The Sidewalk Where It All Started (A BVB Love series book 2)

Chapter Four Going To Work

(Lily)

Rolling my neck I took a couple minutes to breathe before I tried to figure out how I was going to sneak out the store after I got changed. It wasn’t hard to sneak those candy and protein bars into my bag. Standing in a stall I ripped open the bars sticking them into zip lock bags that I had hidden at the bottom before finally ripping the bags and boxes up and into the mini trash can.

​​Walking out of the stall I sat my bag on the sink and switched my brown tee shirt out for a black tank top keeping my ears on alert. If someone saw me they would call the cops for sure and I had barely escaped that one yesterday. Stripping my body of my shirt I couldn’t help but stare at my body.

​​I was so skinny.

​​You could see my collar bones, my ribs were sticking out and there was barely any fat on me. It was horrible, disgusting, a complete and utter turn off.

​​It was me.

​​Swallowing my pride down I put the shirt on and brushed my teeth and hair trying to look decent. It was all easier said than it was done. My jeans, the only pair I had, had huge holes at the knees and thighs. My once white sneakers were greyish brownish due to the never ending dust and were coming apart. And brushing your hair with your fingers only got the knots out; I wasn’t getting it styled anytime soon.

​​Turning the water tabs I tested the water before filling up the three water bottles that currently sat on their sides empty. I applied a small amount of sunscreen to my face and arms before capping the bottles. I couldn’t wear my jacket, even though there were plenty of holes in it, I would pass out because I got heat stroke.

​​Shaking my head I cracked my knuckles and back, slipped my hair into a ponytail and put my tattered green and blue baseball cap on. I walked out of the bathroom with everything back into my backpack. Not seeing any workers I skillfully walked out the back entrance and ran to where I hid my guitar case.

​​I couldn’t calm down until I was walking down the street heading to the place where I played. Not a lot of people walked around in Arizona because of the heat, but there were those who walked around in the early morning before it got too hot out and too cold out at night. Some people enjoyed getting some fresh heat I guess. Flipping my case open I settled in front of the door and sat down on the cool cement getting ready to play almost nonstop.

​​***

​​Three dollars, some lose change and a granola bar later.

​​My fingers hurt; my palms were blistering once again. The heat made everything that I wore, including my hair, sickly stick to my body. And I was only five hours into playing.

​​Sipping some water I closed my eyes and cracked my knuckles. It was only one in the afternoon; it had to be hotter than hell by now. It was days like this that made me hate my decision on coming back to Arizona.

​​I’ll I wanted in this minute was a breeze, a nice cool breeze to take the heat off even if it was just for second.

​​The bells attached to the store door jingled announced the warning of Dragon Lady. Dragon Lady was the owner of the shop that I sat in front of. In my opinion, she had no soul. Her voice was like a viper, no pity or sympathy what so ever. Dragon Lady yelled at me whether there were people standing around us or when it was night out and I was getting ready to leave.

​​Carefully putting the money away in a pocket in my backpack that had no holes, I was getting ready to put my guitar away when I heard a thump. Inside my case was not my guitar, but one of the sandwiches that Dragon Lady sold in her shop. Staring at it I could see that it was one of her meat subs. Ham, turkey, peperoni and salami and, oh sweet Jesus, bacon.

​​There were beautiful strips of bacon hiding under the cheese.

​​Looking up I saw that it wasn’t Dragon Lady but a young girl. Black hair framed her face with grey eyes so bright it was almost scary. A pale complexion stood out from the dark clothing she wore, and her red painted lips turned up into a smile before walking across the street not letting me utter a sound.

​​With shaky hands I reached for the heavenly goodness and started to slowly eat half a quarter of it. I closed my eyes and let the flavors ignite my taste buds before taking another bite, then another, and another until I stopped myself. This was rare and I had to be careful not to waste a single crumb.

​​Even if all I wanted to do was eat it right now.

​​Picking my guitar up I focused on that girl determine to thank her the next time I saw her. I couldn’t help but wonder why though. She so didn’t know me and didn’t have to go out of her way to buy me food. I know when I was seventeen, she had to be no more than that, if I had seen a homeless person I would have been scared and walked the other way.

​​But that was before it happened.

​​Now I am homeless, I see other people like me and I’m on first name bases with some.Now that I think about it, they’ve never had this happen to them before and they’ve lived this life for much longer than I have.

​​With a stomach full, not even mean Dragon Lady couldn’t ruin my mood. It was all because of that girl, that nice and caring girl.

​​I smiled, nobody these days would expect a girl, wearing black and looked like she had an interest in rock bands, would do something so nice. They would expect the girl in white with blond hair to do it. It was ironic, those who lived in the dark had light in them, and those who lived in the light, had darkness in them.

​​It’s like finding that stupid needle in a haystack. You know it’s there, but you can never find it yourself. It has to surprise you.