Our Boys

On The Streets Pt. 3

After their filling breakfast of a cold cheeseburger and an individual apple pie, Josh gave Ethan both Happy Meal toys and told him to stay hidden. He was going to get a surprise and he would be back soon.

He hated to leave Ethan behind because it always made the boy upset, but Josh figured that one boy drew less attention than two. Besides, he really wanted to surprise his friend with a new pair of shoes. He didn't know how much a blanket and shoes would cost and he thought about getting coats too since it was getting colder so he had decided to take the money sack with him, so he was sure to have enough money.

He kept an eye open for the creepy man from the day before but didn't see him during the ten block walk to the second hand shop. He entered the shop with visions of Ethan dancing with delight over new shoes, a blanket and a coat. A toy! He could buy a toy as well!

"May I help you?"

The small boy frowned. The lady didn't sound like she really wanted to help him. She looked kind of angry. He pulled out some cash, having quickly learned that money talked and she suddenly seemed nicer. Josh didn't like her. In his way of thinking, somebody who worked in a store for poor people should like poor people, not be mad at them.

"I need a blanket and some shoes," he said.

"Well, go pick some out and bring them here to pay for them," snapped the lady. She turned her attention to the woman shopper at the counter. "May I help you?"

Josh growled as he walked down the aisle to find shoes. That lady wasn't nice. He sat down in the shoe aisle and started measuring shoes to his feet. Ethan's feet were smaller than his and about the same width, but he didn't want to get shoes too small. He settled on a pair of black trainers. Now socks! He moved down the aisle to find some socks for both of them and stuck the socks inside the shoes before starting to thumb through the coats.

He found two coats in fairly good shape that would fit him, so they'd be big enough for Ethan too. He balanced the two coats and the shoes as he walked towards the blankets. They were folded and stacked on a high shelf. He immediately spotted the one he wanted. He didn't care if it was frayed or even if it had a hole in it. It had dinosaurs on it and Ethan would love it. Well, he would too, but Ethan would really, really love it. He looked over to the cashier for help but she was reading a magazine and had already told him by her attitude that she wasn't going to help him.

Josh carefully set his treasures on a shelf and climbed up the shelving to reach the blanket, clinging to the post with one hand and stretching out to reach for the blanket. He clamped on to it, knowing he'd have to drop it on the floor to get it down.

"Get down from there!"

He almost fell as the woman startled him and climbed down, pulling the blanket with him.

"You should have asked for help."

He bit his lip. He wanted to yell that she wouldn't have helped him anyway, but knew that it wouldn't do any good.

She snatched the blanket, the coats and the shoes and socks. "I'll hold these up front for you."

Josh watched her cautiously, making sure she did set them on the counter for him; then he moved to the toys. He moved through the entire aisle three times before making his selections. He chose a stuffed toy horse and a ball, toys they both could use.

He took his selections to the counter and watched as the lady rang them up, however it wasn't until he had paid for them that he realised how awkward it would be to take them back to their hiding place. She didn't have a bag for them, so he'd have to figure out something. He smiled as it came to him, and unfolded the blanket, putting everything else on top of it and then carefully wrapping the blanket around the items so nothing would fall out of his makeshift bag.