I woke up to rays of bright sunlight shining through the old, broken blinds that lay half open-half closed across my window. The sun's rays beamed brightly, lighting up my bedroom and forcing me to squint.

Slowly, I propped myself up on my elbows, and moved one hand in front of my face to block out the intense morning light. It must've been early because the sun was still rising, causing my room to take on an orange glow.

After basking in the warmth of the sunlight for a few moments, I decided it was time to get up. I pushed myself out of bed and swung my legs over to the floor. I rubbed my eyes as I stood up on the cold, hard wood. My eyes closed for a brief moment as I stretched out my arms and rolled my neck to the side.

I quietly shuffled across my room to the wooden dresser that stood to the left of my bed. Pulling the top drawer open, I scanned my dark, colored clothes in search of something to wear. My style was what set me apart from most girls in the 60s. A lot of girls my age dressed in soft, 'girly' colored skirts and nice sweaters, while I chose to wear darker colors and ripped jeans. I guess my criminal-like lifestyle probably has an influence on how I dress though.

Finally, I chose a white, v-neck shirt and paired it with black jeans. I threw on my favorite, and only, pair of black, combat boots. I slipped on my most prized possession — my leather jacket — and grabbed my navy blue backpack.

I began walking to my bedroom door, the floor creaked softly as I made my way over. My hand began turning the doorknob, but paused quickly. I looked over my shoulder and found the window, which was still shining brightly.

Glancing back at my bedroom door, I stepped away and began walking over to the window instead. Today was an important day and I'm not in the mood for my mother's drunk outbursts.

I pulled on the line to the curtains, and unlocked the window, pushing it up as soundlessly as possible. Once I pried it open, I ducked through and stood carefully on the fire escape attached to the side of my apartment building. I pushed my window shut, but left enough space so I could pull it back open later.

My fingers grazed the side of the brick building as I walked towards the ladder at the end of the narrow fire escape. I kicked the ladder down effortlessly, which caused a loud, booming sound to echo throughout the alleyway of the two apartment buildings.

"Hey, keep it down, kid!" An old woman popped her head out of her window, and shouted angrily at me.

I rolled my eyes and looked up at the woman. "Didn't mean to disrupt your 'beauty' sleep, ma'am," I shouted back, sarcasm evident in my voice.

The woman frowned in annoyance and muttered some profanities before slamming her window shut and disappearing back into her apartment.

I huffed and turned backwards as I crawled down the rusty ladder that was attached to the fire escape. Halfway down, I hopped off, skipping the last few steps, and landing on the hard concrete.

I began walking through the shaded alleyway and towards the street. My boots stomped softly on the concrete, and splashed up water as I walked through small puddles leftover from the morning dew.

When I stepped out of the sketchy alley, a chilly, fall breeze sent chills throughout my body, making me shove my hands into my jacket pockets. My dark brown hair was gliding through the wind as I picked up my pace down the street. I shifted my gaze towards the, already, busy streets of New York. Cars slowly began to pile up on the roads, and their drivers inside became angry at the morning traffic. More and more people were waking up now, and began walking off to different locations.

Sometimes the roads and sidewalks became so crowded that you can barely move. I think that most people just want to get out during the day, so they can hurry back home before nightfall. Everyone knows that it's safer on the streets during the day than during the night. When the sun goes down, all chaos and mischief break loose, and anything can happen.

With my hands still shoved in my jacket pockets and my boots tapping on the concrete ground, I continued to walk along the sidewalk until I spotted my favorite coffee house. When I got to the small, brown building, I grabbed the handle and swung the door open. As soon as I stepped inside, warm air hit my face and a mixture of cigarette smoke and coffee filled my nose. Soft jazz music played in the background of all the different conversations. Many men were lined up at the counter reading the paper and taking drags of their cigarettes or cigars, while most women sat at the small, round, wooden tables and mingled with their friends or partner.

A small smile found its way onto my face as I strolled across the room towards the counter. I found an empty stool at the end of the counter, and waited for someone to take my order, when a tall, familiar, brunette made his way towards me. He threw the white rag in his hand over his shoulder, and leaned over the counter slightly with a smirk plastered on his face. "Well if it isn't my favorite rebel," he winked at me. "Hello Diana."

I crossed my arms over my chest and gave him a curt nod, while sending him a smirk back. "James."

He chuckled and pushed himself off of the counter, standing up straight now with one hand placed on his hip and the other lazily left down. "Haven't seen ya in awhile. Whatcha been up to these days?"

I shrugged. "Eh, nothing much," I responded nonchalantly.

James chuckled knowingly and smiled. "So what'll it be today? The usual?" He asked, already knowing my answer.

"Yep, the usual," I confirmed.

James nodded and walked off to the coffee machine, beginning my order. While I waited for my coffee, I pulled my backpack over my shoulders and onto my side. I unzipped the bag and reached into it for my pack of cigarettes. I took a stick out and searched for my lighter, but came up with nothing. I rolled my eyes and cursed under my breath.

James strolled back over to the end of the counter, and placed a steaming mug of coffee in front of me. "One cup of black coffee," he announced.

"Thanks," I said. James gave me a lopsided smile and began to walk away, but I called him back. "Hey, you got a light?"

James chuckled softly, and dug his hand into his back pocket. He pulled out a tiny, raven-colored lighter and tossed it over the counter. I caught it with one hand and flicked the switch, causing a bright, warm flame to appear out of the top. I brought the lighter towards my cigarette, and burnt the end of it. The paper-like material shriveled up as the heat burnt the edges to a crisp and turned the cigarette slightly red because of the heat. I brought the stick up to my mouth with two fingers and tossed the lighter back to James, thanking him again. He walked away and assisted other customers, while I stayed seated and drank my coffee. Cigarettes and coffee is my favorite combination because of the bitter taste of the two.

As I took a sip of my drink, I dragged over an abandoned newspaper that lay on the counter beside me. I opened the pages up and scanned different headlines and titles to see what was going on in the world today. Nothing ever caught my interest though. All anyone ever had to talk about was some lousy, low life that deserved a lifetime in the slammer, or a brand new, expensive product that nobody actually needed. I was about to put the paper down when a small subtitle caught my eyes.

Grand Opening of NY Bank
Brand new bank opens tomorrow at noon! Many donations and deposits will be collected. There is an estimate of over $50k being donated and added into bank vaults! Stop by and be the first member of Smith's bank!

I smirked secretively as a risky idea crossed my mind. Without a second thought, I shoved the newspaper into the side of my backpack and chugged the remainder of my black coffee. I spun around in the stool I was sitting on and stood up abruptly. I pulled my cigarette up to my lips and took a drag as I started walking out of the coffee house.

"Hey! Diana!" James's voice shouted over the music and conversations. I rolled my eyes and slowly turned around, preparing for his daily speech. He crossed his buff arms over his chest and tilted his head to the side slightly. "You gonna pay for that?" He nodded towards my cup of coffee.

I sighed and placed my hands on my hips, shifting so that all of my weight was on my right leg. "You know what to do," I answered obviously. "Put it on my tab."

James scoffed and rolled his eyes. "Speaking of that tab, you ever gonna pay it?"

I narrowed my eyes at him. He knew damn well that I didn't have enough money to cover that tab. Hell, I only have 10¢ in my pocket right now!

I was about to just run out of the coffee house and find a new place to scam, until I remembered the subtitle in the newspaper. I smirked at James. "I'll have the money by tomorrow night," I replied confidently.

James scoffed in disbelief. He probably thought I was lying again. This wasn't the first time I told him I'd have the money, and we both knew that it wasn't going to be the last. Honestly, I have no idea why he still trusts me. I've let him down multiple times. Maybe it has something to do with what happened years ago in the alleyway behind the coffee house.

Regardless of his disbelief, James nodded and let his guard down. "Tomorrow night; 8 o'clock. Don't forget."

I uncrossed my arms and stood up straight as I began walking backwards towards the door. "I won't." I turned around and grabbed the handle.

"I'm serious this time, Diana! Don't forget the money." James's voice called out as I walked through the door and back outside onto the cold streets of New York.