The smell of exhaust filled my nostrils making my eyes water uncontrollably. The bus driver looked at me with pure hatred making me wonder how long i was out of it. I got up off of the bus bench and walked carefully onto the bus. It was filled with the strong odor of must and wet dog. The bus was cramped and the only seat was between a lady picking at her teeth with her fingernails and a heavy set man with a small girl sitting next to him that looked like his daughter. I gave into my judge mental ways and sat between the man and the woman . The bus ride seemed to drag on every time the woman sneezed or the man squirmed in his seat. I was so ready to escape the bus i was fine with getting off at any stop and walk to the actual stop that I was getting off at. I had this mindset for about 5 more minutes when my stop was called . Manhattan , New YorkI popped out of my seat and frantically gathered my things . I ran to the front of the bus and stepped into the first bit of fresh air I had had in 45 minutes .

I walked for maybe two blocks before I got to my destination . For every 300 feet I took there was a street beggar . Every one of them looked the same . Tattered clothes , a raggedy blanket covering them and a plastic cup filled with a couple cents . Don't get me wrong , I have nothing against homelessness , but in my opinion there are certain people who are able bodied and healthy but want to cheat people who work hard out of their money ... but that's just my opinion . So i dropped two dimes in every cup and kept moving. I kept my guard up and hoped to make it their before i ran out of dimes . Trying to keep speed I didn't let anything slow me down until I found my self laying on a filthy pile of crates filled with empty beer bottles . I scanned my surroundings to find the the reason I was laying in a crate pile only to see another boy in a dirt covered jean jacket and ripped denim pants his hair was in sandy brown tangles draping his caramel face and covering his hazel eyes ,one of them purple and swollen shut. I stood releasing my self from the trash and walked over to him . His leg was bent at an awkward angle and a tear rolled down his cheek . I lifted him into a sitting position and the only thing i could thing about was how to help him . I grabbed his leg and tried to move it wondering if it was broken . In response he yelped in pain

"I'm sorry" I said wincing as he screamed. He gulped and reassuringly nodded at me . I stood up and looked for materials that i could possibly make a splint out of. I grabbed one of the filthy crates i was lying in and jumped on it gaining a long straight wooden bar. Probably sensing that I didn't have anything to hold the bar he grabbed in his worn jean jacket's pocket and pulled out his swiss army pocket knife .I looked at him and , returning his gesture, I nodded . I took of his jean jacket, cut off both sleeves tied them together and wrapped them around his leg and the wooden bar. Tying off the knot I finally took a breath and let go of all the stress that went into this challenge .

"Do you think you can stand?" I asked trying to see underneath his curtain of hair .

"Maybe" he replied sheepishly saying his first word to me today. So I grabbed his hand and helped him off of the ground. I put my arm around his waist , he put his arm around my shoulder and we began to walk showing me that my make-shift splint was somewhat helping.

"So... thanks for helping out with- this but I have to go" He said throwing on the remains of his jean jacket .

"Wait why?" I said quickly hearing the desperateness in my voice " I mean I really want to make sure that you make it home safely"

"I don't think that will be necessary" he said looking around like there was someone following us" Bye thanks again"

" No I 'AM' coming with you to make sure you get home even if you have to drag me away from you " I said crossing my arms

"But I-"

"Just tell me why I cant make sure your okay"

" Okay the truth is"He said sitting back down "I don't have a house .My parents kicked me out because I flunked most of my classes in high school now I work at this bar as a bus boy and I sleep in a cheap motel with whatever money I make at the bar."

"But I don't understand . Why are you out here ... looking like this?"

"Drunken people mean drunken fights" he said letting his hair fall in his eyes" My 'job' here is to wash dishes but another huge part is keeping people from burning the bar down "

He looked at me scanning my face for a reaction but the only face I could manage was a furrowed brow . This world is cruel and even though my problems are huge I didn't realize how much more other people go through .

"Let me help you please " I said tearing up and grabbing his arm "I can clean you up, educate you , get you a better job and you wont have to hear from me ever again

No. You cant help me unless you own and bank and you are ready to give me a loan for free you cant help me"

"I dont have to have a big monopoly to help someone in need"

"That's what you dont get! I am not 'in need'" he said tearing up" its not like im homeless"

"But you're close enough to it" i said " And i wish that you would just calm down and let someone help you

He looked at me ready to say something smart back bt then realized that I was right

"Fine but don't think I'm some charity case. I don't really need your help but I also hate seeing people cry" he said grumpily

I nodded still getting over my fit for a stranger. I stood up wiped my eyes and outstretched my hand so that i could help him up . He took my hand and stood up once again. I wrapped my hand around his waist and he put his arm on my shoulder and we began to walk to the bus stop . We walked in silence until I realized that nearest bus stop is two blocks down and this guy was starting to get heavy

"Crap" I said

"What, whats wrong". he worriedly asked

" Uhh I kinda forgot that the bus stop is really far from here "

"Well why didn't you just say that?" he said like I was dumb " We can just get a taxi"

"But i don't have any money" I said sort of embarrased

"Well then let me take care of you for once" he said smiling

I could tell that I was blushing because of the look on his face . It was a sort of smirk that people do when they said something intelligent or funny. I turned away from him hoping that he didn't get the satisfaction of knowing that i blushed because of what he said but I was too late

"That's a pretty nice shade of red you got there " he said

"Oh shut up" I said laughing "Its just some blush I put on this morning"

"Oh really" he said chuckling slyly. It was the kind of chuckle that made you want to slap someone so hard but also made you like them more then you knew you could . Before i could get a hold of myself i realized I was staring at him .

"Hey snap out of it ! The taxi is coming" he said snapping

"Oh sorry I just woke up kind of early this morning"

"uh huh" he said as we slid into the taxi

The taxi smelled of burnt rubber, cigarettes and cheap cologne. I coughed loudly as the smell filled my lungs . It was totally disgusting but I knew i would get use to it.

"Sorry love, I've been trying to get the smell out for two years now" he said signaling to his cheap air fresheners hanging from his rear view mirror . His voice was thick with the destruction of ciggarette smoke and coffee. His eyes were bloodshot and his hair was disheveled.

"Oh its okay. You know it just takes some getting used to" I said politley using tips from my 'How to Be a Practically Perfect Young Lady" book given to me from Miss Wilder. I was a big tomboy when I was 10 and i was really surprised when she first gave me the book at first i just thought she was giving me a present then i realized that she thought i acted like a boy . I was really upset and i cried for 2 hours straight. Shelly had to go down stairs to get some tissues at lest 20 times . But as i started reading the book i realized i was pretty disgusting for a girl so i got my act together but i still have that hint of tomboy left over.

"you got yourself a keeper over there , eh" he said talking to the guy . His teeth blackened by tobbaco"

"Wait you think shes my girlfriend?"

He nodded smiling again

"Heh noo shes not my girlfriend. We just met." he said awkwardly laughing

"Well the girls blushing so you must be lying" The taxi driver said

The guy whose name i still dont know turned to look at me and laughed . There goes my secret crush on him.

"Well then , I guess she is my girlfriend"he said wrapping his arm around me

Both the guy and the taxi driver laughed together as i sunk in my seat and waited for the ride to be over .

A/N: Heyyyyy so sorry i havent posted anything . I haven't been very inspired to write this story lately add that to school and you just have a whole lotta procastination . But i hope you guys liked this chapter! BAIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII