Original Stories Fan Fiction ❯ Anywhere but Here ❯ Chapter Two ( Chapter 2 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a small pocket watch and opened it up, revealing a picture of his family in it. However, he didn't care about the picture. He was simply checking the time. "So, what do you generally do about this time?"

"I would be in school...like all kids."

"So you go to public school? With other people?"

"Yeah."

"What is that like? Being with other kids."

"Noisy and sometimes really upsetting. Kids my age are very cruel sometimes," she said.

"Cruel?" Images flashed in his mind. "What do they do?"

"They say mean things...lock you in lockers or tease you about your clothes..."

"Oh. That's not that mean," he shrugged. "Not compared to other things."

"I suppose. But living with that and my dad...it's not very happy."

"So people pick on you for being poor?"

"And other things. It doesn't matter anymore."

"Aright. Sorry. Dad always tells me that I'm too curious."

"I'm not use to having someone ask so many questions about me...usually no one cares."

"I'm naturally curious," he shrugged. "Especially when there's not much else to do. I wasn't expecting this trip to be so boring."

"I wasn't expecting it to be anything. I'm...just lucky to be on..."

"You didn't leave with any money at all?"

"I never had any money to leave with."

"What about your parents? You could have taken some from them. It's not like you'll have to see them."

"My dad keeps all his money in the bank and I don't have access. I never get money to spend and really...at the moment...I just wanted to run."

"I can understand that feeling," he said slowly.

They sat there talking about nothing really. She told him about bit about school and the books she liked to read. He told her about the places he had been to and his favorite restaurants.

"California is nice from what I remember. It's actually pretty amazing, though I will admit that I'm kind of disappointed to be going back. I'll have to keep a low profile. Some of the people that work for my dad leave there."

She nodded and yawned. "I don't really care about seeing much at the moment. I just want a job."

"Right. Job. Where you work and do things. You don't know what you actually do at a job, do you?"

"I do what they tell me to do. And I was already doing that before so getting paid is and up."

"Oh...right...that doesn't sound like fun."

She shrugged.

The three days passed quicker than he thought they would. And through it all, he had managed to rack up a pretty sizable bill, much more than he thought it would be. After paying it off, his briefcase felt a lot lighter. Still, he and Hayden and become fairly close, at least to the degree that people who traveled on a train and didn't know each other could be close. Fixing his coat and hat, he shuddered in the cold. "Well, I guess that this is goodbye then. Have fun at your shelter."

"When I start making money and saving, I'll pay back you..." she looked at the amount she calculated, "five dollars and six cent," she nodded.

"Where exactly are these shelters so I can find you?"

"Just ask around. That's what I'm going to do." She held out her hand to shake his.

He looked at her hand and smiled. Reaching out he took her hand and pulled her into a hug. "Take care, Hayden and please...uh...do not...spread your legs for money," he nodded, remembering what her father had supposedly said about how she was going to make money while away.

"Um...alright," she whispered stiffly. "Can you let me go now...please?"

"Huh? Oh...sure." He let her go and smoothed out his shirt. He needed a new wardrobe badly. He'd never worn the same thing twice, much less three days in a row.

After a wave to him, she hurried off. Hayden asked around and sure enough, she was pointed to a shelter, but she didn't go there, not at first. First she went looking for a job. She was in luck. She did find a factory and they honestly didn't care about who she was. They needed workers and she was hired as soon as she asked for a job. An hour later, she was being shown how to assemble some things on the line.

"So this is designer?"

The man who was fitting him with clothes nodded quickly. "Yes, sir, the finest we have in our store."

"Very well. I will take ten of them and some casual wear."

The man nodded and soon he was being checked out. More of his money disappeared, but at least he had some clothes to wear. Wearing his new outfit out, he sighed in comfort. Now for a place to stay. He knew that the luxury hotels were quite nice in this area. Smiling, he headed to one of his favorite locations and got their master suite. After paying in advance for a month, he got comfortable and relaxed in his king sized bed. Now this was the life!

For a full month, Hayen worked and stayed at the shelter. She saved every cent she had made and by the end of the month she had made a great deal. She even took up side jobs. She delivered flowers, worked as a waitress, and worked in a bakery. All the jobs came with uniforms and she got to eat what was left over from the restaurant she worked at, so she didn't have to worry about food or buying clothes. She was tired at the end of the day, but she was always smiling.

By the end of the month, Sai was not fearing nearly as well. He had hoped that he would be able to procure funds from some of his father's businesses around the city, and once he had enough he was going to disappear to another city until he could settle down. That, however, was not the case. It seemed that while his father wanted him back, he also wanted to teach him a lesson... a painful lesson. By the end of the month he was broke. No place would take him in and he was left on the street and on the run. Someone had figured out where he was staying and had tracked him down. Even now he was ducking down alleyways and running through God knows what trying to get away. Today was not going to end well....

Hayden stopped by the shelter and started passing out baked goods from her job. "I'm celebrating! I got my first apartment today!" Everyone cheered. After grabbing her bag, she said goodbye and started to her new apartment in her waitress uniform.

"Out of my way!" Sliding down a street corner, he all but slammed into the waitress who was blocking his way. Grabbing hold of her body, he twisted and slid across the wet pavement, pulling her down an alleyway. "I'm really sorry! But I don't have time to explain!" Clamping his hand over her mouth, he breathed hard, his body pressed against hers while men ran past. It was only once they were gone that he was able to breath somewhat easier. "Sorry! I didn't mean I mean...."

He blinked a few times as he examined the female that he was holding onto. "Hayden? Is that you?"

"Sai! Oh it's so good to see you!" She looked him over and frowned. "You...aren't doing so well are you? And you...kinda smell."

He sniffed his clothes and groaned. "No! I'm um...I'm doing really good," he smiled. "I just...had a bit of bad luck is all."

She took his hand. "Come on. You need a place to stay, I can tell. You are coming home with me and you could use a hot meal and hot shower." She pulled him along.

"Uh...but I..." He couldn't really protest seeing as how she was already dragging him along. He looked back, searching the crowds for those men, but he didn't see them.

She walked into a building then up to the top floor. She got into her apartment and pulled him in. It was very small. Three rooms. A bathroom, a kitchen, and a room that doubled as a bedroom and living room. "It's not much...but it's all I need. The bed comes out of the wall but I don't really have a need for a living room so I just keep it out. This is my first night here! All the sheets and blankets are new and my friends at work bought me kitchen things and clothes! I'm very lucky!"

She pulled him to the bathroom. "Go on and get a shower. I'll make you something to eat, ok?"

She closed the door and walked to her kitchen. Pulling out some things given to her from work, she started on a meal.

He stared at the cramped bathroom. How did this place pass regular building maintenance? He shook his head and examined the bathroom which was falling apart. This was hardly standard. In fact he was kind of afraid to be naked in this place. Still, he really couldn't argue against it. She was being nice...and it was free.... Slowly he slipped his clothes off and got in the shower. The warm water did feel good, even if it was a darkish color and kind of scared him. After a few minutes he got out and wrapped a towel around himself. "Um...my clothes are out there."

"Oh...well...I don't have anything for you to wear but I'll wash your clothes for you," she said and set a plate of pasta and bread on the table for him before going in the bathroom and hand washing his clothes.

This was...new. He shifted in the towel and looked down at the so called meal she had prepared for him. It looked something that had been dunked in grease, cooked in grease, and then had grease layered over it as a sauce. Still, if he wasn't so terribly hungry he would never even contemplate eating something like this. But his stomach growled in hunger, and though he knew this was going to come back and haunt him, he started to eat the disgusting meal.

After hand washing his clothes, she hung them up over the shower and walked out. Walking to the kitchen, she washed all the dishes and wiped everything down before finally grabbing some clothes and going to the bathroom for a shower. When she came out, she smiled at him and washed his plate. On the counter was a plate of cookies. "I made these at the bakery about five today. They are really good."

"Bakery? But I thought you worked at a pasta place," he said slowly. She did say that people from work had given her that food. Didn't she?

"I work at a bakery, at Ralies as a waitress, and the factory on 5th," she nodded. "So I get to take home what is left over at the end of the day. Which is most often than not a lot. And it's all good food but they just throw it out because they are told to." She grabbed a pillow from the bed and a blanket. They still had the creases in them from just being new. After putting them on the floor she set them up. "You can take the bed and I'll take the floor. Is there anything you need?"

"Umm...no, I think I'm fine. Thanks," he said slowly, eying her somewhat suspiciously. "Why...are you doing this?"

"Well...I owe you. And I don't think I would be very happy just leaving you out there." She curled up on the floor under the blanket.

"Right...." Slowly he laid down and curled up with the pillow and blanket. The girl was raped was now helping him. Tomorrow he needed to get out of here and figure out what he was going to do.

She was up before the sun in the morning. After getting dressed, she told him to meet her at the diner for something to eat at lunch. She then grabbed all her uniforms and went to the factory to work for a few hours before having to go to the diner.

Diner. He had been to one once or twice. Never to eat. It was so that his father could do his job. Far too many bad memories were associated with dinners and he shuddered at the thought. Once lunchtime came around, he slipped on his clothes and started for town, but not before making certain that his briefcase was safely tucked away inside her house where no one could find it. He had to ask people for directions to the diner, but sometime around lunch he managed to find it and slip into a booth in the back. The food there actually smelled really good. The hamburgers. Fries. Malts. His mouth watered just thinking about them.

A plate was place in front of him and a milkshake. Hayden slipped in the booth in front of him. "Hi. Hungry?"

"Yeah, starving," he admitted before diving into his plate of food. "How's work going?"

"Busy," she smiled. Someone pulled on her ponytail and she turned to the booth behind her. "Hi, John."

"Hey there, Hayden. What ya doin' sittin' down for?" he smiled. "Ain't ya got a job?"

She laughed. "I'm on my lunch break." She waved to the man across from him. "Hello, Harry."

"Hey there doll. We were hoping you would serve us today. Came all this way."

She nodded and slipped out of the booth. "What can I get you?"

They ordered and she smiled. Going to the cook she gave him the order then balanced some plates on her before bringing them back. "This looks great, doll."

He slipped her some money and she put it in her apron. After that she slipped back in front of Sai. "How is it?"

"It's a lot better than I expected," he told her. "It doesn't taste like grease at all, and the milkshake is really good."

She smiled. "I'm glad. I have to get back to work but if you want anything else just let me know." She got up and hurried back to work.

He sat there and watched as she danced about the room waiting on people. Didn't she find that demeaning? Having to serve other people just to get money? If she did, she didn't let on because she kept smiling throughout the entire thing. Maybe she was just happy to get away. So happy, that no price was too great to keep her freedom. He could understand that a little more. Just what would he do to keep his freedom?

After a few hours, she changed into her bakery uniform and hurried across the street. The smell hit her in the face and she smiled. She only worked at the bakery on certain days but it was her favorite. The owners were two little old ladies that loved her to death. Every time they made something new, they shoved it down her mouth. Leaning under them was a bonus as well. She was learning to bake the finest of things and when she went home at night she smelled like cookies and cake.

With nothing else to do after she left the diner, he followed her to the bakery. She was certainly busy wasn't she? Leaving from one job just to go to another. How did she have the strength to get up in the morning? He would be exhausted if he had to work that much.

"Try this, sweetie," one of the ladies said.

Hayden took a bite of the latest cupcake and moaned. "That is really really good!"

"Oh good, we'll put a dozen out and see if they sell."

Hayden moved to the front and smiled at the long line of people. The bakery was the best in town and everyone came at all hours of the day when it was open. It was why the ladies hired Hayden. The extra hands gave them a break.

He barely managed to slip past the group of people and off to the side. Leaning against the corner, he watched once more as she danced about. She mad work look like...fun. That was impossible, but there she was doing it. Even he was smiling with her as she worked.

At the end of her shift, the ladies ushered everyone out but Sai. "Oh! He's with me."

"Well well well," one of them said. "Is this your Bo?"

"My who?"

"Your sweetheart. Your love muffin. Your cherry on top. Your-"

"I think she has it, Dorena. What my friend means to ask is if your two are lovers."

"Sai? No! He's just a friend. I'm helping him," she smiled.

"Well, just in case," the noisy one said and started packing up some treats in a box. "Take the romantic stuff with you tonight. Chocolate strawberries. Cheesecake. And-"

"Dorena, the girl is going to get a sugar coma, let her leave already. She's been on her feet all day," the woman said and handed the box to Hayden. "You go straight home now and eat up with your friend."

Hayden smiled with a nod and walked out with Sai.

Sai waved to the ladies as he was pulled out of the store by Hayden. "They seemed really...odd, but nice." She nodded and showed him the way home. When they got there she set the box on the bed. Seeing as how this was the second night he was staying there, he figured that he might as well go ahead and state his intentions. "Tomorrow I will let you have your bed back," he promised. "I've decided from watching you that I need to get a job so I can have my own place."

"Well...it will take some time to earn the money for you to get a place. Until then, you can stay here. And from the looks of you...you don't have many skills so getting a job won't be easy because you are very high maintenance," she said. She opened the box of goodies and pulled out a strawberry.

"I can't help that I was brought up in a superior upbringing," he frowned, reaching for one of the sweet goodies and nibbling on it. "I have a taste for the finer things in life. There's nothing wrong with that. I have a higher education than most, so I'm certain that I can find a position worthy of my intellect."

"Ok," she shrugged while munching.

Now he was sufficiently irked. Really, he couldn't fathom why someone wouldn't hire him. He was well groomed and educated. They would surely pick him over someone like her any day. In the morning, she left the same note for him and went to the factory.

He picked at the burger and sighed, taking small bites, not feeling too terribly hungry. "I don't think they are," he said softly. "I mean, are you really going to be a waitress, factory worker, and bakery...baking person all your life? Or do you want more from it?"

"That's what saving is for," she smiled. She moved and sat next to him. "Listen, you have to start at the bottom to make it to the top. I bet your father or mother didn't make all that money on the first job. They worked up to being the best at what they do." She took his hand. "Hard work and dedication will get you somewhere a lot faster than expectations." She stood and came back placing a cherry on his shake. "And until you get on your feet, you'll have a meal here, a place to sleep, and someone to talk to." She gave him a wave and went back to work.

Hard work and dedication. Staring at his drink he let out a soft sigh and began to sip from it. Hard work.... He was never good at that. Hard work usually meant manual labor. Of course, he could just stay here and continue to mooch off of her generosity, but even though he was spoiled he wasn't that bad. While she was busy, he left and started walking down the street. What would Jeeves say in a situation like this?


"You master, an honest man's sweat is worth its weight in gold."

He stopped and chuckled at the thought. That was exactly what he would say. Always trying to make an honest man out of him. "Okay, Jeeves. I'll give it a try," he whispered to his phantom memory.