Belonging to the Streets

Dinnertime

"Dinner's ready!"

James slightly shook me awake. Down the hall, I see Mom setting the table with various plates and bowls. I really don't deserve this.

I felt James get up underneath me and I do the same. When I was asleep, James wrapped a blanket around me. I kept it wrapped around my shoulders while shuffling to the dining room. The table was covered from end to end with food. There were four chairs, and each one had a plate, fork, and knife in front of it. I took my seat next James and helped myself to a small piece of chicken and a spoonful of peas.

"Aren't you hungry, baby? Don't worry, you can eat as much as you want. No one's stopping you"

I look up to face Mom, who was across from me. She had her soft smile on her face again. I looked down at my plate and thought that it was enough. This is a lot more than what my old mother and the streets gave me. I don't think I'll even be able to finish this plate.

"I'm good"

I look back up to smile at Mom. Her face drops a bit. She looks between me and James, then to Dad. Dad just sighs and quietly says something into Mom's ear while squeezing her hand. I turn to James and he's just looking at me with sadness in his eyes. I don't understand.

"I-is something wrong?"

Mom snaps her head back up. Her eyes are glossy, yet her soft smile is still there.

"Nothing, baby"

There was a croak in her voice. Her words were no longer coated in honey and sugar. I shrug it off. I'm sure it's not that important anyway. I start to slowly eat my food. It's the most delicious thing I've ever had. Before I knew it, the chicken was gone and I was already starting to get full. Well, actually I'm still hungry, but I feel like I'd get sick if I eat any more. I was struggling to shove down the pees on my plate. I got up and excused myself. I placed my plate in the sink and went back to the couch.

I laid there for a while. I wondered why they were so quiet. Why they were taking so long to eat. Eventually, James appears from the hallway.

"We don't have a guest room, so you're gonna be sleeping with me"

The blood started to rush to my cheeks and I had to look away. Me? Sleep? With James? James of all people? It's official, the universe hates me.

"We're gonna set up a mattress next to my bed for you. My room's big enough to fit one"

Oh.

"Ok. Where is your room exactly?"

"Come, I'll show you"

I got up and followed James upstairs. We walked past a closet, the bathroom, and an office before reaching two bedrooms at the end of the hall. The room to the right had a king bed. Mom and Dad's room. The one to the left had a full bed. James' room. Even though the bed could fit two people, there was another full mattress right next to it. It already had pillows and a blanket laid over the white cushion. I walked over to the bed and immediately threw my body weight onto it. It was nice and comfy. I've only ever slept on cardboard boxes. I really don't deserve this.

"It's not much, but I hope you like it"

"Like it? I love it! Thank you so much James!"

I got up and ran to give James a hug. He hesitated before wrapping his arms around me, returning the gesture. I don't want to pull away. I don't think James wants to either. We stayed there for what felt like years, until James eventually broke the hug.

"Well, I'm glad you like it"

I looked up at him and smiled. He looked away, face red. I just realized that was the first time I ever smiled. It felt nice. I wanna do it again.

"What about clothes? Will I just wear yours?"

"Mom's gonna go shopping tomorrow. You need to go with her so she's able to get the right size"

My eyes lit up. I've never gone shopping. It's the first time I will. And it'll be for me. I'm so happy I could scream. So happy I could cry. I went with the tears. I started to break down in front of James and he immediately got concerned. I laughed at him for his reaction and stated that they were tears of joy.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Hey Birdie?"

I blink. My eyes adjust to the darkness. I check the clock on the dresser. 2 AM. I look over at James and see he's fully turned towards me. All his weight on his elbow.

"Yeah?"

"Why didn't you eat anything at dinner?"

That confused me. Doesn't everyone eat like me? Eating what people call "too little" is normal to me.

"That was the most amount of food I've ever had. Before living on the streets, I'd only get fed twice a month, and on the streets, I'd only get fed bits and pieces of food, hopping the fence on the days I used to eat back home. If I ate any more than what was on my plate, I was probably going to get sick"

James just stared at me. I looked at the ceiling. I heard shuffling and saw he was in the same position as me. I don't understand. How can anyone eat more than what I eat? James says I'm going to be fed three meals a day. That's insanity. I only need one. And it doesn't need to contain a lot of food. How can people live like this?

I turned so my back faced James. My mind wouldn't stop racing with questions. Is this really how the average person lives? My old mother used to say that I should be grateful she's even feeding me. I used to say I should be grateful that people aren't careful with their food. This is all so new to me. I don't know if I'll ever get used to it. I don't know if I'll even fit in in a world like this.