To the Moon and Back

Charlie's POV

I wake up when I try to turn around in bed because my shoulder still hurts, I get up and go for a short stroll with Luke. Then I decide to just have something to eat and lie down again.

EX-OH stops by and tells me the crew wants to meet up tonight for some spray action. I promise to be there and decide to stay in bed for the rest of the day to let the shoulder heal.

It's 10pm when I make myself ready and get dressed in black skinny jeans and black hoodie and beanie. Then I pack my spray cans into the backpack. When I open the sliding door to leave I literally run into Alex.

"What are you doing here?" I ask surprised.

"Sharky I am sorry it's so late, I was busy all day but I wanted to see if you are alright and your shoulder didn't get worse." Alex looks at me surprised. " but where are you going it's pretty late?"

"Look Alex, I'm about to leave but..." I look him up and down. He was practically dressed the same way as I with black jeans and black hoodie and SnapBack. I smile " but as you are perfectly dressed for this I could use some help tonight, wanna come?"

He agrees without asking what we're up to. I take a bandana and tie it around his neck wide enough for him to pull it over his nose to hide his face. I use a bandana as well.

We leave Luke at home because I tell Alex we can't take him where we go. I ask him to carry my backpack because it's too heavy for the injured shoulder and we head out into the night.

We have to walk quite a distance and I take Alex's hand while we walk in silence.

Finally we enter an old building site through a cutdown fence and approach a campfire. The guys that sit around it don't look too happy when they see that I have brought someone.

"Hey guys," I greet them touching knuckles. "I brought a friend, he is cool, don't worry, his name is, uhm, ...SPACE." I introduce them.
"I had to give you a 'street name' I hope you don't mind" I whisper in Alex's ear when he looks at me with his eyebrows raised.

"These are STRAIF, INVADER, SURGE and EX-OH." Alex greets them and they seem okay with it once they took a closer look at him probably because with his tattoos and his snap back he looks a lot like them anyway.

Then we open up the map of Baltimore that has already lots of different coloured marks on it.
Everybody chooses one destination and marks it with a coloured dot on the map.

When my turn comes around I say, "SPACE and I will work in Jonestown, corner East Baltimore and South President".

And I put my dot down. We stay around and talk a bit and pass a bottle of Jack Daniels around. Then we all hug goodbye and part our separate ways.

When we are back on the street Alex asks me "and what exactly are we up to?"

I have to smile at his trust, he just comes with me not voicing any concerns when we are practically dressed up like bank robbers and he doesn't get what we are about to do still he does not hesitate to stay with me.

"We will be doing a great piece of art on the pillars of one of the bridges that cross the Freeway." I joke. "Let's go."

I pull him along. It is quite a long walk but it is still early so we don't have to rush, the later we start spraying the better.

While we walk we don't speak much, at some point Alex puts his arm around my shoulder and I pretend we're just a normal couple walking home after a night out.

When we come close to our final destination I start to point out the Surveillance cameras to Alex.

"It's better to pull up the bandanas now. You don't want to leave a recognisable image on film with what we're about to do tonight."

We have to scramble down a bushy side strip to get to the nearest pillar and I choose a spot that is visible from the highway.

Alex unpacks the cans I had in my bag and hands me the colours I request. We are actually a good team. I brought a flashlight and Alex illuminates the area I am working on.

I decided I want to do a grinning shark and put my tag to it. So I start on the outlines as high as I can reach up.

"Do you want to sit on my shoulders?" Alex asks. "You could reach up higher."

"That would be great, but you are aware that this might take quite a while. Do you think you can hold me up that long?" I reply.

He smiles and shakes his head. "Don't you worry, I think I can manage."

With that he picks me up and lifts me over his head so I can sit on his shoulders. We work along in silence, I only give him directions when we have to move along the painting to reach the sides or when I need another can.

It is about an hour into the painting and it turns out really well when I see a police car drive past on the freeway. I stop and observe what they do because they would be able to see us but not reach us from the freeway, because the strip is fenced off.

When I see that they slow down and take the next exit I tell Alex to set me down and we duck into the bushes.

I have a bad feeling and grab the backpack and throw in whatever spray can I can find in the darkness.

I tug Alex's sleeve and whisper "let's go, I think the cops are on to us."

We race up to Baltimore Street when I can see the police car turn at the far intersection and turn on their flashing lights.

"Shit, Alex. We have to run." I whisper yell.

We cross the road and turn right into a smaller street with narrow one to two storey houses when we hear the sirens go off.

I stop and pull Alex sideways to an old wooden fence and motion for him to jump over it. He pushes me up first so I can haul myself over it and then he climbs it himself. We both hit the ground on the other side with a thud.

We lie huddled together face down in what appears to be soft earth and I can hear my heart beating in my ears as we listen into the darkness. We hear the car drive by very slowly and the cops turning their search lights to the sides to look for us.

I have to giggle out of nervousness and Alex whispers "hush you little criminal" and shuts me up with a kiss that comes so unexpected that I stop breathing.

We wait long before we leave our hideout and Alex takes my hand as we walk back. The night is nearly over and the sky already begins to lighten up.

"Are the cops always on to you guys like that?" He asks looking concerned.

"Alex, what we do here is illegal, you're aware of that?" I hold him by the front of his shirt.

"We could all go to jail for this. Okay, the guys could. You wouldn't because you're famous and shit and I wouldn't because they just simply deport me."

"What do you mean, deport you?" He stops and turns to me taking my face between his hands, looking at me intently.

"I am what they call a legal alien. When I do shit, they don't deal with it but just put me on a plane back to Australia to get rid of me."

"Oh, my God. I didn't know." He replies shocked.

I don't really get what his problem is but he starts to kiss my face, presses me to his chest and mumbles to himself so I don't get the chance to ask what troubles him.

Notes

Oh Sharky gets herself into trouble again.