When In Rome (WIR Book 1. Unedited)

Bonus Chapter-Ricardo Meets Rome and Romeo

Rome (13 years old)

"Rome, I'm hungry" Romeo whined

I rolled my eyes playing with the mulch on the playground "I'm hungry too Romeo"

He sat up looking at me "Let's go get some food? Please?"

I sighed and looked up at the sky "It's not even daylight yet, the shelters won't be open for another few hours at least" He grumbled something and pulled his jacket over him, and laid back down on the bench. I sighed "You should lay on the slide, it's more comfortable"

"Whatever" He rolled over facing away from me.

"We can go check trashcans again-"

"Can we just go back to our foster home?"

I turned and looked at him crazy "You're the one who wanted to leave. Again" I shook my head "You can go back, but I'm not. We can't go back to our home and America sucks" I complained "We're better off this way"

"Yeah, I guess you're right" He kissed my head "Sorry. I'm just tired and hungry"

"It's okay" I smiled up at him "We'll be okay, I can feel it"

"I know we will"

"Come on"I stood up "I'm sure it's some people downtown that can pay for our breakfast. If the buses are running that means it's at least five. Mcdonald will be open" I shrugged

He sat up "Yeah let's go"

I was right, the buses were running and Romeo pointed out that the subway was open too. So I knew it was at least six in the morning. I told Romeo we should stick to the buses instead of the subway this time because we always have to jump the gate. I'm really not in the mood to get chased today, and Romeo can be so slow.

I looked at a crowd of people and nodded my head making Romeo look over. "I got this" He smiled and took off running.

"Jordan stop!" I yelled and everyone looked at me. They looked at Romeo and back at me, I started running towards him. "Romeo! We're gonna be late for school!" I chased after him. I bumped into a man and quickly slipped my hand into his pocket taking his wallet and putting it in my jacket "Sorry!" I gave a quick smile and ran off. "Jordan!" I bumped into an older lady and she fell to the ground "I am so sorry" I helped her up and slipped her watch off "My brother is an idiot"

"I understand" She smiled "Go on"

I gave her another smile and quickly ran off, I saw Romeo slowing down and round off to our meeting corner. I saw a guy with a briefcase in his hand and trip over him falling. He looked down at me and hesitantly helped me up. "Thank you" I slipped his watch off and slid it up my sleeve. I pointed to the crowd "Chasing my brother"

"I noticed" He turned around and I quickly picked his pocket for his wallet and ran off. I ran and bumped into another guy quickly snatching his wallet while he was arguing on his phone. Some people just need to pay better attention.

I ran and turned the corner and went behind the garbage cans. Romeo was sitting there smiling and held up three watches. "Told you I'm getting better"

I held up the two watches and three wallets I got and his smile fell, I started laughing and helped him up "Come on, so we can see what we got"

We found this abandoned house, it didn't look too bad, I didn't see any other homeless people roaming around so I broke the window and we both climbed in.

It wasn't too dusty or nasty so we just both sat on the floor and started to go through our winnings.

Romeo was going through the wallets and found forty dollars in the first one, twenty dollars in the second one, and a hundred sixty in the last one. "Two twenty," He said and smiled at me.