Sierra looked up at them all, instantly giving a skeptical look to Tana and bowing in a mock gesture, scanning the others with narrowed eyes and slowing to a stop in front of them.

Edward smirked at Ian, waving his eyebrows as he crushed his last cigarette under his boot. "Aye, in't she a bae?" he chuckled.

Ian laughed, lifting a finger to his lip ring and rolling his eyes at the other boy. "Oh, sheesh. There you go again, Styles. Fancying a girl and pretending it's your mate who does. You're hopeless."

This wiped away his smirk. Sierra ignored them, giving no hint that she had heard a word they said.

"Pleasure seeing you here," Rogue muttered.

"I wouldn't talk smack if I were you, I actually came to offer you a deal." Sierra placed a hand on her hip.

"I don't need charity from you or anybody," Rogue hissed, narrowing her eyes. "I may not be so fond of Tana's gang, but I disrespect how you shook them up, and don't think I suspect you wouldn't do just that to us if I let you. Besides, I've already got connections."

"Not this big of connections. Jason Derulo, Pitbull, a few different marketing companies, and 3oh!3 want to talk with you," Sierra said.

"Oh, and how'd you get that marketing company to side with them?" Tana smiled smugly, satisfied when the other girl reddened.

"I'll have you know that Marcel and I–" she began, clearly flustered.

"Ugh, I don't want to her about your little affairs," Rogue made a disgusted noise in the back of her throat. "Point is, I don't want the offer."

Edward was staring at Sierra carefully. "Did you say artists are interested in the compound?"

"Yep," Ian tapped his shoulder in confirmation.

Sierra ignored him, staring at Rogue carefully. "Look, I know that you hate me, but could you please try to at least consider what I'm offering here? I'm not part of the compound anymore, Demitrii kicked me out. I'm trying to find a safe residence. You know my secret, and I would advise you to keep keeping it. Thank you for your time," she said, biting the inside of her cheek before spinning on her heel and stalking away.

No words were said, Ian just shoved Edward after her roughly, and he stumbled a few feet before breaking into a steady jog and catching up to her, falling into a step that matched her gate.

"Heeeey, Sierra, right?"

"I'm not interested," she huffed almost immediately.

He looked taken aback. "No, I just... Where did you get your beanie?"

She glanced at him, looking at him directly for the first time and narrowing her eyes in the action. "...Why?"

"We're wearing the same one," he shrugged, tugging the one off his head and showing her.

She shrugged, turning away again and continuing to walk at her brisk pace. He pulled his beanie back on, blinking at her.

"You said you needed a place to stay?" His smile was a sure note of arrogance.

Her face burned. "Edward, is it? I'm pretty grossed out that you would propose such an option to me after five seconds of knowing you. I'm sorry to disappoint you, but you're not exactly what I had in mind."

He sighed, but not in defeat. "Okay, fine. You catch on quick. Where are you from?"

"Don't play games with me, street rat," she rolled her eyes, glancing around as they walked across a street to a cobblestone walkway that passed through a garden.

"Games are my favorite," he admitted with an innocent shrug, still smirking.

They walked in silence a moment.

"I like your tattoo, I've got one like it," he nodded to her wrist, holding up his arm, were the same small winged shoe was etched into his bicep.

"Would you stop checking me out?" She frowned, stopping abruptly and turning to him, her calculated gaze meeting his with a flash of annoyance. But he was just as quick, smirking and pushing her up against the brick wall to their left, pushing his palm into the stone next to her waist and staring at her with a smile and narrowed eyes, glancing her face up and down as she stiffened, letting out a small gasp.

Panic flashed through her gaze, but she quickly replaced it with annoyed anger. "What are you doing?"

"Teasing you."

"Why?"

"Because it's fun. Why are you asking why? You should just ask why not."

"That has a strange tendency to lead people to negative outcomes."

He chuckled, dropping his hand and backing off a few inches. "Maybe it does."

"For you it clearly did," She glanced him up and down disdainfully.

"Did it, now?"

"Check out your condition. You can't even afford a cute pair of pants."

He snickered, delighted at this turn of attitude. "Why are you suddenly flirting with me?"

"Why are you asking why? You should just ask why not," she narrowed her eyes before stepping off the wall, forcing him to back up before she whirled around and continued along her way.

"You know, if I didn't know better, I might be thinking you're really flirting. So girls like you DO know how to flirt!"

"What do you mean 'girls like me'? Is that supposed to be insulting?"

"Maybe a little bit. But I'm just flirting with you, remember?" He grinned.

"Huh, well it's really annoying, do stop."

"Not until you stop first."

"You stop!"

"No, you."

"You."

"You."

"You."

"You."

"I'm NOT flirting." She rolled her eyes.

"Are too, or else you would have punched me by now," he grinned.

"Whatever. You seem to have experience, is that why your nose is crooked?"

"My nose is sexy," he folded his arms behind his head, his gait relaxing as he sighed contentedly. "Yep, I get in a lot of fights with the street thugs."

"Wonder how," she said sarcastically.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"If I knew you were living on my streets being THIS annoying, I'd also want to kick your--”

"Okay, okay..." He smirked over at her, catching her eye as she gave a small but slightly amused smile.

When his gaze met hers, though, she dropped the smile, suddenly solemn, looking away. "Stop."

He frowned, dropping his arms to his sides. "What? No, dang it, I was just starting to grow on you..." He tried another smile.

She sighed, and he furrowed his brow, the smile fading again. "Look, nothing personal, I just can't do this. Not with you. Not with anyone. Especially not with you. You're cute, but..." She shrugged nonchalantly, taking a sharp corner down a narrow street towards the center of the city. "Sorry."

She flitted away without another word.

But he followed.