Thanks for the support, everyone!
I'm just going to add that there's a twist coming (eventually, not yet) and it'll probably shock you all! Heh :D

ASTRA'S P.O.V

"Who was that?" Gloria asks, wiping her mouth free of vomit with her sleeve "Your boyfriend?"
I'm still staring after the train, my mouth hanging open, eyes wide. Gloria waves a vomit-smeared hand in my face, and the stench is enough for me to look in her direction.
"No..." I tell her "I mean... I... Er..."
"You knew him, didn't you?" She asks. I don't answer her, and she replies "Wow, I'm surprised. Why would anyone bother to look for you?" Her tone is spiteful, annoyed, and perhaps even envious. I bite my tongue and I don't respond.
Just on cue, I vomit. At least it fills the awkward silence.

O

I didn't want to do this, but Gloria insisted on doing so. She wanted to eat 'proper' food, not half-rotten leftovers from public bins.
"I'm not sure," I tell her, the pair of us waiting for the traffic lights to change. As cars blur past, I see curious/disgusted faces peering at us.
"Oh come on, Astra!" Gloria sighs, annoyed with my cowardly attitude "Don't you want a proper meal?"
"Well, obviously." I tell her "But this is wrong."
"Since when did you turn into a goody-little-two-shoes?" She barks. I expect her to smile and apologise, claim it was a joke, but she doesn't.
"I haven't," I tell her bitterly "I've been arrested, spent time doing community service, been sent to court, and been tagged."
An elderly woman nearby tuts disapprovingly and shakes her head "Useless brain-dead yobs."
Gloria shouts something rude at her, and I can't help but laugh at her stunned face. Gloria finally shoots me a grin and I return it.
As the cars in front of the lights slow, the smile dies on my lips.
"Let's go," Gloria orders.
I walk slowly, robotically across the road, so slowly that the short-tempered elderly woman speeds past, muttering curses about us. Gloria grabs my hand, her fingers hot and dirty in mine, and practically drags me across the road, her pace fast.
I find myself rooted to the spot outside the shop – a paperchase – with my heart hammering in my chest.
"Come on!" Gloria hisses, acting like an impatient parent "You claim you've been misbehaving, but you're acting like a wimp!"
"What have I got to do?" I ask her, my voice quiet, frightened. I'm never frightened.
"Act casual and try to pocket something."
In the space of the next few seconds, I'm in the shop, a warm breeze blowing in my face. It's empty of people, aside from the cashier, a dark-skinned man with glasses. His eyes focus on us, and his eyes narrow suspiciously. Well, I don't blame him. We must look messy and suspicious anyway.
"Come on, Tia." Gloria leads me through the shop, her voice sweet and innocent.
Tia? I feel my face wrinkling in confusion Why would she call me 'Tia'?
My eyes scan the newspaper headlines, searching for my face on the front covers. They'd probably use the picture where I'm a wide-eyed, terrified eleven year old. Expectedly, instead of my face, there are celebrities. I'm nowhere in sight. I felt a stab of pain, realising that nobody probably cared about me now. I was just another runaway. Another nobody.
Something slams into my shoulder, knocking me to the floor and knocking all my breath out of me. Gloria. Her arms are full of food – cereal, bread, chocolate, even a sack of potatoes. I remain on the cold floor, stunned. She advances to the door, and then looks in my direction. For a moment, she's standing there, uncertain whether to leave me or not. Our positions have been reversed – I'm the one about to be left behind.
She leaves me, disappearing from sight. A curious shopper peers at me from further down the aisle.
I scramble to my feet and make for the door, not even bothering to snag a few chocolate bars nearby, but then there is a weight on top of me, pinning me down, restricting me. I fight to stay up, to stay alive, to continue my life as a runaway. But the weight on my back is heavy, pressing me down. I close my eyes, ignoring their threats.
I know this is the end.

Evil Gloria! How could you?

ETERNAL E-COOKIES TO: N4F, RachaelLeighAnneRichardWisker, Danielle Glover (Yeah, Astra's slowly becoming evil now!) , Jade pevensie, loveisonlythestart (thanks!) , imonlyhumansoimnotperfect (Enjoy! :D), Melody Whisper and roxypoxypuddingandpie (My god, thank-you! :D)

Please review :)