Change // H.S.

7. I Need Help

*Harry's POV*

I was angry. Who the hell does she think she is telling me I need help? I don't need help. I left the homeless shelter and walked towards my boss' smoke shop. It's getting colder outside. I heard it's going to snow soon. Perfect timing, I thought to myself. Of course it's going to snow when I'm homeless.

I reach into my pocket for my pack of cigarettes. My hand finds the piece of paper the girl gave me earlier instead. I don't know why I still have it to be honest. I unfold the note and laugh. Does she even know that homeless people don't have phones? I put the note back into my pocket and took out my pack of cigarettes. I opened it up to find one cigarette left. Damn it! I need to go buy some more.... I dig into my pockets for money. I'm running low on money. I know I should be spending the money on food but I don't care. I'm not hungry right now anyways. I take the last cigarette out, light it up, and take a drag. I am instantly relaxed. I finish smoking before walking into my boss' shop to buy another pack of cigarettes.

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*Dani's POV*

It's been one week since I last stepped into the homeless shelter. That lady probably thinks I gave up on her but that's not true. I've been busy with school is all. Although I'm swamped with exams and essays, I still find time to think about him every day. Why is he being so difficult? Why is he so angry?

I'm in the library with Rachel studying for our exam tomorrow. All is quiet for a while until Rachel decides she's done studying for the moment.

"Has that guy called you yet?" she asks. I shake my head. "That's a shame, really. I was looking forward to meeting him and seeing him change over time."

"Same," I reply. I sighed and closed my notebook. There's no use studying anymore. I can't concentrate on my notes. All I can think about is his angry face.

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*Harry's POV*

A few days later...

A thin layer of snow blankets the ground, making it dangerous to walk on the streets. I slip and slide a couple of times before finally making it to my boss' smoke shop. I'm instantly greeted with heat when I walk inside and I let out a huge sigh of relief. I hate winter.

"Harry!" my boss greets me. "I have something for you to do today." He gestures me over. "I have a client who wants to buy three grams of coke. I want you to meet him at the usual place at 5:30 PM." I usually accept his job offers in a heartbeat but this time I'm a little hesitant.

"5:30 PM?" I ask. He nods. "That's a bit late...." My boss furrows his eyebrows in confusion. "I usually line up outside the homeless shelter at 5 PM. The shelter's been full lately because of the snow. I'm afraid I won't have a spot in the shelter if I meet this guy."

"Please, Harry. The transaction will only take a minute. 5:30 is the earliest he can do since he gets off work at 5 and it takes him half an hour to get down here. I'll give you 35% of the profit this time." 35% is a lot. I usually get 25%. I accept his offer because I need the money anyway. I have almost used up all the money Tom gave me.

~

He's late. I paced around impatiently in the cold. My toes were starting to feel stiff. I see a young woman pass by me.

"Excuse me ma'am," I say to her. She stops walking and looks at me. "Do you happen to know the time?" She looks at her watch.

"It's 5:45 PM," she says. Shit! That fucker better hurry up. I'm going to charge him extra for wasting my time. I thank the woman and she walks away. Minutes tick by before he finally shows up.

"Sorry for being late!" he pants. "Traffic is so bad. This snow is relentless." He hands me the money and it's more than what was agreed upon. "Keep the change. Sorry again for the trouble." I hand him the white powder and stuff the money in my pocket. I put some of the extra money in a separate pocket. My boss doesn't need to know. I make my way back to my boss' smoke shop.

"What took you so long?" my boss asks as I empty the money onto the counter. My boss counts the money.

"Wasn't my fault. He was late because of the snow," I say. I look at the clock. It's 6:17 PM. The doors opened 17 minutes ago. I didn't want to think about how long the line was going to be.

"He gave us extra money. For being late I'm guessing?" I nod. "Here's 40%. Sorry for the trouble, kid. Now hurry up and go to the shelter." My eyes widen in surprise. I thank him for his generosity and quickly make my way to the shelter.

Once I see the homeless shelter, my heart sinks. The line is so long. I know for a fact that there won't be enough space but I stand in line anyway because I have nowhere else to go. After standing in line for a while, I hear a small uproar at the front of the line.

"The shelter is full!" I hear a man shout. "I'm sorry. You all need to go somewhere else." There are some angry shouts but the line quickly disperses nonetheless. I find myself alone with my thoughts. Where do I go? I immediately walk towards a church nearby. I hope they'll have room. I reach the church only to find that it is full as well. I begin to panic. There's no way I'll survive a night out here in the cold. It hasn't stopped snowing all day and my limbs are getting numb. I walk back to my boss' smoke shop but it's closed as well. Damn it! I walk into a grocery store nearby to warm up and walk around the aisles aimlessly. Thoughts are racing through my head and I want to cry at the situation I'm in. Should I go to my aunt? No.... I can't do that. She reminds me of my mum and I don't want to be reminded that I'm the reason why she died. I manage to stay in the grocery store for three hours before I'm kicked out because of it closing up.

The streets are dark and empty. I'm scared. There is not a living soul in the streets. Where did they all go? I manage to find dry ground and sit down on the frozen cement, curling up to keep warm. My teeth are chattering non-stop and I'm starting to lose feeling in my fingers and toes. I close my eyes trying to sleep and I'm not successful because it's too cold. So is this it? Am I going to die? Tears roll down my cheek. I can't stop crying. How did I get into this mess? Please help me, mum.

I suddenly remember the lighter in my pocket--my only source of heat. I reach into my pocket and my fingers touch a note. The note! I frown at the memory of the persistent girl. I don't have any other choice, do I? I can't go back to my aunt. I'll only stay for tonight and then I'll go back to the homeless shelter tomorrow. I stand up to find a payphone and walk as fast as my numb limbs can carry me. I manage to find a payphone and struggle to put coins into the tiny slot. I dropped a few coins on the ground before finally putting enough change in to make a call. I dial her number and hear the rings.

"Hello?" Never in my life have I been so happy to hear someone's voice before. I open my mouth to answer and find it hard to talk because my mouth is frozen. "Hello?" she asks again.

"I...I need help," I gasp.