Sherbet Lemons: Chapter 1

(Edited since posting)

Chapter 1: if only for the aroma

I just don’t – fucking – know.

*

Sat at the stairs of number 412, third avenue, was a boy – no, more than a boy, one at the end of his teens. His ankles were crossed, forearms resting on his knees, eyes closed. His thoughts were focused on the rich, warm smell of the tobacco on his hands and the way that the cold breeze was wrapping around his cheek, gently fluttering into his hair. And the crackle of the paper. And the silence – the silence of only his own heartbeat and breathing.

He brought the paper to his lips, sealing it with his tongue. The boy fumbled for a moment, pulling the lighter out of his grey hoodie. The flame jumped out, licking the end of the long, slender cigarette. Seconds later, the smoke was whirling out of his mouth. A faint smile.

His name was Haki.

He knew it was dangerous to be smoking out in the open like this. He knew that a policeman could walk past at any minute, that he could get into trouble; but for the first time in a long time, he didn’t care. If anything, Haki had done much worse in the eyes of any law enforcement that bothered to investigate him. What was smoking a cigarette, out in the open, when he was a drugs mule for a living? Granted, he only really delivered pills around town in order to feed himself and his younger sister but it paid the bills. You’d have thought someone would have noticed that a third of the town took LBD pills.

And the books. God, the books would probably get him killed. But if he could give people reading material ‘contrary to the state ideology’ without being caught – no one liked to imagine the consequences of that – then he could do this without worrying.

He smirked at the thought, leaning back onto his elbows and resting them on the stairs behind him. He looked up at the murky sky, the cigarette rising to his mouth again, hands lit by the artificial orange glow of the streetlights. This smoking break was the first chance he’d had to take a break from looking after his sickly sister that night, come to think of it – thankfully, his friend had come to help, in spite of the time. And so he sat there, admiring the moonless night. He didn’t get a chance to relax like this often.

Suddenly, the beaded curtain which hung closed behind him was swiped open. Haki jumped to his feet, very almost tripping over – he grabbed the banister as he turned to look behind him, but quickly relaxed.

“Hakihaveyouseen – Haki, you – idiot!” A tall, olive-skinned girl with long, dark hair – Kaira appeared in the doorway behind him. She grabbed Haki by the hood of his jumper, pulling him close towards her. The cigarette onto the floor. “Haki!” She whispered. “How many times have I told you that you’ll end up getting caught like that – did you see them!”

“Bloody hell, woman, it was just for a second – it’s three AM – no one is going to be looking now –”

Kaira rolled her eyes as if this were the hundredth time she’d told him off (truthfully, it was the third) as she leaned over him. “This really isn’t a good –” She stopped, suddenly, looking at him with a smirk. “Why are you wearing sunglasses? Now? ” she said, pulling them off his face, examining them. Wayfarer. Black. His boss, Brod, gave him these sunglasses recently.

“Because I felt like it.”

Kaira rolled her eyes, but Haki could tell she was restraining herself from grinning. “Very funny.”

“I know I am.”

She slapped him on the head. “Stop –” smack! “– it –” smack! “– not now!” smack! “Just go look outside the window. Go!” she added, upon seeing Haki’s slightly bemused expression.

Haki grumbled, shuffling across the darkened front room to the window. “You’re acting like my mother – just because she’s dead doesn’t mean I need a new one –”

“You’ll end up like your mother in a second – just look!”

He grumbled, swiping the blackout curtains to the side and peering out into the darkened street. “What am I looking at?” He peered out of the open window onto the street. Nothing much. Just an empty street and house after house after house. Not even a stray cat clawing at the doors of one of the houses.

She leaned into his ear. “Look towards Brod’s.”

He could feel blood rush to his face at the mention of Brod’s name. This – what? “Why?!”

“Just look!”

He leaned forward, trying to get a better look out of the window.

“Don’t lean too far – they’ll see you!” She called from behind him – but he ignored her. Screw the curfew.

“Policemen…”

There were loads of them. All in a crowd by the entrance of the corner shop at the end of the road – it was through this shop that you could enter Brod’s hideout. There was no other reason why the entrance would be surrounded by policemen. He’d almost known it from the second she told him to look outside. He was cornered. Brod was going to be… “Bloody hell… bloody – bloody hell Kaira, you realise –” He shut the window and swivelled around “– Kaira!” She was checking herself out in the mirror and caught the smirk on his face, which he quickly tried to hide . “No, no – this is serious, we can’t –”

“Does they have any record of you being affiliated with them whatsoever in that hideout –”

“No,” he replied firmly. That, he knew. They avoided records where they could. “But people in town know me. If you put two and two together –”

“A good start.” She sighed heavily, marching towards the bedroom. “Cassia, Cassia wake up –”

“No, Kaira!” He followed her into the room, where she was throwing clothes onto the bed. There his younger sister, Cassia, was: sick, with wet towels on her forehead and feet as she lay, head turned away from them. “Kaira, I know what you’re – we have to think about this –“

“What is there to think about,” she replied, rummaging through drawers of his socks and underwear. “You’ve been saying you wanted to leave this place for months –”

“What?!” he stopped dead in his tracks.

“We’re going to run,” she said, simply, stuffing a bag with his clothes. “I don’t see what the big deal is – you’ve been saying you want to leave this place for –”

“No, no – we?”

She looked up, an eyebrow raised. “What.”

“You’re not coming with me.”

She raised her other eyebrow. “What?”

“You’re not –”

“Haki, we’re not arguing about this –”

“She’s sick!” He pointed at Cassia who had put a pillow over her head. “There’s no way she can go anywhere with that temperature!”

“Don’t you shout at me –”

“I’m not shouting –”

“You are! Look –“

Haki stepped forward, only centimetres from Kaira now. “Your dad’s legal immunity – Article 27 – remember?”

“You know I never paid attention to that bullshit.” She looked up at Haki’s wardrobe, now nearly bare.

“Article 27: No member of the police force shall be arrested without the express permission of the state governor! You’re safe!” he added, upon seeing the bemused expression on her face. “And I made you her legal guardian for a reason. Please. It’s me that has to worry – she can’t go anywhere if she’s still got a fever, let’s face it –”

“I – no, you can’t – I –”

“How? How then?”

“What do you mean, ‘ how then’? Haki, I was just going to try and persuade my dad to give you immunity, no big deal –”

“No big deal? No big deal?! This will embarrass him if word got round –”

Kaira sighed, dumping the two piles of socks in the bag. “You’ve been telling me you want to leave this place for months. Now you have a reason to –”

A knock on the front door. She suddenly stood rigid, eyes wide. He sighed, pulling out a knife from his pocket. He marched towards the door, sighing heavily, with her on his heels “It’s probably –”

Haki was going to say that it was “probably his batty old neighbour” but his batty old neighbour certainly wasn’t a tall, dark, exceptionally handsome man. Haki knew him from meetings with Brod and everyone else, although he’d never managed to talk to him, even though they’d exchanged friendly nods once or twice. All he knew was that any banned book that came into the town probably went through him.

Hassan stepped into the house, quickly shutting the door behind him. “Did you see outside?” he said quickly, staring hard at Haki, eyes dark yet warm. “I gathered you did – hello Kaira – they’re going to go in any minute now. We need to run. Now.”

How does he know her name? Haki thought. “But my sister is sick –”

“I have legal immunity and guardianship of her,” Kaira interrupted, looking up at Hassan. “You know who my father is.”

“Then you’re safe,” said Hassan, simply. “For the moment.” He paused. “When did she get sick?”

“Last night. She’s still – there’s no way she can come –”

“Then,” he said, turning to Haki. “You and I must leave as soon as possible. Kaira, I’ll put you in touch with some people so you can leave as soon as his sister gets better, but –” he turned back to Haki “– we need to leave as soon as possible before they tie us to this. Do you have anything packed?”

“I’m nearly ready –”

“Good thinking. Let’s get you ready, quickly. Come on.”

Haki led him to the bedroom – Cassia was there, passed out again – but Kaira stopped him. “A word.” She pulled him by the arm into the bathroom and locked the door behind him.

“How does he know your name –”

She launched at him. Suddenly, her soft lips were pressed against his own, both hands pulling his head forward and her fingers running through his hair –and then he kissed her back, grabbing her face as he did so. Fuck! The smell of her was intoxicating – his mind was in a daze, his heart racing; she was pushed against the wall, hands held against the wall –

Their bodies were pressed together now, his hands sliding across her waist, her leather jacket sliding to the ground now; her lips against his, eyes closed, her breath hot and passionate – God, the smell of her was killing him – as she grabbed a fistful of his jumper, keeping him close. He stroked her cheek as they launched into another urgent kiss. Her long, dark hair was falling onto her face – he brushed it behind her ear as he leaned into her neck, whispering, “I have to go now.”

She whispered into his year, “Remember me.” They broke apart, breathless, and only a few centimetres from one another. She grabbed his hand, pulling off the steel bangle on her wrist and putting it on his own.

He looked up at her. Their eyes met before she turned away from him and walked out of the bathroom. He stood there, bewildered and barely registering what had happened, even when she came back to put her dog tags around his neck and left again.

He slipped out of the bathroom with a vacant expression on his face, perhaps a hint of a grin there. His hair was ruffled. Sweaty. Slightly flushed, too. When he walked back into the bedroom, Hassan was busy zipping up a bag – he’d forgotten Hassan was there. It didn’t immediately register that he was zipping up one of his bags and he’d only half-heartedly offered to help when he realised – instead trying simultaneously catch her eye and avoid her gaze. His heart was still fluttering in his chest.

“I think we’re done,” said Hassan, looking up at Haki. “Shall we go?”

As if on cue, there were several gunshots outside. Haki jumped back; Hassan nodded, seemingly understanding. “It’s happening. Let’s go.” 

*

A/N: I'll be posting this every week (or should be, anyway) so if you'd like me to notify you when the next chapter's up, let me know!

Reviews and liked greatly appreciated. I haven't written in ages...

Edit: Are all of their personalities and speech patterns distinct enough?