21 July 2042
They walked hand in hand together to Louis’ house. Niall was looking around to their surrounds, taking in the new part of the slums he’s never been to before. He has always stayed close to where all the junk are put and never anywhere else from that point. His mother never brought him because she was too busy, his brother had to go to school and his father was never around – he never knew him.
It’s kind of sad being all by himself since his family is nowhere to be found. One day he was walking around the slums, then when he came back, his mother and brother were long gone, all of their things were missing, and the only thing that was left was a note saying ‘I love you always. Stay out of trouble’ and a little to eat and his bed. Niall thrashed everything in his room and screamed to the top of his lungs until the Vanted, the new name for the policemen, started banging on his front door, demanding him to open it. He didn’t know what else to do than to just run, just like what the note said.
And ever since then, he’s been on his own. He tried begging everyone for change or for food or at least some clothes and shoes, but no one ever minded him. He isn’t the only child on his own; there were many children and adults on the streets nowadays. Either they were too broke to pay their taxes or they just didn’t have the energy to do any work. Niall is uneducated so he doesn’t really understand what has happened over the past few years for this to happen.
~*~
Passing up a couple of blacks and a few hello’s to Louis’ neighbors, the kids went inside to Louis’ home. Louis’ mother and father aren’t there yet, probably at work still.
“So Niall, what do you want to eat?” Louis asked, walking in the kitchen with Niall in tow.
Niall shrugged his shoulders. “It doesn’t matter.”
Louis looked at the young boy; skin and bones, no type of meat on his body. Must have been starving for a long time for him to be looking like that. Louis shook his head at that thought and went through the cabinets for the skinny boy to eat. He finally found a pack of noodles. He brought out a stool for him to stand on, got a bowl from another cabinet where he and his family put the plates and the cups at. Once he grabbed the bowl, he took the noodles out of its pack, put them in the bowl, filled it with water and put in the microwaves for about two minutes. While waiting, Louis decided to talk with this new friend of his.
“So, how old are you?” Louis asked.
“I’m eight. And you?”
“Ten.”
“Cool.”
Silence.
“Do you like playing football?”
“I never learned how. I only watch the other kids play.”
“Well, maybe I could teach you one day.”
“Thanks.”
Then the microwave went off. Louis got off of the chair he was sitting on, got the hot bowl from the microwave and got a fork for Niall to eat with. With the bowl in front of him, Niall dug into the new meal he hasn’t eaten for a long, long time. And Louis just watched as the young boy devoured his meal. He has never seen anyone in his young life eat something like they had never ate a single meal in their life. But Niall is homeless… and Louis wants to fix that.
“Hey Niall.” Louis said and Niall hummed, letting him know that he was listening. “So, you don’t have a home?”
Niall stopped eating, his fork lifted in the air in front of his mouth but never entering it. Why would Louis ask him such a question? He already told him his sad story and he wants to repeat it? Why?
So Niall just shook his head no and slowly began eating his food again.
“Well, since you don’t have a home, why don’t you just stay with me instead of living on the streets?”
Niall’s head snapped up so quickly, Louis thought he could have snapped his neck all by himself.
“Really? I could stay?” Niall asked.
“Yes you can Bones.” Louis replied, smiling.
“Bones?”
“Yeah, Bones. Your new nickname for me.”
“Why do I need a nickname? Just call me Niall.”
“Well I don’t want to. So from this day forward, you are not only my friend, but you are my brother and my helping hand.”
Louis held out his hand and Niall took it. They both made a legacy, an oath that they would always stay together, stick for one another, have each other’s back no matter what. Louis will take care of Niall like he was his younger brother. Niall would do whatever it takes to make Louis smile.
They both had a job to do and they knew they had to work hard. And in the end, it paid off.
