19210422 15:41:44

JF-N-7399

19210422 15:41:44

Lilian was not in a very happy mood as she started to walk home with Henry. It was bad enough that she had to wait so long to leave because of Henry's extra work that he had to do with his class, which meant that their normal bus ride had gone by the time they were ready to go. She was also unsure of how long she'd have to wait for the 72nd Street city bus to come around, and if it would be worth it to wait for it to arrive as opposed to just walking all the way home from here. Her shoes still weren't worn in after a week of little use, and she didn't need or want to imagine how her feet would feel after the trek. She didn't have the luxury of voicing her displeasure to Henry, because her speaking would cause him to stop walking and try to process her speech, despite his inability to give any sort of reaction to it. Lilian had no choice but to simmer over her displeasure to herself. It was then that he called out to them.
"Hey, you!"
Lilian knew it was addressed to either of them, as there was nobody else around on the sidewalk. She turned around to see Mark Voller approaching them. Lilian knew of Mark in passing, mostly because he was in a grade higher than she was, but he was distinctive enough with his large stature and ears which stood out from his short hair. She also heard that he was essentially a bully who seemed to enjoy to throw his considerable weight around. She was perturbed that she didn't notice him before he called out - where did he come from? Did he start following them when they left the school? Was he too far away that she didn't hear him walk in their wake? Was she too distracted with her own displeasure of the walk home that she didn't notice him beforehand? She resolved to try to be more attentive in the future. Mark was finally close enough to address them.
"You're Lilian, right?"
"Yes. And your name is Mark, I believe, yes?"
"Yeah. So uh, I heard that you uh, sell ... stuff."
She gave a wan smile. New customers are always welcome, but she didn't know what to make of him approaching her like this instead of in the school like normal. "Well, what kind of stuff did you mean, Mark?"
"Uh, some cigs, basically, yeah."
"Well sure, Mark. It's a quarter for a score."
"Uh, OK."
With the terms agreed upon, Lilian still felt uneasy about the exchange. He shifted his hands in his pockets haphazardly, in what she assumed was a search for the money. She knelt down to get a pack of cigarettes from Henry's backpack.
This was the confirmation Mark waited for. Before she could get a pack in her hand, he quickly scooped the backpack up and took off running down the street.
 "Hey! What-" Lilian started to run after him but only advanced a few steps before she stopped in realization that his speed was considerable and that she couldn't possibly catch up to him. "Hey!" she called out again, unable to think of anything better to do. She felt a wave of coldness sweep over her body. Henry didn't contemplate the situation for long, after seeing his sister's face. He looked at her, read the frowned wrinkles about her eyes, looked up to see Mark running away, and decided what to do. He took off after him.