Living on the Run

Waffles!

LIU'S POV: 

    Most of the furniture inside the hut looked like it was taken from the streets. In reality, it probably was. I was actually surprised how spacious the inside was. At the moment, I was huddled upon myself in a one-person couch. Jeff and Toby were sitting opposite from me on a three-cushion couch, chatting merrily upon themselves. 

     My eyes wavered from the two boys to around the house. The carpet underneath us looked so dirty. There were holes littering the walls, some from the rotten wood, and others that looked like it was created by someone out of rage. The house also stank like hell when you entered, but after some time your nose just gets desensitized. As I was gazing around the house, my stomach decided to make itself known as it rumbled so loudly, catching the attention of everyone. 

    "Are you hungry, Liu?" Toby asked, catching me off guard. Shyly, I nodded my head. 

     "Why didn't you offer me any food?" Jeff complained, threatening Toby with his knife. Toby seemed unfazed by Jeff's behavior. 

      "You can get food too," Toby rolled his eyes. "Follow me," Toby got off from the couch and signaled for me to follow. We entered into another room I had yet to step in: the kitchen. There were paper plates everywhere, and a pile of stinky bowls in a rundown sink. A small, rusty fridge lied on one side of the room. The cabinets were hardly hanging. "Do you want a waffle?" Toby asked. I shrugged my shoulders; I'd eat anything at this point. Toby went over to the freezer and popped several waffles into a toaster. When it pinged, I watched as Toby placed the waffles onto two paper plates and swirled maple syrup, topped with whipped cream. 

     "That's what I'm talking about!" Jeff exclaimed, stabbing the waffles with his knife and nearly swallowing it whole. 

     "Slow down," I chastised my little brother, embarrassed by his rude manners. Toby chuckled at our brotherly behavior. 

     I tried to ignore my brother as I thanked Toby for the meal before taking a forkful of the waffle. It was so delicious, the best thing I ate in a long time, it seemed. Considering Toby is a new person, I felt more self-conscious when I ate, and I think Toby felt this, too. "No need to be shy," Toby whispered, nudging me on the shoulder in a friendly manner. He seemed to be quite outgoing, considering he was able to get along with Jeff's extroverted ways. I just shrugged again at Toby, slowly eating my waffles. By the time I finished my second waffle, I couldn't eat another piece, no matter how good they tasted. Gently, I placed my plate on the kitchen counter. 

     By this time, it was very, very late. Or, I suppose, you could say very early in the morning. With my belly full, I felt ready to fall asleep. A yawn escaped my mouth involuntarily. Toby noticed, as he asked, "Are you tired?" I nodded sleepily. Toby latched onto my arm, saying, "I'll show you to your room, then." 

    "What about me?" Jeff asked. 

      "Find it yourself." Yup, I can tell Jeff and Toby definitely knew each other from before.

      I thought we'd be going upstairs or something, but instead we took the stairs leading down. "Am I sleeping in the basement?" I asked. 

     "All the rooms are in the basement," Toby replied. "Better for keeping low, anyways." Once at the bottom of the stairs, we came across a narrow hallway. As we trudged on, there were several rooms on either side of us. As we kept walking, I was thinking about what Toby said "Better for keeping low". Finally, we reached the end of the hallway, where there was a room. "And this will be your room from now on." 

     I twisted the door knob, but before Toby left to go, I asked, "Are you like Jeff and I?" 

     Toby must have seen how truly tired I look, so he just responded, "Rest now. We can talk more tomorrow." I just nodded, seeing the sense in Toby's words. "Good night." 

    "'night" I replied sleepily, before walking into my room and closing the door behind me. The bed, though small and stained (with blood?) looked so comfy at this moment, that I just jumped in and fell asleep almost instantly.