It was another night downtown on the streets... I was another orphan looking for food and the adoption center wouldn't even take me in! It was tough, my parents left when I was a baby and left me at my Aunts house. She got drunk almost every night so I ran away. She would curse in my face when I would skip school.
I mean I understand why she was mad, but she didn't have to go cussing crazy.... My name is Autumn by the way. Autumn Clyde. Anyways, I had no social life. Everyone would just pass by me on the streets and stare at my skinny body and knotted dark brown hair. My eyes, which were a very light blue. It looked like I had some sort of contact in because they were so bright.
All the clothes I had were some old ones my Aunt had gotten from me. They were sporty type shorts and shirt. My socks were long, basketball, bright socks. I had one glove that showed my fingers, but it kept my palm warm at least. The only way I could get food was from a shelter or trash cans.
My attitude was weird at times. Sometimes I had break outs of anger from thinking about my Aunt and parents. Why would they do that? It just occurred often from time to time. Every night I would find a bench or box (if it was big enough, which didn't occur often...) to sleep on.
One night, I was walking down the streets I heard music playing... Usual parties in Los Angeles. I walked past it, until I saw people started coming out. Drunk. Honestly I hated drunk people so much because they had no sense and were just plain stupid. I have even smelled alcohol before and almost drank it... But I didn't because the smell was awful.
I sat down on a bench in front of the building rubbing my hands together keeping me warm. I looked beside me and saw a full bottle of water... Not even opened!
"Don't mind if I do...."
I said out loud, kind of murmuring.
I took a drink of the surprisingly cold drink. It tasted fresh and cold like water from a fresh spring. Then a voice suddenly shocked me and I almost spit my water out on them.
"My friend spit in that!"
A man with shaggy brown hair and deep blue eyes said to me urgently.
"Huh? It tastes fine..."
"You sure uh kid?"
"Yea. I'm pretty sure."
I said rolling my eyes.
"Alright whatever."
"Who are you?"
"You don't know me?"
"Umm no? Am I supposed to?"
"Well I'm Mark. From Foster the People."
What the heck was Foster the People?
I said in my thoughts.
"Hmm not ringing a bell."
I said tapping my finger on my chin staring at the ground.
"Alright then. Well you look like you need your parents. Where are they?"
"I don't have anyone sir..."
"Don't call me sir. Just Mark. How come you don't have any parents?"
He had quite a big ego.
"Alright... Mark. They left me, so I'm out on the streets."
"Oh. Well can I help you?"
"Not really unless you want me to live with you."
"Uh no."
"That's what I thought."
His friend came out of the building intoxicated and wobbling around. I saw him fall over a couple times... Falling on a car.
"Mark! Come on the parties not over!"
"Hold on Isom."
So that's his other friends name.
"Alright. Well who's your little hooker friend?"
"ISOM!"
"Alright, alright I'm going inside..."
He left falling over more and grabbing another beer as he walked in.
"Sorry he's-"
"I don't care."
"Oh. Well you need a place to sleep?"
"Probably."
"Stop being so smart elec... Do you need a place to sleep or what?"
He said folding his arms tapping his foot.
"Yea, sorry."
"It's alright. I'll bring you to my apartment and let you sleep on the couch."
Was he really gonna do this? I was grinning so much I thought my jaw was gonna break! We walked over to a Honda Civic it looked dusty, so he hadn't driven in it for a while.
"Thank you so much!"
I said still smiling.
"No problem."
He turned the radio on and it started playing one of my favorite songs. Which was 'Pumped up Kicks'.
"All the other kids with the pumped up kicks you better run, better run, out run my gun!"
He started singing, and he sounded exactly like the singer...
"You couldn't be..."
I said staring into the the radio and glancing at him a couple times.
"Yup."
He said popping the P.
"That's really cool."
"Thanks. Your a fan?"
"A little bit. I've never heard the whole album because I only listen to the radio of whatever building I'm sleeping by."
"Oh. Well I can fix that when you get to my apartment."
"Cool."
I said smiling and humming along to Pumped Up Kicks.
We drove up to a tall apartment complex and I hopped out. He opened the door for me like a gentleman and smiled. I laughed and he pushed the number on the elevator.
"I never got your name."
"Oh it's Autumn Clyde."
I said doing a curtsy.
"Ha alright. I like that name."
"Thank you."
The doors opened and walked down a long hall. He struggled to get his keys out and dropped them. He cursed silently and picked them up.
"Shut up."
"What?"
He said with a cocked eyebrow.
"Cursing."
"Oh your very religious eh?"
"Yea. I try to go to church a lot."
I said crossing my arms.
"Nice."
He said bobbing his head.
I ignored him and walked in the messy apartment. The couch had some crumbs, but oh well it was sleep able. VERY sleep able considering I slept on park benches.
Mark was digging in his fridge and asked me a question.
"How old are you?"
"I'm thirteen."
"Oh your tall for your age."
He said smirking.
"Oh?"
"Yea, you're up to my chin!"
"Haha yep I am."
He chuckled and came up to me. Two water bottles were in his grasp and I snatched one out of his hands.
"Calm down! I was gonna give you it."
He threw his hands up in the air laughing.
"I know I'm just thirsty and hungry."
"Hungry? Wow your taking advantage of me."
"Sorry. It's just... I AM!"
"Alright let me find you a snack."
He got up and walked to the kitchen.
I looked around his house and chugged down the water. He had paper and pencils all over the floor. They mostly had notes and lyrics on them from songs I didn't know. The lyrics looked deep and sad. Some of the verses I couldn't understand.
"I'm back."
He gave me the crackers and sat down next me.
"Thank you."
"No problem. Looking at my songs huh?"
"Yeah, they are pretty deep."
"Sometimes. Well I better get back to the party. Isom is probably wobbling around all over LA!"
"Ha yeah. I'll see you tomorrow."
"Alright bye. You can watch TV and watch movies I have. Don't go into my room!"
He said the last part specifically.
"Ok, I won't... Maybe..."
"Autumn don't."
He said looking down at me with cold eyes.
"Ok!"
I grabbed the crackers out of the box while he left. He slammed the door and made me drop a couple crackers on the floor.
"Crap."
I grabbed them crushing them into my hands.
The TV remote was on the coffee table... So heck with it! I'm watching TV. I hadn't in like 5 years when I was eight and with my stupid aunt... Shivers went down my back remembering the moments she had coming in drunk with some dude.
I kept flipping channels until I finally found something interesting. It was my favorite show Spongebob. But I fell asleep right in the middle of the episode.