After what seemed like an eternity of riding I saw the city up ahead. Of
course it wasn't the best hiding place but it was better than nothing was.
Plus it was beginning to get dark and I wasn't entirely sure how to turn on
the headlight.
I got to the edge of the city and stopped the bike on the side of the road. Debating whether I really wanted to drive into the city and risk being pulled over. Deciding it would be better to stay on the outskirts I took a side road before pulling into a small diner.
I walked into the diner and felt all eyes turn to me. Staying on my course to the counter I sat on a stool and waited until the overweight waitress came over to me.
"You lost kid?" she asked. I looked at her without the trace of a smile and shook my head. "Okay then, what'll you have?"
"Jus' water Madame." I said moving my eyes to look at the countertop. She nodded slowly and walked away, a few moments later coming to hand me ice water.
I looked around the greasy spoon. Greasy actually doesn't quite describe how gross this place was. It reeked of something between body odor and gasoline. Not a happy combination. Elton John played on the small radio as the tone-deaf chef sang along, probably at the top of his lungs.
The company I was keeping definitely wasn't upper class either, mind you I should've been able tell that by the amount of semi's sitting outside. I looked around at the massive truckers who were giving me the evil eye. Suddenly this started to seem like a very cheesy after school special, I chuckled to myself at that. I'm funny.
I watched as the crowd thinned before I glanced at the clock, it was really late, later than I had originally thought. Swearing I took out my wallet.
"Don't bother hun, it's just water." the waitress said as she cashed out. I smiled and nodded getting up to leave. "Do have somewhere to go tonight darlin'?"
I laughed. Was I really that transparent. "How'd you know?" I asked sitting back down. She grabbed her coat and motioned for me to follow her.
"I've worked here long enough to know a runaway when I see one." She said as we walked out in the balmy summer air. " So where are you from?"
"N'Awlins." I said, not really wanting to let her know the truth, even though she seemed nice enough, you never know.
"That's quite the walk." She said smiling as we approached my bike. "You're not old enough to drive that thing, you steal it?"
I shrugged; it was kind of scary how she knew everything. Maybe she was psychic. I looked over at her for some kind of recognition as we stopped in front of my bike.
"Well I can't take you home, my husband would kill me. Brought in one too many strays in my time! But I have a friend; I'll give you his address. He's a real good guy, I think you'll get along." She gave me his address and some directions. I hopped on the bike and she promised to phone ahead, all I'd have to do is buzz up.
I thanked her immensely and rode farther into the city, careful not to do anything more illegal, just to be on the safe side. I avoided the police at all costs, trying to find this address and using the directions to the best of the abilities. Unfortunately I'm directionally impaired and I choose to blame it on my mother. Who else right?
I cruised the winding streets, trying not to look at the homeless kids on the street corners. Every time I did it simply reminded me of how I was one of them now. And it didn't sit well in my stomach.
I tried to concentrate on the street signs and the bike and the road and avoiding the cops, but my attention doesn't split that many ways. I was about to give up when I found the street I was looking for. Taking it as a sign I smiled and carried on
Finally I found the building and parked my bike against the wall in the alley beside it. I doubt anyone would steal it. Walking over to the door I realized how stupid this could be. But I was all alone, it was dark and the only person I knew was the head waitress of the small diner.
I rang the doorbell and waited, I heard a buzzing noise and quickly grabbed the door and walked in. I figured it was on the top floor, turns out I was right. Two points for me. I trudged up the flights of stairs and trundled down a hallway trying to find his door number.
I found it at the end of a long hallway. Knocking on the door I waited, shuffling my feet as I realized that this was my only time to back out. But I stood my ground, biting my lip as I heard the sound of metal scraping against metal and the doorknob slowly turning.
The door opened to reveal a man in his thirties maybe, or twenties, I wasn't sure and I wasn't about to ask. His blonde hair was disheveled and hanging in his eyes. He was wearing flannel pyjama bottoms and a pair of pink bunny slippers.
"Monsieur Drake?" I asked quietly, really praying that I was at the right house. He face broke into a lopsided grin and he nodded. He moved aside and motioned for me to come inside. I did and looked around his apartment.
If I didn't know any better I would've thought that the apartment belonged to someone my age. Comic books were strewn all over the floor beside a video-game system, which was propped up by a few textbooks. It was a complete disaster area.
"Sorry about the mess, I wasn't really expecting company." He said kicked a few comic books out of the way. I blushed and looked at the floor. "Hey don't feel bad, make it your home. At least for a little bit right? Everyone needs a nice warm place to stay every once in a while."
He collapsed on the couch as I set my backpack down lightly.
"You want to play some video games?" he asked. Obviously trying to make me feel more comfortable. I smiled a little. He really was something like my age. I nodded slowly and made my way to grab a controller. We were in the middle of Halo when he started talking again. "So you're from New Orleans? I have, well had, a couple friends from there."
"Oui?" I asked, turning my head to him briefly before focusing back on the screen. I recently decided that I hated this game, it made no sense to me. "Dey not yo' friends now?"
He sighed. "I haven't talked to them for a very long time. I don't even know where they are anymore. We were really close for while."
"Dats not a happy story mon ami." I said as I threw down my controller in frustration.
"Yea I know. Anyway, it's late and I have to work tomorrow morning...or this morning I suppose." He said with a laugh. "There's a guest bedroom over there, it has it's own bathroom, I'll probably be gone when you wake up, but don't leave. Stay as long as you want."
I thanked him and made my way to the bedroom. Collapsing on the bed I feel asleep before I even thought about it.
I woke up the next day. Showering quickly I changed my clothes and walked into the living room, then to the small kitchen. On the table I found a note.
"Dear Runaway (sorry I don't know your name yet), I have left for work, I'll be back around 4, feel free to eat whatever I have in the fridge. I realize it's not much. I'll stop for pizza on the way home. Have fun today! From Bobby"
I got to the edge of the city and stopped the bike on the side of the road. Debating whether I really wanted to drive into the city and risk being pulled over. Deciding it would be better to stay on the outskirts I took a side road before pulling into a small diner.
I walked into the diner and felt all eyes turn to me. Staying on my course to the counter I sat on a stool and waited until the overweight waitress came over to me.
"You lost kid?" she asked. I looked at her without the trace of a smile and shook my head. "Okay then, what'll you have?"
"Jus' water Madame." I said moving my eyes to look at the countertop. She nodded slowly and walked away, a few moments later coming to hand me ice water.
I looked around the greasy spoon. Greasy actually doesn't quite describe how gross this place was. It reeked of something between body odor and gasoline. Not a happy combination. Elton John played on the small radio as the tone-deaf chef sang along, probably at the top of his lungs.
The company I was keeping definitely wasn't upper class either, mind you I should've been able tell that by the amount of semi's sitting outside. I looked around at the massive truckers who were giving me the evil eye. Suddenly this started to seem like a very cheesy after school special, I chuckled to myself at that. I'm funny.
I watched as the crowd thinned before I glanced at the clock, it was really late, later than I had originally thought. Swearing I took out my wallet.
"Don't bother hun, it's just water." the waitress said as she cashed out. I smiled and nodded getting up to leave. "Do have somewhere to go tonight darlin'?"
I laughed. Was I really that transparent. "How'd you know?" I asked sitting back down. She grabbed her coat and motioned for me to follow her.
"I've worked here long enough to know a runaway when I see one." She said as we walked out in the balmy summer air. " So where are you from?"
"N'Awlins." I said, not really wanting to let her know the truth, even though she seemed nice enough, you never know.
"That's quite the walk." She said smiling as we approached my bike. "You're not old enough to drive that thing, you steal it?"
I shrugged; it was kind of scary how she knew everything. Maybe she was psychic. I looked over at her for some kind of recognition as we stopped in front of my bike.
"Well I can't take you home, my husband would kill me. Brought in one too many strays in my time! But I have a friend; I'll give you his address. He's a real good guy, I think you'll get along." She gave me his address and some directions. I hopped on the bike and she promised to phone ahead, all I'd have to do is buzz up.
I thanked her immensely and rode farther into the city, careful not to do anything more illegal, just to be on the safe side. I avoided the police at all costs, trying to find this address and using the directions to the best of the abilities. Unfortunately I'm directionally impaired and I choose to blame it on my mother. Who else right?
I cruised the winding streets, trying not to look at the homeless kids on the street corners. Every time I did it simply reminded me of how I was one of them now. And it didn't sit well in my stomach.
I tried to concentrate on the street signs and the bike and the road and avoiding the cops, but my attention doesn't split that many ways. I was about to give up when I found the street I was looking for. Taking it as a sign I smiled and carried on
Finally I found the building and parked my bike against the wall in the alley beside it. I doubt anyone would steal it. Walking over to the door I realized how stupid this could be. But I was all alone, it was dark and the only person I knew was the head waitress of the small diner.
I rang the doorbell and waited, I heard a buzzing noise and quickly grabbed the door and walked in. I figured it was on the top floor, turns out I was right. Two points for me. I trudged up the flights of stairs and trundled down a hallway trying to find his door number.
I found it at the end of a long hallway. Knocking on the door I waited, shuffling my feet as I realized that this was my only time to back out. But I stood my ground, biting my lip as I heard the sound of metal scraping against metal and the doorknob slowly turning.
The door opened to reveal a man in his thirties maybe, or twenties, I wasn't sure and I wasn't about to ask. His blonde hair was disheveled and hanging in his eyes. He was wearing flannel pyjama bottoms and a pair of pink bunny slippers.
"Monsieur Drake?" I asked quietly, really praying that I was at the right house. He face broke into a lopsided grin and he nodded. He moved aside and motioned for me to come inside. I did and looked around his apartment.
If I didn't know any better I would've thought that the apartment belonged to someone my age. Comic books were strewn all over the floor beside a video-game system, which was propped up by a few textbooks. It was a complete disaster area.
"Sorry about the mess, I wasn't really expecting company." He said kicked a few comic books out of the way. I blushed and looked at the floor. "Hey don't feel bad, make it your home. At least for a little bit right? Everyone needs a nice warm place to stay every once in a while."
He collapsed on the couch as I set my backpack down lightly.
"You want to play some video games?" he asked. Obviously trying to make me feel more comfortable. I smiled a little. He really was something like my age. I nodded slowly and made my way to grab a controller. We were in the middle of Halo when he started talking again. "So you're from New Orleans? I have, well had, a couple friends from there."
"Oui?" I asked, turning my head to him briefly before focusing back on the screen. I recently decided that I hated this game, it made no sense to me. "Dey not yo' friends now?"
He sighed. "I haven't talked to them for a very long time. I don't even know where they are anymore. We were really close for while."
"Dats not a happy story mon ami." I said as I threw down my controller in frustration.
"Yea I know. Anyway, it's late and I have to work tomorrow morning...or this morning I suppose." He said with a laugh. "There's a guest bedroom over there, it has it's own bathroom, I'll probably be gone when you wake up, but don't leave. Stay as long as you want."
I thanked him and made my way to the bedroom. Collapsing on the bed I feel asleep before I even thought about it.
I woke up the next day. Showering quickly I changed my clothes and walked into the living room, then to the small kitchen. On the table I found a note.
"Dear Runaway (sorry I don't know your name yet), I have left for work, I'll be back around 4, feel free to eat whatever I have in the fridge. I realize it's not much. I'll stop for pizza on the way home. Have fun today! From Bobby"