Hope

It was the middle of the night when she woke up. She sat in silent deliberation before deciding to pack her things. Attempting to put things into bags as quiet as possible, so she wouldn't wake her sleeping One year old. Once she felt she had everything packs she left the house with her daughter. She walked to a clinic that wasn't too far away, and called a cab, to pick them up.

Fifteen minutes after the call was made, the cab showed up and the girl and her daughter got into it. "The airport please," she whispered, her heart in her throat. She buckled her daughters car seat in, then herself. She glanced at her daughter to see that she was peacefully sleeping, making her relax. Settling into her seat, she watched the scenery change from country to big buildings. Her eyes began to droop.

Next thing she knew the cabby was waking her up asking for the fare. Fumbling in her backpack, she pulled out the money, handing it to him, "Keep the change." Walking into the airport, she went to the ticket counter. "Is it possible to get plane tickets?" she asked the girl behind the counter.

"Where to?" the ticket cashier asked.

The girl paused, she hadn't really thought about where she was going. "Um...California. What's the next flight?"

"We have a flight leaving for Orange County, California at 7:21 with an hour layover in Minneapolis for $232," the ticket girl responded after looking in her computer for a couple minutes.

"I'll take it," the girl gave money to the ticket girl, and took her tickets. She took her daughter and got through security and got to the gate that they needed. After they had gotten settled into some seats, she took out her phone, opening and closing it a couple times. Trying to keep her mind and hands busy. Glancing around, she noticed a couple garbage cans. Looking to see if anyone was watching, she got up and dropped her phone into the waste bin. After the she heard the small thump, she went back to her seat, rocking her daughter in her car seat.

Slowly, people began to trickle in, as the arrival time got closer. Her daughter fussed for a little bit, making her make up a formula bottle for her. She sang a quiet song to her as her daughter drank. "Hush little Amber, don't say a word," her voice trailed off, when their flight was called. She got up, holding Amber in her arm, while making sure she still had everything. Then walked up to the gate, handing over her tickets, then went to find her seat on the plane.
Before she knew it, she was in the air with Amber, who started to fuss as the air pressure changed. The girl rocked Amber, until she calmed down. They flew for an hour, before making it to Minneapolis for the one hour layover. After that, they flew for three hours until making it to Orange County.

The girl watched out the windows as the trees she was familiar with turned into sand and palm trees. Before she knew it, the plane was landing and it was time to get off. She made her way off the plane and found her way to the entrance, to find a lineup of cabs. "Are you taken?" she asked, a nearby cab.

"I am now," he replied, gesturing for her to get in. "Where you headed?" he asked, after she got her daughter situated.

"I've never been here before. I'm looking for a cheap hotel," she answered, turning her attention to the cab driver.

"A first timer," the cabby smiled, showing very white teeth. "Well, let me tell you, that you'll enjoy yourself here. We have an amazing beach strip, and lots of shopping-"

"Anyplace I could get a job?" the girl cut him off, then apologized when she realized what she had done.

"That's alright," the cabby smiled. "Do you know anything about surfing?" The girl shook her head no. "The majority of shops we have around here are surf shops. But there's also restaurants, and other small businesses around."

"Thanks," the girl smiled, looking out the window, at all the people in shorts and t-shirts.

"Where you from?" the cabby asked, attempting to make small talk.

"What?" the girl asked, coming back from a daydream.

"Where are you from?" the cabby asked, once more, still smiling.

"Far away," the girl replied. "I'm not going back, so it doesn't really matter."

The cabby nodded his head, ending the subject. After a few more minutes the cab stopped outside a large building. "Here we are," the cabby announced. "A fairly decent, but cheap hotel."

"Thank you," the girl started to get out of the car. "How much do I owe you?"

"It's on me," the cabby smiled. "Hope you enjoy your stay."

"Thanks," the girl gave a brief smile, got out of the cab with her daughter and things, and turned to go inside.

***** Three Months Later *****

Slowly waking up, the now familiar feel of concrete, under her cheek. Hearing her daughter crying, she made up a bottle. Then leaned against the building that had become their home for the past month. She had run out of money and the hotel kicked them out. She hadn't found a job so the money she had taken out of her savings account, only lasted for a small while.

After feeding her daughter, she glanced back into the formula container. It would only make a couple more bottles. "What have I done?" she sobbed into her knees, as the street began to fill up with its daily hustle and bustle.

During the day, she'd rock her daughter and sing to her. People would toss her coins every once and a while, but mostly she got dirty looks from the passerby's. By the end of the night, the girl was in tears. She was able to get her daughter to go to sleep. She barely had had enough formula to feed her. The nightly crowds began to die down, as they went to the beaches and started their bonfires.

She started to let her tears fall, counting the money that people had given her today. Eight dollars and ninety one cents, there was no way she could buy formula in time for her daughter to eat again. Her tears started falling faster and harder, small sobs escaping her lips as she tried to keep them in. "Hey," she heard someone in the distance call. She ignored them, they most likely weren't talking to her anyway. "Hey, you okay?" the voice called again, closer this time, making her look up, startled.

A man walked closer to her, making her glance nervously to either side of her. One of her main worries about sleeping on the street was that she would get raped. It looked like tonight was going to be that night. As the man got closer, she started to close her eyes, a scared expression on her face. The man continued asking if she was okay. "Hey," the man said, right next to her now, gently lifting her chin to look him in the face. "Are you okay? I heard crying."

She looked at his concerned face, taking in his worried green eyes. "Y-yeah," she stuttered, when people began calling in the distance.

"Hurry up, Zack!" one voice called. "We're going to be late!"

"One second!" Zack called back, before looking back at her. "Are you sure?"

She nodded her head, as her daughter began to stir in her sleep, making her start to rock her back and forth in her car seat. Zack glanced towards her daughter, surprised, but then looked back at her, making her look away. "I'm going to come back and check on you, I promise," he said, as he went off to join a group of people. She watched as they walked off to one of the bonfires, where music had started to play. Soon a large cheer went up as an announcer announced the band Avenged Sevenfold was going to play.

While Avenged Sevenfold was in an intermission, Zack came back to check on her like he had promised. "Hey," he sat down next to her. "You still okay?"

She nodded her head, not looking at him. She rocked her daughter, trying to keep her asleep, dreading the moment she would wake up. He sat next to her for a few more moments, uncertain on what to say. "Why are you here?" she finally asked, not looking at him.

"Hm?" Zack asked, bringing his attention back to her.

"Why are you here?" she asked again, her voice cracking slightly. "What do you want from me?"

Zack looked at her for a couple seconds before responding. "I heard crying. I wanted to help," he said finally, before his phone started to ring. "Yes?" he answered the phone, annoyance in his voice.

"Dude, Zacky, where are you?" the voice on the other side asked, irritated. "We're about to go back on,"

"Alright, alright, I'm coming," Zack hung up the phone. "I gotta go, but I'll be back...don't leave."

"Not like I can go far," she muttered, as he ran off back to the bonfire. A few seconds later the music started up again. "I wonder if he's in that band," she mused, as her daughter woke up. She took a deep breath, trying to hold back her tears, as she picked up her daughter. She stood, carrying her, while quietly singing to her. She walked closer to the bonfire to see what was going on.

Upon getting closer she could see a stage set up with a band playing. There were five men. A drummer with a huge drum set, she didn't even realize that they came that big. Then there was a guy singing, and swinging the microphone around when a guitar solo came on. Then there were three guys on guitars, at least one of them being a bass. Then she saw him, on the left hand side of the stage. Zack.