new s o u l (pika)

Dallas slipped out of the house that morning, hoping that his mother wouldn't hear him. Again. Lately his mother's incessant nagging had become even more frequent, and he just wished that for once he could get away without the fear of discovery looming over his head like a malicious rain storm on a day when you have big plans. The door clicked quietly into the lock, and he breathed silently. The morning was still bitter, but not as cold as the winter mornings; even still, Dallas snuggled his neck deep into the warmth of his jacket. He fingered the loose change in his pockets, feeling the different metals of the different coins, reveling in the fact that he had a few to even spend. Along with his mom, he had also noticed that his family had been somewhat short on cash lately. Nobody really ever had a lot of money, but they always had enough to get by and then some. Now they barely had enough to get by. He couldn't remember the last time he had been able to go to the market and buy something for himself. So that's where he was going today.

Ever since the departure of his brothers, Dallas was left to deal with everything his family had to offer. Time after time Dallas would be lectured on how much of a waste he was, how he didn't match up to the beauty and successes of his brothers. Each insult stung, but his heart had begun to create its own shield, its own wall of defense. And pretty soon, it would feel nothing at all.

Dallas was looking forward to that day.

He made his way to the market, the sun beginning to peak over the tips of the clouds now, and for once Dallas felt strangely at ease. Nothing to worry about, really, and nothing to keep his mind preoccupied. As a habit, he found himself testing his hearing, snapping and making noises next to his left ear. As hard as he tried, he could never hear anything. He tried not to let himself go back to those months of pain when his ear was infected; that was when things began to go downhill. Shortly after that his brothers had left, and he had nobody to help him cope with his new loss of hearing.

Standing in front of a fruit vendor's stand, he looked at the glistening apples and pears. Nothing was ever really fresh any more in District Seven, but you could always find the best fruit at the markets. At least you could ensure that they were fresh that way. He bought a bright red apple, and then sank his teeth into it. He meandered around, apple in one hand and extra change in the other. He didn't really know what else he wanted; he knew that everything would go to waste eventually. He smiled the occasional grin to a familiar face, and even said hello a couple of times. But he wished that for once, someone would genuinely want to talk to him.

He smacked into a girl, then.

A shopping list fluttered to the dusty ground as they collided, and Dallas bent down to snatch it up. Looking up, he smiled at her. He ran his fingers through his hair, suddenly preoccupied with how it looked in the morning sunlight. "Well hello there. Sorry to disturb you," he said. But his smile said more than just a simple apology. He cocked his head to one side, his eyes brightening as he took in her beauty. A long soft, face, curvy hips, and flowing hair. He looked down at his hands, and saw the apple in the dust. Too late to pick up now, way beyond saving. The money he'd spent had gone to waste, then. But then, had it really? He was staring at this girl, after all. "Can I buy you something to eat?"