Take Me Home

two

Chapter two:

I ran for what felt like forever, but I made it to this tiny little shop. There was a strip of shops ahead of me and a spacing in between each one. I thought it might be a good place to hide out tonight, at least until I make to somewhere I can stay for a while. I have money in my bag, and maybe I could get a taxi driver to drive me around until I'm out of cash and he kicks me out. Wherever I stop , I'll stay. At least until I get more money and repeat the process.

My dirty old converse caked in dirt and mud scrapped against the concrete . Once I was alone in what seemed to be an alley way for dumpsters , I slid my back down the wall. Under these street lamps I seemed invisible . Like I was just as fimiliar as the air floating around. Something nobody gave a damn about and something nobody would notice.

My head tilts back against the brick wall and I close my eyes. It was silent and maybe for once it wouldn't be a sleepless night. Maybe I'd actually be able to get some shut eye and dream something tonight. But I would have to be up before sunrise, before people flooded these streets, before people opened these shops, and before anyone could find me.

I didn't want to be found.

And I wouldn't be ..

~~~~

I woke up to a buzzing near my hand . Looking down at it there was a tiny little bee sitting there, flapping it's wings and showing the stripes it's earned.

I wasn't fazed at all. I didn't give a damn if I got stung or not.

I stood up and grabbed my bag, throwing it over my shoulder before heading down an unfimilar street I had never seen before. I didn't realize I had run this far, but apparently I did because I didn't know where the hell I was .

It was barely sunrise, still dark under the pinkish sky over the horizon in the distance.

I closed my eyes and thought for a second , knowing I had no where to go. This is why I ended back at home the last time I ran away. Because I didn't have a place to stay and I didn't have a ride or money or ..anybody.

So I just wandered the streets of this tiny town, not giving one shit about who saw me.

I turn onto a street and see a Starbucks , I didn't have one near our house and I rarely ever drank coffee. At least I could stay in there until night, then maybe hide outside behind it until morning.

Walking into those doors, I realized there was only four people there, and every one was watching me.

"Welcome to Starbucks!" An entirely too happy lady said from behind the counter. There was another girl behind her and she hadn't looked up from her phone. I gave her a smile as she asked me if I wanted anything. I shook my head and looked around the tiny building. There was a woman at a table in the back with a computer in front of her. She had multiple folders with her and a headset.

In the other corner there was a teenage boy with a beanie. He was pretty cute but I was in no state of mind to think of guys right now. I had bigger problems on my hands.

I walked over to the corner by the bathrooms and set my backpack behind one of the chairs and slid into the bathroom. I locked the door and flipped on the light.

Looking at my reflection I cringed. I looked like absolute shit.

I slid the black elastic on my wrist securely around my hair and tried my best to take the bags under my eyes away.

After splashing my face with cold water, I flipped off the light and went back to my chair. I reached behind it and grabbed my backpack. The lights were dim and I looked at the clock. It was a little after 8. My eyes started closing, and I drifted off into a much needed sleep.

***

I walked over to the girl behind the counter who had welcomed me earlier.

"Can I help you?" She asked.

"What time do you close?"

"Uh," she glanced at the clock on the wall behind me. ",About ten minutes."

I nodded and walked back to my chair. The girl with the computer was gone and the guy with the beanie was sitting at the same table with his ear buds in.

I grabbed my bag and headed outside. I looked at the street that was covered with dim street lights and sighed. I had no where to go. I looked over my shoulder and considered walking back in to ask if there was any hotels near here. But I knew I didn't have enough, even for a cheap motel room.

I walked around to the back of the building and sat down with my back against the fence. They would be closing in 10 minutes, and I'd have until morning to figure out where exactly I would go from there. All I knew was that I was royalty screwed.