Tears to a better life

Chapter Five

~~~

I was starving. I hadn't eaten anything proper in a year. The hospital only gave me ice chips to make sure nothing was wrong. I had walked until the old part of town where buildings started to crumble and fall apart. Perfect.

I crawl through a hole in the old cement wall, and started scouting the place. There was a hole in the ceiling so I could see the second floor. I got near the rim and jumped.

I pulled myself up, scanning the level. " State your place."

I turn around slowly, somehow I missed the girl standing in the middle of nowhere. " I'm here for a place to live. I heard there were rooms for rent? But maybe I heard wrong."

" Maybe," The girl said. She was wearing a old tattered leather jacket. She had ripped jeans, whether it was intentional or worn through, I have no idea. Black cat eye glasses lined her blues eyes. Brown hair with blonde highlights framed her pale face, " Why are you where?"

" I ran away." I said, " I'm Percy."

" Lexi. I ran away too." She leaned against the pillar.

" So, any open rooms?" I ask, looking around slowly.

" Next floor, I'll give it to you." Lexi pointed to a hole behind her. It was half the size of the one behind me.

" Thanks." I said, and jumped up.

" But you get your own food. I ain't giving you any of mine." Lexi called up.

~~~

After a week of being a run away, Lexi started more opening up, from her bad ace, but she uses a different word to describe herself.

I was walking through a old run down gas station, checking the aisles. I grabbed a bunch of candy bars and granola bars and stuffed them in my shirt. I grabbed a water bottle, looked at the label and pretended to put it back, but I actually stuffed it between my bra and my shirt, hidden by my old worn puffy jacket. I held my flip phone to my ear as I was walking out, " Mom, they didn't have what you wanted, should I go to the next store?"

I put my phone back in my pocket after nodding to an imaginary person. I look around, like I'm looking for a car, when I spot someone. Bruce.

I curse mentally, and start walking in the other direction. " Percy?"

Shoot!

I ran down an alley, and jump up to the roof of the old building next to it. I got behind an old A.C. unit, hiding from my 'father.'

" Percy?" He asked from the entry way of the alley, " Look, Percy, I don't know why you ran. You didn't give us a chance. Yes I know, I wasn't there when you first got there. But when you need me, I promise I will be there."

After a few moments of silence he continued, " I know what it's like to lose a parent, and I know you went through a lot more than what we know and what I went through. But losing a parent, that's hard. And we can get through it together. Percy, I care about you."

My eyes burned with tears. I don't know why I got so emotional. He didn't want me, he just wanted to not make a big deal with the police. But my heart didn't listen. But my heart didn't have control. So I stayed put.