Endure for Today

TWO

Catching sight of her reflection in the tall windows of a store, Nalani wasted a moment to adjust the hem of her pleated skirt, smoothing out a small fold on the side, and tucked her dad's old sweater into the front part of the waistband. It was a faded Steelers pullover, bearing the colors of black, yellow and white, with the logo of the football team on the sleeves. Nalani has only ever seen a handful of games growing up when her dad would watch during the season, so she couldn't claim to be the greatest fan.

But she loved the sweater. It was too small for her dad, yet the perfect size to be baggy on her. A few adjustments with the sewing kit at home made the cuffs of the sleeves grip tighter around her wrist, allowing her to wear it without concern about her hands being blocked. The fabric was washed so often that it was a softer cotton, and the scent of familiar laundry soap provided a comfort that she enjoyed indulging in. The sweater, combined with the fact that it once belonged to her dad, was her favorite.

Wearing it felt like one big, warm embrace.

With her black sneakers, white socks, and white skirt (plus some shorts underneath, because she is not stupid enough to go without them), Nalani felt confident with her school outfit, even if it didn't necessarily match the Autumn weather. Thankfully, though, it wasn't too cold out that she regrets having her legs bared to the air. There was the slightest nip from the gentle breeze blowing through, but the sun's beaming did a good job in countering the chilliness.

Besides, if she felt the need to change due to the weather, she had leggings in her gym locker.

Done with the quick check of her appearance, Nalani shifted her backpack higher on her back and continued the short walk to school. It was surprisingly easy to walk the two blocks between the school and home. In the mornings, people bustling around and going about their own business were too preoccupied to notice the students milling amongst them. Her dad had voiced worries in the beginning, of course, about Nalani walking to school, especially when she had to pass by multiple alleyways scattered between apartment complexes and buildings. But nothing has happened to her.

There were a few homeless, yes, but they were far more concerned about surviving the slowly cooling weather change than bothering any teenager that happened to pass close enough to hear them. And the everyday people that needed to continue with their own routine were more than content to ignore her.

That didn't, however, mean that she didn't witness shitty stuff going down. Sometimes people allowed the crappy side of their personalities to show and didn't have any remorse for taking it out on innocent bystanders.

Cole Fuentes was a good example of that.

In the mouth of the third-to-last alley before the school, the sounds of jeering laughter and hollered calls dragged Nalani's attention from her phone. Peering up from the screen, which showcased that she had just accidentally planted carrots in her farm plots rather than the wheat that she needed, she frowned at the disturbance that distracted her from the farming game. There, blocked from view by passing people and half-shadowed by the tall apartment building – much more modern and newer than the one that she lived in – was Cole Fuentes and a couple of his buddies.

On the ground, tucked against the brick wall, was a raggedly dressed man with his knees huddled close and shining coins scattered on the cement around him. Even as she watched, Cole used his foot to knock over the cardboard sign while one of his friends recorded.

No one seemed to notice the situation. Or if they did, they chose to swerve around the small group and mind their own business.

Chest clenching at the way the poor man curled up further and silently accepted the fate of being harassed, Nalani didn't waste a second before hurriedly crossing the street. A couple of cars honked at her for the audacity to momentarily block them, but she dismissed the sounds as unimportant. Any vehicle coming through was limited to the fifteen-mile speed limit of being in a school zone. They could handle a slight delay in their driving.