Deal With The Devil
Blue hues gazed up at the sign ‘Welcome to Sloane’, such an odd name for a town. She had heard of the place down across her travels, heard of Trent Foster and that he could help in her situation. Juniper was also warned that whatever he did for her, had a price. She just hoped that the price wasn’t only accustomed to money, because she only had a couple dollars to her name. Tattered shoes carried her across the paved road, small rocks getting trapped through a hole the shoe had created due to wear of how long she had been traveling.
Reaching her destination, she made her way up to the South Street Diner, finding a seat and instantly dropping her bag in the booth. As she lowered her small frame into the seat, her muscles and bones screamed and she was reminded of how everything felt like fire. Her feet began a prickly sensation as she waited. Someone had given her a number to call Trent and when she did, someone had picked up and told her to meet him at the diner. She didn’t mind, it was a public place, made her more comfortable than some other way of meeting.
As she waited, a waitress came to ask her what she would like. Thinking for a moment, the blonde teenager ordered a burger, cheese fries, and a vanilla shake with extra whipped topping and caramel drizzle. It was a ballsy move, and one would realize why later. As the short haired blonde began to shovel food down into her mouth, she was greeted by a tall figure moving to sit in the seat across from her. He was well groomed, wore nicer clothing that reminded her of her father, and had a face that could tell a story that could scare the pants off of a grown man. She noted the shock and annoyance on his face as he saw her, mouth covered in cheese and condiments.
“You act like you haven’t eaten in days. How old are you?” The male asked, furry brows knitting together but his face stayed smooth, giving a weird contrasting look that made Juniper uncomfortable.
The girl shifted in her seat, grabbing a napkin and wiping her face. “That’s because I haven’t. I’m seventeen.” She snapped back before answering.
“Am I really the one you are looking for?” He had asked, brow perking.
“Yeah, yeah. I’m young and homeless, what would I want with someone like you.” Blue hues rolled before plopping a fry in her mouth. “Look. I’m in trouble and I was told that you were the guy to see for something like that.” She was determined to make this work, to prove her worth despite her being young.
“What do you need? Besides maybe a place and a shower.” His nose wrinkled as he spoke, causing Juniper to shoot him a look.
“I need a fresh start. I ran into trouble in Oregon and I need out of it. I need a job.” She muttered, taking a sip of her vanilla shake.
“What’s in it for me?” He asked, causing Juniper to shift.
“I don’t have money,” she began, swallowing the lump in her throat. “But I can work for you until my debt is paid off, whatever you need. Errand runner, caretaker of your home, what the fuck ever.” She trailed off, shrugging as she took a bite of her burger.
“Anything?” Trent pondered, “I’ll help you. For now, I’ll place you with Hadlee. It’s a small apartment but it’s better than the streets. She’ll show you the ropes of working for me. Meanwhile, you and I will talk again about what happened in Oregon. Because I’m intrigued. Sources tell me, you’re from the asylum.” He spoke as he wrote down an address on a napkin.
The blondes hues widened far more than they ever had, “how did you?”
“I have my ways.” He slid the napkin over to her, a wicked grin back on his features. “I’ll get in touch on when I want to meet again.”
Juniper nodded rapidly, grabbing the napkin and examining it before stuffing it into her pocket. The teen looked back to where Trent was sitting, except he had disappeared, causing her to look around. The waitress brought carry out boxes to Juniper, a bubbly smile on her features. “Foster paid for your meal.” Juniper looked at her, giving an apologetic smile before sliding her the last few bills she had as a tip.
Taking her food, she stood, her bones screaming once again before heading out of the establishment. Grabbing the napkin from her pocket, she looked around before following the directions to the address provided to meet her new roommate and start her new job.
