I woke up with an ache in my back and my jacket zip digging into my leg. As I woke I saw a policeman approach us. Phil was still asleep beside me so I pushed him to wake him.
"You kids get up and move on," he said aggressively and then just stood over and watched us as if he'd seen it all before.
"Come on Phil," I said nudging him again as I stood. I picked up my coat that I had put over me while I slept and put it on properly, then picked up the small bag I had used as a pillow and put it over my shoulder. Phil gradually did the same as me. When we both stood up the policeman walked of not saying another word.
"Now what?" Phil asked as he opened his eyes and rubbed them with his hands.
"Breakfast?" I asked opening my bag and taking out a breakfast bar I'd taken from my house the day before.
"We won't be able to eat like this forever, you know," Phil said.
"I no," I replied. We started walking through the city, passing shops that had stuff too expensive for either of us to buy.
"We'll have to beg, won't we," Phil said watching all the people pass by in suits.
"Guess so," I replied.
"This where you expected we'd end up?" Phil asked looking happier.
"Dunno," I shrugged. "Guess we'll just take it as it comes."
"What's the time?" Phil asked, I told him half seven and he sighed.
"What's up?" I asked, as if I didn't already know. He confirmed what I thought,
"Guess I miss my family, they didn't deserve this did they?" Phil said. His might not have, but mine certainly did. I didn't say anything about it after that. We kept walking until we found a bench in the middle of a park we had walked towards.
"Think we should start begging now?" Phil asked and I shrugged.
"Would anyone give us money?" I questioned.
"I bet we just look like kids skipping school," Phil said, saying what I was thinking.
"This don't leave us much to do," I said as Phil reached into his jeans pocket and pulled out a coin, which he began flipping.
"How much money did you bring?" Phil asked while he watched his coin dance between his hands.
"Sixteen dollars forty eight cents," I replied. I thought running away could be an option weeks before now so I tried saving up, it hadn't gone too far though, "How about you."
"Nine dollars I think," Phil replied putting his hand in his pocket to check for money, "And a couple of cents."
"Could last us a while," I said.
"Yeah, and we already brought some food," Phil said looking through his stuffed bag.
"So, what do we do for now then?" I asked but Phil was just blank.
"Can't say I feel like going bowling," Phil tried to joke after a while, but we both felt deflated so we just sat on the bench and chatted for a while. Conversation paused again and Phil let out a long sigh.
"You're thinking about home, right?" I asked and Phil sat upright from the bench.
"Would you be angry if I was?" he asked but I shook my head.
"No, it was a bit sudden wasn't it," I said, he agreed but to me this wasn't sudden. I'd been waiting weeks until I had the courage to leave. Now I was away from home and with Phil. But I just felt so bad about it.
"Why are we here?" Phil asked sounding more serious than he usually does.
"Because we have no where else to sit?" I said jokily trying to get him to lighten up.
"No, I mean, why all of a sudden did you want to leave?" he asked.
"Well, you know about the bullies," I said.
"There's more isn't there," Phil said. I made a little groan like I didn't want to tell him and I guess he knew there was something else, "Can't you just tell me honestly? I won't care, please, I just need to know."
"It's my parents," I said quickly. Phil said nothing, just looked at me blankly, probably wanting me to explain. "They never approved of me, you know, since I told them."
"I never thought your parents minded," Phil said.
"Oh they do," I said. "Dad says he's failed as a father and mum blames some baby book guy."
"They the reason you wanted to leave then?" Phil asked and I said yeah.
"I'm really sorry, I didn't mean…" I began.
"Huh, what? Why are you apologising?" Phil asked.
"For not telling you," I said and he realized.
"Well, you don't have to worry now," Phil said happily putting his arm around me, "We're here, together, away from your parents and those school bullies."
"And from now on, we'll tell each other everything, deal?" I asked.
"Deal," Phil said.