Matthew Espinosa Imagines

You Are My Home

*Eva's POV*

I felt so cold, so empty, so defeated.

After everything I've been through, mother's death, father's abuse, and sleeping on concrete for weeks, I've had to finally ask other people for help and enter a food shelter.

I didn't want people thinking I needed help. I didn't want their help. I wanted to deal with my own problems and never have to ask anyone to do anything for me, because they wouldn't understand.

"Oh you're homeless? Poor thing. Let me make a sandwich for you and give you an air mattress so that I feel good about myself."

All they see are the rags I wear and the look of defeat on my face. They don't see what made me this way. They don't understand, and they never will.

But I was starving. I hadn't eaten anything for three days and I could barely walk with the pains in my stomach.

I would just go in, eat the food my body needs, and walk out. Of course I would pick an air mattress over hard concrete any day, but I didn't need it. All I needed was food.

I walk in and immediately see a gym floor, half of it covered in mattress. A couple crappy plastic tables with people sitting and eating sandwiches and chips, added with water.

I could see that the people felt and looked defeated. But I knew they were strong beneath the exterior.

One of the volunteers spot me and then alert someone else, nodding their head towards me. I already regretted walking in.

Someone jumps out of the kitchen and walks towards me, smiling ear to ear but their eyes were scanning me up and down. I could see the judgement, no matter how much she tried to hide it.

"Hi! I'm Theresa. Welcome to our food shelter! What's your name?"

I ignore that she asked me a question and just scan her. She looked like someone who applies for a beauty pageant, and she is only here so that she can say that she lives to provide.

Her smile fades when I stay silent. I could tell I was intimidating her with my dark eyes and cold look.

"Come with me," she offers shakily. "We just started handing out dinner."

I follow her, my stomach making me follow as it growled from the smell of turkey and bread.

I sit down farther down the table where I could be alone. Theresa went back into the kitchen and quickly came back out with a tray for me. I kept myself from inhaling the food before me until Theresa left it there without a word, which I appreciated.

As I ate, trying to savor every moment of the meal, the volunteers began to come out and sit with the crowd.

My pride tries to put up a thicker wall as I see a boy coming out from the kitchen to sit right in front of me.

I glared at him but he just grinned and stuck out his hand.

"I'm Matthew," he greets.

His voice was like light pouring into my dark soul. It made me feel so warm inside, even though I tried to push it away.

I was planning on just ignoring him until he chuckled. My eyes shot up at him.