Nomad'er What

Part 1: A Theif's Knife Chapter 1: Shopping express

Part one: A thief's Knife

Chapter 1: Shopping express

Aileen's POV

My heart pounded as the smoky train missed me by a millisecond. A smug look found its way to my face. I won. I inspected my new knee high combat boots that I'd just stolen. The leather was soft and it had that new car smell. It was worth the effort.

Though I'd spent hours conjuring up my plan it had still been risky. If it weren't for the extra long express shopping train the cops would have me in cuffs by now. I'd calculated that, according to my expensive looking watch I pick-pocketed last week, I had about 6.82minutes to ditch this place before the cops could reach it. Better beat it.

I returned to the bridge in the forest. It was wooden and it had rotted and broken, but since the river here dried out it was never repaired and forgotten by society, just like me. Though it was damp and couldn't keep out the cold, it offered shelter and protection by isolation and that was all I could ask for.

I unlaced my old worn-out boots and put the new ones on. A rush of mixed emotions overcame me as I realised that Pierce was late. He is quite often; I don't know why I bother to worry. Pierce is my best friend, well... only friend...since I was nine. We met in the heart of the grimy city, three months after my father kicked me out. I suffered malnutrition and a terrible infection, a bad flu, as well as many cuts and bruises. I could barely walk. Pierce found me and took me in. He was the youngest of four boys. Their parents abandoned them in a shifty neighbourhood, so he'd practically grown up on the street. One by one his brothers left, either to get jobs or were paying time in the jailhouse. At least that's what i was able to conclude from the small information I'd gathered over they years, he doesn't really like to talk about his siblings or his past and that was okay because neither did I.

I looked at my watch. He's later than usual. I don't know why I expected him to be early for my birthday, I just hope he remembers. I know it's superficial and we both agreed to leave stuff like that behind, but it's my sweet sixteen and how hard it is to remember a date and say happy birthday to a specific person on that date? Just after this thought dribbled from my clouded head I heard a husky voice from behind me.

"Happy birthday," Pierce tossed something heavy at me. I caught it easily.

"Thief, where did you get this?" I asked. It was a purple Swiss army knife equipped with the latest gadgets, like a nailfile. I can't help but wonder how necessary it really was? Like how many people are in dire need of nailfiles that they equip their knives with them? And how many domesticated people need to carry a knife on them at all? Either way it was the best gift I'd gotten for a birthday so far.

"It turns out people will do anything to keep certain things a secret," he winked.

"Thought we weren't gonna worry about things like birthdays anymore?" I teasingly challenged him. Though Pierce acted like it was nothing, I knew how much trouble he'd gone to. No one just hands over goods, not to my knowledge at least.

"I got dumplings for dinner." Pierce presented the food. The Chinese take out place down the road gives away all the unsold dumplings of the day, their way of promoting how fresh their food is. For us it means one less meal to steal. Once we'd eaten our shares of food we stored the rest in a rusty soup can. "Killer footwear," Pierce nodded at my boots

"They better be. I almost died for them." I fiddle with the lace. It was meant to be a joke but, it came out too serious.

"Wow talk about expression coming to life," Pierce shook his head. "That train skit of yours won't last. If you don't eat train dust, then you'll be eating jail food and a pricey fine." I know it should bother me, but weirdly it fills me with warmth when Pierce says things like this. I guess it's just because it's nice to have someone in the world that cares more about me and my safety than I do. It's touching really, especially in my world where I am constantly relying on my own wits and physical strength to get by. I just like to know that I'm not totally alone.

+ + +

I curled my toes and swore i heard a crunch I attempted to defrost them it's not even winter yet and my breath was already clouding up my vision. It's true what they say: times are getting tougher, but I think I have a different meaning than 'they' do. It's time to move somewhere warmer, closer to the city. The only problem is that Pierce hates cities. He says they're too crowded, too busy, too easy, but I think that the real reason for his hatred is that the city intimidates him.

I set out to steal what probably seems ludicrous, some books. After you've run around stealing necessities you have way too much free time. I like to read and I refuse to stop learning despite my homeless status. I was well educated up to the time I was kicked out, so I'm literate. Pierce on the other hand isn't. I tried to teach him, but he prefers to play cards with Greg and Ross, two homeless brothers a couple of blocks from the public library, which apparently is only public to those who have homes. I started reading again about two months nago when I stole a high school student's back pack which turned out to have a sandwich and a banana in it, two text books, writing paper and pens, not to mention that the bag itself is big enough to hold all my belongings. The steal was a total success.

The two text books were on science and math. I read the science text book in three days. I don't know why it takes school students a year to learn. Indoor areas must make you dumb or something. I'll have to steal a medical book and look it up. I just finished the maths book. It was rather dull, but not terrible. I don't know how, when or where you need to know and use half the theoretical problem solving abilities taught in this book. I want to read about history and I want to learn geography too, and I plan to do so through the 'public' library.

The public library is busiest on a Wednesday between 1600 and 1700, so this morning I'm going to switch my old school books with some random ones. Preparation for my plan is a go. I went to the Laundromat and stole a pink girl's uniform and then stole a pink beach bag from a magazine stand. I've put on the uniform which feels two sizes too small and stuffed the bag with my two text books, an exercise book, lunch box and army knife, just in case.

Its 1530 and I'm making my way down the street past the library. I chose the first person I saw and charged into him. Our books scattered on the floor in a pile.

"Sorry." I mutter, too busy picking up my books and his to care whether or not he even heard me.

"That's ok." He said as he fiddled with the left over books. I started to walk away but something made me look back.

I wish I hadn't.