over the batch and put them onto the display tray.

She cut one of the rolls in half and handed a half in each hand over the window. “You guys want a sample?” She offered with a wink.

Zack and Trevor took the offered halves of roll and a napkin from the counter. “Thanks Krista.” Zack said, stuffing the roll into his mouth.

Trevor held up the roll in thanks. “Nice meeting you.”

Krista gave him a half smile. “Yeah you too.”

As they walked out of the store Zack wiped his hand off on the napkin. “I gotta cost my register.” He glanced at his watch. “In ten minutes this place will start to flood with sheep and I wouldn’t want to miss a chance to blow someone’s wig off.”

Trevor laughed. “Alright, nice meeting you.”

He set what remained of his cinnamon roll next to the register and pulled out the yellow paper and began to count the register. Once he was sure the register was set he finished off his roll and sat on a stool left by the kiosk. He glanced around and started to see people filter into the mall. With a sigh he sat back and mentally tried to prepare himself for the day.

He saw a young guy walk up to the kiosk next to his and begin to take off the tarp. The guy noticed Trevor sitting there and gave him a nod. After yanking off the tarp the guy balled it up and stuffed it under the kiosk like Trevor had.

“So you’re the new guy huh? I’m Steve.” He said holding out his hand.

Trevor nodded and shook his hand. “Trevor.”

Steve hit a button on a TV that sat on the end of the kiosk display, the monitor flared to life with a never-ending Proactive infomercial. Trevor must have had a look on his face cause Steve grinned.

“I fucking know right?” Steve said. “Hey don’t worry man, I keep this shit on mute. I would kill myself if I had to listen to it all day.” He laughed and leaned against the railing behind the cart. “So you get a feel for the place yet?” He asked.

Trevor nodded and pointed toward Zack’s booth. Zack was putting batteries in a remote control and banging his hand on the bottom of the controller as if trying to get weak batteries to work. “Zack gave me the quick tour earlier.” He told Steve, not sharing any of the extra information he had been given.

“Yeah? Cool, he told you about not eating at the food court right?”

Trevor nodded, “Make friends first right?”

“You got it. Don’t worry though, most of the people are cool. Jeff at Taco Ding is pretty cool so you can probably get something from him without having to worry about some weird shit in you food.” Steve explained.

“Thanks for clarifying.”

Steve was silent for a moment but rocked back and forth against the railing as if trying to think of the next conversation. Now there were quite a few people walking through the mall, and though none stopped by their carts yet Trevor knew it was only a matter of time.

“So you’re new in town too? Or just to the Place?” Steve asked.

Trevor turned to him, and took note of Steve. He didn’t look like the kind of person Trevor would normally make friends with. He had bleached blonde hair that was spiked up with styling gel. While Steve now wore a white shirt with the proactive logo and black slacks, Trevor knew his normal attire probably was closer to torn jeans and skater shirts.

“I’m new sort of. I mean I lived in Malibu before so not too far away.” Trevor explained.

“Malibu, why’d you move to the shitburbs?”

Trevor sighed and shook his head. “It wasn’t my idea, but my Dad died. So my mom and I had to move out to a place easier to afford.”

Steve nodded, “That sucks man.” He smacked Trevor’s shoulder and grinned. “Hey don’t let it bother you man, stick with me and you’ll be making friends in no time. This may be a boring town, but there are plenty fine looking girls around here.” He paused, “You may have trouble dealing with Eddie Manheim though that stupid son of a bitch.”

Trevor shook his head. “Who’s that?”

Steve groaned and looked around, he stepped out in front of his cart and looked down toward the East end of the mall. Not finding what he was looking for he looked toward the other side and nodded. “That’s Eddie.” He told Trevor pointing.

Trevor hopped off the stool and looked down toward where Steve was pointing. Down the way Trevor saw a pair of security guards walking down toward the food court slowly. One guard, which Trevor assumed was Eddie, had a smug look of satisfaction on his face, his thumb flicking the baton at his belt. The guy had perfectly slicked back jet black hair and looked like he spent more time in front of the mirror looking at himself than actually getting ready.

“Isn’t that the biggest sack of walking shit you’ve ever seen?” Steve said with a groan. “Look take my advice and do anything you can to stay off that jackasses radar.’

Trevor watched Eddie walk closer, noting the way the guy watched every girl that walked by like a rapist in hiding. “Right.” He nodded and went back to sit on his stool.

Steve turned and noticed a couple of ladies browsing his cart and groaned out a low “fuck me” under his breath. Trevor watched Steve put on a fake smile and begin to help the woman at the cart. Steve may hate his job, but he was a master of his craft, if one could have a craft in bullshit. The woman asked questions and Steve went through a routine about the miracles of Proactive and gave the woman a small sample. He smiled and cracked gentle jokes to gain her trust. Trevor was amazing just how much stuff the woman bought from him. Steve gave her a smile and wave as she walked away.

When the woman was gone he rolled his eyes flipped the woman off and slumped onto his stool. He glanced over at Trevor and gave him a nod.

Trevor sighed and turned back toward his cart. No shoppers faltered walking by and no one appeared to be interested in sunglasses. He took a deep breath and resolved himself to face a long boring summer.


(I know it's a long post. But the idea is to just to write some fun)

 

[Sinful_whispers]

Krista Meyer

Her long brown wavy hair covered her not yet fully open brown eyes as she laid there in bed watching the time change upon her clock radio. She needed a new one as she noticed the one red light wasn’t showing when certain numbers came up into view. There was still twenty more minutes before the buzzer would blare out and her father would pound on her door making sure she was up and ready for work, a normal ritual she went through daily five days out of the week to get up and ready for work.

Krista Meyer’s groaned and sat up on the edge of her bed; she reached up and ran her fingers through her hair pushing it from her eyes. Ever since her parents divorced and her mom moved out across town Krista has been the rock her father has leaned on for everything and she was to young to deal with all that shit, and as much as she disliked her job at Cinnabon she was glad for it, it seemed to be her only outlet until she started college in a month.

At nineteen years old she thought she would have left Northbridge right after high school and head to the mid-west or the east coast for college but with helping to pay the bills while her father was laid off her college funding diminished to almost nothing which only left her local community college where she want to try to get a degree in journalism/creative writing. Krista was always writing something, from short stories of fantasy to erotica and even small pieces for the local paper than every now and then printed something.

Standing up she quickly grabbed her Joe boxers and slipped them on over her panties and grabbed a t-shirt and drew it over her head and walked out to greet her father good morning. He was once again grumpy, there was no work and he refused to do anything that would be beneath him, which she thought was just him being a lazy bum but she couldn’t say that he’d knock her clean across the kitchen.

“Good morning dad,” Krista said as she reached up grabbing a mug pouring a cup of hot coffee and fixing it the way she liked it as she looked back over her shoulder at him.

He grumbled to her like normal, and tossed the paper down as it slid across the table and on the floor scattering everywhere.

Krista didn’t stick around to hear his normal every morning bitching and complaining; she exited the kitchen and went back within her room shutting the door as she wished it closed her off from the rest of the world.

Sitting at her desk she pulled out her most recent written piece for the local paper. It was about the Northridge mall where she currently worked. She knew it could possibly get her fired, but she didn’t care. There was always a part of her that felt she needed to rebel and what journalist never took chances she thought. She was soft spoken, never dated more school than boys growing up, when her mom died her father grew very overprotective which ended a social life other that those about the mall.

Krista wrote about how parents just drop the teenagers off at the mall and drive off leaving the ‘monsters’ unsupervised every Friday and Saturday nights like clock work, though on Saturdays it started in the morning hours. She even interviewed a few teens and they told her that Northridge mall was the easiest mall to steal from, and that’s exactly why they hang out there, they go in with a few empty bags and come out will over flowing ones which made Krista wonder what the security guards did at night and Saturdays when they should be catching them.

She dressed in her drab uniform and pulled her hair back into a ponytail on the back of her head and left it sway, she grabbed the article she wrote, tucked it into and envelope and sealed it knowing it would surly piss off those she worked with and the mall manager, security and business owners and she didn’t care. Hell for all she knew it wouldn’t even get printed, she knew it would rock the town and she’d hear the shit from everyone, but did the girl care?...no.

Not even wishing her dad a good day Krista set out for work, the drive sucked, traffic blew and she really didn’t feel like going in, she’d had rather found something else better to do. Turning on the local rock station she set out, stopping to drop her story off in the drop off box she headed out to the mall.

Finding a close spot for once where the workers are supposed to park she got out grabbing her uniform visor she strolled in trying to bypass the security office, there was one that gave her the creeps, he would stare at her everyday all through the day, from when she arrived, on his rounds and as she left. He was a miserable bastard, nobody liked him, and he didn’t really do his job or kids wouldn’t be stealing like they were.

Opening the mall doors Krista tried to hurry past the security office, the door was open to the hallway leading to a few offices; she almost ran past it and then slowed down as she saw the food court come into view. She was glad to see Koo-Koo Roo, and then strolled past Hotdog on a stick, Quiznos and then relaxed when she got to Cinnabon.

Glancing over she saw Zack and a guy she’d never seen before, she crouched down and unlocked the metal fencing that closed over the front of the place and grabbed the hook and cranked it up. Turning her head as she stood up she saw Zack pointing in her direction, she ignored it and walked through the open counter area and back into the back where she began her morning routine. She grabbed everything she needed and carried it out to the prep station where once again she looked up seeing Zack and the other looking her way. She turned and tossed the few first trays into the oven and it didn’t take long for the scent to linger out and fill about the area of the food court.

Krista turned around and grabbed the first bunch of trays from the oven and placed them out quickly removing the buns and putting them in the cases. She turned around to place the next bunch in and turned back and there they stood Zack and the young stranger. Krista smiled at Zack.

“Hey Zack, what’s up?” Her gaze went from Zack to Trevor and then back to Zack once more, and then Zack introduced Trevor to her letting her know he was the new guy in the food court. They exchanged greetings just as the buzzer to the oven went off behind her again. Krista excused herself and went about her work, she quickly adding the glaze and then set them out with the others, taking one she cut it in half and offered a piece to each as she smiled and looked over Trevor once again.

They all needed to get to work, they exchanged pleasantries once again and Krista watched them walk away, just as she did she glanced down the mall walk way and seen Eddie headed up the other side, she felt a knot in her stomach. She watched as he made his way up slowly hoping he would stay on the other side of the food court and bypass her for once. Krista watched over at Trevor, seeing Steve walk over to welcome him to the happy group of misfits.

Krista made herself buy and was glad that Steve walked over to talk with her as Eddie strolled by, he never stopped to harass her when somebody was standing there, she blew a breath out in relief and watched as Steve took a sample and went back to his spot in the mall.

The day started off slow, the only thing wandering about were teens and older people doing their laps. Krista had the cases set before the first helper came in and tied her apron around her waist and jumped on the register while Krista took hers off and looked over at Trevor as she made her way through the store and into the court, she nodded to Zack and crooked her finger as she then walked over to Trevor, “Hey Zack and I take break together want to go? I’ll grab you a drink from behind the counter like I do for us if you like no cost.”

Krista un-tucked her uniform shirt, it hung almost to her knees but it hide her slender form, she didn’t like the ogling of certain male that worked the mall and preferred to hide her body, maybe a bit of self-consciousness as well. She wasn’t ugly, she held a natural beauty, her breasts fit her slender small 5’3 frame and the lack of confidence was most likely. “Come on have a coffee of something with us.”

 

[Sinful_whispers]

-Krista Meyer-

*grumbles at the double post and squashes it out*

 

[musicankane]

Trevor was kicking himself for not bringing a book. The mall had remained vacant of shoppers until well into the shift. He tried to keep busy by dusting the racks of cheap glasses with a lite duster, but it did very little to past the time.

Steve had tried t make conversation with him and while he seemed like a nice enough guy, he was into skateboarding and very active outdoors type things, which Trevor did his best to avoid sunlight. Trevor had wandered over to speak with Zack who seemed to have a closer set of interests to Trevor's but Zack's booth was hounded by a steady stream of kids asking for a demo of the flying toys.

Trevor sighed and slumped onto his stool and counted the seconds. He poured his effort into people watching and made up funny stories about the old people walking around the mall in the elderly version of workout clothes. As he watched people he found his eyes wondering over to the Cinnabon watching Krista from afar.

He couldn't really put his finger on it, but there seemed to be something alluring about KRista that held his interest. She wasn't a goregous girl by any means, although he couldn't be certain of that as not even a supermodel could look good in a purple Cinnabon uniform. Yet there was something attractive about her normalness that peaked his interest beyond any other teenage bimbo walking around. Krista seemed to be a down to earth and obtainable girl and that might explain the reason why Krista held Trevor's gaze so much.

Then again he was also bored and the longer he watched Krista, the more he fund himself drawn to her. He shook his head and tried to train his attentions to other things.

Trevor had found a piece of paper under the register to draw on and was in the middle of doodling a wild spray of lines that made no sense when he heard a voice beside him.

“Hey Zack and I take break together want to go? I’ll grab you a drink from behind the counter like I do for us if you like no cost.” Krista asked him.

Trevor glance up quickly, knocking his pen to the floor. He groaned and hpped off the stool to grab the pen before looking up to see Krista waiting for his reply. He gaped at her for a long moment before answering. She looked much prettier up close than he had thought. She had a natural beauty about her that was hard to ignore.

“Come on have a coffee of something with us." She said again.

Trevor blinked and realized he had been staring at her like a moron without a word. He cleared his throat and smiled, "I, uh. Yeah a Coffee sounds great, I'm almost falling asleep sitting here."

He hopped off the stool and followed Krista to a table that Zack had already claimed for them. From the table they could see their carts while still appearing far enugh any to be on "break".

"How are you dealing with your frist day?" Zack asked him.

Trevor shrugged. "I'm ging to lost my mind if I don't get something to do."

"Yeah it's beat to bring a book or school work or something to eat up the time. A person could go insane around her." Zack said then groaned as he spotted another person fiddling around his cart. "Shit I'll be back." He got up and walked back toward his cart, leaving Trevor alone with Krista at there table.

He smiled weakly at her and asked. "So I, Krista right? How's is it working at the Cinnabon? It doesn't look as boring as trying to sell shity sunglasses."

He winced inwardly. He failed at small talk and always felt awkward trying to get to know people.

 

[Sinful_whispers]

Krista went up behind the counter and grabbed three cups of coffee and then returned back to the table that she and Zack always sit at, it’s been their table since they began to hang out together. She started there a couple days before him, so it was easy to fall inline as far as friends with both being new to the mall.

Sliding into the seat she placed the coffee out; she looked up and watched Zack with a customer leaving her to sit with Trevor and talk between them. Her eyes scanned for the security guard, today she changed up her break time by fifteen minutes before her and Zack normally take it, that way when she went to the inside bank in the mall she would be one step ahead of the asshole.

"So I, Krista right? How's is it working at the Cinnabon? It doesn't look as boring as trying to sell shitty sunglasses." He said to her trying to make small talk.

She made direct eye contact with him, in a strange way even though they just met that morning and really hadn’t spent much time together getting to know each other she found him relaxing to be around. Zack sometimes was jumpy and all over the place and Trevor seemed to be the opposite way where Steve could be annoying but he was cool to hang with when she was on lunch if Zack was busy.

“Yes that’s correct, and it isn’t that bad really. It’s easy work, I like the people I work with, and usually it’s the same person daily. No, I couldn’t do that job of yours or Zack’s. I need to be busy most of the time and neither of your jobs seems to be that way.”

Krista took a sip of her coffee, and then placed it down. “Where you from Trevor? You don’t look like a Northridge guy, and I know most that went to the high school and I don’t recall you being there I would have seen you I’m sure maybe on a sports team or something.”

Her eyes scanned around again, and then she looked back making sure the counter was covered and Jennifer had the counter under control, and then turned back to him again and smiled. “She can get backed up easily behind the counter especially when the breaks begin in the mall, most people prefer to come to here to eat breaks and lunch or go out to a local fast food outside the mall. I’m sure Zack filled you in about the other fast food places and those that work behind the counters and why you don’t and I can’t stress that enough want to eat there.”

Krista looked up and smiled to Zack as he returned. "Hey, I start college in about a month. I think i'll have enough to pay for my first year, or I''m hoping to. I really need to get away from my dad soon."

 

[musicankane]

Trevor sipped on the coffee Krista brought him, thanking her as she set the cup down in front of him. He had never been a big fan of coffee but seeing as how she went through the trouble making it he sipped on it. He listened to her explain her job, but couldn't help but notice that her eyes kept darting around the food court as if she were looking out for someone she didn't want to meet.

He nodded when she noticed that he obviously wasn't from Northridge and said. "I am form Malibu originally, but my Father recently passed and we couldn't afford to stay out by the beach." He explained carefully, trying to mask the pain of losing his father.

He didn't want Krista to feel sorry for him, he was a grown man and knew things happened. He could deal with his own pain and he quickly gave her a soft smile, holding up the cup of coffee.

"Good coffee." He told her.

They sat in silence for a moment which made Trevor feel uncomfortable. He felt like he should say something, to speak to her or anything to prevent them from sitting in silence but he couldn't think of anything.

Zack saved the day by plopping into the chair next to him and grabbing his cup of coffee. "Ugh, Fucking kids." He muttered and swigged on his coffee with a groan. "Oh Krista if you don't be careful, I could marry you for this coffee." He told her gripping the cup tightly as if he expected someone to knock it from his hands at anytime.

Zack glanced at his watch and frowned. "Hey why are we taking our break so early?" He asked her, looking up. He noticed the way she was glancing around and said, "Eddie isn't still hounding you is he?"

Trevor looked around. "Eddie? The Security guy? Why would you he be hounding you?" He asked.

 

[Sinful_whispers]

Krista listened as he spoke telling her about why he moved to Northridge, she nodded and understood the whole family thing. “Hey, I completely understand, my parent’s divorce and I seem to be picking up the slack for my mom walking out on us. He lost his job and depends on me to support the household on this wage and pay for my college tuition. Damn it all sucks.” She took another sip of her coffee and looked around again.

“Malibu is a nice area, I went there like twice.” She said looking to him watching his face when he took a sip of the coffee. “Not a coffee drinker are you? Next time I’ll bring you a tea or soda instead.” He gave her a quick smile as she tinkered with the stirring stick she used in her coffee.

She laughed when he said the coffee was good, “oh don’t lie now, I can see it in your face when you tasted it, but thanks. You really don’t want to eat or get fountain drinks from any other place but here. Not that I want to make the sale because I give away free drinks to all the mall employees.”

She looked back to Zack as he asked about the break time, she nodded her head in a yes fashion, “yea, man he really gives me the creeps. He watches me walk by the office hallway every day I work, he does his rounds when he knows I’m there alone or when my help is on lunch or break. He really bugs me, more or less scares the hell out of me.”

Krista looked over to Trevor and swallowed hard. “Before the inside bank was added those that needed to do change runs and daily deposits had to go across the street. I was the night closer back when I first started and Eddie just got promoted to head of security, and one night when I walked over I was standing at the night deposit bin when I was mugged from behind. Anyways Eddie came out of nowhere and caught the guy, got the deposit and I guess saved me from any kind of harm other than cuts and bruises.”

Zack nodded, “I remember that night, that’s what added to his ego, ever since that and the promotion he’s acted like cock of the block. Bigger fucking ego than King Kong and he thinks he has balls the size of the giant ape as well.”

“I talked to a bunch of kids that hang the mall, a few said they seen him watching them steal, He likes to watch the girls, and from what Betty in the mall office said, he catches mainly girls, that makes you wonder huh? He bugs me to go out with him all the time, says I owe him for saving me that night and the deposit or I’d have lost my job.”

Krista looked down to her coffee and swirled it in the Styrofoam cup and shook her head and looked over the table past them for Eddie, “there is no way I’d ever go out with him.”

 

[musicankane]

Trevor felt two emotions all at once. The first was rage over this Eddie guy, Trevor had only seen him in passing but the guy did look like a giant prick and know Trevor knew that the guy was also a creepy scumbag as well. The second emotion was a protective one. He didn't like the idea of Krista running around her place of work always having to look over her shoulder.

He gritted his teeth and clentched his jaw to keep himself from talking himself into beating the shit out of Eddie. He closed his eyes for a moment and swallowed, trying to not only turn away his disgust but also try not to let his emotions for Krista build too high within him. That was one of Trevor's ultimate downfalls when it came to women, he always cared for them too much too quickly. He was quick to fall in love, well better put, lust.

He shook his head and stood up taking his still full coffee cup. "Excuse me, I should probably go back to the cart. I wouldn't want to keep my invisible customeers waiting." He gave Krista a smile with too much thought behind it and turned toward his cart.

During the afternoon his attention was divided between watching Krista behind the counter at Cinnabon and watching for Eddie. However Eddie, for whatever reason, seemed to be making himself gone for the day. Trevor was thankful for that, because Krista would have some peace at work and Trevor wouldn't open his mouth and start a brawl with a security guard in the middle of the mall.

The mall became busy toward the end of the day as people came to shop after work and school. Trevor was suprised to see he actually sold over a thousand dollars of crappy fake glasses during the one bust rush of the day.

 

[Sinful_whispers]

Krista looked over at Steve as he was moving in on yet another ‘soccer mom’, which seemed to be his favorite, no commitment there which she rolled her eyes about. She always thought he was a bit on the gay side, not that she cared but he seemed to have a slight feminine side to him, but hell she didn’t know him well enough and it wasn’t her place to judge either.

Turning her attentions back to Zack and Trevor when Zack asked her about college and she filled him in on what was going on there while glancing over to Trevor here and there noticing how he grew quiet, or quieter than he was. She shrugged it off to being the new guy and just more or less listening to the talk than anything.

“You need to get away from there Krista; your dad’s basically treating you like his wife than his daughter. He isn’t putting the moves on you is he?” Zack asked, and she knew it was out of genuine brother-like concern.

“No, nothing like that…He won’t get off his ass to look for a job, or do anything around the house and I’m growing tired of it fast and his grumpy ass mood. It does so depressing it makes me want to go out and start drinking.” She replied.

Looking over to Trevor she watched as he shook his head and then got up excusing himself from the table, she sighed softly and watched him from the back as he returned to his cart and took a seat on the stool. Her eyes lowered as she took in a deep breath, her breasts rising and falling slowly, she lifted her eyes and looked to Zack, “I bet I either bored him to death or scared him off with my home drama.” She caught his smile but she figured it was forced out of being nice.

Zack and Krista finally ended the extended break, the mall began to fill and everyone got busy, Krista had not time to get change as she was busy making buns, it was another one of those days where they just couldn’t keep the cases full which meant she would work through her lunch hour without getting paid. There was no way to get out from behind the counter. It was so busy that Zack had to run for her change.

Eddie seemed to stay at the other end of the mall that afternoon which made her feel less stressed, she didn’t need the bullshit at work she had enough drama at home. She often wondered why she wasn’t one of those that was either born to money or hit the lottery so she could just buy an island and live in peace till she died.

Krista looked over at Trevor as the day carried on, she saw Zack catching her and he grinned and shook his finger at her. He was sweet but again he was like a brother to her more than anything, she knew between them it could never amount to anything deep and romantic. He was the only one that knew she was ‘pure’, that had come up when he asked her about boyfriends and other personal matters.

Krista’s shift was done; she put her time in for the day only to need to return tomorrow to open, though that was a shirt shift. She was salary as the assistant manager so she worked mainly five days but there’s been a lot of sic and seven as of later with the summer approaching and people shopping as well as kid chilling with just enough to get a drink or a roll to split between them.

Hanging her apron up she tugged her shirt out of her uniform pants and walked out from the store, she took her visor off and ran her fingers through her hair as it cascaded down her back and front. Krista stopped at to say goodbye to Zack for the evening, he hugged her up and told her things will get better and to be careful leaving with Eddie creeping about. He offered to walk her out but he wasn’t done for another 30 minutes and she didn’t wish to hang about.

It was still light out so she felt safe, she walked over towards Trevor and stopped, smiling to him as her eyes were big like doe eyes, soft and innocent.

“I’m did my time for the day, it was nice meeting you Trevor, I do hope you return again the last guy didn’t.”

 

[musicankane]

Trevor felt bad about ditching the group earilier that day. As the day went on he found himself looking toward the Cinnabon. He thought about going over and apolgizing for his antisocial behavior but he never saw a time when Krista had a free moment. The Cinnabon was under a never ending assualt of people eager for sugary sweet buns.

Trevor blushed when he realized he was thinking of Krista's sweet buns and wondering if they tastes as good as he pictured. He shook his head and tried to focus on the spuratic wavs of people he had at his cart. He put on a friendly smile and helpped the older cuple at his cart, eventually selling them a matching pair of glasses.

He didn't realize how late in the day it had become until Krista appeared beside him with a relieved look on her face. Trevor couldn't believe this gril was real, her eyes were beautiful, her smile only made him want to smile back.

“I’m did my time for the day, it was nice meeting you Trevor, I do hope you return again the last guy didn’t.” She told him.

Trevor nodded looking at the clock. "I'm actually going to get ready to close this as well." HE told her. "It was nice meeting you too Krista. Thanks for the coffee and the bun today. Will you be around tomorrow?" He asked her, thinking that if he could see her, even from afar, he wouldn't mind sitting in boredom day after day.

As they stood there saying their goodbyes for the night, Trevor found himself glancing around for Eddie. He wanted to make sure the guy was nowhere around and that Krista would be safe.

 

[Sinful_whispers]

Her eyes moved around the food court as she scanned it again looking for him, she nodded and then looked back to him. “I work the opening shift mainly; I’m here before the mall opens to start the baking process. I’ll be in earlier tomorrow; my help won’t be on time so I need to be one step ahead of the morning crowd. You have a good night Trevor I’ll see you sometime in the morning.”

Krista turned and offered Zack one last wave as she reached up and pushed the hair back over her head, and let it fall down her back once again as she took a breath and headed towards the main doors leading to the parking lot where those on that end normally parked at.

She had almost made it to the doors and was free and clear of Eddie till he appeared out from the hallway to the offices. He stopped her in her tracks not even ten feet away from the door and pulled her aside by her arm as his fingers grasped around it. Krista didn’t bother trying to pull away; she wasn’t one to make a scene before everyone, she really hated confrontation, but would stand her ground if need be.

Eddie was taller than her as well as bigger in every sense of the word; he towered over her small slender frame as she stood there with him. She shook her head no and only after she tried to tell him no for what seemed the zillionth time did she yank her arm away from his clutches and quickly walk to the door as she was one step from running to it.

She turned around and looked back, her long tress flowed within the warm breeze as it covered her face, by the time she turned her head back around she was standing in the line of mall traffic. The horn of a black SUV honked a fee times as she ran across the parking lot to her car. She fumbled to find her keys from her pocket as she finally fished them out and unlocked the door opening it, she jumped in and closed the door quickly behind her locking it as she slumped over the steering wheel trying to regain her breaths. Her heart beat a mile a minute; she felt as if she was suffocating, as she gripped the top of the wheel and peered over it looking for him.

School couldn’t come soon enough, she was ready to pack it all in, grab her check and just get in the car and drive till she couldn’t no more, to start new and fresh where nobody knew her. She didn’t have a past just a fucked up family situation, she never told anyone what her mother did for a living, she didn’t need judged by her actions, she was already judge for enough shit that wasn’t her fault.

She put the key in the ignition and turned the car over; there was no purring motor just a click-click and that sound where the car wants to turn over but can’t. This was not her fucking day, she pounded on the steering wheel, there wasn’t shit wrong with her car, it was just in the shop for a tune up. Krista looked up as she sat back and she watched as he walked towards her….

 

[musicankane]

That bitch! That rotten ungrateful bitch, Eddie thought to himself. He never should have saved her. If he had known what a nasty ungrateful bitch she wuld turn out to be he would have let that mugger do whatever he wanted with her.

He snarled after her as she yanked free from his grip and stormed into the parking lot. He only wanted a date, well maybe more then that. Shaking his head he knew what he had to do. She obviously wasn't going to come with him willingly so he would have to make her.

He looked around to make sure no one saw what had happened in the hallway, then quickly rushed out to stop Krista in the parking lot.

During his patrol of the lot during the day he had made a mental note of where Krista had parked her crappy rolling crap car and headed directly toward where she was parked.

Eddie was delighted to see that her car was putting up a shitfit about starting and he walked steadily toward her. He set his hands calmly on the hood of the car and sneered at her as she stared at him behind the steering wheel.

"Get out of the car Krista." He told her. She only gripped her hands on the wheel tighter. He saw her double check the locks on the doors and he felt himself get angry. Slamming his fists onto her hood he screamed. "NOW!"

He smirked when she did nothing. He reached into his back pocket and pulled out the thin metal lockpick that security used for people who had locked their keys in their cars.

"All I wanted was a date Krista. Now we have to do this the hard way."

* * * *

Trevor had just finished packing up the cart and locking the heavy tarp in place when he found his mind wondering to Krista. He wished he had thought to get her phone number so he could call her after work and maybe hang out together. SHe didn't seem to be happy at home and would probably be willing to to grab a drink with him. Well, a coke and maybe some nachos.

He turned toward Zack's booth to ask for her phone number but stopped himself when he saw that Zack wasn't at the booth. Trevor shook his head, thinking it would be rude to suddenly call Krista up and say that he had gotten her number from someone else. How stalkerish was that anyway?

He sighed and resolved himself to simply wait for the morning. He sighed and headed out the toward the parking lot. When he went outside he saw that a lot of the lot was emptied out for the night and vaguely wished he had a car because the walk home would suck every night.

He started across the lot and was about halfway to the street when he heard someone scream. It was quick and cut off quickly but it was enough to stop him. He looked around quickly to try and find the source of the sound. His eyes stopped on a beat up old car as he saw it rocked heavily on its axels. He had to squint to see what was happening then he heard the scream again.

He didn't even think about what he did next. Someone was obviously in trouble and he ran toward the car as fast as he could. The driver's side door was slightly open and he yanked it open gasping as he saw what was happening.

Eddie was pinning Krista to the seat, her shirt had been torn at the collar and hung off her shoulder, nearly revealing her breasts but not quite. Eddie had his pants undone and was in the middle of trying to rip open Krista's pants.

Trevor roared and yanked Eddie out of the car like he was a ragdoll. Eddie cried out in suprise and flopped onto the pavement. Before he could recover Trevor was on top of him punching the shit out of him. It was Krista yanking his shoulder that got him to stop.

Eddie scrambled to his feet and glared at the both of them. "This ain't over." He spat a bloody loogy on the ground before darting away.

Trevor watched him go, his fists balled at his sides ready to swing at the fucker again. Then he turned and looked at Krista, who aside from a torn shirt, didn't look too hurt.

"I...Krista, are you?" He was shaking so badly that he couldn't get the words out.

 

[Sinful_whispers]

"Get out of the car Krista, NOW!" Eddie shunted at her as he stood at the front of her car pounding on the hood. Krista shook her head no as words wouldn’t release from her mouth. He was pissed, his face was beet red and the veins were popping from his neck as he yelled at her again about wanting a date and possibly taking it the hard way.

She watched as he pulled out a slim Jim from his pocket, her mouth opened and her lower jaw dropped as she gripped tighter around the steering wheel, she couldn’t think straight, her mind was in a tizzy, she felt her breathing quicken like her heart beat, it pounded in her chest as she quickly pulled a hand from the wheel and tried to keep the door locked when he tried to unlock it with the slim piece of metal.

Krista had no chance with Eddie and the slim Jim, she felt the door unlock and swing open in a matter of seconds, from there is was pretty much a blur for her as Eddie crawled into the car and pinned her down upon the front two seats, he was pawing at her clothing while holding her down with his weight. Krista tried to scream, as he quickly covered her mouth with his hand, she bit him as when his hand pulled back she screamed again as he slapped her across the face. He head went to the side as it bounced against the faux leather seat.

The breeze blew across her flesh, her breasts almost bared completely yet only a small portion of her ripped shirt covered them as she struggled trying to push him off her as she heard the metal to metal sound of him undoing his zipper.

Krista screamed out again, this was not the way she wanted her first time to be, her body smashed between him and the seat as his hot breaths were heavy, his tongue lapping against the inner swells of her breasts as she felt dirty and disgusted by him, repulsed would have been the perfect word for it all.

When she felt his large hand groping the button of her uniform pants she bit his shoulder as he pushed it against her to hold her there. It was at that moment she felt the blow to her head and everything went black for a few minutes. She was going in and out of consciousness as he was mauling at her helpless body.

Krista heard a loud sound like a roar as she felt Eddie’s weight lift from her body, she tried to open her eyes but couldn’t. She laid there hearing Eddie cursing like a sailor; she heard another voice but couldn’t place it as it went black once more.

It took her a few minutes to realize what was going on, she yanked the steering wheel with her hands and pulled herself up, she looked and focused seeing Trevor straddled over Eddie and he was just hitting him over and over with closed fists.

Krista reached out and grabbed Trevor’s shoulder pulling him within her fingers, “Stop Trevor, he’s not worth it, please stop!”

She watched as Trevor jumped to his feet and Eddie roll from him and push himself up to his feet wiping his nose and mouth where the blood was trickling from. Eddie’s eyes were dark, filled with anger and hate as she heard him remark about this not being over. They watched as he walked away spitting blood on the ground. Krista knew this wasn’t going to end well.

Krista reached and took Trevor’s hand in hers and squeezed it so he’d relax and un-ball his fists, as she reached with her other hand and smoothed her ripped shirt upwards so her breasts wouldn’t be seen. She knew tomorrow would be a rough day for her, she really dreaded coming to work tomorrow.

Her eyes dropped as she listened to him try and speak out to her, she nodded and then in a soft voice spoke up, “I-I’m fine Trevor, I am so glad you came when you did.” She reached up and rubbed the side of her face around her jaw, she knew there would most likely be a bruise there tomorrow, and a few others scattered about her small frame.

 

[musicankane]

Trevor saw her hurting, her hands casually touching at places where she'd been hurt. Each time she found a sore spot Trevor felt the pain himself. He opened his mouth to say something, but knew that there were no words for him to tell her.

He reached out and pulled her into a tightly caring hug. His arms around her back and her head against his shoulder. He sighed and simply held her trying to pull the pain and bruises into himself instead of having her suffer.

"I am so sorry," he mutter to her, swallowing heavily. Slowly he let her go and tried to put on a smile. Gestured toward her car. "Can I uh, drive you home?" He offered, knowing that she may be too shaken up to drive safely. A part of him knew he was also too shaken to drive, but he took a deep breath and knew he could manage a short trip.

He took her in and felt his chest grow heavy. Her shirt was six degrees of fucked up, and her lower lip was starting to swell. There was a red mark on her cheek that probably had hurt, but didn't look like it would look too bad in a few hours.

He glanced down at his hands and gasped. One of his punches must have missed and hit the pavement instead of Eddie, because the skin on his knuckles was shredded and he was bleeding pretty good.

 

[Sinful_whispers]

Each time she touched her face she winced and wanted to cry but that was something she never ever did in front of another, she hadn’t cried before anyone since the day her mother packed her bags up and left before Krista even arrived home from school. There was no note, there was no call, there was nothing till months later and even then Krista had already shut down emotionally towards everyone and anyone.

Krista felt his arms reach out and his hands upon her smaller form as she stepped to him meeting him half way for a hug. Her body melded into his, she closed her eyes and rested her head upon his shoulder, and she leaned her head to the side on the left side of her face where he didn’t smack it with his heavy hand.

Her arms went around him almost instantly as she held to him, almost in a clinging fashion which was another thing Krista didn’t do, cling to anyone as she realized they may not be there then next day, lesson two that her mother taught her.

She heard him speak, so softly to her hair as his breath was felt upon the back of her head. She just met him but she could tell he meant what he said, she tensed up slightly but yet she allowed him to hold her and comfort her. Krista felt his arms pull back as she stood before him looking into his eyes as she tried to hold her shirt up with one hand.

Krista nodded her head in a yes when he asked if he could drive her home, “would you please?”

Her voice was soft, it still had a tremble within it as she sniffled lightly and held back the tears from the pain she felt. She looked and saw blood upon his knuckles as she lifted his hand with hers and looked to his knuckles. “Better get those cleaned up.”

She gave him the keys and then stopped, “the car wouldn’t start that’s why Eddie was able to catch up to me.”

Krista really didn’t want to go home; she wasn’t ready to deal with her dad or any other bullshit that he would lay on her. “Do you need to go home right away?” she asked him as she used her free hand to push her hair back behind her ears.

 

[musicankane]

Trevor shook his head and forwned at her car. If it had only started she would not be having such a horrible night. He reached into the driver's side and popped the hood as she asked him if he had to go home.

He turned to her and looked at the worried look in her eyes. He remembered her talking about her father earlier in the day and knew she wouldn't want to be there looking hurt. He had no idea how her father would react but it was plain that anything he did would not be pleasant for her.

He shook his head. "I don't have anywhere to be." He put a finger under her chin and smiled at her. He opened his mouth to say something, like how beautiful he thought she was, or how sweet, or how much she deserved someone that would love her and teat her like she was the center of the universe...but he closed his mouth and moved to the hood of the car.

He lifted the hood and glanced around the engine. He was no mechanic, but he took auto class for a year in high school and figured he could at least get the car started and they could get out of there before Eddie brought some buddies.

He fund a loose hose and easily retighten the clamp. He popped his head out toward Krista and asked, "Hey can you try to start it for me?"

She climbed into the car and tried to start it. The car refused to turn over and he saw that a few wires had shaken loose. He retightened the wires and the car fired up right away.

He slammed the hood close with a smile and moved over to the driver side. Krista had already moved to the passenger side, her knees drawn up to her chest. He hurt to see her in so much trama and pain and even mroe so because she couldn't go home.

He sighed and put the car into drive. "I'm going to swing hme really fast and get you something un-torn to wear, then I'll take you where ever you want to go."

She only nodded a response as he began to drive away. He pulled up to his house and darted inside to grab a large t-shirt and sweat pants for Krista. He was in the car and handing her the clothing before his mother knew he had even come home.

He looked intently on the road and Krista put the clothes on. "So where too?" He asked.

 

[Sinful_whispers]

Krista watched as he reached in and pulled the leaver that popped open her hood, he stood there and looked to her, she could tell he wanted to say something, as if he wanted to all day but he was quiet, she was a bit confused as far as the male species goes anyways, she had no experience dealing with them except with her father and now Eddie. Both of which were worthless men in her mind, they needed put out to pasture and shot.

She hated thinking those kinds of thoughts, it wasn’t in her to be so angry and evil minded, she shook them out of her head and looked back to Trevor again as he spoke as he placed a finger under her chin and made eye contact with her, she wanted to pull back but didn’t she knew he was nothing like Eddie or her father, he’d never harm her from what she could tell of him, then again her male reader was off most of the time.

He pulled his hand back and turned; she watched him walk and followed behind him like a lost puppy as he bent over the front of the car. Krista took the invite and checked him out, she blushed a bit as she noticed how well his pants fit over his ass, her eyes moved and she watched him mess about under the hood of her car.

Krista raised a brow as she gave this serious thought, there had been nothing wrong with her car ever really, she just had it tuned up and wondered if this was a set up by Eddie. Trevor messed with a few things and then she watched as he fixed a hose and tightened the clamp around it.

“Sure, let me try to start it.” She answered as she sat in the driver’s seat and turned the key, nothing happened. She sat there and waited till he told her to try and turn it over again, when she did without any hesitation the car turned over quickly and fired right up without a spit or a sputter.

He dropped the hood down and made sure it was shut, she watched him as she moved from the driver’s seat to the passengers letting him drive as she had hoped he at least had a license and could drive. She figured he did and if not she really didn’t care if they were caught or not.

She sat there almost curled up like a little girl, her knees were up to her chest, her shoes were kicked off on the floor and her arms were wrapped tightly around her legs. She was glad he came along; she was glad that they became friends right away, and there was something about him other than his good looks and charm that attracted her.

“I’d really appreciate that if we could, I don’t think driving around with my breasts hanging out would be a good thing, might for you and other’s but it kind of would give me the feeling of being a slut or something. She could hear it now, her father screaming at her telling her she was just like her mother, she was her mother’s daughter who was probably looking for it and teasing men and that’s why the shit that happened did today.

Krista pushed the thoughts out of her head; she was determined to not go there for the rest of the time she was with Trevor, there was no reason for her to be depressed when she was in good company.

From the mall they stopped at his place, she waited in the car while he was in and back out in a flash with clothing in hand. He handed her the sweat pants and t-shirt and waited till he pulled away from the house before she undid her pants and squirmed from them letting her uniform shirt cover her to her upper thighs.

Rising from the seat she pulled them up and adjusted the tie so they fit well, and to stop them from falling to her ankles when she got out of the car, “Um-m-m I actually really didn’t think about it. We can grab something to eat if you like, as long as it isn’t a bum of any sorts and coffee I’ve had enough of both.”

She looked over to him, her hair was blowing around her face, her lip was swollen, her cheek was lightly showing a bruise but she still smiled to him. Krista turned her head as she tugged the shirt off and tossed it in the back seat with her pants, turning back around she gathered up the t-shirt and pulled it over her head and placed her arms in the sleeves, she rolled it down and then tucked it in so she wouldn’t look like a bum with him, she’d hate for him to feel embarrassed to be seen with her.

Leaning over closer she kissed him on the cheek and then looked at her face in the mirror and then sat back and sighed, “I’ll look like I’ve been battered by tomorrow morning. I might skip the day at work if I can find another to cover for me, and just find a place to hang for the night. I’ll decide later on I guess.”

She looked around and then pointed to the freeway, “care to go to the beach for a while, they have this great small place to eat at there. If not we can just drive till we feel like stopping unless you have a place you’d like to go.”

 

[musicankane]

Trevor smiled and turned onto the freeway when she pointed. He glanced over at her and winked. "I'm new in town, I don't know anywhere to go." He chuckled and blushed when she had kissed his cheek.

Despite her condition her lips had really been soft against his cheek and he found his mind wondering to what it would be like to kiss her. He started to make small talk with her, after her kiss and the comment about her breasts he needed to get his mind off of her. He was afraid he would try to do something and after the night she had, the last thing she needed was another bastard guy trying to kiss on her.

He led the conversation about classes and what she wanted to study. In turn he told her about studying creative writting witht he possibility of moving into law like his father.

They were on the freeway for about an hour before he saw the beach exit and pulled out onto Pacific Coast Highway. Krista pointed him toward a casual diner, that was still open at the odd hour. It was a place called Duke's, and served burgers, fish and chips, and other bechside foods.

They found a booth toward the back and Trevor sat with his back to the door so that Krista would be able to hide her bruises from anyone that wlaked in. He didn't want her feeling like a battered girlfriend hiding in the corner though.

He looked over at her and found himself wanting to reach out and press a piece of ice to her lip.

"You ok with this seat?" He asked her, sliding a menu her way.

 

[Sinful_whispers]

“Zack told me you had family or something from the Northridge area, so I apologize for assuming.” She watched as his cheeks flushed a bit on the pinkish side, she thought he looked cute when he blushed.

She turned sideways so she could look at him when they spoke; her body was small enough and lithe enough where she didn’t have a problem fitting into tight spaces. He looked over to her now and then, especially when her head was turned and looking out the windshield or side window. Krista caught him and chuckled to herself, she really enjoyed being around him, he was quiet unlike Zack who she hung out with most of all, though she never took him home to meet her dad, she was more embarrassed about her father more than anything.

They spoke back and forth about classes and college, she listened to every word he said because she wanted to hear what he had to say, she found him interesting to talk to, and once he spoke about studying creative writing that even grabbed her more.

Krista told him about her having a few things published in the local newspaper, she knew it wasn’t much but it was a start, and then she told him about that latest piece she had submitted that morning. She explained to him about the talks she had with various kids that were heavily stealing from the place and how Eddie would only catch the girls yet, no parents were really ever called in about it.

“I don’t know Trevor; you placed yourself in a dangerous position with him today when you became my knight in shining sunglasses. He’s the type that does paybacks, and I have a feeling we’re both going to be in for more than verbal abuse. He’s a mean guy, a prick as Zack calls him. I could lose my job and you could as well.”

They chatted more as they drove along, she pointed out the exit to the beach and then the diner that was right off from it. The diner sat at the edge of the sand up on a cliff so you could look out and see the ocean and watch the waves as they crashed up over the beach and rocks.

He led her through the diner that way she hid her face behind him, there wasn’t but another couple people sitting at the counter sipping coffee and eating pie. She let him sit first and then took the seat directly across from him and smiled as she locked her fingers over her mouth, and looked at him.

“No, this is fine really. I come here a lot and they pretty much know my order by heart, especially if Ruth is on, she’s a sweet older woman that has a story for me every time I come here. When I don’t feel like going home I come here and sit till Ruth boots me out so I don’t fall asleep driving home.”

Krista looked up and watched the waitress come towards them, she smiled and dropped her hands from her face and looked up to Ruth, “speaking of the devil herself” Krista said as Ruth took one look to her as she was about to greet her and shook her head.”

“Girl, who did this to you?” Ruth asked and then looked to Trevor with a raised brow.

“NO, it wasn’t him, he was the one that saved me from being …” her words trialed off as he eyes dropped down looking to the table.

“Lord, I’ll get you some ice and then getcha’ orders.” She shook her head as she walked away with a hustle to get her ice.

Krista lifted her eyes and looked over to Trevor as she fiddled with the paper napkin, “sorry she assumed that, she really means well, I guess you can say she’s like a mother to me in a sense.”

 

[musicankane]

Trevor raised an eyebrow when Ruth gave him the evilest look he had ever seen. Krista quickly spoke up and apologized for Ruth's assumption which Trevor smiled and waved it away.

"Don't worry about it, I would have done the same thing." He smiled and flipped open the menu. He quickly decided on the fish tacos and winced at himself for his sudden craving for taco. He rolled his eyes and set the menu down just as Ruth came back.

She gave Trevor a distrustful look as if she thought that Krista was just covering for him and lying about who had hit her. He ignored it and watched as Ruth not only held a wrapped up ice cube to Krista's lip, but when into story mode. She told the two of them about the time she too had been amust raped by a guy back in high school.

Ruth stroked Krista's hair back in a loving manner and let the ice cube run over Krista's face. Finally satisfied Ruth climbed out of the booth and glances at both of them.

Trevor ordered the fish tacos and somehow managed not to snicker as he did. Krista ordered the usual, but he had no idea what the usual was. Ruth nodded and walked away only to return a few moments later with a pair of Cokes.

After she was gone Trevor leaned forward and gave Krista his best smile. "You feeling any better? As for Eddie and work I wouldn't worry about him, he may try to give me shit, but I don't think he'll have the guts to try anything with me. Concidering what he did was completely illegal."

He leaned back and held up his fists with a grin. "Besides I can take him right?"

 

[Sinful_whispers]

Krista was glad he didn’t take what Ruth said to heart, she really looked out for Krista more than anyone ever had before. It was probably why she came to the small diner as much as she did. She could hear the waves crashing up on the shore below; even know there was distance between the cliff and the oceans edge it seemed to echo under them, around them.

Krista slid over on her side of the booth allowing room for Ruth to settle aside her as she placed the ice against her sore lip as Krista winced, and then they listened as Ruth told a story of her own, and looked to Trevor. Krista’s eyes closed as she felt the woman’s fingers through her hair, her touch was nice, one that was mothering something she’d never felt with her own.

Ruth slipped from behind the seat of the booth, she smoothed over her uniform dress and pulled the pad and pen from her apron pocket and took Trevor’s order. She left them alone as Krista held the ice to her lip and now and then ran it along her jaw line on the same side.

She pulled her arms from the table when Ruth appeared only a few minutes later with their cokes, Krista looked and seen the one with the straw paper still on the tip and reached for it knowing it was hers and the slice of lemon on the edge was a dead give away, she always had a diet coke with lemon.

“I feel a lot better just being away from town, and I have great company. Usually as I said I come here alone so this is a nice change for me, thank you Trevor.” Taking a sip of her drink she released the straw from her lips and squeezed the lemon slice into her drink and then dropped it in.

“You don’t know Eddie like the rest of us do, we try and avoid him at all costs. It’s his word against yours and mine if anything comes of this and for some reason I have a feeling I’d get blamed for something I didn’t do.”

She laughed when she saw him make a fist and raise it in the air shaking it, “Okay tough guy, you can take him!”

Ruth stopped at the table and placed Trevor’s plate down first and then Krista’s, she looked it over and smiled. “Thank you Ruth.”

“Welcome baby, enjoy,” was all she said and walked off to greet a new customer.

Krista looked down to her plate, a California cheeseburger with the works with a side of steak fries smothered in gravy. “God, this was another thing I needed, real food that I don’t need to be afraid to eat.”

Krista was starving, she began to eat, she wasn’t afraid to eat in front of him like most, and her belly told to feed it before it turned inside out and devoured her.

 

[musicankane]

Trevor smiled and took a bite out of his taco. They were fantastic! He moaned in pleasure at the food and nodded at Krista with a smile. "These are great!" He said with a grin and offered her a bite in return for some of her fries.

She laughed as she tried to take a bite of his taco but ended up with cabbage on her chin. He laughed with her as she wiped her chin with a napkin. He sighed happily as he watched her eat. He had no idea why he seemed to have such an easy connection with Krista. She was so easy to be with and despite everything, he found himself falling for her. He wanted to be there for her, knowing how crappy her life had been he wanted to do anything he could to make her life better.

Then an idea struck him. He recalled that she had said she often stayed at this diner until she was forced to leave just so that she didn't have to go home. She wouldn't want to go home with the marks on her face and Trevor couldn't leave her to sleep here, mostly because that would mean he would have to sleep here as it was her car that brought them to the beach.

He leaned forward and gently took her hand. "Look Krista, I know you don't want to go home. I don't want to leave you alone to sleep in the diner either, so how about after we finish eating, we head back and you can sleep in my bed. I have plenty of blankets so I can sleep on the floor. We wont be back before my mom heads to bed, so it'll be no trouble to sneak in and sleep."

 

[Sinful_whispers]

She watched as he took the taco within his hands and took that first bite that melted in your mouth. She smiled in return as she heard him moan in the savoring flavor that was within his mouth. “See the food is a good reason to drive over one hour away after a long day at the mall.”

Her laugh was soft, she was forgetting all about the fat lip and sore jaw line as she spent time with him, he was so easy to like, and she could find herself liking him in the opposite way she liked Zack, Trevor could be boyfriend material and she couldn’t even believe she was thinking that, she’s really not thought about having a boyfriend in a long time.

He reached over holding the taco in his hand for her to bite it and when she did the in sides of it came falling out and down her chin where cabbage stuck to it as she about choked when she laughed. She cleaned her chin with the napkin and then turned her plate as she offered him some fries; the plate was half covered in a mound of long wide French fries smothered in the best homemade brown gravy around. “Dig in I never eat them all, half yes all never.”

They held eye contact a lot through the meal, she laughed hard so hard soda almost came out her nose once. Everything that happened that evening after work, in a sick way she was glad it did since it brought her close to him.

Shoving a French fry in her mouth she looked up and felt him take her hand within his own and hold it, she smiled and chewed her fry and wondered if he was going to say something this time or stop and hold back. His face had a serious look upon it, as she watched him open his mouth.

"Look Krista, I know you don't want to go home. I don't want to leave you alone to sleep in the diner either, so how about after we finish eating, we head back and you can sleep in my bed. I have plenty of blankets so I can sleep on the floor. We won’t be back before my mom heads to bed, so it'll be no trouble to sneak in and sleep." He asked her in all seriousness.

Ruth returned to the table with the bill in hand and laid it between them, Krista quickly took it and looked at it, she dug the cash she stuffed in the sweat pants pocket and counted it out plus a tip, which always exceeded the normal amount one was supposed to tip.

She looked at Trevor and then back to Krista and then Trevor again, “You better look out for this girl she’s a diamond in the rough, treat her good or you’ll feel my foot in your ass next time I see you.” She reached out and caressed Krista’s hair once again and caressed her cheek. “You watch out for yourself Honey, if you ever need anything you know where to find me, and I mean anything.” Ruth kissed Krista’s forehead and walked away.

Krista watched as Ruth disappeared ton the back and the next waitress came on duty. She turned her attention back to Trevor, “sorry again, told you she was like my mother, well not like mine Ruth’s a heck of a lot better than my biological one.”

Taking in a breath she remembered what Trevor said as he still had a hold of her hand in his, “I don’t want to get you in any trouble with your mom if I stay, lord knows you have done enough for me today. If you won’t get in serious trouble I’d really appreciate it if I can. I really don’t want to go home tonight.” She squeezed his hand tightly and didn’t even pull back.

 

[musicankane]

Trevor felt bad when Krista automatically paid for the meal before he had a chance to grab the check. He ignored Ruth's comments again and watch Krista set the cash on the table.

He sighed and smiled at Krista again. "Tell you what, I owe you for the meal now. The least I can do is give you a bed to sleep in away from your Dad." He told her, slipping out of the booth and holding out his hand to help her climb out as well.

His stomach had that delightfully full feeling and somehow felt warm on top of that. He knew that the warmth came from being near Krista. He took her out to the car and started driving them back to his place.

The trip home was quiter, Trevor's hand somehow found it's way to Krista's thigh reasuring her with his touch. She didn't push his hand away so he relaxed a little as he drove.

When they pulled up to his house he saw that the lights were off, so his mom was definately sleeping. "Alright come on, just be a quiet until we get to my room." He told her and carefully led her inside.

He took her to his room and shut the door quickly and quietly behind them. To be safe in the morning he locked the door as well so his mom could just walk it while Krista slept.

He grabbed some extra blankets and pillows form his closet and tossedthem on the floor by the bed. "So you take the bed and I'll curl up right down here. Sorry the room is a bit plain now, but I'm still kind of moving in." He explained.

 

[Sinful_whispers]

Taking another sip of her soda she sighed and felt full, so full if she took another bite she’d explode. She didn’t mind paying, if that was the case she’d had never asked him to go get a bite to eat, plus she owed him a lot for being her knight early that evening.

She listened to his reasoning for her spending the night at his place, and laughed as she took his hand. “You don’t owe me for the food Trevor, I paid because I asked you and because I wanted to, so don’t worry about it okay?” She squeezed his hand and stood up, she didn’t let go as they walked out of the diner together.

The waves caught her attention as she stopped at her side of the car and watched then in the moonlight, she heard them crash upon the shore, over the line of rocks that led out into the water so far and then stopped. Last time she was down there she pulled ropes of black muscles from the rocks, and then laid them back in not wanting to disturb them.

She got in and he closed the door behind her and then walked about to the driver’s side and got in. She turned the radio on and softly sung to a song here and there as they headed to his house. She felt his hand move to her thigh and rest there, she didn’t move it; she placed hers upon his and caressed it softly as she looked over to him and smiled.

They pulled up to the front of his house and she looked seeing all the lights off, either his mother wasn’t home or she was already asleep. She closed her car door quietly and walked up behind him to the front door.

She listened to him softly whisper and she answered and quietly followed behind him not saying a word and walking lightly. Once they reached his room she quickly stepped in and then turned around and watched him lock it. Krista didn’t fear him, she didn’t mind him locking the door, and she understood that about having a parent intrude into one’s own space without acknowledgement.

She stood there and watched him quietly open his closet and yank out a pile of blankets and an extra pillow and begin to make a make shift sleeping roll on the floor, she helped him and then sat on the edge of his bed. “I feel bad kicking you out of your bed, you sure about this? I can sleep on the floor without a problem, I crash on mine at home a lot when I fall asleep watching TV after dad goes to bed.”

Krista smiled as she removed her shoes and looked around at the blank walls, “Its okay, I haven’t moved in years, wish I could move out but places cost so much. There was a time Zack and I talked about moving into a two bedroom but things got pushed aside when I ended up starting to give my dad most of my paycheck for a few months, well more like nine months.”