Runaway Judas

Chapter XI: Camp

The day started calmly, I finally felt like it was a day I wanted to live since I ran away. The apple that Ryan had given me was certainly good, although I could taste that it was quite old. Maybe two or three days, and most likely given away by some charity that helped the homeless. I was homeless at that point, so I guess it made sense for me to eat this kind of food now. So I just accepted it, eating my apple slices with a slight hint of a smile on my lips. Ryan saw that, and patted my shoulder, his slightly wrinkled, fatherly face smiling at me.

"This apple alone ain't gonna get you through the day. C'mon, let's go eat something better!"

He told me in a gentle but enthusiastic tone, as he got out of the tent. I followed right along with him, finishing my slices as I walked behind the homeless man.

"Where are we going?"

I asked, not really understanding much of my surroundings yet. All I knew is that we weren't alone in all of this, as the old man just called some more people to join us. He took his time to respond to my question, but when he did, I immediately knew that I was probably gonna get my first full meal in quite a long time.

"We're going to the charity food bank! The owner's an old friend of mine, he'll fix us with some nice bacon and eggs!"

Eggs and bacon? At a charity? That's certainly a luxurious breakfast for us. I was a bit doubtful at the remark, but if Ryan was saying that, I guess there had to be a little truth in it. I trusted the old man, so I started to just follow him out of the camp. The outside of the camp was practically a dumpster, with old tyres, trash bags, beer bottles and empty packs of cigarettes all scattered on the ground. It was all so disgusting I could barely look at it, but thankfully the sea of trash and squalor didn't last for long. Not even five minutes into walking and we all arrived at the food charity stand. There was a figure with only one arm giving people little plates of scrambled eggs, two slices of bacon and some bread. Ryan wasn't lying after all! That was a relief, as I knew that my trust wasn't betrayed. It took some time for our turn to come, but as soon as it came the old man started talking to the man serving us food. They seemed to have gotten along quite well, and talked for a few minutes before he introduced me to him.

"This kid here is Judas, a real tough kid! Found him in the streets after he punted a junkie right where he ate! Ain't he a feisty kid?"

That was quite a way to be introduced... I was basically shown as some kind of brutal thug. But all I did was defend myself. I didn't attack that crude excuse of a man out of evil in my heart, but only because I didn't want to end up as some kind of disease ridden homeless junkie. I'd rather just be homeless, not filled with maladies that were born out of sharing needles and unprotected fucking with crack whores.
The two men laughed though, as Ryan pat my back as I got my plate. It was bigger than everyone else's, since I had double the eggs and a slice of bacon more than anyone else. I guess that was because I was new around those parts, but I didn't mind at all. It was my first hot meal in a long time, so I wasn't gonna spit in the plate like some kind of spoiled brat. If the streets had taught me something up until that point, that was that I had to remain humble to survive. So, to me, this meal right here was basically like a reward.

Me and the group walked to one of the nearby tables and sat down. The cutlery was all stacked in a pile of plastic forks, knives and... Sporks? It was odd there were no spoons. Oh well, that wasn't something I could demand at a damn charity food stand. I took a fork and a knife, as I began to cut the bacon and eat a piece. It was very chewy, salty and the grease hadn't dried off properly, so the crunch of the meat mixed with the disgusting sliminess of the coagulating fats. I almost gagged a few times due to how abhorrent some of the mixes were, but I powered through, getting some eggs to wash it down. The eggs... Oh dear god were they awful. Burnt on the outside, but uncooked in the middle. The crispiness was contaminated by the runny egg whites, making another revolting concoction of pure tongue dread. But I powered through the sheer amount of unhealthiness that this place brought to my body, and finished the plate last. It wasn't better than the white bread and already cut ham, but it packed more nutrients. I then looked over at Ryan, who was talking to the other figures in a friendly tone. I guess it made sense, they had known him for much longer and have lived with him. I was yet to feel included, but that was fine. I had to learn the stories, the jokes, all the various quirks before I could call myself a part of the group.
But as I was thinking about all that, I felt a familiar arm around my shoulders, and as I flinged my head to see who it was, it was just the old man. I sighed a small sigh, and asked: