Homeless [OHSHC- Tamaki Suoh]

One - Right Way 'Round, Wrong Way Out

(Unedited)

I handed the burly looking guy, the driver, another bill and told him to drive even slower. He huffed about kids being such weird things these days.

I eyed him for a minute, wondering if he had any kids of his own. As my eyes slipped to the stereo that whispered a track with upbeat notes and shrilly voices, I caught sight of the little photo hastily taped to the dashboard. The man, who looked not any older than my own dad, saw my attention was stuck to the photo.

He smiled and spoke softly, "Those are my kids. Pretty things, aren't they?"

He was right, so I nodded to show him I agreed. The girl, she was a bit thicker than most of the girls I'd seen, but she was very beautiful. Her short black hair had an edgy look to it and her bright, hazel eyes complimented her fair skin. The boy, who looked older than the other had a bit of a distant look to him and his near black eyes matched the driver's.

The man smiled at my response and switched the station, something that sounded like a talk show came on instead. He drove in silence for a minute before speaking again.

"Do your parents know where you are?"

I shrugged, 'cause they probably couldn't care less where I was as long as I came back.

"Don't you think they are worried that you're out this late, all alone?"

I didn't answer him. There was maybe a part of them that still worried, but even so, they wouldn't bother to call to check or wait up for me. And yes, I was all alone.

However, I wouldn't be for long. I was only waiting for the ring of my phone to tell me that I should head over to the guy's house.

The other day, I'd met some guy. He said that there was a party coming up and that I should be his date. He'd given me his phone number and address, telling that I wouldn't regret it if I went.

The man switched the radio station again and this slow ballad played through at its low volume. The singer's voice both chilled me and intrigued me. Her soft tone contrasted the intense emotion written in the lyrics.

I noted that this song was announced as one of the most popular after it had ended and next song was more happy than the previous. The driver cleared his throat, disrupting the almost silence. I felt he was about to say something, maybe tell me to go home.

I interrupted him though, because I don't think I could stop myself from asking what he meant by home. "Let me off here."

His eyes widened when he took in the place we were at. "Here? Are you sure-"

"Yes. Please stop the car."

He drew in a deep breath and the car slowed it's pace. The driver pulled up on the curb, right in front of a ramen shop that had closed for the night. The poorly taken care of sign flickered from age and the cold air enveloped me as I opened the door.

My breath came out in white clouds that drifted away in the freezing wind.

As I started to walk away, the man called out to me one last time. His face had a look of apprehension and stern-ness. The look of a worried father. "Be careful. Its late and this isn't the most friendly place for a young girl like yourself. I know I'd be worried if my little one was by herself here."

My mouth was dry and my lips were chapped so it hurt when I fit a smile onto my face. "Thanks," I began, my voice hoarse from lack of use, "but I'll be fine."

He didn't look convinced at all, but that was to be expected, I couldn't even convince myself of what I had said. He told me to be careful again, then rolled up is window and drove away. Most likely back to his kids, or maybe to another job. Judging from the way he was dressed, he didn't look like he was the wealthiest person in Tokyo. But neither did I.