Just a Homeless Girl

Chapter 4

Sparky and I were walking home with our stomachs no longer grumbling, when suddenly I heard the wailing of a police car. Sparky stopped in his tracks and perked up his ears. He heard it, too.

Crap. Not good.

I have always avoided the police, for fear that they'll take me in where they'll give me a family. I didn't want another family. My first ended up dead. I don't really mind living alone most of the year. Most of the year. When winter comes around, all I want is a home and a family to take care of me and Sparky so we don't die from the cold. But I don't trust the police. I remember that night when I was four, that terrible night of my only family's death. The police were just too late. By the time they got there, my family was gone. Dead. And they didn't even bother look for the missing four-year old.

So there I was with Sparky, knowing that if the police notice me, I'd be taken away. And what will happen to Sparky? Would they give him another family, too? Certainly they'll seperate us.

I can't let that happen.

I turned to where the sound of wailing sirens was coming from and saw them. The flashing lights: blue, red, white, blue, red, white. It hurt my eyes.

It wouldn't take long for them to notice a homeless girl on the street.

"C'mon Sparks," I said quietly, trying not to attract any attention. I failed.

As I sprinted through the crowd of people with Sparky by my side, someone grabbed me. Sparky ran ahead, and stopped when he noticed I was no longer with him. He looked back to see someone holding my arm.

He was a smart dog. He did the right thing and ran home. I was a little relieved that Sparky wasn't in danger.

But I was.

I looked up at the man holding me. He was a middle-aged man, with light, gray eyes that seemed to see right to my soul. He had short black hair with flecks of gray. He was wearing a suit and holding a briefcase in the hand that wasn't holding me.

I wasn't scared of this man. He couldn't do anything to me. Except get the police to notice me. I needed him to let go of me.

"Let go," I said, with a stern look on my face. "Now."

The man's reaction took me aback. He laughed. He actually laughed. What the hell was wrong with this guy?!

"Where are your parents?" he asked, recovering from his chuckles. Although he laughed, his eyes still gave me that uneasy feeling as if he was staring right through me.

I looked straight into them. "Dead," I replied. The man frowned. Why was he even asking me where my parents are? Don't normal sixteen year-old girls get to hang out themselves without their parents? Whatever, I could be wrong. I don't know anything about "normal".

Suddenly, I noticed a cop coming toward us. I panicked.

"Now," I started. "If you don't let go of me right now, you're going to be charged for assault or whatever." I pointed toward the cop. The man looked at the cop but didn't let go. My palms became sweaty. The cop was now standing next to the man. Any moment now, I could be sent away and Sparky would be all alone.

"Is there a problem, sir?" the man asked the cop. The cop looked us over: the man holding my arm with a tight grip; me without any expression what-so-ever. I gotta say, I'm pretty good at hiding my emotions.

The cop kept looking at me and seemed to be taking in my appearance. He ignored the man's question and adressed me instead.

"Darling," he said. "Where do you live?"

I kept my mouth shut. I was staring now at the cop's eyes who stared right back. His eyes were a chocolate-brown and seemed kind, but I didn't care. This man could seriously ruin everything.

The cop sighed. "How old are you?" he asked.

Telling them my age wouldn't do any harm, would it?

"Sixteen," I said.

Big mistake.

"Well, if you're a minor living out on the streets, we're going to have to take you in," said the cop.

No, this is not happening. I had to escape. Now.

I thought of what an animal would do. Bite. I have to bite the man and run.

I smiled my yellow-toothed smile and bit as hard as I could down onto the man's hand. He howled, but didn't let go.

I could taste blood, but I didn't stop there.

I could feel the cop trying to pull me off, but my teeth sank in deeper. Finally, the man let go, grabbing his hand.

But now I had a cop to deal with. I kicked and scratched and elbowed him. He let go of me and I punched him in the eye.

Damn, that hurt my fist.

I wasn't going to stick around to see what happened next. I ran away from the angry men. I ran away from the people who stared. I ran away from the kids I knocked over and the cursing moms. I didn't think, I just ran.