Streetlight People
Part Two: Just A City Boy
Chapter Two
"Where were you last night?" Alden hissed, elbowing Edward in the ribs as he sat down at the worn out kitchen table. Edward ignored the boy and continued to scarf down his pancakes. They were a little dry but a healthy amount of table syrup easily fixed that.
"Chelsea did bed checks last night," the boy continued, feigning a nonchalance that belied his tone. "She knows you weren't home last night."
A bolt of unease shot through Edward and he forced himself to swallow around the lump in his throat before shrugging off the feeling and going back to his breakfast.
"So what." It wasn't a question, it was an act of defiance.
And he truly meant it, too. It was a matter of days until he was out of that place, out of the system, out from underneath the institution that had kept him under its thumb. In three days he would be eighteen (again, Edward thought wryly) and he'd be kicked out of this foster home, considered an adult in the eyes of the law, considered a good for nothing nobody in the eyes of everyone else.
He expected to be called into the living room after breakfast was over but Chelsea just hugged him as he walked out the door on his way to work. He could feel not only her stare of worry but also the accusing eyes of Alden boring into his back.
Standing at the curb awaiting his ride, Edward let himself fantasize for a minute: the fantasy was always the same. But, too soon even for his hardened heart, the truck that held three other of his coworkers honked from down the block and the stone faced young man was back to reality. With his backpack slung over his shoulder and his hard hat perched haphazardly over his dirty and worn Detroit Lions cap, Edward prepared himself to jump into the still moving cab (with the full knowledge that Vince's breaks were in perfect condition due to their lack of use).
"Morning, Mase," he heard as he hauled himself up and used the momentum of the moving vehicle to his advantage.
"Morning," Edward grunted back, locking in his seatbelt and pulling his cap and hard hat over his eyes. His few hours of cramped, uncomfortable sleep were catching up with him and he was praying that he'd find some way to keep all his fingers intact today.
Little was said on the ride to their current construction site, just grunts of thanks as cups of McDonald's coffee were passed around when they hit the drive-thru on their way. Keeping a covert eye on the world moving outside his window, Edward also kept an ear on the sparse conversation and the news radio mumbling thinly through the truck's cab speakers.
"In other news, there is one confirmed dead after an explosion at the abandoned GM auto plant in South Detroit early this morning. Police say that a fire lit inside the plant went out of control, sneaking up on the squatters inside. Most made it out injured but so far one body has been recovered with dread that more may soon be found."
Edward paled.
"The arson investigator's office says that evidence of foul play has been found and police will be investigating all activity in the area from last night."