Be My All

My Beginning

" Yo, Chelsea what time is it? We gotta make sure we get to the shelter on time today I want my own bed this time!" I yelled across the skate park that we where hanging at to pass the time. Last night I had to share the bed with an old man that smelled like piss,ass, and sweat. I cringe and dry heave just thinking about it. We had been late getting to the shelter by 5 minutes. But lucky Charlie let us in otherwise it would've been a chilly night outside for us.

" It 6 o'clock" Chelsea yelled back, " wanna go grab a bite by the new fast food joint down the block?"

Ok our grab a bite consists of making sure not to get caught raiding the dumpster for throw away food. But I can't say we haven't fortunate. Cillia a lady that owns a bakery a few streets away always has stuff for us every couple of days. From bread to sweets she gives us the day old stuff if we do a few errands for her here and there nothing major.

Oh yeah I guess I better do a quick intro since I'm just rattling on here. My name is Easton Greaves. I'm now 17 years old I have been living on the streets since I was 11 and ran away from my foster family.  I dont know anything else about myself other than I was found as a 2yr old child in an abandoned car in a parking lot outside of a grocery store.  The police have absolutely nothing on me at all. I had no birth certificate,my DNA couldn't be found in any database. Everything I have from that day on was given to me by our wonderful government ( sarcasm here.)

I won't bore you anymore with the sad details now because I was up and walking with Chelsea to the new restaurant to scope things out.

"You know I just have to wait 4 more months then I'll be 18 and I'm going to graduate and get a job and then get us an apartment and we will have food and everything is going to be great!" I say rambling on as I fantasize about how great everything is going to be in just 4 months. 

"East.. you always talk about that silly dream like it's actually going to happen.  How are you going to get a job or anything your. Foster family has all of your papers and everything. Your going to need all that stuff to apply for a job."  She replies with a bit of a sad tone.

I bump my shoulder into her as we walk. "Quit being such a downer," I tell her cheerfully," I have a plan ok I got this all worked out and 18 changes everything. I'll be a legal adult and those twaty assholes won't have a single say in anything I do ever again."

As we get near the joint we hear rumbling from the dumpster telling us someone's already raiding it since the lid is up and we hear thumping and cartons rattling. I look around the alley way to see if there's anyone else when all of a sudden Dumpster Joe stands up and yells ," ahhhah!!"  I jump and as much as I hate to admit it scream like a girl.

"Joe!! (Nobody calls him Dumpster Joe to his face) you scared the poor little Easton and made him scream like a girl, " Chelsea is laughing so hard now.

"Sorry bout that Easton I was just excited I found it... the treasure." He holds up a trash bag proudly. " it's full of leftover untouched by other mouths burgers,fries,chicken,salad,fish... it's enough there to feed the three of us I'm willing to share." He hangs his head a little bit down and looks sadly at the ground. Causing my heart to hurt a little at how sad he looks. See no one ever hangs out with Dumpster Joe, no one. Everytime Chelsea and I run into him or see him hes always alone.

"Thanks Joe," Chelsea tells him,"we got a place to go to eat if you wanna come with us that way no one bothers us." I nod smiling and waving him to follow us. We walk away to the building that Chelsea and I always go to when we want to eat and hangout with out people bugging us.

Once inside I take the lighter out of my pocket and light the candles around the room and the couple on the table. Chelsea follows in behind me and Joe after her. His eyes open wide as he takes in the space. A torn up couch and very very old junk TV that I rigged to the apartments upstairs neighbors cable TV. Yes I know stealing is bad and blah...blah... blah.... we also have a small table in front of the couch and a couple of broke down chairs on either end of the table.

"Welcome to our humble abode Joe. Please sit and make yourself at home I'll get is some water to drink." I say going to a tiny closet bathroom and getting a couple of cups (yes also stolen) full of water.

Now you may be wondering if we have such a place to be at why are we not here instead of the shelter. Let me answer by telling you that people live upstairs and next door. If we are spotted then that's the end of us. So yeah we can only come here as long as the neighbors are out.

Joe puts the bag on the table and starts pulling out a few burgers one for each of us. We sat there and talked and goofed off. Even watched a few episodes of dr. Who . At 7 we left and headed to the shelter, our bellies full and feeling on the better side of things. Wonder if tomorrow will be just as good as today or better.

  At the door Joe leaves us. He said that he cannot stand crowded places and he likes the setup he has. Now had I paid enough attention to the looks he was giving Chelsea I may have told her to stay away from him. Yet my attention wasn't on him as much as I supposed it should have been. I'll pay for that later. But my attention was on getting in quickly and getting my own bed. I told Joe bye quickly and grabbed Chelsea's arm and pulled her threw the door. There was already cost that had been taken but I found a couple in the corner by the door that led to the back storage rooms and bathrooms.

  We quickly wove our way to them and plopped downon the sagging material that has become thin with years of use. I smile at Chelsea happy that I have my own and pull hers closer to mine.

  "How are you doing today? You in a good place?" I asked Chelsea. She has it rough. We have been together for the last 3 years. She's like a little sister to me. I found her beat up and crying in a corner alley. I approached her gently and asked her what I can do to help. She was shaking like a leaf. She didn't say anything only shook her head but never lifting her face to look at me. 

"May I touch your shoulder?" I asked gently while squatting down beside her.  Wanting to comfort her and not wanting to her to feel threatened, I figured I best ask before doing. She nodded her head and I put my hand on her shoulder. "I'm Easton, I want to help you but I don't know what I can do to help." I tell her. Finally she looks at me and I see her eyes are both swollen and bruised black. Her face is bruised and her lips are busted open and swollen. She looks like she was hit by a car in the face.

  "I'm fine East. I'll let you know if I have a bad day ok." Chelsea gives a small weak smile. Reaching over and taking my hand in hers she lays down in the cot grabs the thin blanket that's provided and covers up. "Now go to sleep tomorrow is Monday." Chelsea closes her eyes and still holding my hand softly begins to snore. I look at the girl on the cot next to me and smile. She is still young 15 soon to be 16 and this girl has been through more than most people. She is also my younger sister and best friend. I'm glad that I found her that day and was able to slowly help this girl heal. Not in the way we want because you can't ever make the scars disappear but I slowly helped stitch them together.
 

   As I lay there waiting for lights out and thinking of the week ahead I start to become excited. Soon everything will change and it'll be a whole beginning for both of us. We have been there for each other, we have seen each other at our worst and weakest but also our strongest. It took a little bit for her to finally open up to me. I let her do it I never asked any questions. I always figured if it had to be talked about that she would open up to me when she was ready and not forced into it.

  Once I was sure everyone was asleep I leaned over and slowly crawled out of the creaky cot and opened the back door to the storage area. I quietly walk down the hall to the third door the only light filtering through the dirty windows. I quietly open the third door and slip into the room. I don't flip the light on just incase someone wakes and needs to use the restroom. I look around the almost empty room. There are a few broken cots and a small desk sitting in the corner. A grungy window that leads into an alley let enough light in for me to make my way over to the desk. I open the bottom drawer and pull out the few paper files that lay in it. I pop the bottom out of the drawer and pull out a cellphone. I put everything back in the drawer. Quietly close it and slip back out of the room listening for any odd noises. I get back to the cot and once I make sure the alarm is set I slip it into my pillow case and take Chelsea hand and pull the cover up and fall asleep thinking of the week ahead and the girl next to me.