Prologue

The rain trickled down my face as I walked home after school. This was the second time my ride had forgotten me. I was going to have to remind my mother to talk to him. I glanced up at the sky and watched lighting crack. I sighed quietly and kept walking, passing the old homeless man laying on the bench. I paused after passing him and reached into my pocket. I fingered the twenty dollar bill as I thought about my next action. I turned around and pulled the money out of my pocket. I softly shook the old man and took a step back as he rolled over. I watched him for a moment as he slept peacefully and then made a decision. I slipped the twenty dollar bill into his jacket and turned to walk away.

“Miss.” a voice said. I turned around and looked at the old man who had his hand on my arm. His eyes were kind but filled with sorrow as he said, “I can’t take your money. You need it.” He reached out his hand, which I noticed was wrapped in old ripped clothings, and tried to put the money in my pocket. I shook his hand off my arm and took a step back.

“No, sir. You need it. Please take it.” I whispered. He looked at me and nodded slowly.

“Bless you. Bless you, Miss.” He replied, grabbing my hand and giving it a squeeze. “You truly are an angel.” He whispered and then layed back down on the bench. I smiled at him and started walking back home. As I walked, a poem formed in my mind.

I spread my wings

And take off into the sky

Away from all the pain

Into the blue sky.

No one can reach me here

No pain can rise this high

I’m safe from all of it.

A smile is on my face as I reached home. I slowed down and studied the building I lived in. My house could be described as a brick prison. Well, I would describe it as that because my parents barely let me leave the house. I was really surprised when my mother actually let me have twenty dollars to spend on whatever I wanted. And now I had gone and given it to an old homeless man. If she found out, she was gonna blow. And I would be the object that she blew up on.

I snuck inside and quickly took off my shoes and dropped them into the closet. I tried to tiptoe upstairs but a voice interrupted me. “Olive, is that you?” Someone yelled from the kitchen. I sighed and walked into the kitchen, sock-footed and dripping wet.

“Yes, it’s me.” I said, stripping my jacket off.

“Olive, you are dripping water everywhere! Go change and then come back here. I want to know what you spent your money on.” my mother said. I just nodded to her and walked slowly upstairs. My heart thudded in my chest as I thought about what she would say. I searched my room, looking for something that looked new.

“Come on, Olive. You have got to have something.” I caught a slight movement in the corner and smiled. Little Mittens padded up to me and did figure eights around my legs, her tail tickling my skin. “Hey, little lady.” I picked the black kitten up and rubbed her against my face. “I missed you!”

A knock on my door brought me out of my kitten-loving daze. “Olive? You almost ready?” I sighed.

“Yeah, Mom.” I grabbed a random purse from in my closet. I looked it over and brushed off a small spot of dirt. I opened the door and smiled, slipping the purse over my shoulder. “You like?”

“Uh, Olive?”

“Yeah, Mom?” I asked.

“I brought you that the weekend I was in Paris…” she sighed. “What did you do with the damn twenty dollars I gave you?”

“I gave it to a homeless man…” I whispered. “He needed it more than I did.” A loud sounding smack echoed in my room.

“How dare you?! I gave you twenty dollars to buy YOURSELF something. Not some homeless guy who clearly doesn’t have the balls to get off his lazy a*s and do it himself!” Mom yelled. I gripped my stinging cheek.

“What, buy myself something that you can just take before I ever use or get to wear it? F**k that, Mom. I’d rather put someone else before myself. I’m not you.” I snapped back, glaring at her.

“Don’t you ever talk to me like that, young lady!” Another sounding slap and it took a few minutes for my vision to come back. I watched the door slam shut and sat down. Immediately Little Mittens jumped into my lap and I let the tears flow.

“Mitts, I can’t do this much longer… I can’t take the abuse.”

Author's Note

The poem in this is also one I wrote~