Drop Dead.

Looking across the alley way, I lock eyes with Tee. His eyes are just as my own, darkening with the realization of what we’re about to do. But we have to do this, to survive we must do the illegal. We have to do what most people would call unacceptable.

Nodding, we both pull down our masks and flip up our hoods. Quietly, we move down the alley way, blending in with the shadows from our years of experience. Every time she looks back, we duck and she doesn’t even realize that we’re right behind her until it’s too late.

She screams just as Tee comes in contact with her, causing her to drop her things. I reach down to grab them and bolt. From behind me, I can hear her screams and shouts of being mugged but Tee and I ignore the all too familiar sound and keep at our constant running until we’re down a few blocks and far enough away.

Huffing and puffing, Tee and I slam our backs against the cool brick wall of some random building. The two of us fall to the ground and I rip open the ladies purse. Tee chuckles as he pulls out the tampons and I roll my eyes at his maturity level. Just because we’re homeless and don’t have a high school education doesn’t mean he has to act like that…fucking dumb ass.

I keep the miscellaneous things and when I finally find the wallet, both of us grin. I pull out a fifty and a ten. Tee shouts with excitement, “Fuck yeah! Sixty bucks to spend. I’m so fuckin’ hungry, man, you have like no idea.”

Nodding in agreement, I get to my feet along with Tee and toss the purse into the nearest dumpster. The two of us go to the closest store we can find where we get as much food as we can. On the way back we’re shoving it down our throats.

People stare at us strangely, some sympathetic and some angry. I scowl and take a menacing step towards a man who dares scoff at the sight of me. He jumps off the sidewalk when I snarl like a rabid animal in his direction.

Jackasses like him piss me the fuck off. Just because I look like I haven’t bathed in a week,I really need a bath, and I don’t live in a fancy place like you doesn’t mean that I’m worthlessalthough I pretty much am. Fuckers. One day, I’ll teach them what it’s like to fend for their lives daily. One day, I’ll make them all realize what it’s like to be me.

I go day by day without knowing when my next meal will be. I don’t know when I’ll be able to take a bath or get a good nights rest. I don’t know if I’m even going to wake up in the morning or if I’m going to survive the winter, or even the next year. I don’t know anything for sure because everything is just gone to shit and it has been for five mother fucking years.

Yes, I’m tired of this life but I can’t leave it. Where can I go? To the system. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, never. I’ll never go back to that shit hole. Prince and I left that place for a reason. It’s ten times worse than this but sometimes…

Sometimes I wish I could have a normal family like everyone else. I want to be able to sleep at night knowing that I won’t get stabbed in my sleep or my small amount of belongings stolen. I want to wake up, covered in blankets and surrounded by fluffy pillows. All I want is a life, a home where I can have everything I need, like endless food, water, and baths.

Sighing, I follow Tee without hesitation back to our home. He’s talking to me about something that I don’t really care about. Lazily, I look around me at all the people passing us by. I can’t help but think how lucky they are to be where they are.

I wonder where I’d be now if I stayed in the system…

“Umph!” My body comes in contact with Tee and I stumble backwards. Growling, I go to shout at him for stopping so suddenly when I realize he’s staring straight ahead with wide, slightly frightened eyes. I rest a hand on his shoulder and slowly look towards whatever he’s staring at and when I see what that thing is, my face matches his.

Parked before the warehouse is an unfamiliar car. Tee and I back up into the alley way and stare across the street at the run down, graffiti covered building that we’ve lived in for so long along with the black escalade before it. Maybe Tee and I wouldn’t be so shocked if the car wasn’t so fancy looking but in this kind of town no one risks driving something like that.

“Who da fuck is that?” Tee asks, concerned, as both of us watch a man step out of the vehicle. He’s wearing a pair of fancy pants and a plain white t-shirt. His hair is a short light brown and his skin is tanned. Parked just behind him is Janet and Terry, who smile and walk up to him. I watch their lips as they speak and try to decipher what they’re saying but I’ve never been good at it so I give up immediately.

“Why the hell would they bring someone here!” Tee scowls and he looks back at me with wide eyes. “That fucker is gonna tell on us ain’t he?”

I grind my teeth together angrily and glare across the street to the stranger. Who the fuck is he and why the hell is he here? Janet and Terry know better than to bring outsiders here! What the hell are they thinking, if they’re thinking at all those fucking pieces of shit.

I take a step back just as Janet looks our way. She smiles and waves for us to come over but as soon as the new comer looks our way, I bolt. There is no way in hell I’m letting him see me. What if he turns us in to the cops? I can’t go back. No fucking way.

My feet carry me away through the familiar streets of down town. I’ve lived, I’ve roamed, I’ve explored these streets. I know them like the back of my hand, possibly better, so I know exactly where I am after running until my thighs sting and lungs burn.

Gasping for air, I come to a stop at the courts. I listen to the neighborhood kids laugh, joke, and enjoy themselves while shootin’ hoops. Cackling, they all push each other around and I lean against the rusted fence.

From the corner of my eyes, I watch a drug dealer. Out of the other corner, I watch a mother walk down the street hand in hand with her child. It’s crazy, this place but it’s home, I guess.

After the sun falls from its high point in the sky, I begin heading back. When I return the Escalade along with Janet and Terry are gone. I sigh in relief and go inside to talk with Tee, who claims that the man simply helped Terry and Janet hand things out before leaving. He did nothing suspicious.

“He said he’s gonna come again though,” Tee grumbles angrily, twisting his shirt between his fingers. “You think we can trust ‘em?”

“No,” is my automatic reply and it will always be my reply because you can’t trust anyone. Not in this world.