youtube.com/watch?v=i9mYgkBBs_s@LiegeLord @CarlsbergIt had been a while or so since she met Jennifer, or rather bumped into her, when Liz returned to the alleyway, some guy passing by her. She didn't know him, nor had she seen him around this part of the slums much. Kinda looked like your typical gang-banger, but she wasn't one to judge just by appearance alone. Besides, she didn't think a prostitute would be such a welcoming person.
"Heyyy." Michale greeted Liz with a wave.
"Bout time kid. I was thinking I was gonna have go looking for you. Run into any trouble?""Nah." Liz shook her head, sitting beside Mike, her back propped against the brick wall decorated with years of gang tags and graffiti until it was nothing more than a canvas of abstract art, still pleasing to the eye in some way.
"Well, they had donuts, but no coffee, which sucks." She frowned, taking a chocolate donut from the crumpled paper sack to her side and shoving it in her mouth. It was about the only food she's had in a while.
"So, a friend of yours?" She said with her mouth full of donut, a few chocolate smears on her lips.
Mike shrugged,
"Eh, you could say that. Kid was looking for some help. A friend of his is sick. I told him it was probably the flu, but you know what got me?""What?" Liz asked while taking another bite. Mike sighed answering, his tired, gray eyes looking a little misty as he spoke,
"All these young kids out here, it's just...sad really. They have their whole lives ahead of them, and yet here they are, out here on these cold and lonely streets wasting them away. Shit, I'm no different. I've been out here for years, thinking I could get away from everything just by abandoning it. Even still the past continues to haunt me. Some nights, when the cops didn't kick me out of the bus depot, I'd lie awake and think. I wonder if any of these other kids are running away from something too, giving up their lives and selling their souls to a bleak and meager existence, getting caught up in this swirling storm of drugs, sex, violence, and death...and you know what, it's more than I can count."Liz.... for the time being she was hungry, so hungry she could eat an entire horse hooves and all, but hearing Mike's words...and the way he spoke, she didn't really have that much of an appetite any more. She set aside her half eaten donut, curling her legs up to herself and resting her head on her knees with a sigh. Mike, it was hard to believe how wise he was for a thirty year old, but Liz knew one thing. He wasn't just talking about any other kids...but her as well. She stood up, patting the
old man on his brawny shoulder, whispering,
"All roads lead somewhere, Mike. Some just aren't as smooth as the others."Lightly Mike grinned, a soft chuckle,
"Heh, I'll drink to that. Well..I would if I didn't run out of booze already.""I'll snag you a bottle after I score some more cash." Liz replied grabbing her guitar and slinging it over her back. Michael asking,
"You headed to the park?""Yeah." She nodded.
"Oh, forgot to tell you, I um....I met someone today.""Really now?" Mike said raising an eyebrow.
"Who's the lucky lady?" Teasingly he laughed.
Liz rolled her eyes and giggled. She just had to tell Michael that she was into girls, but then again, he was the only person she could be open to about it. It was one of the reasons her foster douche slapped her around and called her shit, one of the reasons she would never return home.
"Her name's Jen." Liz said, blushing a bit as she mentioned her name.
"And I didn't really meet her, much less bump into her when I was grabbing food. She's really cute, I mean like really cute. I'm kinda hoping I see her again soon.""Hey, ya never know." Replied Mike with a light shrug of his shoulders.
"The city's a big place, but people always manage to stay in touch some way. Well, I guess you better go along, bring the music to the people. I'll be here if you need me.""Alright." She smiled, giving Mike a short, friendly hug.
"See you around, Mike.""You take care of yourself, kid." He spoke warmly, returning the small but welcoming hug.
"And let me know how it goes with Jen." She laughed as he hollered after her, pulling her hood back over her tousled black hair, walking along the concrete path beside the street.