Chapter 2

< Charlize >

Charlize emerges from the icy river, wet clothes clinging to her like a second skin. The moonlight bounces off the water, illuminating the muddy snowbank. She trudges towards where she had instructed Red to wait for her. Red steps out of the shadows clutching her body, shivering, still soaked from head to toe.

Charlize frowns at her. "Why aren't you changed?" Her voice is thick with annoyance.

Red's teeth chattered, "I-I d-don't have a ch-ch-ange of clothes," Charlize rolls her eyes, walks past her and picks up the bag.

"I thought I told you to find the bag with the change of clothes." Charlize digs her hand into the bag and throws a towel at Reds face. Red flinches catching the thick material before it dropped to the muddy ground and wrapping herself in it.

Red shrugs, "I d-d-didn't *hiccup* w-want to take your cl-l-othes,".

"If I tell you to do something, you listen," Charlize hisses through her teeth and Red nods. "Not listening to me will get you killed, understand?"

"W-whats that got to do with not p-putting on the clothes." Red snickers and Charlize raises an eyebrow at her.

"Means you're a smartass and incapable of listening," She states, digging her finger into her bra and pulling out a little plastic bag. Red frowns at her bluntness, watching as she pulls out a carefully wrapped cigarette and lighter and tucking the plastic bag back in her pocket. Still soaked from head to toe she lights the end, sucking deeply and pointing at her, "means you're a liability and I have to watch your ass," She clutches Reds shivering elbow and drags her into the shadows, "Get changed."

"Y-yes ma'am," She moves quickly not seeming intimidated but instead, a willingness to show obedience.

"Move quickly, I just killed two motherfuckers and it won't take long for someone to find them." Charlize closes her eyes momentarily, rubbing her temples in a circular motion with the base of her palms.

Red shimmies out of her wet dress, leaving her completely topless in her undies. Charlize huffs looking away, noting that Red was clearly not shy and she was going to have to get used to that. Glancing at Reds mud-covered bare feet, she picks up the dress and spreads it out for Red to stand on, then turns to face the water giving her some privacy to change. Red notices her subtle gesture gives a small smile and steps onto the dress wiping her muddy feet. "What about y-your wet clothes?" Her stutter slowly disappears as she dries herself off.

"Your lips are purple. Worry about yourself." She waves her off, over her shoulder and takes another drag.

"Yes m-ma'am," Red carries the bag over to the shadows and strips her wet clothes.

"Stop calling me that," Charlize presses.

"Then what do I call you?" She asks pulling out a shirt and a sweater. Handing Charlize the sweater she goes to put the shirt on.

"Nothing." Charlize rolls her eyes, and turns momentarily, snatching the shirt out of her hands and throws her the sweater instead, turning back around.

"Can I call you Unnie?" Red suggests amused, shimmying into Charlize's jeans that are too big for her.

"What the fuck is Unnie?" As if already knowing the jeans didn't fit, Charlize grumbles as she takes her wet belt off and throws it over her shoulder at Red.

The belt hits her in the face again and Red makes a face at the back of her head. "Unnie is like 'big sister' in Korean." She loops the belt through the jean holes.

"I'm not Korean. Nor am I your 'big sister'."Charlize states as she digs into her bag to find a claw clip to twist her drenched long bob up and out of her face.

"You're not Korean??" Red tips her head in disbelief. "Huh! I really thought you were... What are you then? Japanese? Chinese?" Red ponders, drying her hair and braiding it. "You're obviously Asian.. you must be half because you don't look like either."

"I don't know,"

"How can you NOT know?"

"Orphan."

"Oh no shit, that's right." Red peeps, scratching her head. "Ok well, I AM Korean. And you give off Unnie vibes." Red continues to pick her clothes up off the muddy floor and Charlize comes over to pull a beanie over Reds head and slaps the fingerless gloves into her chest.

"No, I don't." She scoops the wet clothes off the floor, shoves them in the bag and makes her way over to the stairs. Red snorts, obviously disagreeing, pulling the gloves on.

"Or you could just tell me your name.." She trails off, waiting. No response from Charlize, "Mine is-"

"-Don't care, Red."

"It's not red-" She protests but it is cut off again by Charlize.

"It is now. Stop getting on my nerves or ill cut you loose," Charlize mutters as they slip down an alleyway. Charlize knows names are dangerous. Getting too acquainted is dangerous. She knows she shouldn't even be letting Red follow her back, but she can't leave her there and knows Red can't go back to Fantasia. They'll be looking for her. Red took a risk, knowing she'd be the last one seen with Herran, and that alone, made Charlize cautious of her. Stupid girl.

"No, you won't," Red waves away Charlize's threat.

"What makes you so sure?" Charlize's voice flat.

Red clears her thought and sniffles from the cold, "Because you give off Unnie vibes,"

"Kid." She warns.

"Yes, Unnie?" Red answers innocently.

Charlize sighs, giving up. "Shut the fuck up and keep up. I won't look back to check if you're following me,"

"Yes Unnie," She whispers loudly. Her playfulness makes Charlize's heart hurt at the knowledge of what she had been forced to do with savage men for god-knows how long. Dressed in casual clothes, braids poking out from her beanie and fingerless gloves, she was no longer a symbol of sex.. but just a curious 17-year-old child. The thought wears heavy on Charlize's heart and she lights up another cigarette, turning another corner.

Silence falls between them but only for a moment before Red pipes up again letting her curiosity get the better of her and Charlize rolls her eyes. "Wait. how do you know you're not Korean if you don't know WHAT you are??"

"Red." Another warning.

"Ok, ok, fine." She whines, her little feet scuffling to keep up. "Have you ever thought about quitting smoking?" Red coughs as the smoke bellows out of Charlize's mouth and directly into Reds face. "Like.. I like a smoke every now and again, especially when I'm stressed but you're on your tenth dart now!" Charlize zones her out to white noise and continuous sliding through dark alleys and pushing Red into the shadows of the walkways when she forgets. Red continues to ramble on, talking to herself.

Charlize won't admit it out loud, but the noise is kind of settling, considering the difficult night that had just played out. Nothing really went to plan and she has received some confusing information before she killed Herran. Usually, Charlize would be left alone to deal with her anger, guilt and grief of murdering yet another man with no answers.. Red won't know it, but Charlize was grateful.