Nothing's Fine

Prologue

The sound of beat-up sneakers slapping against the concrete sidewalk beneath my feet echoed against the walls of the alley I was sprinting through. Another two pairs of much heavier footsteps followed shortly behind. I sprinted around a corner, trying to get away from the two guys that were chasing me for spending the night on 'their turf'. They said they were going to make me pay, but I certainly was not planning to stick around and find out what they meant.

Though the sun was shining in the sky, darkness lurked in the shadows of the alleyways of downtown Vancouver. These two creeps were clear evidence of that, but despite my heavy breathing, I wasn't going to waste a moment pondering that. I hopped up onto a garbage bin and leapt to a fire escape from it. My fingers gripped the metal bar of the ladder and I climbed as quickly as I could, and crawled over the ledge and onto the roof, laid low so the two guys couldn't see me...

Or so I thought.

They glanced around them, before the taller one noticed the bin that had been knocked over when I jumped off of it. His head turned to the fire escape and slowly, he pointed up at me. I swore under my breath and jumped up, running to the other side of the building. I saw another ladder and hastily climbed down. It led me into another alley, that went out to a very crowed street. I threw my hoodie on, covering up my curly hair. I hoped I could get lost amongst the numerous people bustling about. I glanced over my shoulder, towards the roof, and saw as the guys had gotten on to where I was once hiding.

I sprinted through the crowd, narrowly avoiding the majority of people walking towards me, bumping past others. I check over my shoulder nervously and crossed the street with a group of people. As I quickly brushed past another group and glanced behind me again. Suddenly, I ran into a wall of a person. It sent me flying backwards and onto the ground. I looked up to see a middle-aged woman, looking at me with concern etched into her bright features. I mumbled an apology as I got up off of the ground as she looked over my attire.

I didn't need to look down. I knew what I was wearing. I had been wearing the same thing for the past year and a half – ripped jeans, a dirty white t-shirt, a filthy black hoodie and ruined black converse.

"Are you lost, honey?" she asked as I glanced around, nervously. I was desperate to get out of there and not run into those guys.

"No," I responded flatly, check over my shoulders.

"Where are you parents?" she asked. I almost rolled my eyes at that.

"That's none of your business." I knew it was rude, but I didn't owe a stranger my life story. I was handling myself just find out here.

"You're just a child," she whispered sadly. I didn't know what she figured out, or what she thought she figured out, but though I was only fourteen, I felt like the furthest thing from a child. "And you look tired and starving." I didn't answer her. Instead, I looked over my shoulder once again. "Goodness! Why do you keep looking around?"

"Right now, I'm not safe. And quite frankly, neither are you. No offence lady, but I've got to go," I said. I turned to walk away, but she grabbed my arm. I froze at the sudden contact and looked at her hand, wrapped around my arm.

"Wait, hang on a minute!" she said. She let me go and gave me a small smile. "I don't mean any harm. I just... I don't think you have a place to go. Why don't you stay with my family and I for a while?"

"Why should I trust you?" I mumbled, not meeting her eyes.

"You can," she insisted. I rolled my eyes at that. She chuckled softly and let out a sigh. "My name is Linda. I have a daughter that's probably a few years older than you, and I'd hate for her to be out here by herself," she said. I looked up into her kind, blue eyes and felt something shift inside me. "The streets aren't safe for anyone much less a young girl and you sure look like you could use a nap."

"I am pretty tired," I whispered, because something told me living with her just might be better than living out here.

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Author's Note: Hello, hello! I hope you enjoyed the new and improved prologue! I was very excited to finish it and now to share it with you all! Let me know what you think, and stay tuned for the first chapter!