“Blurred Choices, Obscured Moves”

The man leaned against the building’s wall inside the alleyway as if he were leaning into the shadows. In the dead of the night, only a bright pair of green eyes flickered with a sharp absence. He took a long drag of his cigarette, his features blurred from the smoke.
“I don't see why you’re worrying, father,” his daughter stated in a bland tone. She stood in a straight posture, her blood red lips curling in disdain. “Don’t you trust me?”
The father leaned forward, exhaling a cloud of deadly toxins in the girl’s face. “No. You’re a goddamn idiot. You screw everything up.”
His daughter opened her mouth, then shut it. She constantly never spilled out what she wanted to say. She couldn’t risk getting slapped across the face. Instead, she gave a bittersweet smile as her dark brown eyes lit as if a match was set underneath her.
“And if you don't get me what I need...well, I doubt that you’d be expecting a welcome back party.” Her father threw the cigarette to the ground and stepped on it. With his black leather gloves on, he reached into his coat and retrieved a small, yet deadly object.
“You wouldn't do that,” the girl shot out. Keeping her gaze on the weapon, her eyes widened. That was a sign of fear, something that she had always dismissed.
“I am capable of anything. Human nature. We’re sinful little things.”
“Human, huh. I always thought of you as the big bad wolf.”
Her eyes were an unlit flame, her terror growing until the feeling was not real anymore. But she managed a cruel smirk, pretending as if she could possibly be better than her own father.
One step. Two. Her heart was racing as her father raised one eyebrow. He tilted his head to the side, waiting for her to speak more. The girl couldn’t utter another word.
She turned her back, running off in long strides. She made it to the main street, where it was currently dead. No one was around. It was the perfect time to make her move.
The teenage girl let out a harsh laugh. She removed her hood, revealing long midnight curls. She looked down to the cement, fluttering her long eyelashes as she saw someone walking in the opposite direction.
“No, father, I do not need your help,” she whispered. “I am a woman. Tempt a little and then they’re distracted. It’s a piece of cake.”
The girl took slow steps, her gaze locked upon the ground. She heard heavy footsteps approach as if trying to escape this nightly madness. Continuing to walk forward, she purposely leaned to the left, her shoulder hitting the arm of another person.
“Sorry,” she giggled, her voice rising to a higher pitch. She bit her lip as if to contain her genuine and dark laughter.
“I’m the one sorry here. I didn’t look where I was going,” a deep voice responded.
The young girl looked up and was met with a stormy pair of gray eyes. The man, who appeared to be in his early twenties, wore a childish grin on his face, dimples appearing.
“Oh, please,” she said, finding her voice. “Let’s just both take the blame.” She inched closer, eyeing the gold watch on his wrist.
“If that’s what you desire. But do tell me your name, sweetheart.”
The stranger crossed his arms, a smile still on his face. He tilted his head, a sign that displayed his amusement mixed with high interest.
“...Celeste,” she answered, reluctantly. Her eyes narrowed as she began to tap her fingers against her crossed arms, impatient.
“Beautiful name,” the man addressed, nodding his head. “Call me Gabriel.”
He moved closer, so close that they were practically touching. The girl let out a smile that sickened her as she let out a chain of giggles.
“Like the angel?” she questioned. She grabbed his arm, her hands slowly reaching into the back pocket of the man’s pants.
“We can’t all be angelic,” he murmured. His eyes stayed glued on the girl’s face as her fingers tried to clutch onto an object that felt like leather fabric. She internally smirked, triumphant.
Gabriel started to chuckle. “And you might not want to take that, sweetheart.”
“Take what?” Her voice was coated in fake innocence.
“Hm. Stealing the wallet from a wealthy man.” He gestured towards himself. “To think that you had good intentions. A shame. Truly.”
“You should never assume that a person is good.”
“Really?” he mocked, letting out a gasp. He took a couple of steps back, his expression morphing into an authentic one. “We weren’t born to do bad deeds.”
“Mhm.”
Ignoring her, the young man continued. “You work hard in life. Not every man of wealth is snobbish and an embodiment of perfection. You put effort in what you do. That effort signals only for good things in return.”
“Poetic,” Celeste practically snarled. “And here I am, trying to make a living. So, shut the hell up with your crap.”
She made a fist with her hands, knuckles turning white with her amount of force. She was wearing a distasteful frown, tapping her foot as a way to release her growing stress. Oh, she knew how angry her father would be. She failed. Again.
“By being a thief?” Gabriel asked. He tapped one finger against his chin. “Have you ever thought of getting a job?”
“Not everyone has as much luck as you do, rich boy,” she sneered. She contemplated attacking him and grabbing the money, but somehow made no move.
The young man shook his head, looking up at the nightly sky, only a glint of stars appearing from the darkness.
“No. But, between every crack of corruption — ”
The girl stepped forward, her dark eyes narrowing in contempt. She let out a sound of warning, her finger pointing straight at the boy. “Don’t even start with those cliche words.”
Gabriel wore a hidden smile on his face. “You sure look like you can afford a lot,” he said, ignoring her empty threat.
“Work pays well,” Celeste answered. She loosened from her stiff posture, eyes closing. She found herself in an almost tranquil state of mind.
“And what are your sins?” Gabriel questioned, in a hushed tone. He was far from the girl now, leaning against a streetlight. His gray eyes seemed to spark a little.
“Everything.”
“I see.”
“You don’t,” she mumbled. Her voice cracked, while her body jerked as if she’d just been hit. “I need this.”
The man c***ed his head to the side, his hands reaching into his pockets. “No, that’s clearly not the truth. I see the pain reflected in those pretty little orbs, sweetheart.”
“Why am I talking to you?” The girl seemed to be talking to herself more than him. She bit her lip, forcing her to stop any other words from rushing out.
The young man pulled out his wallet, eyes set in a heavy trance. “You don’t want this. You want something more than clutching onto a stolen amount of cash.”
She didn’t respond.
“Being bad isn’t that good after all, huh?” he demanded.
Celeste took a step forward before sinking back into her dark place of solitude. “Rich people don’t have it all either.”
Gabriel shrugged. “Exactly. Life’s meaningless.”
The girl’s brows furrowed, confusion drowning her like an endless trip through oblivion.
“Then why — ”
“Maybe that’s the purpose,” the man breathed out. “To find value in the smallest things.”
“That’s ironic coming from you,” she said in a flat and bemused tone. Yet, her eyes showed vulnerability as she began pacing back and forth.
“Labels and statuses don’t mean everything.”
The girl took in a sharp breath. “But, they do.”
Gabriel let out a deep chuckle, lips forming a soft smile. “Liar.”
He walked towards her in long strides until they were inches apart. The boy looked down at her, lowering his head a little, so that his lips were near her ear.
A tickling feeling ran down the girl’s spine. “I don’t know what you mean.”
“You do.”
“It hurts though.”
“To know the truth?” the boy whispered in her ear.
She pulled back. “To feel different. You’re not supposed to feel. Yet, I do. Nothing is supposed to hurt. But, everything does.”
Gabriel straightened to his full height. He motioned his head towards something behind him. “I think someone is watching you.”
“Of course,” she remarked. Her murderous stained lips fell into their usual downside curve.
“Here.”
The young man handed her his wallet. Their hands brushed against each other as he plastered on a smile.
“Your move,” he continued. He gave her a small wink, heading down the main street.
The girl stood in a trance. As usual, her mouth was shut, preventing her from speaking.
A figure moved from behind her. “So, you finally did something right, huh? Hand it over then.”
“Father.” Her tone remained still, her expression revealing nothing.
“Now.”
She turned around to face her father. “Is that so?”
“You little imbecile,” her father laughed. He grabbed a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, as well as a lighter. “Don’t even think about it.”
Celeste took a step back. She looked behind her, letting out a small smile. She saw a pair of stormy eyes brightening from behind the shadows.
She winked before making her move.