I definitely do not care about him, but when we finished our tomatoes- the oddest snack ever, just biting into a whole tomato like an apple- and Eli was still around, I actually found myself letting him stay instead of kicking him off like I had every right to do.
He started asking me what the best spots were for camping out, so of course I had to tell him about a few of my old haunts, hidden down side streets and alleyways where the smell is bad but the seclusion makes up for the faults.
In return, he taught me how to beg.
A bit of wanderlust took over, so I led Eli around the city on an impromptu field trip, pointing out good places to scavenge and locations to avoid. I don’t know why I did it- maybe, after thirty-seven days alone, I just wanted a little company.
Whatever it was, it somehow made me share my most valuable information. We passed the burger joint on Berkeley Avenue and I told him how the owner will slip you a couple fries if you look hungry enough. A girl at the corner of Bloome and Rosewood sent us a nasty glare, which freaked me out just a little. After hurrying Eli along onto safe, rich-people-occupied Bloome Street, I warned him about the ragtag street gangs that pop up from time to time. I’m not saying that girl was part of one, but you don’t really know who is to be honest; all you have to go by is the mean glint in their eyes and their tendency to hang around in clusters, smoking stolen cigarettes and plotting some stupid petty theft. They won’t give you too hard of a time if you stay out of their way, you know, keep your head down, avoid any and all confrontation, stuff like that.
Anyway, after putting a good amount of space between myself and Eli and the girl on the corner, I imparted my street-wise savvy to him, which the kid just ate up. He listened so intently, it was like he was trying to commit it all to memory, copying every word onto some sort of mental notepad. From this I could tell Eli was uncommonly bright. It made me wonder why a smart kid like him was out on the streets instead of in school.
Then again, I should be in school too.
Eli, for some reason, was desperate to pay me back. I did him a favor, he said, so he owed me something, whatever I wanted. That was the problem- I didn’t really want anything, but Eli kept insisting, staring up at me with big brown eyes, and finally I thought: Why not put those doe eyes to good use?
So that’s how we ended up huddling together on a sidewalk on Bloome Street, attempting to look as pitifully sweet as possible.
When I informed Eli of my plan, he readily agreed. It wasn’t complicated: Eli would help me beg for money by partaking in a completely fabricated sob story. We’d find a good spot, hunker down, then Eli would work his lovable magic and with a little help from me we would hopefully receive at least a couple donations.
“You’re my brother, we lost our house, and now we’re dirt poor and suffering,” I remind Eli. “And don’t forget to be cute. Got it?”
“What if something goes wrong?” Eli frets. “I don’t know what I’m doing! What if I mess up?”
“It’ll be fine,” I assure him. “Just follow my lead. Don’t worry about it, you’ll be great. You’ve got those killer puppy dog eyes. That’s all we need.”
Eli whimpers a little bit and scooches closer to me.
“See? Just like that. It’s freakin’ adorable.”
“I’m nervous,” he mumbled against my side. I’m surprised at his closeness, seeing as I only just met the boy.
“Everything’s okay, kiddo,” I say, even though I don’t know that at all. Eli’s going to be on his own soon, and who knows what’ll happen to him in this gigantic city, so maybe it won’t be okay. All I can do is cheer him up a little and act like it’s fine if he hugs me. “Now, come on. People are starting to get off of work, which means showtime for us.”
•••
I have to say, Eli really knows how to work a crowd.
At first, no one even spared us a glance, choosing to ignore our existence so they wouldn’t have to feel guilty. Whatever- I expected this. Eli was quite the performer, though; if I had any money I’d give it all to him. He was that cute.
Then he did something I didn’t expect: he improvised.
I was about ready to give up on the theatrics and take a nap when I noticed tears pooling in Eli’s eyes. I thought he was actually crying for a second, but then he cried, loud enough for passerby to hear, “I’m hungry, Emma! I’m hungry!”
Emma? I mouthed in confusion. He winked at me, the gesture almost comical in its exaggeration. I really need to teach this kid to wink.
“It’s your fake name,” he whispers. “I’m gonna try something.”
He pulls away from me and keeps sniffling. “I’m hungry! It’s scary out here. Emma, when can we go home?”
Huh. Might as well join in. “I don’t know…Jake.” I add in a slow head shake for good measure. “I don’t know.”
“I miss home! Where are mom and dad?” Eli whines. So it’s the same story we planned out earlier, then.
“I’m sorry, Jake. Everything is going to be fine, I promise.”
“Don’t leave me. Please, don’t.” Fat, glimmering tears begin to form in Eli’s eyes.
Not really knowing how to respond to all this affection, I give him a gentle squeeze and hope that looks loving enough. “Not on my watch. I’ll make sure we’re together, no matter what.”
“That’s so sweet, I can’t even stand it,” someone above us says, and I look up to see a simpering woman with a crisp piece of paper in her hand. “Here, take this. It’s enough for a cab ride to the homeless shelter, plus a little extra.” I take it from her, somewhat in awe. Before I know it, she’s gone- judging from her business-professional skirt and blouse, she’s probably on her way to an office.
Eli looks at me quizzically. “Homeless shelter?”
I nod in confirmation. “Yeah, there’s one on Rosewood but it’s a total joke. Definitely not worth visiting.”
For a moment, I worry he’s going to ask more questions, which would be slightly problematic, seeing as I don’t feel like ruining his innocence today. Luckily, though, he moves on.
With wide eyes, Eli leans over to have a glimpse at our first profit. “Ten dollars,” he whispers. “Ten whole dollars.”
“It’s amazing, isn’t it?”
“Let’s do it again,” Eli says eagerly.
“Why not?” I reply. “At the rate we’re going, we’ll have a small fortune by the end of the day.”
The sweetness of it all nearly gives me a cavity, I swear. It’s almost painful to act out such a cheesy story, but why should I care? We’re making a living. That’s all that matters.
These people were suckers. Real foolish suckers, buying into our story just like that, giving away their spare change just because a couple of ratty kids stuck out their bottom lips and asked for it.
People are real brainless sometimes. I’m not complaining, though. With a couple of made-up lines being uttered on a loop, Eli and I made a solid twenty-one dollars and sixteen cents. Good work for a day- we’ll have to find a new place for tomorrow. I try and clear that thought from my head. There’s no reason for me to be thinking about tomorrow when I’m trying to get rid of Eli, right? I want to be alone. I do. I always do.
“Hey, Cassie?” Eli whispers as the last remnants of daytime disappear from the sky and sunset begins to take hold. The steady stream of people is beginning to thin out, with only a few stragglers left to hurry home.
“Yeah, what?” I glance over at him and notice his drooping eyelids.
“Do I have to go now?” he asks. “I know you don’t want me here and I’m really sorry for bothering you, but I’m tired and I’m kinda scared. Can I stay with you for a little longer? Please?” He looks up at me with watery brown eyes, his little bottom lip stuck out, and I sigh. I’ve created a monster.
“No, you don’t have to go,” I consent. “I get it. You’re afraid of the dark, you don’t want to get mugged, you need a little help- I guess I can stand being around you for a little longer.”
Eli brightens. “Thank you so much! This is gonna be the best night I’ve had all week!”
“But you leave first thing tomorrow,” I remind him, ignoring the twinge of guilt this makes me feel. It makes me uncomfortable, how attached he is, really just having anyone, especially this strange boy, so close to me. As heartless as I am, though, I have enough of a conscience that I feel bad about leaving a kid to his own devices.
Reluctantly, I get to my feet, shoving our loose change into my backpack, and lead Eli away from our begging spot. Eli looked like he was ready to drop right then and there, but I didn’t want to sleep in the middle of the sidewalk, out in the open, so I found us a little spot tucked away behind some subway station. Yeah, it smelled, but I was used to the stench, and we didn’t really have much of a choice anyway.
Eli stretches out on a scratched-up wooden bench, as far away from the station as he could get. Being the generous person I am, I let him take the spot, choosing instead to stretch out on the cold concrete.
For the next few minutes, I lie back and listen to the sound of Eli’s soft breaths, slowing down as he mercifully falls asleep.
Good. I found something that shuts him up.
I know I should get some sleep, but I feel too awake to try. For the moment, I just stretch out and stare mindlessly upward.
As I lay there, back against the cold stone, looking up at the endless ink sky and the orange haze of the city lights, I find myself wondering:
What kind of person bites into a tomato like that?
A/N: Hey, would you look at that, I finally got off my butt and posted this chapter. Yay me.
On the bright side, I am now on summer break, so I’ll have more time to work on chapters! Computer’s still acting up, though. I just came up with an idea for the story, and after being stuck for a while, that is a wonderful feeling. Hope it lasts.
This felt like a bit of a filler chapter, but the plot definitely picks up in the next one.
I’m done rambling. Thanks for reading!
cynanyx
Delirium and Daisies 