Jasmin

Chapter 1

(Song; Stay by Zedd, Alessia Cara)

Eight and a half years later, Large city almost a thousand kilometres south.

"Hey Jasmine, wait up." I hear behind me as I walk along the asphalt pathway towards downtown. I turn sideways and cock my hip to one side as I feel a smile slide across my face.

"Sally, Hey. Back from vacation I see?" My best friend Sally, 14 years old and so excited her long dark hair is still bouncing in her pony tail. Short bangs make her face look older, and I see her parents finally let her get a third set of earrings, or maybe two and a half, as I see one side only has two earrings. The tan she got from flying down to the beach making the skin of her bare arms and legs her glow. She is still running up to me and grabs my shoulders as I brace myself so we both don't topple onto the grass beside the pathway. We are standing in a shady spot with lots of trees everywhere, before a curve that will lead to a local park that will have tons of teenagers enjoying their last few free days.

"Well yeah I had to get back for your birthday, and the beach was cold, I love this place, freezing cold in winter and so hot and sunny in summer all the boys barely wear anything but long shorts. The boys on the beach always seemed to be covered in t-shirts and stuff and the salty air reeked havoc with my hair. Come on lets go walk." We link hands, her bare arms around my sweater encased one. My sneakers and jeans with missing knees walk beside her long legs ending in bejewelled sandals.

"I am not celebrating my birthday, you know that my aunt never does much." I notice how pale my skin is, the few freckles orange to her golden colouring. Her long flowing ponytail is sexy compared to the super short pixy cut I keep my ginger hair in. Long hair is so hard to keep cool and clean, short and you don't even need shampoo, just soap. My only drawback it sunburn, so I wear my hoodie everywhere, even in this ridiculous heat.

"Heading to the skate park I see. You came back to check on Roger and Justin didn't you?" I tease.

"Well yah, you think this shirt looks good?" Sally lets go of my arm to twirl around. The purple tank and shorts look great on her and shows her bright red bra strap just the way I know wanted. She just likes to show as much skin as she can some days. I tell her not to attract trouble but she just likes how boys look at her, I really cant blame her for enjoying the attention and I don't blame the boys for always seeing her instead of me. Sally has the whole package, long tan legs, pretty face, and the confidence to match. Total powerhouse. I am happy to be left in the shadows.

"You know you can wear something better than that old sweater, its too hot out." Sally points out. I am sweating a bit more than is polite.

"I forgot to shave, Sally." A good excuse, and one I have used often to explain the heavy garment during summer, so it slips out quick.

"What did you do without me these last few weeks, come on Sasquatch." She sighs, we turn back the block and a half to Sally's place. She lives a close five minute walk to where I stay, its a pretty ritzy neighbourhood that backs along the river valley. Her place is really big, two car garage out front, big back yard and more peaks and valleys on the roof than anyone would ever need.

I quickly shave in the upstairs bathroom she shares with her brother. Sally yells through the bathroom door to make sure I get my legs too. "I have a great shirt and skirt set for you to borrow. Tomorrow we are shopping for school clothes, that sweater is two years old now and way to hot to wear in the summer. Toss it!"

"I like that sweater" I groaned back. As I get dragged into Sallys giant upstairs bedroom, it was great to have a quick shower. Its been almost a week since I had the money to slip into a local swimming pool to clean up. If I don't keep an eye on my sweater though Sallys gonna pitch it.

I was so excited when I found it in the fall two years ago. I was walking home at sunset when I spotted it on a bench close to my site. I quickly brought it to my nose to see if it was ok to wear. It smelled great, kinda musky, think it must of belonged to some guy who was running along the path, he must of forgotten it, I will be sad if Sally makes it disappear.

...

After spending all afternoon with Sally at the park hanging out with a few others from school, it starts getting late and everyone heads home to supper and I know her parents are great and would readily invite me, but I told Sally that I need to get going soon myself. I kinda ate a lot with the Prints family when me and Sally became friends over four years ago. I don't want to keep imposing on their gracious attitude. The Prontis' are great parents, her mom works at a travel agency as a secretary and gets them wonderful vacations, and her father a big wig in an insurance company downtown. The couple even tolerate the stray their daughter brings home all the time in old clothes and with no money. They took me to my first movie theatre, and to some amusement park with Sally when we were younger. I hang out with Sally all the time and they are so nice. I cant let them see who I really am and so now that I am older I am super careful in what I say, they rarely give me weird looks anymore and don't question my past. I am super grateful for the whole family. Even Josh, Sally's older brother is nice in an annoying older brother way. But now I am careful to only stay a few times a month for supper or a sleepover.

I head towards the city centre and think about my stomach. I know the soup kitchen is closed by now so I pass by a few restaurants and head to the alley to see what I can find. Bingo, chicken stir fry and half a cheese burger. Some days the world just smiles at you.

I jump onto the transit system and hope they don't ask for my monthly pass as I didn't get one for the summer. I am lucky. To get to my site I end up passing my "Aunt's" place. In an older section of town than Sally's though only ten city blocks away, Grettas' house is smaller, only a two bedroom with a crawlspace for a basement. The old brown paint is peeling and her shingles are curling up, the house has seen better days. A little blue car sits parked outside the curb of the little house. Her granddaughter is still around for a bit, I hope she watered the garden today as I just walk by.

Gretta's granddaughter knows nothing about me and I am gonna keep it that way. Gretta will keep my secret but not her girl Pat, a 32 year old police secretary who comes by every summer with her little boys to look after the old woman. I know she is starting to worry about something happening as Gretta is really getting up there in age. Last winter Pat came and stayed a week at Christmas too, that was cutting it close as she gave no notice and I had to sneak in once to grab my extra clothes and homework, thank goodness Gretta hid them before Pat or the boys saw anything that didn't belong. That old woman is as sharp as a tack.

My site is just down the walking path at the end of Grettas cul-de-sac. Its a great site and I was quick to grab it five years ago, and always leave it partially set up even in winter so no one else can move in. Homelessness isn't big in this city but its always there, being young was hard but finding Gretta four and a half years ago was a godsend. A warm bed most winter days and getting put into a school has made being normal was so much easier to fake.

Up the hill after the bench and through the trees about 2 minutes into the woods was my campsite. Great big leafy shade trees like; aspen, basswood and elm, keeps it kinda cool in the hot summer and the evergreens keeps the snow low in the area so that my tent doesn't get buried and I can still get around up here for when I have to vacate Gretta's quickly and it is a warm enough snap in the winter that I don't have to find a shelter. My job has allowed me to upgrade my tent so it is now large enough for my sleeping bag and a bag of clothes and my backpack with room for to the cardboard insulation for fall that I already gathered and am waiting to be put up. The area is just a tent, I have a 'bathroom' spot for emergencies a few feet behind, but I try to use the public rooms as much as I can.