Color Me Scarlett

I pulled myself up onto my hands and knees, winded. I blinked away the hazy vision and looked up at what I had run into.
The boy was on the ground and was slowly sitting up. I glanced up at the police, who had gotten tangled with a crowd of girls. The boy met my eyes finally, after recollecting his surroundings. “Who…Who are you?”
He sat up finally, and then looked back at the crowd of both police and girls now. He began to stand up to run again. I jumped to my feet and grabbed his hand. “Come on, we need to run!” I yelled.
For some reason, he followed me. I wasn’t sure what he was thinking. Possibly, he just wanted to get away from something for the same reason I had to. He followed me as I ducked through the alleyways. But he was slow. “Hurry!” I shouted behind me.
“I’m running as fast as I can!”
I stopped and ducked behind a wall, pulling him with me. “Are you kidding? They’re going to catch us at this rate.”
“Who exactly are you running from?”
I looked back around the wall. “They haven’t caught up yet…” I looked around, and then saw a small staircase that lead to somewhere under the ground. “Come on.” I began to jog toward it, and then looked back. He hadn’t moved. “Well, come on.” He stared at me for a moment, and then finally kicked himself off the wall, and then followed.
At the bottom of the staircase was a quiet hallway. I walked down it slowly, looking at the rooms. I tried the first door. Locked. After a moment, I found the rest were locked as well. I pulled out a bobby pin and began to pick one of the doors.
“Hey, check down those stairs!” I heard a yell from above.
My eyes widened and I looked back at the boy. He was winded, and looked more afraid by the second. “Maybe we should talk to them... They are pol—”
The lock gave way and I shoved him into the room after me, silently shutting the door and locking it.
“What are you doing?” He exclaimed.
“Shut up!” I whispered urgently.
“No, we need to talk to them, not hide. There’s no reason to hide!” He started to try to push past me.
“Don’t you move. Please. I’m begging you. Just stay put for a few seconds. Please.” I begged, pushing my back against the door. He relaxed and stepped back just in time. I began to hear footsteps outside. The man began to try to turn the door handle, and I was suddenly glad I had remembered to lock it. As my eyes adjusted to the darkness, I saw the boy start to reach toward the door. He drew in a breath and I moved. My hand slapped over his mouth as quietly as I possibly could and I held his gaze intensely. After a few moments, the police officer’s footsteps began to fade and then disappear entirely. I let out a breath in relief and released him.
“Here’s the light.” I said, flipping the switch. I blinked as my eyes then readjusted. We were in a small storage room filled with boxes and cabinets. It was clear that this room wasn’t used too often as I ran my fingers across the dust covered shelves.
“What’s your name, kid?” I smiled devilishly and leaned against the wall.
He bit his lip. “Chen.”
“Just Chen? No last name?”
“Most people know me by just Chen.”
“Is this you trying to be mysterious?” I laughed.
“You’re not exactly trustworthy. You just made me help you hide from the police! I’m helping some sort of criminal!”
“Whoa, calm down. You have no right to call me a criminal! You don’t even know me.”
The hostility in his eyes suddenly disappeared and he looked down. “Sorry. I’ll go now, if you don’t mind.” He began to walk toward the door.
“What do you think you’re doing?” I demanded suddenly, kicking off the wall and crossing to slam the now ajar door shut.
“Leaving.”
“You’re not leaving.”
“And why not?”
“Because those police out there are looking for me. You’re waiting at least an hour.” I ordered him.
“No, I’m leaving!” I leaped toward him, easily grasping his arm and twisting it behind his back. I kicked out his knee and he fell, kneeling on the ground.
“One more move, and I snap your arm!”
“Ok, fine! Fine!” He yelled. I released him and he gasped. “They’re looking for you, why do they need me?” He still refused to sit down. I grimaced at the simple mind of this boy, Chen.
“Because you know where I am, and I can’t trust you to not tell them exactly where I am. Hence the running, I don’t really want to be found.”
“What did you do?” he rubbed his shoulder.
I cocked my head to the side at him. “That’s not important. Why were you running?”
He raised his eyebrows. “You don’t know?” I stared at him blankly, raising my eyebrows. “Well, I’m kind of famous here. There are people that like to follow me wherever I go.”
“Points for modesty… I don’t believe you.”
“It’s true! I’m Chen, from Exo!” He exclaimed, turning his head to the side, offended. ?” I began to laugh hysterically. I didn’t know why. I guess it was the irony of the situation. I just had to get stuck with someone famous when I was trying to stay hidden.
“Ok, answer me this, Popstar. What were you doing being chased by a bunch of fans? Or do you just like the attention.”
“No, of course not! I got separated from my group after we left the studio. They found me and started to chase me!” He started to yell.
“Yeah, you just like the attention.”
“Well, what did you do to be chased by the police? I answered you, now you answer me.” He asked again.
I met his curious eyes and sighed. Something about him was trustworthy, almost making me willing to spill everything. Maybe it was his undeniable innocence, or his naivety. Something about him was just good. It had been a while since I had spoken to someone good. He hasn’t even given much of a fight since I forced him to stay here with me. Maybe—
I cut myself off there. Those were dangerous thoughts. “I just stole some money.”
“Why? What’d that person do to deserve that?” He suddenly challenged. I cringed at the accusation in his eyes. The judgement. Why did I even care?
“Nothing. He did nothing, popstar.” I responded, unwilling to say anything else. He was right, of course. It wouldn’t have mattered if the guy was a foreigner hunter—which he was—or if he was a preacher. I would’ve stolen from him just the same. Same as with all the other people I stole from at the club.
“And you took it anyway.” He accused again.
Suddenly, anger surged through me. What right did this boy have to judge me? “You know, some of us aren’t privileged like you! Some of us have to take other people’s money in order to survive!”
He blinked, shocked at my outburst. I looked away, hiding my face with my hair. “And some of us have more to worry about than being chased by some stalker fans.”
“I’m sorry…” He muttered, looking down now as well, possibly unwilling to meet my eyes.
“It’s fine.” I silently cursed myself for revealing so much. “Don’t mention that to the police.”
“I wouldn’t have. That was personal…” He said quietly.
I laughed. “Yes, you would have, you prude!”
“Excuse me?”
I looked at him. “I’m sorry, you just look like a kid that does what they’re told. You know, doesn’t take any risks. Does things without asking questions. That sort of thing.”
“You don’t know anything about me!”
I shook my head. “Ok, fine. Prove it. What is one thing you’ve done that was the least bit risky?”
“I’m here.”
I raised my eyebrows and cocked my head to the side, studying his face. He was still looking at the ground, looking like he was deeply analyzing something on the ground, but I know he was deep into his own thoughts.
I kicked off the wall and walked a little closer to him, not moving my eyes from his face. He finally looked up and I stopped when we were a foot apart. He looked up, a little shocked. “Hey, popstar. Tell me. Why did you follow me when we were running? And when I told you to come down here, you followed. Why?”
He didn’t answer at first. And then he did, after he had gathered his thoughts. “I guess at first it was just the heat of the moment.” He started. Then he chuckled lightly. “After that, I guess I just felt like I could trust you. You seemed trustworthy.” He finished after much hesitancy.
I laughed, first because I was anything but trustworthy. And then at his honesty. Why he told the truth, I had no idea. It made me wonder. Who was he?
“Yeah, that was before I learned a little more about you. I know you’re not trustworthy now.” He finally finished.
My smile left. I recoiled, offended. “It’s not that I’m not trustworthy! It’s just that…” I didn’t know how to finish it. “That you shouldn’t trust me…”
Suddenly, the conversation was broken by the shrill sound of a phone ringing. His eyes widened and before I could move, he answered it. His eyes were wide as he listened on the other line. Then he looked at me. “It’s for you.”
He slowly handed the phone to me. “Hello?” I asked.
“Kim Jong-Dae. Where are you hiding him?” The man on the other line demanded.
“Who?”
“His stage name is Chen.”
“Oh, the popstar. He’s right here. I haven’t done anything with him…”
“What have you done with him?”
“I haven’t done anything to him.” I repeated again.
The man on the other end sighed with impatience. “If you let him go now, you will merely be deported to your home country with a small fine.” He informed me.
“You think I actually have the money to pay a small fine if I am charged with sealing money. And besides, I kind of like it here. Not really interested in leaving…”
Then suddenly, my face paled, and I pulled the phone away and covered it with my hand. “Popstar, do you have GPS in this phone?”
He nodded. “Damn it!” I cursed in English. I quickly opened the back of the phone, pulled out the sim card and crushed it under my foot.
“Hey, what the hell!”
“They’re on their way now. I have to go.” I informed him. I wiped my prints off the phone and handed it back to him.
“What about me?”
“You’re the innocent victim and I’m the crazy girl who kidnapped you. At least, that’s what they think…”
“What?”
“They think I’m holding you hostage or something. I don’t know. That’s not important. What’s important is that is the story you are going to say.”
“What do I say to the police?” He asked urgently.
“Can I even trust you not to say anything about me?” I challenged.
“Yes!” He responded immediately. I raised an eyebrow and he sighed. “You want to stay here in Korea, right?” I nodded. “I’m not going to let them send you away. You don’t deserve it. If what you said is true, you don’t deserve it.”
“You surprise me, popstar.” I opened the door. “Tell them that I’m a crazy fan that wanted to keep you. They’ll believe that. Make up any details if the press further.” I stepped outside. “Stay here until they come. I’ll see you around, Popstar.”
I turned to leave. “Wait!” He called when I was halfway down the hall. “I don’t remember your name.”
“I didn’t say it!” I cocked my head to the side and bit my lip. “It’s Scarlett!” I told him. I knew I was going to regret that later. It couldn’t be helped now, I suppose. I turned and disappeared around the corner.

Notes