The dirty steel blade gleamed menacingly in the cold, snowy moonlight. Rarity stood frozen, wide-eyed, still stunned as her hands slowly faded from their initial position covering her mouth and heart. Rarity glanced down at the kitchen knife in the teenage assailant’s hand and noticed something about the girl: she was trembling.
“From the sleeting snow or in apprehension?” Rarity considered.
“Are you deaf!?” The teenager demanded impatiently as she nervously brandished the knife, her breath visible from the cold night air “I said: give me your money! ”
Rarity’s vacant, enchanted stare remained unbroken as she slowly continued to lower her hands.
She was astonished to find that she was not quivering or cowering before her assailant. She was not concerned for her own safety.
She instead found herself being rapidly overtaken by compassionate concern for the trembling mugger.
She reached into the pocket of her exquisite black wool parka and calmly surrendered her lavish clutch to her assailant.
The assailant promptly snatched the bag. She turned to flee with her prize, when the woman behind her called out to her “--Wait! You forgot something...”
The would-be robber turned and looked at her would-be victim, they hesitantly brought the knife back forward, eyes darting wildly at Rarity, the bag, the knife.
“If you’re going to be robbing people all night, you might as well take my coat to keep you warm” Rarity stated as she cautiously approached the hesitant soul and wrapped the thick wool parka over the girl’s shoulders. The teen was left stupefied.
She scrunched her face as she angled away and turned her head to face Rarity, “Why are you doing this?” she asked suspiciously.
Rarity kept her hands compassionately upon the girl’s shoulders “If you’re willing to risk your freedom for a few dollars, than I guess you must really need the money.”
Rarity gently slapped the girl’s shoulders in conclusion, before she began slowly sauntering away, “I mean” she looked back over her shoulders to the teen “all I wanted to do was get dinner and if you really wanted to join me that badly” she teased sarcastically, “Well...” she turned back to face the teen and shrugged her shoulders “...then you’re more than welcome to.”
***
“Hiya, Rarity!” called a face from the kitchen, through the steel serving window.
Rarity waved back with a cheerful smile to the dishwasher, as she took a booth seat with the still nonplussed teenager who sat across from her.
“You know the dishwasher?” she raised an eyebrow with distanced intrigue.
Rarity brightly batted her wrist, “Oh, that’s Angelo. He’s been working here for a long time” she dismissed.
A tall, slender, cleanly-dressed man with a lingering Italian accent stood at the head of their booth, his arms extended in welcome “Rárity! It’s good to see you again” he clasped his hands together.
“I hope you've been taking care of yourself!” he frowned, shaking a finger at his friend in playful concern.
“Oh, Daniél” Rarity covered her mouth with a hand as she giggled, “Oh, stop it you!” she flapped a hand at him. Her response only caused him to chortle even more.
As the slender man turned to summon a waiter over to their booth, the teenager noted his name tag:
Daniél
Restaurant Manager
The teen couldn't help raising an eyebrow when the waiter also, upon noticing whom he had been called to serve, bloomed in greeting to Rarity.
He hosed her with flattery and scribbled an order on his notepad; all before Rarity even had an opening to reply to his greetings.
Rarity was still leaning over the corner of the booth, with an arm still extended fleetingly after the waiter, when he had disappeared to the kitchen in a whirlwind.
Shaking her head with a chuckle, she slowly returned to face the, now bewildered, teenager.
“Manuél” Rarity blushed, gesturing over her shoulder, embarrassed by the attention she was receiving.
“You know everybody here” the teen interrogated coolly, “You own this place?”
“No, I just come here a lot” Rarity shrugged.
The teen lifted her head and unfolded her arms, her face twisted in confusion “But, you’re even nice to the dishwasher!” she pressed, extending a hand to the kitchen window.
“Darling, didn't your mother ever teach you: Love your neighbour as yourself?” Rarity replied endearingly.
The teenager sunk back into her seat, “uh...yeah” she replied quietly. “It’s just...” the teen wrapped her arms around herself, still in Rarity’s jacket, and rubbed them despondently, “I just didn't think people actually behaved that way” she concluded, downcast, unable to look Rarity in her compassion-filled eyes.
Rarity looked away; noticing the teen’s discomfort.
She tried to shift the conversation, “...So, what do you want out of life?” she asked, in what she hoped was casually. She didn't want to give-up on the youth.
The teenager simply looked up at her. Her weathered face hung like a softly swinging noose. Her frown pulled the rest of her face down with it, her eyebrows caved in towards her nose indignantly --and yet, her eyes, were wells that quivered hopelessly.
She turned away glumly.
Rarity gently drummed her fingers on the table as she nodded downcast in understanding. The teen couldn't answer her question – or she just didn't want to. Rarity couldn't be sure, but she had a pretty good idea.
However, she didn't need her eye for detail to pick up that: this would-be thief, was a broken young woman.
***
Soon enough, the bill arrived.
Rarity rubbed her forearm and chuckled half-heartedly at the unconventional situation, as they approached the elephant in the room.
“I guess, you'll have to pay for this bill...” Rarity explained ironically. “I'm a bit...strapped for cash” she smiled with a shrug, holding out her palms.
The teenager avoided eye contact and shifted about uncomfortably in the booth. She didn't know what to do.
“So, if you give me my clutch back, I'll be more than happy to treat you” Rarity reasoned tenderly.
The teenager, without even thinking about it, returned the valuable clutch across the tabletop.
Rarity proceeded to pay for the meals, giving Manuél a small gratuity. She turned back to face the teen once again.
She was hanging her head.
Rarity let out a quiet sigh of sympathy, before she was once again compelled by compassion for the confused and desperate teen.
“Here”, she slid the teen a twenty. Rarity figured, maybe it could help the teen. Rarity didn't know what else to do for her.
The teenager didn't refuse the money, “I don’t...do you—I can't-- how can I...” she stuttered and mumbled awkwardly.
“Don’t mention it” Rarity dismissed politely.
“...Although” Rarity aired, “I think it’s only fair that I ask you for something in return, don’t you?”
The teenager looked up at Rarity, perplexed. Her eyes darted anxiously “...what?” she uttered.
Rarity held out her hands, imploring motherly, “The knife” she asked.
The teen handed it to her.
Author's Note
The best part is: This story is taken from true events.
http://www.artofmanliness.com/trunk/1922/man-befriends-his-mugger/
I hope you've enjoyed this story
and I also hope you enjoy my other works as well =)
Sour Apples
Lyra's Pants
Pinkie's Sweet Tooth
