Not What You Expected

Help from a Stranger

'youcould never replace her, she was everything that you are not,'

'Inever wanted to be like her, you lied to me'

'shewas smart and strong and wonderful, you are another universe'shopeless attempt at copying her,'

'you'velied to me this whole time, you told me I was strong, and yet here Iam lost and barefoot, crying on a fucking street corner because ofyou!'

"Um...excuseme?"

Amyjolted out of her warring thoughts, hastily wiping the tears from herface as she looked up at the young girl who had approached her.

"Ohgod, sorry I didn't mean to startle you," the girl said, puttingher hands up to show she meant no harm, "I just....I saw you cryinghere and...well I thought...are you alright?"

Thegirl seemed harmless enough, dressed in what looked like gym clotheswith a bag over her shoulder. Amy looked up at her for a moment,contemplating whether she would answer honestly or simply tell thegirl she was fine to get her to go away, but as she looked up intothe girl's sweet and honest looking face, she felt herself crack justa little.

"I'mnot entirely sure," Amy said, with a watery smile, "I didn'tthink very far ahead when I....well lets just say I left in a hurry,"she shrugged, looking down at her still bare feet. She'd made itseveral blocks out of sheer anger, stomping onward until she realizedshe had no money, no shoes, and nowhere to go. She'd sat down at abus stop bench, and that's when the tears had started, silent butuncontrollable tears that rolled in hot lines down her face as sherecalled all that had happened between her and Francisco earlier.

Thegirl sat beside her then, putting her bag between them as she gaveher a sympathetic look, "do you need me to call someone for you?"she offered, pulling out a phone, "a friend? Maybe the police?"

Amyhad already thought about going to the CCPD, but like Francisco hadsaid, Zoom would probably find her, and if she were with the policehe would almost certainly kill her. "I don't have any friends,"she told the girl quietly, "I'm not from around here,"

"Oh,"the girl frowned, "well is there anything I can do?" she put ahand on Amy's shoulder and Amy nearly broke down crying again at thesincerity of her offer.

"Idon't think so," Amy replied, "not unless you have a milliondollars you can loan me indefinitely," she tried to joke, hoping itmight lift her spirits, but no.

Thegirl laughed however, understanding the attempt, "Well not amillion," she said, opening the bag, "but I do have a few bucks Ican spare," she pulled out a small fold up wallet, out of which she withdrew two one hundred dollar bills.

Amystared at her in disbelief, scooting away from her slightly as sheoffered her the money, "Are you kidding me? I can't take that!"she said, looking around to see if she were about to be arrested insome insane set up for something. Who the hell just gave out hundreddollar bills like that?