This one is a little bit of a filler but I hope you like it all the same. I own nothing of the G.I Joe universe, except for characters of my own creation.
It was kind of embarrassing just sitting on the floor with a little cup begging for a money but sometimes, desperate times calls for desperate measures and Sabrina didn't seem to mind it, so I sat with her, stroking a stray dog that sometimes came around. I felt sorry for the poor little thing. It was shaggy and starved to the point where you could count its ribs so I reached into my bag and picked out the ham, tearing up little pieces to feed the dog bit by bit to keep it from choking on the food.
It lapped the ham hungrily from my palm, its warm tongue slathering my skin until it was all gone. It then looked hopefully up for more. "Alright, you can have my share but no more. I have a hungry family I have to feed." I warned the dog who gave a little bark of agreement, wagging its tail happily.
I gave it my share of the ham before smiling, ruffling its ears before it jumped into my arms, licked my face then trotted away again. "Digger seems to like you." Sabrina smiled at me, lifting her cup up to a woman who walked straight past us, not even sparing a glance.
"Because I feed him." I answered with a shrug. "Sometimes I just don't get humanity. Sure, we humans make mistakes but how is it fair that animals get the same treatment? Abandoned and left to die…no animal deserves that."
"We live in a cruel world, Robyn. Not everyone is as kind as you are." I snorted under my breath.
"I'm not kind. A kind person would have given everything she had for others."
"You have to have your share too." Sabrina answered sternly, tossing me a little warning look before she smiled again. "You're not a soldier."
"I suppose." Sighing in defeat I leaned back into the wall, looking up at the clear blue sky, wondering what else there was to do. We had enough food for today so there was no point in stealing. Besides I couldn't do it every day or it would become too obvious and I would get caught, which would help no one.
"Look over there, in the window, can you see those necklaces?" Sabrina gasped, suddenly jumping up. "Come on! Let's play a game." She grabbed my wrist and pulled me up, gripping her cup tightly in her hand as we both raced over to the sparkling display of jewels.
"What kind of game?" I asked her with a smile, enjoying her enthusiasm.
"We'll walk down the street and chose one thing from every window that we would buy if we had all the money in the world." Sabrina said, running a hand through her dark hair. Hers was so contrasting with my light brown locks, it made hers look shinier and darker with me standing next to her. As she peered into the shop with her dark chocolate coloured eyes she bit her lips, focussing on every item as I did the same. "That one." She pointed finally, beaming as she looked around to me. Sabrina was pointing to a ruby ring on a gold band, raised on a crest of diamonds. It was very beautiful, with a price to match.
"I see how it is, a pricey girl aren't you?" I teased and she blushed a little before prodding me.
"Go on, what would you choose?" I looked over the contents of the shop window, pursing my lips slightly before my eye was snagged by something tucked away in the corner.
"I'd choose that." I pointed and Sabrina peered, cupping her hands over her eyes to see better into the glass.
"That?" She questioned in surprise. The necklace was white gold with a pair of angel wings as the centre pendant. "Why? Wouldn't you rather have something like that?" She pointed to a diamond collar but I shook my head.
"No. I would rather have the wings. It's simple yet elegant and…my mom used to call me her little angel. Now she's up in heaven, it's the perfect item to remind me of her." I explained, brushing away a slim tear that began to slide down my cheeks. "Never mind though. Next window!" I declared and pushed Sabrina along who jumped forwards to the next shop, which was a patisserie. We stared at all the wonderful sweet treats and pastries before looking at each other. At the same time we both grinned and called out.
"All of them!" We got some strange looks but we didn't care. We were both laughing until our insides hurt. Sabrina gripped my hand and together we did the same for every shop. We changed streets to do a little more scrounging for cash. One very nice lady actually gave us ten dollars which we both stared at in awe before hastily hiding it away before any other homeless people saw the treasure we had and tried to take it. If the drug addicts found out, they'd be on us like a pack of wolves.
Together we walked back to our hangout where Old and Young Jimmy were waiting with Petunia. "You're a little later today, was everything alright?" Old Jim asked as we sat down, still breathlessly smiling.
"Sure, we got a little surprise for you all." Sabrina said then looked up, checking they weren't being watched before taking the ten dollars from her sock.
"I'll be blown…" Old Jim blinked in surprise then chuckled.
"We can get something for us now, what does everyone need?" Sabrina asked, looking around to the others who glanced to each other.
"Nothing really. Unless you can buy us all a house with that." Old Jim said then chuckled, reaching across and clasped Sabrina's hands, patting them softly. "You two youngsters pay for whatever it is you need. New clothes for interviews, a hot dog, anything. Don't you worry about us older people here."
"Of course we're going to worry about you." I replied simply, reaching forwards to grasp Jim's shoulder. "We're a family. We stick together through the thick and thin. Now, Petunia, perhaps we can get you something to help keep you warm, how about some new gloves? Jimmy I'll make sure to barter for some painkillers to help with your leg, Old Jim we'll get you some more matches. Sabrina?"
"I think that just about covers it." She nodded her head then sighed softly. "Honestly you three. You have to let us help you."
"Two beautiful young girls like you? No, you two should be out on the catwalk. Not sitting here." Young Jimmy said gently to us, rubbing his wounded leg to try and ease it from the pain of the cold. I shifted over to him with one of my blankets, gently lifting up his leg to wrap it around.
"Here, try that." I smiled, touching his shoulder then returned back to my place of the circle. We all huddled close together for a while before I heard footsteps approaching, several of them. I lifted my head then instantly heard the voices, distinctly loud against the early evening hum of traffic. "Quick! Hide everything!" I hissed, grabbing my bag of precious food and tossing it into the empty dumpster at the end of the alley along with everything else valuable. Old Jim grabbed his tin of belongings and shoved them behind him, arranging his blankets so that they were well hidden.
After the initial scramble to get everything hidden we returned to our circle, nervously glancing around one another as the voices of young men came closer. I saw them saunter past our alley and with every breath I prayed that they would just keep walking and leave us alone.
It seems luck, as usual, was not on my side. They all stopped and peered into our alley, their sickening smirks making my stomach lurch. "What's this here then? Some old granny and grandpa with a one legged man? Sick." The leader of the group snorted, his spiked fringe not suiting his closely shaved head.
"Please leave us be, young man. We want no trouble." Old Jimmy said gently, keeping his eyes down.
"What's that pops? Can't hear you!" He shouted then kicked at Petunia's bedding, scattering it everywhere. Still we did nothing. "They're dumb as well as deaf."
"Yeah mate. Skanky homeless people." My blood boiled but I clenched my fist and didn't move, glancing to Sabrina who was hiding under her large hood.
"What is it you want?" Jimmy asked, gripping his leg tightly to keep from trying to get up and throwing a punch at these jerks.
"Got any money? Nah suppose not, druggies the lot of you."
"And you aren't?" I said without meaning to, it just flew from my mouth. The ringleader glared at me then took a step forwards.
"You wanna go do you? Come on then, let's have at it." I stood, pushing back my hood and narrowed my deep bronze eyes at the jerk who was insulting us. He blinked stupidly at me then burst out into ridiculous laughter, his joining in until they were all honking like a flock of geese.
"Come on darling, how about you come back with us for a little fun time?" I arched an eyebrow at him then snorted.
"Try me again when you're old enough to grow a beard." I retorted smartly, placing my hands on my hips. "But now please leave. You are not wanted here."
"What makes you think you can tell us what to do?"
"Yeah! We own this block! You're on our property!" Sighing I rolled my eyes.
"You are aware that under section thirty three of the squatter's rights act of nineteen seventy two paragraph seven, line thirteen states that areas where citizens of the United States who have no alternate accommodation, who have resided for more than week in one place can rightfully claim it as their personal area of residence and therefore have the right to evict others from their presence or have the right to contact the police and order their arrest." I stated calmly, keeping a level eye on them all as they just frowned at me.
"Say what?"
"So, in short, if you don't want to be fined a sum of cash I'm pretty sure you don't have, I'd get out of here if I were you." The boys all looked to one another before slowly backing away.
"You're freaks. The lot of you." He shot one last snarl at us before heading off into the night. Exhaling I let my body go lax before collapsing back down.
"That was brilliant Robyn! How did you know that stuff about the law?"
"The law? Ha! I made it up." I grinned at her. "They were stupid enough to believe me. Figures, and they call us idiots."