Hood up; gaze down, she slipped her way in and out of the crowd. Her hand slipping into every pocket she could, grabbing spare change, phones and every other valuable thing she could get her hands on.
Unbeknownst to the crowd, she was already a couple dozen dollars richer than she was when she woke up.
/BackDownInTheDeepEnd\\
Her fingers were all bloodied. Mud and other substances had wedged themselves between every crevice, every bruise, cut and wound on her hands. But she continued on, counting every cent that she could. Every dollar she could find.
$15.21
That was all she could salvage. She wouldn't dare to go for another run in the next week, she was already on the radar of various shopkeepers and police officers alike. They would soon forget about her, though, the other crimes overriding hers.
It was 10:36, the worn alarm clock she 'found' last week was still bright enough to show her this. Well, she might as well call it a night.
Kissing the picture above her makeshift-bed, she tucked herself in, fluttering her eyes closed.
"Goodnight, Okaa-san..."
/BackDownInTheDeepEnd\\
The next day, she woke up early fixing up herself. It was 4am. She wore a blue, white, brown and black stripped sweater; a pair of black skinny jeans and fake converse.
She walked out of her hovel of an abode and walked down the street. She wore a smile on her face so she wouldn't be judged.
She walked like everyone else, talked like everyone else, smiled like everyone else. The only thing she didn't have the chance to do was think like everyone else. She couldn't afford to do that. She couldn't risk it.
As she walked into the shop she bought her groceries with the little money she had.
/BackDownInTheDeepEnd\\
Akashi Seijuro POV
Akashi Seijuro, the reason the word 'perfection' exists. Perfect grades, perfect body and the life that everyone would kill for: to be the only heir to the Akashi Corporation. Who wouldn't want to be him?
He fixed his tie before entering yet another business advertisement/party. Taking a step after another, he entered the building.
/BackDownInTheDeepEnd\\
Her POV
She had managed to land herself a place to stay and volunteer in an orphanage. All she had to do was serve at the fundraiser tonight and she would have a proper bed for a night or two, maybe a couple extra dollars in her pocket.
She washed her face in the orphanage toilets, trying to look as presentable as she could - just to look that tad less homeless. She scrubbed off the dirt, the bits of blood that had accumulated for constantly biting her lip and the lines of tears that had grown in number after a couple of years of crying herself to sleep every night.
She dried her face of with a couple of the paper towels and the end of her sleeve; then walked out of the lavatory looking less shitty than she usually did. She looked down on her temporary bed, the majority of its surface being covered by her night's uniform. It was a maid costume. It had the bow, the apron, the everything. The only thing it lacked was length. It was more like a stripper costume than a uniform. But it will have to do for her.
And so she stripped and changed against her will, trying everything into complete perfection to avoid embarrassment.
"Katsumi-chan! Sensei-san wants you!"
"I'm sorry, Hagiwara-senpai. Chika-san is extremely overactive. But yes, sensei would like to speak to you, as she would the rest of the volunteers."
The two voices came from the two orphans standing at the door. One, a small male brunette with his voice as wild as his personality, and the other, so uptight that it was almost as if he were a robot. His eyes were a glistening green with his glasses protecting the beautiful orbs.
"Okay, Eto-san, thank you for the information. I will be down shortly." She thanked the green-eyed brunette.
"But Kastsu-chan! I told you too!"
"Oh, of course thank you too Ikeda-chan!" She giggled as she picked the small whirlwind of a brunette up from the ground and carried him towards Sensei's office.
/BackDownInTheDeepEnd\\
"Please sir, I need this jo-, it's crucial that I volunteer here!" she contests.
"I'm sorry but we just don't have the resources, Hagiwara-san. The food to pay you, the bed to let you sleep in, it just can't wor-"
"I will leave in the morning. I just need that $25, and I'll work my heart out. I promise. You don't need to give me food or even a bed, I just need the money. I beg of you!"
"I'll give you $50. I can see that you really need it. But in exchange, you will need to waitress to the head family of this fundraiser. All the other volunteers have refuse to serve them so you will have to. But I have to warn you, they are every demanding. Not to mention, strict."
Who was it?
"The Akashi Family,"
Should I continue? A little bit short but, oh well!
Some authors end with a serious note.
BUT here I am, ending this chapter with this...
PEACE OUT, BROTHA! (OR SISTAH! OR EVEN WHATEVER GENDAH! YOU ARE?!)