Broken pieces

Day 1: Lifes Tough

I didn't know how to write the story of my life, I mean could I get in down in a sentence or a paragraph or thousands of chapters? One thing I've learned is to live my life day by day. So I guess we would start where it all went wrong...

Underneath the platform were chunks of smashed bricks, busted bottle tops and cigarette butts. Sharp rocks pierced my hands and knees as I crawled closer and closer to the rusty ladder at the end. When I thought no one was looking, I jumped up the ladder and on to the platform and leaned against the fence that stopped people from breaking in without a ticket. But they hadn't fooled me this time, no Siree, I had already planned ahead of them. Everything that's done illegally, is the way I like doing.

A young kid on the other side of the platform eyed me suspiciously, he looked about ten or eleven. He was my kind for sure, sometimes you can just tell when someone is your kind, like this kid, he gave you a vibe that said "I don't give a damn about the law" and when someone is giving you a vibe like that, you ought to stick together because there ain't many people like that out there.

Out of the corner of my eye I spotted a small group of college kids, about 19 or 20, they were shoving each other around, and I smelt alcohol on their bitter breaths. I kept my distance, I didn't want to start something not worth fighting for. The one with the crinkled tie pointed over at the kid on the opposite platform, the all laughed something cruel and jumped into the railway tracks one at a time, crossing platforms.

At least it's not me. I thought.
I knew what the were gonna do to the kid, probably threaten him, demand for his money or pull a knife on him. I watched from the other platform. Trying not to get involved was hard, cause when you don't have much to live for, you try and do as much as you can in the world until someone takes it all away from you, like last week, my buddy got beat up by a bunch of college kids, he was bruised black and blue, three cracked ribs and a fractured wrist.
"That's why you never walk alone" Kathy always told me after that. Poor old Ryder, but, then again, he probably deserved twice the amount of jail time he got.

Kathy's like the mother of us. There's also Mace who thinks she doesn't need anyone or anything but herself, she has zero intention to live and is the most rebellious. Then there's Blue, it says it in her name, shy quiet and has a tough time at home. She only talks unless she's forced to, but most of the time we talk for her. Charlie and Tam are crazy jokesters who think that life's just a big joke. If you're ever sad, they'll cheer you up for sure. Ryder was a good bloke, besides the fights he got into, he would have made it till 18, but we all knew he'd die, Young. Then there's Carson he's The BFG, and Matt is just like Mace, rough tough and mean, he got into trouble like Ryder but is definitely not as nice as him.
Matt's a tough nut and doesn't like to talk about how he feels and not even a streak of sadness showed on his face when we told him Ryder didn't make it. His expression didn't change, he just shrugged his shoulders and said what he always did. "Sometimes bad things happen to good people". I always assumed that that was the reason why Matt always lived off the rails. Because maybe if he was bad, something good might happen to him. Who knows?

I turned to look in the one way glass of the train station office, I ran my fingers through my brown hair and flipped my collar up and jammed my hand into my pockets. I was wearing my old tank top that was tucked into my levis jeans. My jeans jacket was too big because it was Ryder's. It reeked of smoke and beer, I cracked a smile, it smelt like him.
I keep my hair long just like Kathy's, I really look up to her.

I got off the train at the last stop and took the left road that leads to the park. Eventually, I come across an old worn down house that's paint is peeling off, the door was hanging off one of its hinges and the grass out the front was yellow and dry. This old little thing sticks out like a sore thumb against all the two-story "picture perfect" houses. To some people, this may be disgusting and others say its nothing, but it's still Home.

"Kath?" I ask as I head in. "Hey, Clair!" She called.
"What's for dinner?"
"Whatever Matt and Carson find."
"Alright," I say as I slump on the couch with Blue. Sometimes she crashes here when it gets tough at home. She sure is grateful to have a "second family" if you will. Were all close and help each other out, it's good like that. It means you can walk the streets and know that some cares about you.

The front door, which is a lousy fly screen material, crashed shut, and Blue jumped to see Matt and Carson wander in, Carson went to the bathroom to wash his face. I could see him in the mirror splashing cold water over his head. Matt practically collapsed next to Blue, she scooted over closer to me, she's not a big fan of Matt. Carson dawdled out of the bathroom and up to Kathy in the kitchen he pulled out some packaged meat and canned food from his backpack that he and Matt must have stolen. She took the food and began making dinner, Carson stared at Matt for a moment and went to the cooler box and grabbed the small plastic bag of ice and chucked it at him. Matt's eyes were half-closed and flinched when the bag hit his shoulder. Matt had a black eye from getting punched by some stupid college kid from the local supermarket. He sighed and held the ice up to his face and sank into the couch a little more.

A/N: Please comment and let me know what you think so far ❤