Curing Kyle Magnusson ✓

Four - Life Saver |NEW|

*.*.*.*.*.*

Kyle

I feel like a piece of shit. The worst kind. The kind you excrete after a day at an all-you-can-eat buffet.

The wind bites against my face and my nose is runny. I tug at the sleeve of my hoodie and wipe my nose with it before cringing at how gross I am. Everything about me screams pathetic and disgusting. I've never felt more like a deadweight before. Although the feeling of being useless has stuck with me throughout my life, I've never hated myself more.

More than I do today, after seeing how much Anna hates me.

I mean, okay, I kind of deserve it. After what I did to her, throwing away everything we had for nothing -- at least from her view -- of course she'd hate me. Who wouldn't hate me?

Looking on both sides from under my hood, I duck under the shade. I've spent most of my day walking without a destination in mind. Now that it's dark again, I need to find a payphone so I can reach out to someone. I have a couple of people on my mind who might be able to help me, a few numbers I remember off the top of my head. My minuscule amount of remaining self-respect reprimands me for being so selfish. My grumbling stomach, however, doesn't give a shit. I need food and I need a place to stay, even if I have to backstab a friend to get it.

Wouldn't be the first time I take advantage of someone.

The dial tone ends and I hang up the payphone, huffing an angry breath. I'm not sure what to do anymore, with no one answering. I've even wasted my few pennies and have nothing left. What I could have bought is also not an option anymore.

Talk about having no one in a time of need.

I walk through the cold Pittsburgh streets, hands buried in my pockets and head bowed low. My legs feel weak and I feel light-headed. I pull my hands out of my pockets to look at them. They're trembling, and I clench them into fists. I tell myself it's just the cold, but the shivers running through my body say otherwise.

I need a fix and I need it fast.

Desperate, I duck into the nearest grocery store. My body needs too many things right now but I tell myself food will work. I don't have enough change in my pocket to buy me anything, though. So when I find an empty aisle, I look both ways before grabbing the nearest box and stuffing it under my hoodie. I don't check to see what flavor of cereal it is or how much it costs. I'm not ready to pay for it anyway, and considering I couldn't afford to pay even if I tried, this is my best shot at getting something into my empty stomach.

I glance towards the counter to make sure nobody's paying me any mind. That's when I see the cashier, a young girl probably in high school. She's got her earphones deep in her ears and hums along to whatever pop tune she's moving to. The grocery store is pretty empty, and I contemplate my options. How much can I get away with?

Looking around, I catch sight of a CCTV camera in a corner. My heart drops; jail is the last place I can handle right now.

I turn away from the camera and pull the box of cereal out from under my hoodie. My only other option is to somehow get the cashier to go along with this. She's young and looks naive, and if I play my cards right, I can probably get something out of this visit to the store.

I grab a trolley and put a few items in, some canned ham, some chips. The freezer in the middle of the store is stocked with ready-made dinners, boxed and frozen. I check the price tag on one of them and put them in my groceries. I know I have to do this carefully. More than a couple of dollars and it won't work.