Dazzle Me

1. Shelter

"Name?"
Theresa So.

"Reese Chun," I answered. I kept my head down looking at the sneakers on my feet.

The woman behind the counter of the homeless shelter looked skeptical at the large luggage bag I had in my hand and the diamond necklace around my neck. She was latina with graying hair and dark eyes.

"And you're homeless?" She raised her eyebrow and gave me another lookover before shaking her head and writing the name I gave her.

"Any contacts like family or close friends?"

"No."

"Sign here," The woman held a clipboard to me and I signed my alias. "Blankets are in the gray basket, your bed is number twenty, you should get some food before the nuns leave."

I nodded and thanked the woman and entered what would be my home for a few days. I opened a door to a large concrete room with a pungent smell. The air was very thick and caused my eyes to water. Looking around I saw long wooden benches filled with families and lone souls. I was surprised to see how many families and young children were there all making do in such a crowded place. I felt like I was back in grade school.

Being an heiress meant nothing in the prestige Clinton Academy because everyone was an heiress or had some power. I always had trouble making friends and in the homeless shelter, I felt like I walked into the school cafeteria.

Everyone knew each other and were talking amongst themselves, some were watching a basketball game on a TV screen to the side.

"Beds in 30," the loud voice on the intercom startled me and I held my diamond pendant for security and reassurance.

I have never felt so exposed and I have worn some pretty risqué stuff to big events. I walked with my belongings into the open floor cafeteria. I scanned the options and grimaced, a sound of tongs clacking together caused my head to snap up at a nun.

"May I help you child?"

"No sister." I smiled nervously. "What is on the menu for today?"

"Menu?" She raised an eyebrow, sharing a look with another nun at her side. "Child there are no menus. We have mashed potatoes, meatloaf, corn and rice."

"That sounds nice," I was starving. I was handed a tray and my rumbling stomach turned. The mashed potatoes obviously weren't cooked properly as chunks of unpeeled potato stuck out, the meatloaf had a rubbery texture and the corn rice was burnt. "Thank you sisters." I smiled.

I sat at the nearest bench, poking at my "food" for almost ten minutes. I didn't realize the lights were going off until the woman from earlier, tapped me and told me it was bedtime. I threw out my untouched food and was led to the housing. I gingerly picked up what was the cleanest blanket in the basket and held it away from me.

What was my number again?

40?

The housing area was just a long and narrow hallway, metal bunkbeds stacked against the wall. On each bed frame there was a number written with sharpie.

I felt awkward, walking down the long hallway, passing so many people, I felt like all eyes were on me, which I generally would have loved but this made me uncomfortable. I gripped my necklace in my hand, my guard up.

Lights went out and I gasped. I could barely see. I felt the bed frame and used it to lead me.

36,38,40 this should be it.

It was a bottom bunk and I sighed as I sat, my head touching the springs of someone's bunk. Something shuffled behind me and a rough arm tugged my waist. I shrieked and jumped, bumping my head.

Lights came on and I turned around to see an old balding man with a toothy grin.

"What's going on here?" It was the same woman from earlier and her eyes were directly on me. She walked closer, her hands om her wide hips, "Reese I have you number twenty; not forty."

My face turned hot and I noticed people around were whispering about me. A baby started to cry and the hall gave out a collective groan.

"Great!" A woman, presumably the mother yelled out.

I walked to bunk 20 with my head towards the concrete ground. I tucked my luggage into the bed first and then myself. The excuse of the tiny mattress reeked and I crossed my arms and closed my eyes. The sounds of crying, screaming, small talk echoed throughout the hall.

"Alright! Lights Out!"

*
Breakfast was just even more disappointing as dinner was. But I gave the nuns a tight smile as they piled on last night's leftovers, which was probably last last night's leftovers. It was a cold hard boiled egg, rice (again), corn (again) and waxy sausage links.

I nibbled on the egg and squinted when I took notice of the people around me. They had designer clothes... My hopes soared high as I wondered if other heiresses I knew were here. It was relatively impossible but if Theresa So was at a homeless shelter, anyone could. A woman passed me, heels clicking. She wore matching a gray sweatshirt and sweapants but strutted with obviously expensive shoes.

Oh my God.

"Hey!" I called out to her. I stood up from my bench.

"Can I help you?" She gave me a look over and scoffed. As if I was below her!

"Those are my shoes! They're my Prada shoes! I got them in Milan two months ago during fashion week on the strip!"

"Is your name on them?"

"No but I have the receipt. It's in my bag," I looked by my side and my heart dropped when I realized I had left it in the bunk. I looked around and saw nearly everyone with my belongings. There was a toddler hitting the floor with my one of a kind taupe bowler hat. There were a group of extremely thin women with gaunt features wearing my dresses that draped over them like blankets. And I could swear I saw a nun with one of my twelve carat necklace.

I dropped my plastic fork and raced to my bunk, gaining weird looks around me and saw that my luggage bag was wide open. Even my personal information was taken. Tears welled up in my eyes as it sunk it that everything I had was gone.

A cool metal touched the nape of my neck and I froze in horror as a strong, masculine hand covered my mouth.

"Hello Theresa So. You've got a nice price tag on you."

He waved my license in my face and laughed.

*
Hello guys!
I have so much planned for this. It's my first bad ass book and I can't wait to get to the good parts.

Oh and someone of characters have different personalities with scewed morals BUT THAT DOES NOT REFLECT ME. I AM NOT ROMANTICIZING OR CONDONING IT!