Acceptance in lies

As Amber stops crying, I let go of her. "Want something to drink?" Getting a nod from her, I pour her a glass of water. Chugging it like there's no tomorrow, I ask her if she wants another one.

"No, I'm good." Grabbing a chair, I sit in front of her. "So you killed an electrician."

Nodding her head, I continue. "Why didn't you just borrow some of the scissors?"

Slamming her hands into her legs, she yells. "I didn't know! I didn't know that I could borrow scissors! If I knew I wouldn't have done it!"

Telling her to calm down, I tell her that I understand. "I've had a similar experience when I entered the criminal world. Do you want to hear it?"

...........

It was some time ago, I was new to the life of a criminal and made some mistakes.

I got shot. I ran across the alley of the slums, fleeing from my pursuers. I was bleeding from my shoulder and wasn't thinking straight, I wasn't used to seeing blood, let alone to killing.

Interrupting my story, Amber raises her hand to ask a question. "Why did they go after you? what did you do?"

"I killed one of theirs, I was driven by the sense of justice, as in front of real cops he was harassing a woman, but the cops were bribed, Like you with that robber, I had a feeling that I was doing the world a favor."

But unlike you, I didn't kill him in silence. The moment the cops left, I struck. I was so mad that I grabbed a brick and smashed it against his head. He fell to the ground, Unmoving, Yet I didn't care, I smashed him over and over.

"Until you turned his head into a pancake." Giving Amber, I nod I continue.

"But he wasn't alone, he was apparently waiting for his buddies."

The moment they saw me, they yelled and screamed and one of them fired their guns at me. I was shot in the shoulder, I didn't realize it at first, so I run into the alleys.

only after a couple of minutes of chasing me, did I feel the bullet.

I remember jumping into a pile of trash to escape them. After they were gone I looked for a place to stay to treat my wound.

Just so you know Amber, at that time, I still didn't know a thing about medicine. So when I saw a small clinic run by an old man, I was happy. But that didn't last long, I was high on adrenalin and stressed.

I thought that the second he would see me, he would report me, and I would be arrested.

So Instead of asking for help or anything, I tried to brake in silently, but he notice me and...

"You killed him?" Nodding I tell her that I killed while thinking that his death is helping me.

The really important thing is that you don't turn yourself into a god or something. I saw a guy kill people while telling them that they should be grateful for helping him. He believed that he was a warrior of justice and things like that.

"Then..... am I a monster like him? I killed that man while thinking that!" Seeing Amber practically go into shock. Putting my hand on her shoulder I tell her that she isn't as long as she felt the guilt of killing an innocent human being, she's still better than some of the animals that live here.

"Listen, Amber, It's hard..... I get it, you can't accept the fact that you've done, all these things. But what's important, is that you will always remember that it's wrong."

"But..... I'm not accepting it, am I? I'm more of a running from my problems."

Shaking my head, I tell her that's impossible to change the past, so the only thing she can do is acknowledge it and move on.

Seeing Amber slightly cry, I hug her. "Go home, Amber, your parents are probably worried out of their mind."

Nodding her, she tries to ask me something.

*Bash!* Knocking down the door is Edward. "Raven, I'm back!"

But I don't hear it over this Buffon.

"Am I interrupting something?"

"No, you're not." Letting go of Amber, I tell her that we're willing to bring her home. "As our final Adventure?" She asks. "As our final Adventure," I reply. Telling Edawrd to lead the way, he looks at us confused while holding shipping bags.

"But what about dinner?" Waving my hand I tell him, that's not gonna be that long. Since all we're doing is taking Amber home... right?

Leaving the apartment complex, we enter the now again night city. "Let's go," Not in a rush, we walk pretty slowly, in silence just enjoying the company of others.

"So you're going home Amber, I slightly hoped that you would stay with us," Edward says. "Well, I'll be honest as well you did grow on us." Laughing about it all, AMber grabs my sleeve and asks. "I have a question, I've had one since some time ago, so can you promise me to tell the truth?"

All of us coming to a stop, I tell her that it's a weird request, but sure.

"You're a Nordstorm, right?" Grabbing Amber by the shoulders, I ask her why she thinks so.

"I don't think it anymore now I know it for a fact! Look at Edward!" Turning my head I see Edward with his eyes. I shouldn't have told him that.

Turning back to Amber, I let her go. "Fine! I'm a Nordstorm, so? There's a lot of Nordstormers?" Shaking her head she points specifically at me.

"You're different, I always thought why, but that's because Raven is your real name! You're Raven Nordstorm! You're the runaway!"

I try to come up with words to stop Amber from mumbling, but she just goes on and on.

"We've met once before, you came to visit the royal palace with your grandfather!"

Finally having enough of it, I slap her. Taking heavy breaths, I turn around and storm off.

As Amber holds her red cheek, she tries to figure out what just happened.

"Ahhhh... You messed up." Hearing Edward, she asks him how.

"People's pasts are pretty sensitive just because I told you that I'm a former noble doesn't mean that Raven will tell you the same so easily."

"He's no longer one? isn't he the oldest in the line of succession in his family?!"

Sitting on the curb, Edward tells Amber that if he was, he probably wouldn't be her would he? Sitting beside him, Amber asks, if Raven is okay.

"Probably, he's just a little different, but that's nothing new. You shouldn't bring up his family so easily, since he's her because of them."

Confused, Amber asks what he means by that, as it was said that Ravne ran away.

"Well, he was exiled or kicked out, due to family troubles and instability. Raven left his home and sought shelter here in the slums, but instead, he got entangled in a life of crime."

"And the rest is history." Nodding his head Edward sighs, Pulling out his cigarettes he offers one to Amber. "Want one-" Only to have it kicked out of the hand by angry Raven.

"Don't get her into these bad hobbies!" Sulking hard as he keeps his hands in his pockets, Ravne proposes that they could visit a bar. "We needed on a bad note, so how about we go to a bar and make up."

Getting a nod from both of them, Raven smiles and leads the way.

Arriving at stairs that lead beneath a building, Amber starts to second-guess herself. "Don't worry, I promise it's a nice place." Walking in Edward waves, at the bartender. "Hey, William!"

Waving back at Edward, he spots the girl and asks if she's their new friend. "Yeah! Meet Amber!" Overly happy, We all sit down, and order.

"Before anything, some rules, 1 only one shot of alcohol we still have things to do..... and that's probably everything." As Raven says that, he orders a pint of beer, immediately breaking his own rules.

"Hey, you can't drink that!" Edward argues, "Not this again, Edward I'm 18 I'm a fully grown adult what do you mean I can't?" Slamming his fist into the counter, Edward argues that one shouldn't do harmful things until 21!

"We're criminals! Edward!" As the two begin to argue. The bartender named William, tells Amber that it's hard to believe that these two are best friends.

"Anyway, young lady what can I do for you?" Looking at all the bottles, Amber says that she isn't exactly knowledgeable about alcohol. "Ah! Then it's gonna be rum!"

Pouring her a glass of sweet-smelling dark liquid, Raven tries to stop Amber from drinking it, but Edward quickly pulls him into the argument that 21 is the ripe age to drink, not before.

As Amber lifts the glass, she chugs the whole thing in one go, causing everyone to stop what they're doing.

*Thud* Slamming the glass onto the table everyone waits for her reaction. "That's so Sweet! Another one!" Not waiting for anything William poured her another shot.

...........

After a good half an hour, Edward and Amber are out of it. Even though Edward instead that he won't drink, he ended up drinking an entire bottle of whiskey, by himself.

As Raven still has his first pint of Beer, he looks at Wiliam. "Sorry," Confused, William asks him what for. He made a lot of money today and the bar didn't get destroyed so in his eyes it's a win-win.

"No, not about that. Do you remember how you used to run a clinic here?" Confused William tells him that he remembers very well, as until someone has broken in with a bullet stuck in his shoulder, it was a nice clinic.

"Well, if Amber asks, about it, a clinic, tell her I told the former owner of this clinic." After all this bar is named the clinical bar, and it won't take her long to figure out that this used to be a clinic.

Putting down the glass, William asks. him what he did. "I just made up a story to make Amber feel good. Same problems similar circumstances you know, She was feeling guilty for killing someone she didn't want to kill nor did she have to, that classical murder where you no longer see killing as a bad option.

Nodding his head, William adds that a lot of bloodthirsty maniacs are born during this kill. And ensure me that, it's okay. if I lied. he will of along with it. Finishing the pint, I ask him how much is the bill.

Waving his hand, William says. "Leave Amber here, and that's all I need, I'll contact the cops they take her and my bar will be in the headlines as a place where she hid."

"Free marketing?" I ask. "Free marketing."

Giving him a smile, I tell him to take care of Ambe, Patting her sleeping self, I tell her that I'm sorry for all the mess she had to go through with us and that I'm sorry, For being such a bad friend.

Waking Edward up, I help him walk outside the bar, "Goodbye William! and, don't think of pulling a fast one on me by giving Amber to Gunter."

Laughing he tells me not to worry.