The Stray

Part 7 - The Bailer with a Smile

This part was a bit awkward to write, so I hope it turned out alright. And, as always, images and BNHA don't belong to me and all rights go to rightful owners.

Image's URL:  https://i.pinimg.com/564x/f6/a3/e2/f6a3e2f5e46cdbcf4ee058fd3ac7c17b.jpg 

I'll try to post as often as I am able, but the only free time I really have is on the weekends right now, and even they tend to be on the crowded side. I'll do my best, but I apologize ahead of time for the delayed updates.

~ Nezumi

Bail Money

I didn't sleep peacefully. It was a constantly game of being jerked awake, falling back asleep, and then jerking back awake again minutes or seconds later. One awaking had been particularly unpleasant, as a cellmate was unloading their stomach contents onto the floor. Or tried to. Nothing much had coming up besides bile. The guards at least had to the decency to give the man a bucket and a can of aerosol air-freshener. (Though, the fake scent of vanilla and pumpkin spice was perhaps a worse smell than stomach acid).

So when I was woken up for perhaps the sixteeth time that night, I immediatly tried to put myself back to sleep, not bothering to look for the disturbance.

"Boy, wake up."

Boy?

"Boy!"

A baton butts my ribs. Not with a lot of force, but enough to startle the air out of me and cause me to jump to my feet, wobbling with the dizziness from getting up so fast.

"Finally. Come on, someone bailed you out."

Wait, what?! My mind stutters to a stop like a car konking out when you fail to shift gears soon enough. I blink several times, staring at the guard incredulously.

"E-Excuse me?" I whisper, voice cracked with sleep and mostly just surprise.

The guard rolls their eyes, and seemingly too tired to deal with any chitchat, grabs me by the arm, dragging us out of the cell (that he locks behind him) and then down the cold cement halls. I didn't have the guts to tell him his grip hurt. Anyways, I was more focused on the fact that apparently someone  had come and bailed him out. Who that someone is, I dreaded to think.

Kind man? Shouta?

Shouta's friend? Mic? Lady Midnight?

I didn't want to face any of them, not after getting myself stuck in the slammer after not having a simple train ticket. It's ridiculous, but I'd rather be caught for larsony, not something like he didn't have a ticket. It made him feel rather pathetic, because who gets caught for that?

Gut curdling with shame, I am tugged along to the front of the building.

Please don't let it be Shouta.

It wasn't. It wasn't Shouta and it wasn't Mic either. Neither was it the sweet lady.

It was a rat.

Or was it a bear?

Perhaps a dog?

I squinted at the white creature that I couldn't identify under one name. They were vaguely familiar and that disturbed me, especially since this creature in a suit had been the one to bail me out.

"Y-You bailed m-me out?" I asked haltingly, still not beleiving the reality. Because, surely, there was a mistake and the creature had meant for someone else to be bailed out, not I.

"Yes, yes I did!" the creature said cheerily, wearing a smile that appeared ironed on. It didn't look natural on the creature and I wished dearly it would stop. Human expressions didn't fit well in animal body language, even if the animal happened to talk.