"Ma'am! Ma'am!" Lapis dashed up to a smartly dressed woman with wild white hair as she was about to enter the gas station. She judged her suspiciously with golden eyes. Don't sound too rehearsed, Lappy. Sound as desperate as you can.

"I'm sorry, ma'am. I have no gas in my car. It's stuck right at that pump." She turned and pointed to the beaten silver Malibu sitting at one of the gas kiosks. "Can you spare a little so I can get enough gas to go home? Anything will help."

"Sorry. I don't," she replied briskly and entered into the store.

"Thank you for your time," she called after her. The clerk at the counter gave her a dirty look through the glass. Lapis was tempted to flip him off, but she didn't need him to come after her. She was already reckless by asking for money right by the store. Luckily, he hadn't called the cops—yet. Lapis went back to her car, leaning against the side and watched for a new target. She had been at this for a couple of hours. All she had managed was about $3. That was barely enough for a hot dog and a drink.

Lapis had been living out of her car for six months now. Her current foster parents could care less where she was as long as the paychecks came in. So, she decided to strike out on her own. At seventeen, she was old enough to take care of herself but not old enough to be completely out of the foster system. She was unable to rent a place until she was eighteen and Lapis refused to go to a shelter. She had her Bob, her car, which was all she needed. However, Bob required gas, Lapis needed food, and both required money. Since she did not have a job, Lapis resorted to panhandling for some extra cash.

"Hey, blue." Lapis looked up to see the woman from before coming up toward her. Blue? Seriously? The woman was noticeably muscular underneath her orange pantsuit and walked like a stalking predator. Lapis pushed off her car, feeling the need to stand up straight.

"Yeah."

"Turn on your car," she ordered, arms crossed over her massive chest. Lapis nodded and walked around her vehicle. She slipped into the driver seat and shoved her key into the ignition. Bob sputtered and whined for a moment before roaring noisily to life. The white-haired woman leaned in and inspected her gas gauge. The gauge indicated that her tank was empty but, little did the woman know, it always read empty. Just one of the many issues with Bob that Lapis couldn't afford to address. This seemed to satisfy the woman, and she stalked back into the store. Lapis smiled triumphantly.

Soon the panel showed that the woman had put twenty-five dollars on the pump. Wow. Very generous, she thought. Lapis took the nozzle from its dock and shoved it into Bob. She waved at the woman as she exited the store and yelled an appreciative thank you. The large woman did not respond and slid gracefully into her black Mercedes. Once she had driven out of sight, Lapis set the nozzle back. She had pumped at least ten into her tank. That should be enough for a few days, Lapis decided before heading into the store. The clerk, a young boy with stretched ears and puffy hair, glared at her when she stepped up to the counter.

"Can I get the change for pump five?" He eyed her suspiciously but opened up the register. Lapis sighed with relief because she was taking a major gamble that the woman paid in cash. Lapis thanked him for the money and went on her way. She slid back into her car and turned the ignition again. Once again, Bob sputtered and whined and started up. He popped and roared as she drove away. She had $18 to spend on some food and maybe splurge on some hair dye. Lapis also needed to find a place to shower.

She drove to the closest 24-hour store and parked Bob in the very back. It was getting late, and it was about time she turned in for the night. The sun was setting, and the sky was painted with beautiful hues of pinks and oranges. One of her headlights was busted, and she didn't want to risk getting pulled over for it. The store was icy when she entered. It was pretty busy, but it was a Friday. A lot of people were getting paid and gathering their food for the next two weeks. Lapis ambled through the aisles; she needed to stretch the $18 as much as she could. She did; however, plan on buying her hair dye. Blue raspberry Kool-Aid was a cheap alternative to the pricey professional dyes.

Lapis grabbed some apples, some plastic cups, lunch meat, cheese, bread, chips, cereal and a small pint of milk. She couldn't forget to buy ice for her cooler to store the perishables in. This should last her a few days at least. Lastly, she bought the cheapest travel sized shampoo and body wash. When she checked out, her total came $17.50. Lapis really was cutting it close with her purchases. She said good night and collected her things. Instead of heading out, Lapis made her way to the back of the store. There was a family restroom in the back which meant she could have some privacy when she dyed her hair and washed up. She would just have to be quick.

Locking the door, Lapis set down her supplies. She filled one the cups with the hottest water from the sink and poured the Kool-aid mix in. Lapis swished the liquid until the powder dissolved into the water. She examined herself in the mirror for a moment. A pale face with light freckles sprinkled over the nose, large blue eyes and pink lips stared back at her. Her short hair had started to fade into a light shade of blue. She was going to need a trim soon. Lapis ducked her head into the white sink and carefully poured the contents of the cup onto her hair. With her hands, she messaged the handmade dye into her hair until it was fully saturated. She reached into the pocket of her jeans and pulled out her shower cap.

When she had stuffed her wet hair into the shower cap, Lapis lifted up her head and squinted at the mirror. Blue streaks were running down her face, and her hands were stained blue. Lapis pulled out some paper towels and whipped it off her cheeks and forehead. She had about thirty minutes before she had to rinse. Lapis took a seat on the cold tile floor and fixed herself a sandwich while she waited for her hair to set. She would need to do laundry soon; the clothes on her body were looking dirty and rough. Lapis only had one other clean outfit left, and she would need it to do her laundry in. The irony, she thought.

Thirty minutes passed by very slowly but eventually it was time for Lapis to rinse out the dye. She grabbed a handful of paper towels and dunked her head under the faucet. Cold water hit her head, and she nearly hit her head from shock. Lapis fiddled with the knobs until she got to the perfect temperature. The water turned bright blue as it rinsed out the Kool-Aid. Once the water was clear again, Lapis used the paper towels to pat her hair dry. She removed her shirt and jeans, standing in her bra and underwear. She took a scoop of the running water and splashed it on her body. Little by little, Lapis washed her body until she felt adequately clean. She used the rest of the paper towels to clean up the mess she made before gathering her things again and left the bathroom. An associate saw her exit and gave her a nasty expression. Lapis shrugged it off.

When she got back to her car, Lapis opened up the back and took out the little blue cooler. She dumped out the water that collected in there and poured the fresh bag of ice in. Lapis rearranged her items so they were kept cold underneath the ice. She grabbed her pillow and blankets from the back seat as well as her sun shield. Sliding into the driver seat, Lapis noticed the brown bag sitting on her dashboard. She scowled. Where did that come from? She looked around before snatching it. Inside was a cinnamon bagel, a small cup of vanilla cream cheese, $100 and a note. Lapis did not recognize the handwriting, but it was apparently composed with care. Lapis shuddered at the words. Nope. Hell no. She wouldn't be staying here tonight. Headlight be damned. Lapis turned on her car and raced out of the parking lot.

Here is a personal favorite of mine.

Enjoy.

Money is for your broken headlight.

See you around