The midriff hoodie pulled tight against her skin as she swayed to the music playing in her left ear. Her right hand methodically moved the spray gun left to right along with the motions of her body.
Her masterpiece was almost finished. Piercing blue eyes stared back at her from the red brick wall, a reflection of her own along with the platinum blonde hair.
"OI! YOU!" A booming voice called from the end of the alley and she automatically pulled away from the wall, bouncing on her feet and assessing the best means of escape.
The man in the blue cops uniform was descending on her quickly, and she had no choice but to run in the opposite direction, dropping her spray can in her wake and hoping to hell he would give up the chase.
Alyssa Miyers could not find herself caught in a back alley spray painting. Her parents would have a conniption.
So she ran. Pulling tight on the cords of her hoodie to stop the fabric from pulling away from her head. Arms pumping by her side and hot breath misting the air in front of her she pushed her legs to be faster, her stride to be wider. But Alyssa could feel the young cop gaining on her, having left the spray can exactly where she had dropped it.
"STOP!" She would do no such thing. In fact, she had distinct plans to do the opposite of anything this police officer told her to do.
The disobedience sent a shiver down her spine and she felt her heart accelerate. Alyssa had always been a bit of a rebel without a cause. Having grown up getting anything her little heart desired, it was hard to imagine the Barbie- like princess being anything except the perfect daughter.
It was a facade that she hated playing, but a role that her society expected of her.
The young brown haired cop then said the words that Alyssa had been dreading hearing, and perhaps the only order she would be willing to listen to.
"Stop! By order of the Imperial Princess!"
She sighed. Why did they always have to bring her into things?
Her heart leapt up into her throat and her hands raised up by her head. She panted as she turned around, trying to keep the fabric of her black hood close. It would do her no favours to be recognised out in this district. Alyssa waited patiently for the policeman to catch up to her.
He was youthful, with cropped brown hair and sharp cheekbones, his eyes were a well of muddy chocolate and Alyssa wondered about what colours she would use to paint them. The slightly reflective nametag on his left breast pocket read 'Gabriel' and she rolled the name around on her tongue as he approached.
Perhaps she would paint him with wings, like his angelic namesake.
"Why'd you run?" His voice was accusing, sharp, and his eyes roamed her tight frame assessing. Perhaps he thought she was a street thug with hidden weapons. Considering the part of town that she found herself in, she couldn't exactly blame the assumption.
She gestured down the street towards her most recent piece of art, not trusting the high class accent she was sure to have. It wasn't a terrible crime, but she'd heard of people getting beaten by cops for less. Though Alyssa had to admit that the man in front of her didn't exactly seem like the sort.
Gabriel ran a hand through his short hair shaking his head, obviously he was used to it being longer. A relatively new recruit to the force by the shine of his nametag and the overall innocence that radiated from the young man.
"Look, what's your name?"
Alyssa shook her head, and the angelic officer pressed his lips into a disappointed line. Her heart ached to disappoint him. But she'd been on this side of town before, the alleyways littered with her artwork, and she had learned quickly not to give her name to anyone.