Street Kid

I wince as I land on my ass.

"Oh fuck, I am so sorry!" A worried voice comes from above me. Looking up I see a slightly weird kid. He's got to be around the same age as me. He's got long black hair and his skin is pale.

His clothing is mostly black and to my surprise he does actually look sorry.

"Forget about it,” I say quietly. I don't interact with people. At least not on my own free will.

He sticks out his hand, offering to pull me up and I take it. Surprised at the gesture. I'm street trash, why the hell is he talking to me? Then it hits me. He doesn't know, he thinks I’m an average kid who lives in a house, goes to school and eats whatever and whenever they feel like.

Anger shoots through my veins as I realize as soon as he finds out he's gunna leave. Mock me even. Just like the others, they abandoned me too.

"I'm Gerard." he smiled, but his grin fell when I failed to return it.

"Frank" was all I muttered. I wanted to get away before the shopkeeper called the cops.

"So Misfits 'ay?" he asked indicating my baggy hoodie, which I had stolen a few months ago. In fact almost got arrested for, but I wanted it so badly. That's one thing I have of my mother's that nobody will ever take. My music taste. She spent weeks getting me CDs and tapes of all her favorite bands and making me listen to them, until I couldn't help loving them. She used to say I was the only 10 year old in the world with a half decent CD collection.

I had to leave the CDs when I left. They're probably still collecting dust in my old house. It wasn't a home. It stopped being a home when Mom died.

I realized I had zoned out on Gerard and nodded quickly and he grinned again.

"What's your favorite song?"

"Meh, hard choice probably Teenagers from Mars..." I nervously replied, afraid that any minute a siren would appear or handcuffs would be slapped around my wrist. If I got caught stealing again, I’m screwed.

"How did you get into them? My Grandma got me into them, she rocks so much!" he said enthusiastically

"Uh my Mom used to be like their biggest fan." I did not want to reveal anything about my life. Not to this stranger.

"Used to be? She not like them anymore?" he asked, innocently enough, but I did not like where the conversation was going.

"N...no she ummm. Well she died,” I whispered bitterly. Well, so much for not revealing anything to this guy. But I couldn't help it, trying to listen for sirens or shouting as well as hold my own in a rare conversation was hard work, expecially when I had harsh words replaying over and over in my mind, like they had been ever since Dad first said them.

"Oh... I am so sorry, I didn't mean to yuh know, open old wounds,” he quickly said, eyes darting to my face, asking for forgivness

"It's okay. I have to go" Sirens. I could hear them now. Getting closer.

"No, please! I didn't mean to offend you or anything,” cried Gerard as I started backing away.

"No it's not that, I really have to go." I said desperately looking for my escape route.

"Well...Okay. I'll see you around then Frankie" he replied sadly.

Frankie. That hit a nerve, nobody, and I mean nobody had called me that since... since a long time ago. I wasn't going to start thinking about my past now, I had to escape.

Saying goodbye to Gerard, seeing which I'm probably never going to see him again, I ran in the direction of the closest route I could use to get away.

The cops where on my tail. I could sense it. I can't fucking believe the shopkeeper called the goddamn police! It's not as if I held up the store. Damn!

I ran down dirty alleys. My heart pumping. Once I thought I heard the crackle of a radio, but I passed it off as my paranoia.

I carried on running until I came to the bridge. My bridge. I climbed down the bank, slipping in the liquid mud that the rain had created. I hissed as I almost tripped into the freezing water, but caught myself just in time.

I lay my head on the cold, hard and old surface of the stone bridge. It was only small and didn't have much room underneath, meaning I was the only one who dared sleep there, just in case the water rose and the rough currents dragged sleepers out. I wasn't afraid of the water, more of the gangs that hang out around the river banks at night.

My breathing and heart rate fell to its normal speed, and without the thumping in my ears I could hear my stomach growing, calling out for food.

Fishing around in my pocket I pulled out the candy bars and greedily ate them, enjoying the relaxing warmth I got.

I should probably have grabbed something with more nutritional value in, but there wasn't much to offer in the small shop. Besides, I could always use the calories.

I sat down and opened the Skittles. Consuming them slowly, enjoying every single one.

"Never know when I'm gunna have them again" I mumbled softly to the night's air. My breath forming a white mist that I exhaled with every gulp of oxygen that was re-released into the atmosphere.

By the time I was finished it had started to rain again, but I was kept dry, and even found the noise of the rain bouncing of the stone above me relaxing.

I curled up in a protective ball and tried to ignore the numbing cold. I allowed my mind drift to Gerard. Why was he so keen on talking to me? I mean I ran into him! I remembered the look of sorrow that came into his eyes when he thought he had upset me, mentioning my Mother.

I sighed aloud, thinking of the look of disgust he would give me if he knew I was just another Street Kid.

He would forget about me. He probably already has. Just like all the others.

A voice argued in my head. "What if he's not like the others?"

"For fuck sake, he's one person I talked to. I said no more than a few words. He was being polite. Not nice. Don't even think of trying to make a friend, kid" screamed another.

For the rest of the night my lonely mind argued, while I fell into a light sleep, my brain never completly allowing me to rest.