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A person couldn't pass between the bars but it wasn't so high that someone with reasonable athleticism couldn't scale it with ease. Aaron would make a safe landing.

Puffin spun around exitedly, looked up at Aaron and barked. Sticking her nose to the ground once more she regained the trail and followed it doggedly. Crossing the street she headed down a smelly alleyway. Garbage and other rotting things might have distracted someone with lesser nostrils but Puffin remained focused.

The street Puffin had crossed wasn't very heavily trafficked at this time of day so Aaron could have crossed quickly if he chose. A large clock in the middle of the park sounded that it was ten thirty in the morning.

An old man was shouting his story about how he met a "worm-person" to cheers of "Let's see it!" from the crowd. A tall boy with black hair looked as Ember squeezed by him. The man's words faded as his focused turned to the girl. A strange urge to do something rash to gain her attention seized him but shyness stayed him. I've got to at least talk to her, c'mon man... He searched for something to say, hoping to hide behind his anonymity at the moment. At last he found the words and he leaned down a little and said it loudly over the shouts of the man in hopes of gaining her attention. No sooner were the words out of his mouth than he began to feel very awkward.

"Man, this is crazy isn't it"

Zeyla stood turning her head every which way waiting for something, anything to happen. Just then she spotted the gang member from earlier. The one who had ruined her mural. She started to slink down to avoid being seen, she was almost completely behind Jamison with a little room to peek out and still see what was going on. "It's the girl from earlier, the one who ruined my mural. God dammit! She has her band of goons with her. Don't let them see me!" Zeyla scooted over more to be hidden behind Jamison completely, the height difference with them was huge. Zeyla clutched onto the back of Jamison's jacket afraid they might want to get her back for squirting paint in that girl's face. It seemed she had gotten it off...it wasn't THAT bad she thought.

The bus gave a hiss as it roared to a start. At the front sat the driver with a blank stare, chewing on sunflower seeds and listening to a channel on his Audiobox. Murmurs of conversation filled the bus. Outside cars and people passed by, off on their own business. Slowly, the buildings became less decrepit as the bus plowed towards the heart of the city. Beside Lily sat a stern-looking woman wearing fine clothes reading a newspaper whose headlines read "Main Street Mystery". At the back sat a rambunctious group whom were frequently given harsh looks by the driver up front. Across from her sat two rather plain looking people who were talking heatedly about some strange goings on. It seemed the city had awoken to a buzz of excitement.

Two stops had gone by and it was now Lily's stop next. Though a few blocks a way yet, several passengers readied their belongings to depart. But the bus had scarce begun to regain momentum when the driver slammed on his brakes sending his sunflower seeds rocketing forward and spilling all over the floor by his feet. Turning around to face a bus full of disgruntled passengers he hastily pointed outside towards the front of the bus and murmured something. People at the front got up to look and immediately a hum of talk filled the bus as those at the front talked about what they saw and those at the back talked about what it might be. With a huff and a quick fold of her newspaper, the woman beside Lily stood up and forced her way to the front. She demanded to be let out insisting that she would complain to the Bus company about her lateness and stormed out. Seeing the open door, other passengers couldn't resist. Like a flood, they rushed outside to see what had stopped the bus completely forgetting other responsibilities.

It was too late for Zeyla to hide, because Alaina had already spotted her. "There she is!" she pointed to Zeyla hiding behind the man from before. She narrowed her eyes and her hands balled up into fists, her cheeks turning red with anger. And then she just smiled mischeviously, a grin that she hoped the stupid hippie girl would see. That guy can't protect you forever, not with all of us she thought evilly.

"The saw me..." Zeyla whispered to Jamison as she continued to clutch for dear life to the back of him. She wondered what they were going to do to her, after all it wasn't like she had physically hurt the girl. And she deserved it, she ruined my goddamn painting, Zeyla thought to herself. She almost was about to peer out from behind Jamison, but then realized that was too risky. So, she stood, clutching Jamison's back and breathing heavily. She usually wasn't this scared of people. But, there was something about a giant street gang being after her and everything that she hadn't experienced before.