Author's Note: This is my new story I have started posting. I really hope you all enjoy it. Please comment and vote your thoughts so I know what your thoughts are. Thank you so much.

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            Shai walked carefully along one of the large stone builds so her footsteps wouldn’t echo. She was worried that the grumbling of her stomach would give her away. She was hungry and both her and Todd were on the search for food.

            She stopped and peered around the corner to the Market. The long cobblestone street was lined with booths against the buildings. Some had white sheets canopied over them to protect the sellers from the blistering heat. Others couldn’t afford sheets and were standing in the sun.

            Typically, only wealthy people, or Brighties, shopped at the Market. People of common wealth, or Grays, were usually sellers or Officers standing around making sure everything were in order. Shai belong to another group. A street-rat.

            Officers kept an eye out for her kind because they knew they just came here to steal. Shai had put on one of her disguises, so she looked liked a Brighty. It was a yellow sundress with flowers embroidered across the skirt and little gems formed a swirling pattern across the hem. Her long dark hair was tumbling down her back and she had a large bag strung across her shoulder. She just needed to make sure that no Officer saw her coming from the Slums, the section of Pangella all the Rats had to stay in. The Market was the boarder between Bright and the Slums.

            She walked into the crowded Market with her heart was slamming against her ribs like it usually did. She was worried people would notice how she wore no make-up or that use used a street phrase no Brighty used. Her fingers kept a tight grip on the strap of her bag.

The first booth she stopped at sold jewellery. A man and a woman stood beside each other and the woman was trying on an assortment of rings. The seller looked happy since they were hovering over her most expensive items. Her attention was focused on them and her two young boys running around in the back.

Shai took a quick look at the woman. She must have been only a couple years older than her. She had her light blonde hair tied back and had on a silky black and white dress. These were the kind of girls Shai always secretly envied.

In front of her was a glass bowl full of bracelets. They were decorated with beads and weren’t expensive, so the seller didn’t pay attention to Shai. The bracelets were too worthless to steal. She scanned the table for something better.

Her eyes locked on a broach at the edge of the table. It was a flower with a large ruby surrounded by sapphires, all held together with gold prongs. Shai knew that broach would buy Todd and her food for months.

She looked back up at the seller who was starring intensely at the couple. The woman had her hand stretched out in front of her. An emerald ring shined on her finger.

“It’s beautiful,” the woman exclaimed.

“If you want it you can have it,” the man told her.

If you want it you can have it. That was a sentence Shai had never heard someone tell her.

The man pulled out his wallet and pulled out an assortment of money. Shai looked over her shoulder to see if any Officers were near. She could only see one a couple of booths down. He was starring at a group of women shopping, so Shai knew it was safe.

As the seller started putting her money away, Shai closed the lid on the broach. The seller looked up at her. As quickly as she could, Shai focused her attention back onto the bowl of bracelets. Her heart was beating quicker.

“Can I help you?” she asked Shai.

“No, I’m just waiting for my father,” she lied.

The seller’s young son let out a cry as her older son shoved him down. The seller turned and ran to her children. Shai grabbed the box and shoved it into her purse. She took off into the traffic of people. 

A smile grew across her lips. She couldn’t wait to show Todd what she got.

Once she felt like there was enough space between her and the jewellery booth, she decided to stop at another one. This one was selling fruit and it was surprisingly empty. Fruit could only be grown in greenhouses and those were rare and expensive. The sellers were wealthier than most.

A boy in his late teens was the only seller there. Shai knew she was going to have difficulty taking something without being caught. However, Todd has told her she’s pretty and suggested flirting for her to get food.

She first tapped her fake tooth in the right side of her jaw with her tongue. After loosing it in a fight a couple of years ago she couldn’t go into the Market until Todd came home one day with a fake one. He refused to tell her how he got it or where it’s from. If she didn’t put it in before she went to the Market she’d be discovered very quickly. No Brighty would have a slight imperfection like a missing tooth. 

“Hi,” Shai said giving the boy a big smile.

The boy flashed her a smile. His blond hair was unusually long for someone wealthy. It hung into his bright blue eyes.

“Hi,” he said back. “I know every face in this city and I’ve never seen yours before.”

Shai couldn’t stop herself from snickering. She’s lived in Pangella for entire life. He’s just never seen her because his kind never goes to the Slums. Shai just tried to play off the snicker like she was blushing.

“I’ve never been here before. I’m visiting my grandparents,” she lied to him.

“Well, welcome to Pangella,” he told her. “I’m Riley.”

“Jessica,” she said the first name that came to mind.

Shai let her eyes fall onto the colourful arrangement of fruit on the table. She could feel her mouth water and she hoped her stomach wouldn’t start to rumble.

Riley noticed her looking at the fruit.

“Are you hungry?”

She looked up at him quickly. Brighty’s shouldn’t be starring at food the way she is. Her mind raced for an excuse.

“No, It’s just been so long since I’ve seen that,” she said extending her hand to point at the certain piece of fruit. She didn’t know it that well, so she had no idea the names of the different kinds.

“An apple?” he asked raising an eyebrow.

“Yes, they don’t grow many where I’m from,” she told him.

“Here,” he said picking up one from the pile and handing it to her. “Take it.”

Her fingers curled around the cool skin of the fruit. She raised it to her mouth and took a big bite. The taste exploded in her mouth. It was like nothing she had ever tasted; so sweet and juicy. She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand as she felt juice run on her chin.

“It’s really good,” she told him.

“I’m happy you think so,” he said. “How long are you staying in Pangella for?”

Shai took another bite of her apple, so it gave her time to think. She’ll have to return to the Market again in the next couple months. The possibility of seeing Riley around the Market again was high.

“The summer,” she said shrugging her shoulders.

“We should definitely spend more time together, Jessica. What are you doing tomorrow?”

Shai looked at Riley surprised. She had never had a Brighty ask her out on a date before. The heat started rushing up to her cheeks. At first she wished she could stop it, but then she realized that it worked perfectly into her Brighty disguise.

“I’m not sure. My grandparents may have something planned for me,” she said.

“Oh,” Riley said looking a little hurt. “Well, how about you ask your grandparents and if you can come here tomorrow. I have to work, so just find me here.”

“Okay,” Shai said shaking her head. “Sorry, I’ve got to go. I’m supposed to get back soon.”

“I’ll hopefully see you tomorrow,” Riley said with a wink.

Shai gave him a wave and turned around her heels. She weaved her way in between the people so Riley couldn’t see her go to a booth close by.

The next booth she stopped at had a little old woman behind it. Jars of a thick looking liquid were lined out along the table. That woman and man from the jewellery table were there. The seller squinted behind her thick glasses. The woman was partially blind; Shai knew she had to stay here. Stealing from this table is going to be the easiest.

As the woman was talking to the couple Shai slipped a jar of the strange liquid into her bag. The apple in her one hand made it more difficult. She watched as the couple continued to talk to the woman and Shai was able to slip three more jars into her bag before the couple left.

Once they were gone the old woman focused her attention on Shai. She smiled revealing her almost toothless smile. Shai knew if she ever got to grow old she would look like this woman. The thought repulsed her.

“How may I help you, honey?” the woman’s wobbly voice asked her.

“I’m just waiting for my father,” Shai used the same excuse again.

Shai’s eyes moved over to something new on the table amongst the jars. Thin rectangular bars were stacked along the back of the table. Shinny silver paper was peeking out from the pale blue wrapper. There was writing across it identifying what it was. Shai cursed under her breath. The fact that she couldn’t read always made her even more curious about everything.

She looked up to the woman squinting at her. Shai told herself it was just because the woman couldn’t see, not because she suspected her of something. Shai looked up to the painting the woman had hung up along the back of her booth. Sellers rarely put up paintings in their booths, unless they were selling them, but it was an odd piece to have at this booth. It was of a man is a white robe and long brown hair. He seemed to be flying over a group of people who were also wearing odd-looking robes.

“What’s that picture of?” Shai asked that old women.

The woman turned her head to look at the painting. Shai quickly shoved some of those mysterious bars into her bag.

“That’s religion, dear,” the woman told her as she turned her head back around.

“Religion?” Shai said trying out the new word on her tongue.

“Don’t they teach you kids anythin’ in school nowadays?” the woman asked bitterly.

“Sorry. I’ve just never seen that picture before.”

The woman turned her head back around and Shai grabbed a couple more bars and slipped them into her bag.

The woman turned around and opened her mouth to begin to speak. Shai turned her head sharply to the side and cut off the woman before she could begin to speak.

“Thank you, but my father is here now,” Shai told her walking away from the table.

As Shai walked she could swear she heard the glass jars clink together in her bag. She told herself that it was just her imagination, but she was still afraid that everyone else could hear it.

A large wooden table was covered in food. Piles of bread, cheese, and other sweet looking goods that Shai had never seen before covered the table. She took a bite out of her apple and walked up to the table. A couple of Officers were posted around it. She walked up to the table and glanced around it.

The table was busy enough with people that she knew the Officers couldn’t see her. Anyways, their attention was more focused on the people with dirt smeared across their face and ill-fitting clothes. The disguises were one of Todd’s smartest ideas.

She slowly covered a small loaf of bread covered in cheese with her hand. She quickly put it into her bag, and she knew no one saw her. She took another bite of her delicious apple and walked a long the table. She pushed her way to the table and scanned the food.

This end contained bread covered in a sticky white sauce. She decided not to take any. She knew the sauce would make a mess of everything inside her bag and Todd would be angry if she ruined it.

She wedged her way out from table and made her way down the Market. The sun was starting to set and Shai knew she should get back home before dark. More Officers were already in the Market with their guns slung over their shoulders; all prepared for Curfew.

Shai knew she couldn’t walk down one of the allies leading down to the Slums without being questioned by an Officer. They’d want to get every Brighty back home before Curfew and before the gates close. It was mandatory to scan the finger of everyone they talked with; they would realize Shai isn’t a Brighty as she has no file to flash on the screen. The Officers would then search through her bag and find the broach and food she has taken, and she’d be sent to a prison camp, if not shot right away. They may even pull out a rope and hang her. She always thought that would be the worst way to die.

A group of girls around Shai’s age caught her attention as they walked past her. They were chatting aimlessly as they walked down the cobblestone street. Shai slipped in behind them and walked with them, close enough to appear like she was part of the group, but she kept her head down so none of the girls would notice her. 

After sneaking a glance over her shoulder she could not see an Officer, so she slid down into the ally. By travelling down the allies along the large abandoned buildings she stayed out of sight. If needed she could hide behind one of the large metal staircases that lead to the entrances of the buildings.

Shai continued to sneak back to her apartment even after exiting the ally. If anyone in the Slums saw her dressed this way they’d rob her without a second thought.

Luckily, at this time near dawn, people tend to stay off the streets. As soon as the bell for Curfew rings the Officers come over from the Market and search the streets for anyone not in their homes. It’s the perfect excuse for Officers to fill their quota and get recognition for keeping the streets safe. Shai managed to get back to her apartment while avoiding groups of people.

When she got in front of her building she opened the door. She put a metal bar across the door so no one could get in. After the Virus many of these buildings were left abandoned, so the Rats moved into them after the Cure and after everyone was separated. The fear of somebody breaking into their apartment lived inside them, just like it did everyone else. She put the metal pipe across the door like she always did. Nothing could possibly get in now.

She ran up her stairs to the door of her apartment. The stairs were littered with garbage to make it look like it was abandoned just in case anyone got in. Every Rat knew that the abandoned buildings were picked clean years ago.

When she entered, Todd was standing in the middle of the room. He had one of his knives in his hands and was throwing them at the dartboard, which he made out of a sheet and some paint, across the room. He still had on the white buttoned up shirt and black pants that he wears as his disguise when he goes to the Market. His mop of dark hair looked tousled and tangled.

“How’d it go?” he asked without even looking at her. He was busy lining up his next throw with his one arm out and one eye closed.

“Fine. You?” Shai asked him back.

“S’alright.”

Todd wasn’t always the one for words. He gets in some moods that bothered Shai. She’s known him since he found her one the street when she was six and she sees how he can get wild mood swings. He may not be in the best of moods now, but Shai knew once she showed him the broach he would lighten up.

“I don’t know exactly what everything I got is though,” Shai told him. She took her bag off her neck and placed it on the metal table.

Todd threw his hand back and let the knife go. It went flying across the room and hit the bull’s-eye on the sheet. It didn’t surprise Shai because Todd always hits the target. She would have been surprised if he didn’t.

He turned on his heels and walked over to the table. Shai pulled out the jars first. Todd picked it up and read the label.

“It’s jam,” he said putting the jar back onto the table.

Next, She took out the pieces of bread covered in cheese and pushed it to the side. She knew that she may not be smart, but even she knew what bread looked like. Then she pulled out those bars in the shiny foil and handed it to Todd.

He read the label and his mouth dropped open. Shai wondered what she had grabbed. By the light in his eyes she could tell what it was it was good.

“Where did you get this?” he asked her.

“The booth with the jam. What is it?”

“Who was selling it?”

“I don’t know, some blind old woman. Todd, what is it?”

“It’s chocolate. Do you have any idea how rare this is? It costs a fortune. Apparently, the beans to make it come from this other country across the ocean.”

“So it’s a good thing I’ve got more,” Shai said pulling the rest of the bars out of her bag.

Todd read the rest of the wrappers making sure they were the same thing. His lips were curled into a big smile.

“Would’ve gotten more if I knew what it was,” she explained.

“Yeah, I really should teach you to read some day,” Todd said with his eyes still examining the wrapper.

“You’ve been sayin’ that for ten years now.”

“Look, I taught you how to count.”

Shai rolled her eyes at him and pulled the last thing out of her purse. It was the black box containing the broach. She held the box out in front of her. Todd took it and opened it.

His lips managed to curl into an even bigger smile. He laughed under his breath and shook his head.

“I think your day was more than fine. This thing is going to pay for us for months,” Todd told her.

Shai sat up on the counter in their little kitchen. She stared at Todd as he continued to examine the broach. She pulled the apple out of her pocket and took another bite. The wonderful juice filled her mouth.

“So, what’d you get today?” she asked with a mouth full of apple.

“Not much,” he said putting the broach down. “Officers were all over my end of the Market today. All I got was a couple knives and some clothes. The north side was full of women, so I stood out.”

“You mean too many girls falling in love with you?” Shai asked wryly.

“It’s a curse I carry with me.”

Shai let a fake laugh escape her lips; she made it high-pitch and bubbly like the way the Brighty girls laugh. Todd has always had girls with him. Shai always watched him the way a little sister may watch her brother. She just laughed at all those girls who would lose themselves in those crystal blue eyes of his.

“A broach, chocolate and you also got an apple?” Todd asked knitting his brows together. “You had a busy day.”

“A seller gave it to me,” she told him taking another bite.

She threw the apple across the kitchen to Todd. He caught it and took a bite.

“Did you charm some sweet old lady?” he asked her.

“No, it was a boy.”

Todd began to laugh and took another bite out of the apple. Shai opened the window beside her and he threw the core out onto the street below.

“You startin’ to become a heartbreaker, Shai? I’d never imagined you do that yet,” Todd said chuckling under his breath.

“Well, he asked me out on a date,” Shai told him.

“Are you going?”

“I said that I thought my grandparents had plans for me.”

Todd ran his fingers through his long hair quickly. She knew he was thinking and she didn’t always like that. Todd had taught her most of what she knows, but she didn’t always like his plans. Multiple times that resulted in her lying in the middle of a road, hoping a car or a Brighty would stop so they could rob it.

“I think you should go,” Todd told her.

“Why?” she asked scrunching her eyebrows together.

“Because this boy must have money. If you go out with him he’ll start buying and giving you things. You see enough of those girls at the Market to know how it works.”

Shai thought back to the woman in the Market. How she held her hand with the large emerald ring out in the air. How the man said, “If you want it you can have it”. She wondered if that could be her. Standing there while Riley buys her whatever she wants.

“You really think I could get him to buy me things?” she asked him.

“Of course. As long as you are enjoyable.”

“I’m enjoyable,” she protested.

“Then just be more enjoyable. Anyways, I don’t feel like my day was a total failure now. I got you a dress.”

“What?” Shai asked sliding off the counter.

“A dress. You know, a different form of what you’re wearing now. I pulled a few off a rack while a woman left her booth. I put them in your room.”

After grabbing her bag off the table, she walked across the creaky floor to her room. Across her bed was a pile of clothing. Shai pulled back the white sheet she used as a curtain to allow the last bit of today sun to pour through the window. She pulled the clothes out of the pile and laid them out side by side.

It wasn’t just one dress. It was four dresses, and two skirts. Her fingertips ran over the new fabric of her clothing. There were more disguises for her now. If she spends a lot of time with Riley he can’t see her wearing the same outfit every time.

“You can tell that the Seller was a newbie. Who the hell would leave their booth completely unattended? Like, seriously? There’s thieves out there,” Todd told her.

Todd was leaning up against her doorframe. His arms were crossed under his chest. She could see the box containing the broach in his hand.

“You would know,” she muttered.

“Of course I would,” Todd said proudly. He moved the box up in front of him. “Now because you got us this little gem I say we pawn it tomorrow morning and then go out into Bright to eat.”

Shai’s face lit up. The last time she had eaten in the Bright had been years ago, after Todd took a large wedding ring off a woman’s hand that was unconscious in the street. The ring was reported missing so Todd had to pawn it the pawnshop in the Slums called Bailey’s. A regular string of clients then would go to new cities and sell the stolen goods. Unfortunately, because they were in the Slums the only got paid a fraction of what the item was worth.

“I’ll see you at dusk then,” Shai told him, ending it with a wink.