A Girl Called Nothing

2

Emily was popular. All the girls wanted to be her friend. All the boys wanted to be hers. She had everything she wanted. Friends. Family. A perfect life. Until everything cam crashing down around her. 

*** 

I woke with a start. The hazy street passed in front of me. My half-eaten prawn sandwich was slumped next to me. My salted crisps were gone. 

Oh well, better luck next time. It's not like it was much of a loss. I was sitting on the corner of a side street were I usually get my lunch. There is a small Co-operative there, and all I do is slip in and slip out. In the year that I have been doing this, I have only been caught once.

It was the first time I was called Nothing. I thought no one would notice. Slip in. Slip out. I only got a tube of Mentos. Who can resist that chewy mint? That Tesco wasn't far from where I was based. When I walking out, when a woman stopped in front of me and stared.

"I didn't see you pay for that, did you?" 

I looked at her, stunned. No one was meant to see me, now that I was Nothing. I nodded, ducking my head down as I walked through the doors.

I remembered that day, I have never been so foolish since. 

I walked down the back streets of Brighton, rambling on until I found the bench. I sat down on the unoccupied wood, and watched the rhythmic sea. In. Out. In. Out. That was when I saw him. 

He looked like a Charlie. When I saw him I knew. His inquisitive eyes. His big nose. His grey beard. The schnauzer was galloping along in the sea. I watched him as he splashed in the sea, as though he had never seen it before. 

The look on his face was like none I had ever seen before. His eyes were alight with happiness. No one appeared to be watching him, like no one cared. 

*** 

"Please! Please Daddy, a dog would be good for everyone! We would all love it!" Emily cried, pulling at her father's arm. She had always been an animal lover, Emily.

***

The evening was drawing to a close, the night infiltrating the evening sky. 

Charlie eventually pulled his tired body out of the cold ocean and shook it out on the damp sand. His beard was wet, his eyes half-closed and his nose was prominent under the mass of dark fur. 

I rested my head on a small pillow and watched Charlie run off down the beach and into oblivion. I watched him run until I could see him no more. 

I do not know what tomorrow will bring. I do not know if I will be safe. But I do know that if Charlie returns, I hope to make a new friend. The first real friend I would've had for years.