Roxy and Gabe

Roxy had never been good at sneaking, so she was more than pleased when her parents bought her "I can't miss the week before midterms!" excuse, and sent her right on back to America. Luckily, after the struggle that was getting Theodore home Rox had managed to steal her brothers wallet.

The flight itself was far too long and Rox spent all of it double checking her belongings. She had brought several hundres dollars, a change of clothes, her italian textbook, a phone charger, and her tablet. When the plane landed, Roxy was quick to get off, checking the address scribbled on her arm. Annah's address, before catching a cab

~~~
Annah wasn't home. Roxy felt like crying. She was only 16, what was she supposed to do? Fucking Theodore had to be a dumb asshole. God why?
~~~
She'd been wandering for two hours now. It was dark and she was cold and honestly, shewas wondering what she was even doing. Gabe probably didn't wa t to come home, or... back to Teddy's. She remembeed when they were young, Theo and her coming home from the food mart. Head down. hands in your pockets.

It was ok until she crossed the train tracks. There was a group of boys,older and bigger than she was. At first they ignored her, but as she grew closer they noticed  her and the fact that she was alone and unarmed. perhapa she could use her textbook as a weapon? No chance she'd get it out in time. So she ran, abd of course they followed.

The streets of Italy were cold; the people who resided in the damp alleyways were even colder, their attitudes darkened by the depressive life they'd become so accustomed to. They were thieves and prostitutes; the people who didn't fall in either of those categories were harsh mothers of malnourished children. But no matter how hard their children suffered, the mothers could spare none of their own handouts.
Yet a life with these scumbags was far better than the life Gabriel would be forced to live, were he to go back to his own home.
The prostitutes enjoyed his banishment. They flew to him like buzzards preying on rotted remains. They begged him to fulfill the needs that their customers could not; some pounced on him without asking, pressing their lipstick-caked lips against Gabriel's.
Initially, he'd fought back, wincing slightly in pain each time another young girl slapped his cheek and stormed away from him madly.
He missed Annah. He missed Theo; he didn't allow himself to dwell on those thoughts. Instead, he clung to the small shreds of dignity that he had left, even though his clothes were soaked and filthy; his hair was a mess of knotted curls.
On the night that Roxy was searching for him, Gabriel had stumbled across a bit of luck. His friend, Genevieve had seen him on the streets and helped him, paying for new clothes and a proper grooming. He was walking home -or, to his permanent spot in the streets - when he heard the scuffling of feet against the stone streets. He turned to ignore the sounds; the familiar voice caused him to turn around.
He'd heard her say something; he spun on the balls of his feet, letting out a grunt when Roxy ran into him.
"Roxy?" Gabriel asked, "Roxy what are you doing here?"

Roxy looked up when she hit something, a living breathing something that was saying her name. Gabriel she rubbed her eyes a bit, checking, before she heard the soind of feet again. At this point she grabbed the man by his shirt front and pulled him away from the tracks and into a well lit boutique. She looked over the dark haired man, before wrapping herself around his middle."you saved me" she said into his shirt front, and then took a deep breath, followed by nervous laughter and a faint "you look like shit, Gabe. When was the last time you slept?"she asked, dragging him deeper into the small shop.

how would she say it? 'hey sorry my brother kicked you out, but youve got to come back, and be sure to bring Annah.' but then he'd say no. He didn't yet know that Theodore Young suffered from thr family curse pf being a dumbass.  And that right now, Ted was probably lost in his cheep cigarettes and rum. Ot maybe, if she was lucky, he was out woth Maggie. Mum said she'd just lost her job... Instead, she said "Why are you out so late?"

Gabriel allowed Roxy to tug him into the boutique, smiling at the woman behind the counter briefly. He sighed when Roxy wrapped her arms around him, kissing the top of her head. He smiled, ignoring her comment about how terrible he looked. Clearly Genevieve's "makeover" had done nothing for the bags beneath his eyes and the pallid color of his skin. He hadn't eaten right in weeks.
"I didn't save you. Those boys are harmless. Mostly. I recognized a couple of them. They were probably trying to run you out of their 'territory.' Scare you for fun." Gabriel ran a hand through his hair and straightened the collar of his pale blue shirt.
"What're you doing here, Roxy? You should be home. You should be with Th- with Theodore." He choked out. Nevermind the questions she'd fired off. He didn't need her to know the conditions he was in.

Roxy shoved away from.him lightly "I'm alone in a strange country looking fot your dumb butt. if it wasnt those boys, it would be someone else, later when i parked my tired ass on a park bench because i sorta just bought a plane.ticket and here I am" She said and rucked her bagpack up with a small hope, then pulled her hair over her should and pulled her hood up "He thinks I'm at school. not that he'd care, he's pissed as hell, you know." she frowned "Come back with me."

Gabriel took a deep breath, licking his lips and picking up a tiny snow globe. He picked it up and stared at it, shaking it so that the snow flurried around the tiny model town. It settled back down after a moment, peaceful, waiting to be shaken up again. Gabriel set the snow globe back on a self and looked at Roxy. "Theo doesn't want me back, Roxy. He sent me here, knowing my relationship with my parents. Despite my attempts to get him to let me stay. I can't-" Gabriel stopped, closing his eyes, "I can't take being kicked out by him again. I'm sorry. You should go home." Gabriel turned from her and started walking towards the front of the store, tears prickling his eyes.