I Guess I Need My Life to Change
Three
"Hey Lady, are you okay?" young Joshua asked poking the girl lying under the bench at the park where he played. Her clothes were tattered, torn and fitly. Her dark hair was bunched in a bun on top of her head and her arms were covered in scrapes and bruises. The girls eyes slowly fluttered open and she stared at Josh. She had dark rings under her eyes showing many nights without sleep. Mascara and eyeliner were smudged all around her eyes, giving her the look of a raccoon in the shadows on the bench. She had two piercing on her lips, which looked infected and Josh guessed that she did them herself. She smiled weakly at Josh and he noticed for someone homeless she had incredibly white teeth. Josh's dog Patches ran up beside him and started licking his face, Josh giggled and the girl looked scared. She started sliding back under the bench.
"It's alright" Josh called out grabbing the girls hand "He won't hurt you" The girl looked doubtful, but crawled out from under the bench and stared at Patches. He stared right back at her; the girl reached out her hand to pet him but quickly brought it back to her body when Patches moved. Josh guessed that the girl had been hurt by an animal before and was just being cautious. And then he noticed her scar, a big thick line from the middle of her forehead, across her right eye, and down her cheek. The girl reached out her hand once again and this time, pet Patches on the head. He barked happily and wagged his tail, the girl smiled and continued stroking the dogs head. Josh stared at the girl for a minute. From the look of her clothes and body she had been living in the park for quite sometime. She was skinny to the point where she looked unhealthy; her arms were thin and covered by a ratty old red sweater. The jeans she had on, which at one point were blue, were stained with mud and torn in many places.
"What's your name?" Josh asked the girl. She looked at Josh in an odd way, as if she didn't know what he was talking about.
"Your name," Josh said again. "Like, my name is Josh, and this is Patches." The girl smiled. "What can I call you?" The girl looked around for a moment. She looked down at her sweater and pointed to the front of it. Josh looked at the familiar Bart-Skull symbol.
"Clandestine?" He asked and the girl nodded. "Your name is Clandestine?" The girl thought about this for a moment and then nodded. "Alright," Josh smiled, "But can I call you Callie for short?" The girl smiled and nodded her head.
"Do you want something to eat?" Josh asked the girl, and she nodded excitedly. "Want to come home with me!" Josh exclaimed "You can meet my brother Faber, he takes care of me and Patches. It's not far from here I can show you. Where's your house?"
The girl smiled and motioned to the bench.
"You live in the park?" He asked her and she nodded. "Well then you have to come home with me. It's December 21st today, the first day of winter, youll freeze!"
As if by some coincidence after Josh finished talking snow slowly began to fall. The girl began to slide back under the bench.
"Please come with me. I can help you with your cuts and scrapes and get you some clean and warm clothes at least." Josh pleaded with her. Not only that but it had been so long since his brother had a girl over, and since their parents died he missed the company. The girl looked around as if for an escape but saw nothing, she pulled herself back out from under the bench and stood up. She began to shiver in the cold and Josh took off his hat and mittens and gave them to her. She smiled and put them on. Josh took her hand in one hand and Patches leash in the other and began to walk home.
They reached a small brick house at the end of the main road. The girl looked scared and Josh squeezed her hand.
"You can be my big sister." He said happily, and the girl smiled. Josh opened the door and walked into the house, he called for Patches and he ran in too. "Don't be scared," Josh said reaching out his hand, the girl took it and walked into the house.
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The girl was mesmerized by the warmth of the house, it had been so long since she was in a house 6 maybe 7 months she had lived on the street. Once bitten twice shy, too many times she had so narrowly escaped Pimps trying to recruit her, police trying to arrest her, animals attacking her. She had gotten quite cautious about the people who spoke to her, not that she ever spoke back. She seemed to have forgotten how to speak, it was a meaningless gesture for someone homeless, you were so rarely talked to that it wasn't uncommon to go mute. But when the little boy, Josh was his name, said something about Faber. Something in her memory sparked. Maybe it was her imagination, maybe she knew him in her former life. Not that she remembered much about that, she had run away and that's where her memory stopped. She didn't even remember how she got the scar on her face, her fingers traced it lightly and she winced.
"Faber, I'm home!" Josh called out pouring food into Patches dish.
"Ok good." A voice called out "I'm in the Living Room, come get some dinner"
The girl looked nervous at the sound of a new voice but Josh assured her everything would be fine. "Come with me" he said grabbing her hand. Josh tugged the girl into the living room. There was another boy sitting on the couch eating what looked like a slice of pizza, although it was oddly shaped.
"Did you feed Patches?" The boy asked turning around he looked oddly at the girl and then looked to Josh. "Josh who is this?"
"Faber this is Clandestine, Callie for short. I found her in the park. Can I keep her?"
"Josh," Faber said rubbing his temples, "You can just take a person home like a stray dog."
"But she needs a home." Josh defending still holding onto the girl's hand. "She has no family, she has no one. How would you like to be her?" Josh questioned his brother. "You have me, and I have you and Patches. But Callie has no one. Please?"
Faber dropped his guard and hugged his brother. "You know for a 12 year old you're pretty persuasive." He laughed
"So she can stay?" Josh asked giddily
"I suppose she can sleep on the couch."
"Nonsense she can stay in my room. Hear that Callie!" Josh exclaimed happily. "You can stay with us."
The girl smiled and nodded her head.
"Come with me," Faber said, "I'll get you some clean clothes and clean up your cuts and then you can have a shower."
The girl tilted her head to the side, as if she didn't fully understand, but she followed Faber anyway. They walked into a bathroom and Faber lifted her up and sat her beside the sink. The girl's cheeks flushed red, but you could hardly tell behind all the dirt. Carefully Faber dabbed her cuts with an antibacterial and the girl winced. Her took a washcloth and cleaned her arms and face. She smiled at him and hopped down from the sink. She took off her sweater and her shirt. She stepped out of her jeans and took her shoes off. In her bra and underwear she stepped into the shower and turned it on. Faber stood there stunned for a while, but left to go get the girl some clothes. He took a pair of his skinny jeans and one of his band shirts, he got her some of his mothers undergarments and put them in a pile at the bathroom door.
"I brought you some clean clothes" he called. The door opened and she grabbed the clothes and smiled.
The girl dressed herself and managed to brush through her tangled mess of hair. She was thankful she had cut most of it off, as the curls would have been impossible to untangle if her hair was long. The girl remembered that her hair was dyed black, and when she was all cleaned up, she could she her roots growing in, however she didn't care that much. The girl walked out of the bathroom and sat on the floor. Patches came and began to lick her face, she smiled and began to rub his belly.
"Isn't she pretty?" Josh commented to his brother in the kitchen.
"Hey Casanova she's too old for you." Faber joked, lightly punching his brother on the arm. The boys brought the girl some food, which she stared at for a while before devouring it.
"Hey I've got a great idea!" Josh said excited "Lets sit on the roof and look at the stars!"
"But Joshy it's snowing out."
"We can bring blankets and stuff, please Faber"
"Oh alright, as long as... Callie wants to come with us."
Josh turned his gaze to the girl and she smiled.
"Callie's not your real name is it?" Faber asked her she just smiled. Faber looked over to Josh.
"Well I had to call her something." He shrugged, Faber laughed and grabbed some coats and blankets from the closet. He helped Josh and Callie to the roof. He rather liked the name Callie, although he thought it would be nice to know her real name.
"Clandestine," Faber laughed when they were all on the roof drinking hot chocolate and gazing at the stars. "Where did she come up with that?" The girl smiled
"When I asked her what her name was she pointed to the sweater she had on. It was a clandestine sweater so I called her that and she nodded." Josh explained
"Has she said anything to you?" Faber asked
"No not yet."
"Why, do you think?"
"Maybe she has nothing to say. Some people are quiet so when they say something, it means a lot." Josh suggested sipping his hot chocolate.
The three of them were huddled together on the rooftop, the girl Callie sat in the middle so she could stay the warmest. Her head rested on Faber's shoulder and she was drifting to sleep.
"Callie look, look" Josh called out "A shooting star! Make a wish."
Callie smiled at Josh and shut her eyes tight. She reopened them and smiled at Josh again.
"Did you make a wish?" Josh asked her and she nodded.
"What was it?"
"Oh come on now Josh, you know if she tells you it won't come true."
Callie looked up at Faber and lightly touched the scar on her face.
"Do you want the scar to go away?" Josh asked she shook her head. "Uhm do you want to know, how you got the scar?" She smiled.
"You always were good at these types of things." Faber mumbled. Callie leaned back on his shoulder, shivering. Instinctively Faber wrapped his arm around her and pulled her a little closer, she didn't seem to mind. Callie was slowly falling asleep.
"Starr," she mumbled before sleep took over.
"Hey her first word!" Josh said excitedly!
"What do you think it means?" Faber asked carefully climbing down from the roof with Callie in her arms.
"I don't know," Josh replied getting blankets to make a bed for Callie on the couch. "Maybe it means her wish is going to come true." He smiled and Faber placed Callie carefully on the couch.
"Yeah that's what I was thinking too."
Callie woke up and stared at the boys nervously.
"It's alright go back to sleep." Faber said soothingly.
"Maybe she doesn't want to be alone?" Josh suggested and Callie nodded. "Hey we can all sleep in your bed Faber!"
Faber groaned but agreed and Josh led the way to Faber's room. Callie climbed in the bed and Josh scampered up beside her and kissed her on the cheek.
"Good night Callie" he said pulling the covers over him. Callie smiled warmly at him and put her head down on the soft pillow. "Come on Faber, bed time." Josh called out.
Faber climbed into bed, which was pretty crammed with three people, but surprisingly warm. Callie and Faber's gaze met. She smiled at him and he lightly traced the scar on her face. She winced and he took his hand away.
"Who are you?" He whispered to her. Callie smiled and closed her eyes and they all fell asleep.
"It's alright" Josh called out grabbing the girls hand "He won't hurt you" The girl looked doubtful, but crawled out from under the bench and stared at Patches. He stared right back at her; the girl reached out her hand to pet him but quickly brought it back to her body when Patches moved. Josh guessed that the girl had been hurt by an animal before and was just being cautious. And then he noticed her scar, a big thick line from the middle of her forehead, across her right eye, and down her cheek. The girl reached out her hand once again and this time, pet Patches on the head. He barked happily and wagged his tail, the girl smiled and continued stroking the dogs head. Josh stared at the girl for a minute. From the look of her clothes and body she had been living in the park for quite sometime. She was skinny to the point where she looked unhealthy; her arms were thin and covered by a ratty old red sweater. The jeans she had on, which at one point were blue, were stained with mud and torn in many places.
"What's your name?" Josh asked the girl. She looked at Josh in an odd way, as if she didn't know what he was talking about.
"Your name," Josh said again. "Like, my name is Josh, and this is Patches." The girl smiled. "What can I call you?" The girl looked around for a moment. She looked down at her sweater and pointed to the front of it. Josh looked at the familiar Bart-Skull symbol.
"Clandestine?" He asked and the girl nodded. "Your name is Clandestine?" The girl thought about this for a moment and then nodded. "Alright," Josh smiled, "But can I call you Callie for short?" The girl smiled and nodded her head.
"Do you want something to eat?" Josh asked the girl, and she nodded excitedly. "Want to come home with me!" Josh exclaimed "You can meet my brother Faber, he takes care of me and Patches. It's not far from here I can show you. Where's your house?"
The girl smiled and motioned to the bench.
"You live in the park?" He asked her and she nodded. "Well then you have to come home with me. It's December 21st today, the first day of winter, youll freeze!"
As if by some coincidence after Josh finished talking snow slowly began to fall. The girl began to slide back under the bench.
"Please come with me. I can help you with your cuts and scrapes and get you some clean and warm clothes at least." Josh pleaded with her. Not only that but it had been so long since his brother had a girl over, and since their parents died he missed the company. The girl looked around as if for an escape but saw nothing, she pulled herself back out from under the bench and stood up. She began to shiver in the cold and Josh took off his hat and mittens and gave them to her. She smiled and put them on. Josh took her hand in one hand and Patches leash in the other and began to walk home.
They reached a small brick house at the end of the main road. The girl looked scared and Josh squeezed her hand.
"You can be my big sister." He said happily, and the girl smiled. Josh opened the door and walked into the house, he called for Patches and he ran in too. "Don't be scared," Josh said reaching out his hand, the girl took it and walked into the house.
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The girl was mesmerized by the warmth of the house, it had been so long since she was in a house 6 maybe 7 months she had lived on the street. Once bitten twice shy, too many times she had so narrowly escaped Pimps trying to recruit her, police trying to arrest her, animals attacking her. She had gotten quite cautious about the people who spoke to her, not that she ever spoke back. She seemed to have forgotten how to speak, it was a meaningless gesture for someone homeless, you were so rarely talked to that it wasn't uncommon to go mute. But when the little boy, Josh was his name, said something about Faber. Something in her memory sparked. Maybe it was her imagination, maybe she knew him in her former life. Not that she remembered much about that, she had run away and that's where her memory stopped. She didn't even remember how she got the scar on her face, her fingers traced it lightly and she winced.
"Faber, I'm home!" Josh called out pouring food into Patches dish.
"Ok good." A voice called out "I'm in the Living Room, come get some dinner"
The girl looked nervous at the sound of a new voice but Josh assured her everything would be fine. "Come with me" he said grabbing her hand. Josh tugged the girl into the living room. There was another boy sitting on the couch eating what looked like a slice of pizza, although it was oddly shaped.
"Did you feed Patches?" The boy asked turning around he looked oddly at the girl and then looked to Josh. "Josh who is this?"
"Faber this is Clandestine, Callie for short. I found her in the park. Can I keep her?"
"Josh," Faber said rubbing his temples, "You can just take a person home like a stray dog."
"But she needs a home." Josh defending still holding onto the girl's hand. "She has no family, she has no one. How would you like to be her?" Josh questioned his brother. "You have me, and I have you and Patches. But Callie has no one. Please?"
Faber dropped his guard and hugged his brother. "You know for a 12 year old you're pretty persuasive." He laughed
"So she can stay?" Josh asked giddily
"I suppose she can sleep on the couch."
"Nonsense she can stay in my room. Hear that Callie!" Josh exclaimed happily. "You can stay with us."
The girl smiled and nodded her head.
"Come with me," Faber said, "I'll get you some clean clothes and clean up your cuts and then you can have a shower."
The girl tilted her head to the side, as if she didn't fully understand, but she followed Faber anyway. They walked into a bathroom and Faber lifted her up and sat her beside the sink. The girl's cheeks flushed red, but you could hardly tell behind all the dirt. Carefully Faber dabbed her cuts with an antibacterial and the girl winced. Her took a washcloth and cleaned her arms and face. She smiled at him and hopped down from the sink. She took off her sweater and her shirt. She stepped out of her jeans and took her shoes off. In her bra and underwear she stepped into the shower and turned it on. Faber stood there stunned for a while, but left to go get the girl some clothes. He took a pair of his skinny jeans and one of his band shirts, he got her some of his mothers undergarments and put them in a pile at the bathroom door.
"I brought you some clean clothes" he called. The door opened and she grabbed the clothes and smiled.
The girl dressed herself and managed to brush through her tangled mess of hair. She was thankful she had cut most of it off, as the curls would have been impossible to untangle if her hair was long. The girl remembered that her hair was dyed black, and when she was all cleaned up, she could she her roots growing in, however she didn't care that much. The girl walked out of the bathroom and sat on the floor. Patches came and began to lick her face, she smiled and began to rub his belly.
"Isn't she pretty?" Josh commented to his brother in the kitchen.
"Hey Casanova she's too old for you." Faber joked, lightly punching his brother on the arm. The boys brought the girl some food, which she stared at for a while before devouring it.
"Hey I've got a great idea!" Josh said excited "Lets sit on the roof and look at the stars!"
"But Joshy it's snowing out."
"We can bring blankets and stuff, please Faber"
"Oh alright, as long as... Callie wants to come with us."
Josh turned his gaze to the girl and she smiled.
"Callie's not your real name is it?" Faber asked her she just smiled. Faber looked over to Josh.
"Well I had to call her something." He shrugged, Faber laughed and grabbed some coats and blankets from the closet. He helped Josh and Callie to the roof. He rather liked the name Callie, although he thought it would be nice to know her real name.
"Clandestine," Faber laughed when they were all on the roof drinking hot chocolate and gazing at the stars. "Where did she come up with that?" The girl smiled
"When I asked her what her name was she pointed to the sweater she had on. It was a clandestine sweater so I called her that and she nodded." Josh explained
"Has she said anything to you?" Faber asked
"No not yet."
"Why, do you think?"
"Maybe she has nothing to say. Some people are quiet so when they say something, it means a lot." Josh suggested sipping his hot chocolate.
The three of them were huddled together on the rooftop, the girl Callie sat in the middle so she could stay the warmest. Her head rested on Faber's shoulder and she was drifting to sleep.
"Callie look, look" Josh called out "A shooting star! Make a wish."
Callie smiled at Josh and shut her eyes tight. She reopened them and smiled at Josh again.
"Did you make a wish?" Josh asked her and she nodded.
"What was it?"
"Oh come on now Josh, you know if she tells you it won't come true."
Callie looked up at Faber and lightly touched the scar on her face.
"Do you want the scar to go away?" Josh asked she shook her head. "Uhm do you want to know, how you got the scar?" She smiled.
"You always were good at these types of things." Faber mumbled. Callie leaned back on his shoulder, shivering. Instinctively Faber wrapped his arm around her and pulled her a little closer, she didn't seem to mind. Callie was slowly falling asleep.
"Starr," she mumbled before sleep took over.
"Hey her first word!" Josh said excitedly!
"What do you think it means?" Faber asked carefully climbing down from the roof with Callie in her arms.
"I don't know," Josh replied getting blankets to make a bed for Callie on the couch. "Maybe it means her wish is going to come true." He smiled and Faber placed Callie carefully on the couch.
"Yeah that's what I was thinking too."
Callie woke up and stared at the boys nervously.
"It's alright go back to sleep." Faber said soothingly.
"Maybe she doesn't want to be alone?" Josh suggested and Callie nodded. "Hey we can all sleep in your bed Faber!"
Faber groaned but agreed and Josh led the way to Faber's room. Callie climbed in the bed and Josh scampered up beside her and kissed her on the cheek.
"Good night Callie" he said pulling the covers over him. Callie smiled warmly at him and put her head down on the soft pillow. "Come on Faber, bed time." Josh called out.
Faber climbed into bed, which was pretty crammed with three people, but surprisingly warm. Callie and Faber's gaze met. She smiled at him and he lightly traced the scar on her face. She winced and he took his hand away.
"Who are you?" He whispered to her. Callie smiled and closed her eyes and they all fell asleep.