Fan Fiction ❯ Run away ❯ Someone New ( Chapter 5 )

~~Chapter 5: Someone New…~~

The days passed and the temperatures got lower and lower. Her jeans were officially trash from being worn for days on end. Andy walked down the dark dank alleys in search of some back door to a restaurant she could steal some food from. She had gotten especially sneaky at stealing, since she stole almost all of her food. She still had her twenty dollars, but she didn't want to spend it. She was saving it for the day that the weather became to bitter and cold and she had to buy a hotel for the night, knowing that one night was all she could afford. She sniffed back a fresh wave of tears from just thinking about her situation. I'm fifteen, officially homeless, penniless; I haven't been home for two weeks, not to mention school. I wonder if anyone even notices besides my father. I wonder if they care. I haven't seen anything in flyers or trash mail about me, so, I don't think they're too worried. She sniffed again, mentally slapping herself for thinking about it again. I have to stay strong; I can't think about things like that, it'll break me. She shoved her chin out in determination and shivered slightly when a chilly breeze bit at her skin. As she walked aimlessly, she bumped shoulders with a guy.

"I'm so sorry, I wasn't watching where I was going." She blurted out to the man. He looked at her with eyes full of compassion as he stared at her state of self.

"Are you ok?" he asked completely brushing aside her apology. She shrugged her shoulders and turned to leave. "Wait. Where do you live? You look terrible, you need to get home so you don't get sick." She cast her eyes down at the concrete sidewalk.

"I don't have a home." She blinked back the tears that threatened to fall. She heard him sigh slightly and then saw him pull out his wallet.

"Here, take it. It's not much, but get yourself a hotel room or something. You can't just live on the streets. I'm sure someone is out there looking for you." She with drew her hands and shoved them into her grungy pockets and turned to leave, leaving the man holding out his money. "Hey, Please." He said as he pushed through the crowd to her. "Look, just take it. I don't care what you spend it on, I'd prefer if you bought a room but… just take it please." He pulled her hand out of her pocket and placed the twenty in her hand. She looked at him with thankful eyes.

"Thank you but I can't. It's not right." She moved to give him back the twenty. He shook his head and shoved his wallet in his pocket.

"Look miss…"

"Andy, my name is Andy."

"Look, Andy, it's either you take the twenty and go buy yourself a room or I get really pissed off." He said smiling at her. She laughed lightly and looked down at the twenty clutched in her grubby hand.

"Thanks Mister."

"My name is, Matt. And don't worry, I'm happy to help." She turned and started walking down the street towards the empty building she now called home. Unknown to her, she was followed. She felt the little hairs on the back of her neck stand up as if she was being watched, and looked around for the set of eyes that were upon her. Seeing nothing she brushed it off and went into the building for the night. The night was cold and she hardly had anything to keep warm with so she slept very little and even when she did, she dreamt of happy faces and laughter, things she didn't have any more and wanted desperately. When she jerked awake the next morning she walked to the door of the building and opened it to walk outside to find breakfast when she nearly kicked over a bag and a drink. She bent down and opened the bag and found a Styrofoam container holding a small breakfast meal. She looked around for the owner of the food and didn't see any one. She shrugged and took the food in reluctantly. Inside she found a small note:

Andy,

Hope this is enough and that you like it. From a helpful stranger.

She racked her brain for who could have left her food, no one knew where she was staying and if they did, they didn't know her by name. The only person she could think of was that guy who gave her the money yesterday, but he hadn't seen her, for all he knew, she was snuggled inside some warm motel. She ate the food cautiously and drank the warm coffee thankfully. She smiled thinking about how nice it was to have some help even if she didn't know who was helping her. Wow, how pathetic, that was best meal I've eaten since I left home. Picking up her tattered jeans, she looked at them with sad eyes. These are tattered and not repairable. But they're all I have. She threw them on and walked around town, aimlessly. The day passed uneventfully, and soon she found herself out front of a window of a happy family eating dinner together, laughing and smiling. They don't know how lucky they are. She wiped at her eyes and walked back to the abandoned building. When she got there she saw another bag at the door step. She puzzled over it again as she ate. Who keeps giving me food? Soon after she fell asleep.

~~Five minutes before Andy walked up to her door~~

Matt crept slowly to the old door and placed the little bag of food down. It's not much…but at least I'll know she's eaten something. What is such a beautiful young girl doing out in the dark back alleys of the bad part of town? She must have a home or at least a family that is looking for her. Shrugging off his wayward thoughts he crept towards his car to make sure she came back and was able to take the food.

~~Time elapse~~

The days passed and she continued to wake to find little bags with small meals inside, along with small meals later in the evening. She came to be used to it, and was grateful to this mysterious helper. Throwing out her old jeans and dawning the only other piece of clothing she had, her white mini skirt, she thought about buying new ones, when she ran into Matt. She kept running into Matt, many times a day. And after she saw him she would quickly turn and continue down the street. It went on like this for about a week. One night after Andy was finished eating the food, she lie down and fell asleep, ready for a good nights sleep.