A/N: I hope you like this chapter. I'm really proud of this one.

Btw, I forget to say something last chapter. Since this story is so long, I'm going to be updating two or three chapters at a time. That might mean updates might take a little longer.

"Sharie! Sharie! Let me in!"

Sharie woke up to the sound of someone pounding on the door of her apartment. She sat up groggily, rubbed her eyes, and stood up. Her red and blue overcoat was wrapped around her as always. It was the same one she had had in elementary school. She had grown only a foot and a half since then, and it still fit like a charm.

She walked to the door of her apartment. "What?" she yawned as she opened it.

The next thing Sharie knew, someone was sobbing into her overcoat. She looked down and saw two brown pigtails. It was Leslie.

"What are you doing here? It's only-" She glanced at the clock. "1 pm! Damn, what are you doing here so early?"

Leslie looked up. Her eyes were red-rimmed. "He broke up with me."

It took Sharie a few seconds to register what Leslie was saying. "Hmm? Who did wha- Oh! Paul. That's right." She gave Leslie a quick hug. "Why don't you sit down and tell me about it?"

Leslie warily sat down on Sharie's dingy couch. Sharie slept so much, she didn't have any time to clean it or anything else. Sharie sat down next to her. Mmmm. Comfy. She let herself sink into the couch.

"Paul took me out to lunch today," Leslie sobbed. "He sounded so unhappy over the phone, so I guess I should have seen it coming. But I didn't. I mean, we were so happy together, you know? How would I have seen it coming? I thought maybe he was just having a bad day, so I didn't think much of his tone on the phone, you know?"

"Mm-hmm." Sharie nodded as her eyelids started to droop.

Leslie continued. "He ordered a grilled cheese sandwich for me. My favorite. Then when the food arrived, he said, 'Leslie, I know you really like me, but I really only like you for your pigtails.' I mean, seriously!"

"Oh yeah, that's awful," Sharie mumbled as she lay her head down on the armrest.

"He is such an awful person. I can't believe I ever-" Leslie was interrupted by knocking on the door of the apartment.

Sharie groaned. "Hold on," she mumbled as she stood up to answer the door. "Whaa-aa-aat?" she whined to the short, mustachioed man who was standing outside.

"Sharie Brockman?" said the man.

"Uh-huh?" said Sharie.

"Ms. Brockman, I'm afraid we're going to have to ask you to leave this apartment complex," the man said.

That was news to wake Sharie up. "What! Why?" she screamed at him.

"Ms. Brockman, I have come to your apartment every day for the past two weeks to remind you to pay your rent, which was late. However, you never, not once, answered the door, and you still haven't paid the rent."

"Oh, yeah. I was probably sleeping when you came. Sorry about that."

"I'm afraid you don't understand. It's too late for you to pay the rent now, and we must ask you to leave. Find somewhere else to live."

Sharie thought this was entirely unfair. "But-"

"You go find another home, Ms. Brockman. We'll find somebody to move your things for you." With that, the man slammed the door in her face.

Sharie wasn't sleepy anymore. She was wide awake and shell-shocked. She turned back to Leslie. "S-sorry," she managed to sputter out.

"Sorry?" Leslie replied. "There's no need to be sorry. That reminded me that there are other people whose lives are worse than mine. Thanks!" Without a word more, Leslie skipped out the door and left.

Sharie didn't want to find another apartment. She knew that the same thing would probably happen again. She had been staying with friends ever since she dropped out of college. She didn't have a job. Her parents had lent her the money for the apartment. They were still waiting to get it back. Her first real home, and she completely blew it. She knew she couldn't support herself. She just couldn't.

She found a park bench to sleep on for that night. Tomorrow, I'll ask Jenny if I can stay with her for a while, she thought. Using her overcoat to keep her warm, she fell asleep.

The first thing she heard when she woke up was the voice of a little girl. "You can have this penny that I found, if you want." It didn't sound like she was addressing Sharie, so she ignored her.

"Thank you for offering, sweetie, but I don't accept money from kids. I was one once, you know." A second voice caught Sharie's attention. She sat up straight and saw a very old man sitting on a bed made of leaves and twigs right next to the park bench.

"H-hobo Bob?" she whispered.

The old man looked up at her. "Is that you, Sharie? I thought so. I'd know that old overcoat anywhere."

The little girl moved on to Sharie. "Would you like my penny, miss?"

Sharie looked over at Bob. He winked at her. Sharie smiled. "No thanks. I don't take money from kids. I was one once, you know." The little girl shrugged and skipped off.

Sharie looked at Bob again. "Hobo Bob. I can't believe it! I didn't think I'd ever see you again."

Bob grinned. "Me either, Sharie, me either." He took a moment to consider her haggard appearance. "Now, if you don't mind me asking, what are you doing out here? Shouldn't you be at home in your own bed?"

"I don't have a home. I got kicked out of my apartment yesterday," Sharie sighed.

Bob thought for a minute. "So you don't have a home. What about a job?" She shook her head. "No job either, huh? Well, hows about this? I can teach you how to be a hobo!"

"Really?" Sharie was excited. "I'd love to learn how to be a hobo!"

"Then we'd better get started! Come with me." Bob stood up and beckoned Sharie to do so also. She happily obliged.

Well, shethought. I've finally found something to do with my life. It might not be the most dignified, but I think I like it.

A/N: Please review!