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There was a homeless man and his faithful dog outside on the street today. I nearly passed him by without a single thought.

The only thing that made me pause was the sign he was holding. A scruffy piece of cardboard that somehow captivated me. I didn’t know what made my eyes gravitate to the man on the pavement, but the sign hooked me in.

“I’m not asking for money. I’m asking for some change.”

My eyes trailed to his face, and I found him staring at me. I blushed slightly as I brushed my fringe out of my face. The people around me all hustled past, as if they were all late for a meeting. I looked at the man’s face, trying to be subtle. He had deep green eyes that matched his dirty brown hair, which draped limply in front of his face. He looked quite fit, a little bit skinny I noted. He had tight jeans on and a black hoodie with a bright yellow lightning bolt on it. He did not seem dirty, quite clean in fact; he just looked well... lonely.
The guy, about my age, 25, was sitting on a dirty brown cloth. A faithful dog had his head in the man’s lap, drowsing in the city sun. My eyes drifted towards his face again, and I noticed how his features were beautifully defined.

“You okay?” A voice asked, snapping me out of my daydream.

“Yeah, sorry...” I mumbled, embarrassed.

“I’m flattered, really .Your the first one to stop all day.” He said, the corners of his lips curling into a smile.

“Really?” I asked, surprised, “This is a pretty busy street.”

I felt people nudging me as they pushed their way past, sighing in disapproval at my blockage of the path. I quickly moved aside, into the nook of the wall corner and next to the guy.

“Busy, but not particularly caring.” He looked up and noticed me standing, “Why not take a seat and give me a little bit of entertainment?”

A part of me told me to just leave, what are the chances I’ll see him again? He seemed to sense this and held his hands up, as if in a surrender.

“I promise I don’t bite.” He laughed.

I smiled shyly and lowered myself next to the sleepy dog. “Missy, we have a guest, come on this side.” He said softly to the dog.

Missy lifted her head and looked up at her master’s face, her tail waving wildly and coming down with a thump on the cement ground. I guessed that she was maybe a collie mix, probably a mutt. He scooped Missy up as if she weighed nothing at all and placed her on the other side of him to make room for me. Missy looked up adoringly again with her deep brown eyes before getting a grateful pat on the head. She put down her head on the man’s thigh, content.

“Sorry, where are my manners? I’m Scott.” He grinned, holding out a hand.

“Alicia.” I replied, shaking his hand.

“This is Missy,” He said proudly, like a father showing off his prized daughter. “I rescued her from some cruel kids when she was just a puppy. Stupid teenagers threw rocks at her in the park, just down the road. Not more than a few weeks old I think. I chased those bloody kids away and nursed her back to health, and she seems to have given me her loyalty in exchange.” He said in admiration.

“She looks so beautiful.” I whispered, looking at her striking face with awe.

“I try my best to keep her looking clean.” He explained, patting her head.

“Does she protect you?”

“Sure, she’s been with me through thick and thin.”

“Lucky you.” I complimented.

He looked up at me and returned the smile, “I wish. Things ain’t so lucky anymore for me.”

“If you don’t mind me asking, what is your...” I couldn’t find the word, “Situation?”

“Aha!” He exclaimed, eyes widening, “Now that is the question!”

I was taken aback, but he was filled with enthusiasm now. “What is a tiger without stripes? What is the day without the night? What is a man without a story?”

“What is a woman without curiosity?” I commented.

He leaned back against the wall with a dreamy look, “My tale is one that is not easily said, nor easily heard. Are you up for the challenge?”

“I am.”

“I don’t usually tell stories, so forgive me if I do not enthral you.”

“You have intrigued me so far.”

He grinned at that one, “Then let me begin. My tale begins with a woman. A lady who does not see the light of day after giving the world a little miracle. This mother died soon after childbirth, leaving a little boy without any parents. His father was never found, leaving him with a question mark in that category. He often asked himself that question, why? Did he not wish to see his sons face? Did he not wish to see his legacy? Or better still, did he not know of such a son?

The last word that his mother breathed was a single syllable name. Scott. The little boy was given this simple name, as a tribute to his mother, who had given her life to bring him into the world. The hospital soon gave the boy to an orphanage. The boy was adopted quickly by a couple who had been told that they could not have children. The young boy was not told this; he was seen as the pair’s biological child, something he acknowledged without question. The boy went through school with high grades, and soon moved to college with a hunger for education. The boy had made friends, but this was the turning point when he met the girl who would change his life forever in a way he would not apprehend. Julie was her name, and she was the most beautiful creature that the boy had ever laid eyes on. The two immediately connected.

They were inseparable after a matter of months, and the friendship soon grew into a romance. The boy was enchanted with Julie. The way her blond hair fell neatly into place every time he ruffled in. The way her caramel eyes would swirl as they studied you. The way she could make you feel like you were the only one in the room.

But, unfortunately for the love struck boy, he was not the only one with an eye for this girl. Another boy, James, had spotted the fine specimen, and was determined to tear her away. The boy held onto Julie, and she to him, letting it known to the world that their love was not to be compromised. One night, after a long shift at the local department store, the boy dropped round Julie’s house to give her a goodnight before heading to bed. He used the spare key under the fake rock to let himself into the house. He called out Julies name and heard a noise from the living room. He felt his heart skip in his chest and found his way to the room. What he saw would forever alter him.

There was James and Julie, under a blanket. The boy stood in shock, fear amazement! How could she do this to him? Deceive him beyond thought? Had he been wrong to believe that this was true love?

But then the girl shouted for help, screaming at the boy. She yelled at James, claiming that he had forced himself upon her, overpowering her. James started in on the screaming as well, letting the insults that I will not mention be heard. He marched over to Julie, completely bare, and slapped her straight across the face. Oh the sound filled the whole room, the smack of skin. The girl suddenly lunged at James with the blanket tied loosely around her. The boy was still finding it hard to move, only moving one or two steps, in disbelief of what was happening.

He didn’t know how long had passed, a minute or an hour, but the choking sounds that escaped James’s throat were not from the weight of Julie. It was her hands, crushing his windpipe, cutting off the oxygen to his brain. Suddenly the struggle ceased and Julie looked back at the boy, a tear escaping her eye. Somehow she put on some clothes as the boy continued to look into James’s dead eyes. Julie proposed an idea to dump the body, and the boy shivered at the term of the limp human being.

They wrapped him up in a sheet and stuffed him in the back of the jeep that Julie owned. The boy stayed behind to clean up the evidence as the girl drove off to dispose of James. The boy’s thoughts started to come back as he cleaned. Although the boy had not intentionally stared, he had noticed James wearing a condom as he jumped up. Doubts started to spring to his mind. When could he have done this, before or after subduing Julie? Another thought jumped into his mind, did Julie have any defensive marks? The boy did not think so, but he could not be certain. And finally he glanced at the blanket that had been draped over the couch. If he was forcefully taking control of her, why would he use the discretion of a blanket?

When Julie came back she proclaimed innocence and the boy acted as if he believed her. She seemed to content before he departed home. The next day, the boy checked the headlines on the internet. Right there, on the front page, was an article about James. But something more shocking was what had punched the wind out of him. The body had been left in the local park, by the police station with a note. It read, ‘Bastard slept with my girlfriend.’

James’s love interest in Julie was not a secret thing, and the boy knew that he had to run for it. Without a minute to spare he grabbed as much money as he could, with other belongings, and rushed out the door. He made his way to the city and purchased a hotel room anonymously, hoping to camp out for it to blow over. After about two weeks, the boy’s money was running low, and the news story was slowly making its way off the headlines. The boy had a moment of weakness and thought about turning himself in, he ventured to the park, near the police station.

Before he could go any further, he heard a howl of pain and cruel voices. He looked over and saw rocks being thrown at a defenceless puppy. He chased the teenagers away and took the puppy for his own, and he finally knew that he could not turn himself in, for this baby relied on him.

So the boy lived on the streets, feeding off other people’s money, hoping one day that they might actually give a damn about the homeless boy who sat on the edge of the street.”

There was a pause.

“That’s quite a tale you have there.” I mumbled.

“Unbelievable? Yes. Fake? Not on the grave of my mother.”

“What became of Julie?” I asked.

“I do not know, I have not seen her since that night.” He replied.

“Have you not tried to tell the police your story?”

He shook his head, “Who would believe a man who ran?”

“I do.” I whispered.

He glanced at me and smiled, almost with pity, “But one is not enough to change this young man’s life.”

“One person was all it took to make it worse, why not one to make it better?”

There was a moment as he contemplated the thought.

I glanced at my watch, surprised that so much time had passed. “I best be off,” I sighed, giving a weak smile to the man.

I reached for my wallet, but the man grabbed my arm, stopping me.

“Can’t you read?” He asked, pointing to his sign.

I smiled, “You need it more than me.”

“You have already given me your time, your company. That is enough for me.”

I put away my wallet with reluctance before turning back to the man. “Take care of yourself.”

“And same to you my darling.”

We shook hands before I stood up, giving a final wave before merging with the crowd of indistinguishable people. I risked a glance back long enough to see a man and his loyal dog, sitting on the street.

There was a homeless man and his faithful dog outside on the street today. I nearly passed him by without a single thought.