No sueños para mi (Rene)

It was bad enough not knowing your way around a giant market full of vendors selling all sorts of neat things, but now he had somehow gotten completely disoriented and ended up on a bench outside of the market. It didn't take long before he let out a sigh of frustration. What had he come to the market again for? By now Alec had forgotten all about his purpose and sat on the bench with the bag of candy next to him. He would get into it later, but right now he just wanted to stop and relax for a minute.

And relax he did! It wasn't long before Alec drifted off to sleep, blissfully unaware of his surroundings. He didn't have to worry about that confounded scroll getting in his way of sleeping here, which meant that his sleep could go uninterrupted for hours. Luckily, it was nowhere near that long. The teen awoke, disoriented and quite startled. How long was I asleep...oh I can't believe I just did that. 

Alec stood from his spot and stretched, trying to work out his rather sore muscles. There was also a small reminder of his brief nap - a spot of saliva seeping from the right corner of his mouth. He wiped it casually, hoping no one had noticed his awkward mannerisms. Before he could fall asleep again, he picked up his bag of candy, walked, two steps, and dropped it, spilling the contents all over the ground.

For a moment, Alec stood there unsure of how to react. He was irritated, only got in a small bit of sleep in a public area, he had no one to gripe and complain to, and there was this strange urge to just rage and destroy something. This lack of sleep was starting to severely effect him, and it was becoming too much. He had to find something to help him sleep...

Oh! That's what I came here for...Well, dang. He sighed wearily, deciding to simply leave his candy lying there. If each piece was individually wrapped he would have been okay, but now it was all covered in dirt and the ants would be there soon. Shrugging his shoulders and trying to pretend that he didn't care, he focused his eyes back in the direction where he thought the market was, trying to remember exactly where he was too.

Alec was too busy shielding his hand over his eyes to notice that someone had been watching him. He never was the most perceptive kid, so it wasn't surprising that he could easily be watched. His index finger pointed in the opposite direction of the market as he whispered Did I come from that direction...No wait it was the other way....or wait maybe it was this way... If anyone had been watching, it would be clear that Alec was very lost, which was something he wasn't really used to. Typically when he went on his multiple hour walks he had no problem with navigating the city. It was something he prided himself in! But now, being in this unfamiliar area, he really had no idea where exactly he was...

The sudden presence of a voice made Alec jump a bit. He turned to find a taller male, somewhat plain in appearance. He had long black hair, which was odd enough for a male in general, but he was able to pull it off - probably because of his ethnicity. What startled Alec most was that he seemed friendly enough and was trying to offer him assistance. Did i really look that lost? Probably so. 

"Well, thanks I actually could use some help...I, er, dropped my candy and...well, I honestly don't think it's any good right now. Can you at least tell me which direction the markets are in?" He nervously scratched the back of his neck, letting a small chuckle escape from his parched lips. For some reason he felt a bit uncomfortable admitting the he was lost. Well everyone had their vices, and getting lost once definitely was no big deal.

Every now and then, normal people could pick up on things that otherwise would be somewhat subtle. There were also those people that had a knack for being perceptive, noticing the most minute of details on most occasions. And then there were people like Alec who, unfortunately for him, had no idea that he was playing with fire. This man seemed nice enough, but Alec wasn't unnerved by the way he shifted his weight, or the way he spoke softly, or even just his demeanor in general. Alec had no idea that this was probably a man to be feared. 

"Yeah well I'm usually not around these parts very often. I'm pretty sure it's that way -" Alec pointed in the correct direction of the market "- but I guess I'm just not certain." He had a knack for being honest, despite it probably not being the best alternative in this scenario. Those dark, dark eyes looked up and down at the man in front of him, trying to get a feel for who he was. He seemed friendly enough, right?

"That candy...well, I guess it's not all that big of a deal. I can get more." He smiled warmly at the man before asking him for confirmation. "It is that way, right?"

For starters, Alec still wasn't catching on to the rather intrusive wording this man was using. All he could think to say was "Okay cool. Thanks a lot!" But the man wasn't finished talking, so Alec stuck around for a bit longer. Maybe he'd be making a new friend today! While the boy was still very sleep-deprived and feeling on edge, he had no idea that this man was not what he appeared to be. In fact, in Alec's mind, this was just a kind stranger willing to help out a lost soul. The world needs more people like him...

But as soon as he finished that sentence within the confines of his own twisted mind, he regretted thinking that. The tall man's next comment came across a bit more harsh than the teenager was expecting, but he brushed it off like he was simply trying to joke around. But the teen had a feeling that this "kind" stranger wasn't perhaps as kind as he previously thought. 

"Well, I'm actually pretty good with directions...just get a little disoriented at times." This time his voice was a little louder and more direct, but still as polite as he could possibly muster. That last comment hit a bit of a sore spot with Alec. He prided himself of being able to navigate much of Los Angeles, and he wasn't about to sit here and be scolded for getting lost one time. 

I might have just taken it the wrong way, though. 

"Yes, a little disoriented. It happens when you've never been to an area and you fall asleep. Oh well..." For now, he was able to keep his cool, but for how much longer he was unable to tell. His blood pressure was rising slightly but he was doing a decent job at keeping cool. For some reason, it seemed like this man was just picking at him. Maybe he didn't mean it to come across that way, sure, but the fact of the matter was that it did. And it hurt a little. Combined with the fact that sleep was an unknown entity to Alec, he wasn't feeling the very best. 

"I'm Alec. It's nice to meet you. What's your name?" Alec extended his own hand in a friendly handshake, hoping to at least ease the tension between the two. It was all he knew what to do at this point. Hopefully, though, this would make things a little better. He didn't want to be on bitter terms with this stranger, but...well, it finally hit him. Why did it matter what this stranger thought of him? It was probably because Alec didn't really like it when people didn't like him. It wasn't that he thought everyone had to like him, but it felt more real when that person was standing in front of you and making you feel uncomfortable while making slightly sour comments about one's ability to navigate.

Yeah Alec really didn't have to get along with him, but he still wanted to. But he wasn't going to break his back trying either.

Was it getting hot outside, or was it just Alec? He honestly couldn't tell right now. Something that normally wouldn't pick up on the boldest of hints managed to detect an abnormality in this other man. There was just something about him that made the teenager feel...weak. Uncomfortable. Nervous. Alec didn't really like that feeling, either. He was already meek enough; the workouts were coming along, but he hadn't magically transformed into a lean mean fighting machine within the last 60 days. No, he was still pretty weak, and he had no idea whatsoever about protecting himself in a scrimmage.

And right now, in this moment, he felt vulnerable. Something about this man was just not right. It also might have had something to do with the fact that he introduced himself as Little Phoenix. What kind of name was that, an Indian tribe name? Name given to a gang member? Secret law enforcement agent? Whatever it was Alec didn't care for it.

He was starting to get a little more irritated when the man kept pushing him about his sleeping habits. Instead of responding with a nice explanation of why he had managed to fall asleep in public, he simply cut the conversation a bit short, unwilling to give out more information that he needed. "Just really tired, I guess. I'm awake now though." His voice had become a bit stronger and his stance was a little taller. It wasn't much, but Alec was hoping that he could prove himself confident and that he wasn't a sitting target for some weird robbery or something. All he wanted to do right now was to give off just the right kind of vibes. He assumed it to be his survival instinct.

Then again, he might just be overreacting to the entire thing.

What had angered Alec most of all was not the way that this man was speaking to him nor the words that were being said. Alec was mad at himself for not catching onto this guy before. So far, he was a total jerk, and Alec was not ready to get into a squabble with him. It was getting time to head back home so he could sleep. Earlier this morning he had met with an interesting man that could not hear while on his stroll through the beach. He managed to nod off a few times here and there, which got him through the morning successfully. By now, Alec was tired enough to sleep almost anywhere he needed to, so he was going to head back home at get some rest.

Maybe.

This guy, though...for some reason or another, he was trying Alec. He was trying him so badly. Already his patience was wearing thin, and the teenager was in no mood to keep up this conversation any longer. It took all he could do to bite his tongue, knowing fully well that his agitation was probably showing on his face. And it was starting to become something more...weird, actually. Alec had never really felt this way about someone, but he honestly did not like this man. Not one bit. He could not find it in himself to be nice to this man. All he wanted him to do was to go play in traffic. Maybe it was the lack of sleep causing him to feel like this in a rather extreme way, but it was really annoying him more than anything. But instead of staying quiet, he stood is ground firmly. "Maybe." Somehow Alec was able to maintain eye contact, and  he did not blink.

So that was it? After being harassed by this man, he just turns around and leaves? Alec felt proud of himself for standing up, but he knew that deep down he was feeling ten kinds of anxious and scared. But the man was leaving, and that was just fine. He didn't appreciate him and his "help" because it was anything but helpful. Alec would be able to find the market on his own, whether it took him five minutes or five hours. He wouldn't be stopping to ask anyone else, either. He didn't feel like risking running into another jerk. 

The teen watched him as he walked away, slowly realizing that he wanted run up behind the man and hit him in the back of the head as hard as he could. But as the thought crossed his mind, he felt ashamed that he even considered it. That reminded him of the boy that he hit before, and it brought back bad memories. For whatever reason, Alec had earned himself an enemy today, and he hoped that he would never have to speak or look at him ever again. He turned around and looked at his surroundings, hoping to find something that looked familiar. Still unsure, he chose the direction opposite of the direction that jerk was heading and began walking, hoping to find where he was soon enough.