"Jamal. Jamal," I whispered the next morning, shaking the little one gently. "It's time to wake up," I said a bit louder.

"Here, let me do it," his brother said, pushing me aside. "JAMAL! WAKE UP!" The elder shoved his brother, pushing him on his back. "It's time to go," he said when he saw Jamal open his eyes.

The littlest one sat up, and rubbed his eyes. "Where are we going?"

"Somewhere we can find food, hopefully. I'm starving," I said, rubbing my belly.

Jamal's brother looked at me. "What are you doing here," he asked with distaste. He guided his eyes over my body, examining to see if I was a threat, or if I would slow them down. "I thought I told you not to come with us."

I nodded. "I promise I won't be a snail, and I won't attract trouble. I could be your watch guard, if need be," I begged, wanting t be part of a family. Even if it was a family of scattered people, who were thrust together through hardship. It was better than nothing.

The boy nodded. "Fine. You can stay. Come on, Jamal." He grabbed his brother's hand and pulled out into the sunlight. You would never have guessed that it rained just last night.

Jamal let go of his brother's hand, and walked with me. "That's Salim. He thinks he's the king of the world," he whispered, bumping his arm into mine. I giggled loudly, and covered my mouth.

"Eh-what are you laughing about?" Salim yelled over his shoulder, never detouring from his mission.

"Where are we going," Jamal asked again.

"We're going to the market. Maybe we can get some food." He turned and faced us.

We walked for a long time, wandering into the market. Women took pity on us, and gave us an orange, or a small banana. The farmers pushed us away from their carts, yelling about how we would infect their food, and make people sick if they ate it. Little children talked to us, and treated us like family.

Eventually we left, seeking shelter for the night. We left, stomachs half empty, hearts half full. Salim walked ahead, searching for a place to sleep. Jamal and I followed him, not really caring where we went. It was already late afternoon, and night was quickly approching.

"Come on, slow pokes! We still have to find a place to sleep!"

Jamal and I looked at each other, shook our heads, and took off running. My white camisole flew in the wind as I raced Jamal. "Hey-wait up!" Salim screamed as we passed him.

We giggled and ran faster. None of us knew where we were going, we just ran, Running kind of made it easier. It made me forget that I didn't have a mother, or a home. I was just racing a friend, just like in the slum.

Panting, I stopped, unable to run anymore. "Hey! Jamal! Salim! Where are we?"

The brothers stopped running and turned to look at me. I pointed to the unfamiliar houses. "Where are we?" My question hung in the air, like a bad fart that nobody wanted to address. We stood motionless, trying to catch our breath. I looked around. The houses were high, built of brick and concrete. There were tall fences, built of wood, and they had lines across the lawn, draped with clothes.

"Hey!"

We turned and saw a cop. "What are you doing here?"

I turned and ran to the brothers. "Let's go!"

I ran as fast as my legs could take me. I couldn't get captured. Not when I finally belonged to a family. My feet pounded into the ground, sending dirt flying. Breathing hard, I looked around for Jamal. "JAMAL!" I screamed, fear pulsing through me. I stopped, not wanting to continue without him.

Suddenly, he was right there beside me, breathing hard. "I found something for you," He giggled, holding up something yellow. He smiled warmly at me. "I hope you like it." He took my hand and began running. Tingles shot up my arm, giving me that warm sensation again. I smiled, loving this feeling.

"Jamal! This way!" His brother yelled from our left, who was hiding in an alcove, covered by a rug hanging on a wire. We turned, joining Salim into the tiny space. Jamal pushed me inside, shoving me up against Salim.

Salim looked down at me, a wicked grin on his face. I felt my face get hot, and I looked down. I grabbed Jamal's hand, seeking comfort.

"Shh," he whispered, brushing his lips against my ear. "Don't make a sound."

I nodded, and moved closer to Salim, trying to give Jamal more room from the edge of the little indention. Salim rested his head on mine. I felt uneasy being so close to Salim. He didn't seem as innocent or kind as Jamal. My stomach churned as the seconds passed like hours. We stood motionless, waiting for the cop to pass us.

My heart pounded as we heard him stop, just outside our little alcove. "Damn kids," he said, slightly out of breath. We heard him turn around, and walk over to the entrance of the lawn. I stood motionless for several more minutes, making sure he was gone. Jamal took my hand in his, "It's alright. He's gone."

I pushed off of Salim, and followed Jamal out of the little fort. I looked around; making sure the guard was gone. Sighing, I turned to Jamal. "So what is it you have for me?"

I twirled around, adoring the yellow dress Jamal had grabbed. "I love it," I gushed, giving him the biggest hug I could muster. "It's so pretty. Thank you so much!"

Jamal shrugged like it was nothing. "It was just hanging there, and I thought you would like it, so…" He trailed off, staring at me.

I giggled and looked down. Looking into his eyes made me shiver. Not in a bad way, but it made me feel something that couldn't be described in a way that made sense. I moved my foot, making odd shapes in the dirt. I glanced up, and caught Jamal's warm brown eyes.

He flashed his smile at me, making my heart pound. I smiled back, lost in my little fantasy world of us being a family.

"Hey-come on! The sun's almost down," Salim said rather roughly. "Where are we going to sleep?"

The three of us looked around. We were still behind the tall brick houses, munching on thrown away food.

"What about the hiding place?" I offered. The brothers looked at me.

"It's so small, though," Salim commented, obviously not enjoying my idea.

"We could fit, though," Jamal stated. "We're small enough that only a bit of the last person would be showing." I looked at him and smiled. Thank you, I mouthed. Jamal nodded. Salim sighed, giving up on his argument.

"Fine. Whatever." Salim turned and entered the nook. "I'm going to bed," He called from behind the rug.

"You were right. He does think of himself as a king," I told Jamal with a smile. Jamal laughed and put an arm around me.

"You what I think?"

"Hm," I questioned, unable to say more due to our intimate distance.

"I think Salim believes that he decides our fate."

I giggled. "Our destiny was written by the gods, not by a silly little boy," I told Jamal, and leaned into him.

Silence took over as we watched the light depart. The cricket's chirps filled the air around us, almost drawing us closer to each other. I yawned, and patted Jamal's leg. "I'm going to bed," I whispered, sleepiness draining my voice.

"I'll go with you," Jamal said just as softly. He took my hand and led me to the tiny space. "Ladies first," he said, allowing me entrance. I smiled at him and lay beside Salim. I patted the space beside me, and smiled up at Jamal. The youngest of the bunch smiled back and lowered himself to the ground. He nudged his head against mine. "Goodnight, Latika," He whispered, looking me in the eye.

I smiled at him, feeling that rush again. "Goodnight."