No name(any suggestions?), chapter 1
I glanced at the bruise. No point crying, I would just get another one. I had better come in through my bedroom window today. It might be safer. It might keep me from playing the part of a punch bag.
I didn't understand what happened really. I blamed Dad. He left two years ago. And Mom...well it's when the trouble started. Mom lost her job. She came to rely on booze and then drugs. And I needed money. I worked a few jobs but I never made much money. Until I got a job in a bar. But late nights made my schoolwork suffer. And it meant less time protecting my little sister from Mom's drunken rages.
I kissed my little sister softly, noticing a bruise forming on her arm. I cursed softly.
I crept down stairs, checking if the witch herself was asleep. She was knocked out in an armchair, bottle of vodka in her hand. I took it gently and finished of the rest of it. Careful not to wake her, I checked her pockets, pulling out a plastic bag. Grass. I pocketed it. It was better I had it then her.
I walked into the kitchen and opened the fridge. Where was the food? Out of date milk and gone-off cheese. I decided to do without.
I went back up the stairs and climbed into bed with my sister. I put my arms around him and hoped for a better day tomorrow.
***
Walking up to my house the next day, I could hear my sister's frightened sobbing. I cursed loudly and quickly unlocked the door. Sure enough, standing in front of me was my mother, bottle in her hand, swaying unsteadily. She was swinging drunken punches at my sister.
"Leave her alone." I jumped in front of Libby, feeling the full force of my mother's punch. I grabbed Libby's hand and pulled her up the stairs, into our room. I shut the door.
That had been the last straw. "Pack your stuff. We're leaving," I told Libby.
I pocketed the forty quid I'd been saving and slipped on my "Green Day" hoodie. I packed a small bag with my Mp3, my cell phone and some bits and pieces.
We climbed out the window and down a drainpipe. From there we walked over to my friend's house, Willow.
"Hey." She looked confused.
"Hey," I said. "Can we bunk at yours tonight?"
"Sure." She let us in.
I wasn't going to stay in Willows though. I had to find my Dad and let him look after Libby. I had to get some resemblance of a life back.
My first job was to ring his old workplace. I was hoping he had been transferred and I could find out were he lived now. I was right. We were going to Oaklands California.
***
The forty dollars hadn't been enough. The next day, the train fare was fifteen dollars and Libby had been hungry, ten dollars gone. Poof.
So when we arrived, it was late and Libby and I were so tired. We were going to have to find Dad straight away if we wanted a bed.
But when did I ever have any luck. His work was closed and it was my only chance of finding his address.
"Libby," I said gently. "Um, we're gonna have to find Dad in the morning. We're gonna have to sleep outside tonight."
"B-b-b-but, it will be scary!" her lip quivered.
"It's O.K. We'll pretend to be camping, yeah? Under the stars. You know the song," I said in a calm voice.
"Starry nights, City lights, Coming down over me," she sang part of the song "Are we waiting?" Her voice's shaking.
"Skyscrapers and stargazers, In my head," I joined in.
We found a small street corner and I put my bag under Libbys head and took of my hoodie, placing it on top of Libby. Then cold and shivering, I huddled against the wall and dosed of.
* * *
I walk up to the feel of something hitting my foot and the sound of cursing. I could just about see a pair of black "Converse" and looking up I could make out a medium sized man.
"Hello," I said cautiously.
"I tripped over you, sorry," he said hastily.
"Yeah...em, sorry, what's your name? Just, you sound familiar..." I recognised the voice.
"Em, I doubt you know me," he said quickly, too quickly I thought.
I stood up. and I could outline his hair. I recognized that hair.
OH MY GOD, OH MY GOD, OH MY GOD, I thought.
"You're, you're, you're Billie Joe Armstrong!" I stuttered.
"What's it to you, kid?" He was obviously getting pissed off at me.
It was Libby that got us a comfy bed, to be honest. I was standing there starstruck when she woke up.
"Cassie?" Her innocent face worried.
"It's ok sweetie, go back to sleep," I told her gently.
"You have a little kid on the streets? At night? That's dangerous! Jesus!" He stared at me.
"It's just till we find our-" He cut me off.
"Come on, your staying in mine." As I began to open my mouth he simply said "No objections!"
I didn't understand what happened really. I blamed Dad. He left two years ago. And Mom...well it's when the trouble started. Mom lost her job. She came to rely on booze and then drugs. And I needed money. I worked a few jobs but I never made much money. Until I got a job in a bar. But late nights made my schoolwork suffer. And it meant less time protecting my little sister from Mom's drunken rages.
I kissed my little sister softly, noticing a bruise forming on her arm. I cursed softly.
I crept down stairs, checking if the witch herself was asleep. She was knocked out in an armchair, bottle of vodka in her hand. I took it gently and finished of the rest of it. Careful not to wake her, I checked her pockets, pulling out a plastic bag. Grass. I pocketed it. It was better I had it then her.
I walked into the kitchen and opened the fridge. Where was the food? Out of date milk and gone-off cheese. I decided to do without.
I went back up the stairs and climbed into bed with my sister. I put my arms around him and hoped for a better day tomorrow.
***
Walking up to my house the next day, I could hear my sister's frightened sobbing. I cursed loudly and quickly unlocked the door. Sure enough, standing in front of me was my mother, bottle in her hand, swaying unsteadily. She was swinging drunken punches at my sister.
"Leave her alone." I jumped in front of Libby, feeling the full force of my mother's punch. I grabbed Libby's hand and pulled her up the stairs, into our room. I shut the door.
That had been the last straw. "Pack your stuff. We're leaving," I told Libby.
I pocketed the forty quid I'd been saving and slipped on my "Green Day" hoodie. I packed a small bag with my Mp3, my cell phone and some bits and pieces.
We climbed out the window and down a drainpipe. From there we walked over to my friend's house, Willow.
"Hey." She looked confused.
"Hey," I said. "Can we bunk at yours tonight?"
"Sure." She let us in.
I wasn't going to stay in Willows though. I had to find my Dad and let him look after Libby. I had to get some resemblance of a life back.
My first job was to ring his old workplace. I was hoping he had been transferred and I could find out were he lived now. I was right. We were going to Oaklands California.
***
The forty dollars hadn't been enough. The next day, the train fare was fifteen dollars and Libby had been hungry, ten dollars gone. Poof.
So when we arrived, it was late and Libby and I were so tired. We were going to have to find Dad straight away if we wanted a bed.
But when did I ever have any luck. His work was closed and it was my only chance of finding his address.
"Libby," I said gently. "Um, we're gonna have to find Dad in the morning. We're gonna have to sleep outside tonight."
"B-b-b-but, it will be scary!" her lip quivered.
"It's O.K. We'll pretend to be camping, yeah? Under the stars. You know the song," I said in a calm voice.
"Starry nights, City lights, Coming down over me," she sang part of the song "Are we waiting?" Her voice's shaking.
"Skyscrapers and stargazers, In my head," I joined in.
We found a small street corner and I put my bag under Libbys head and took of my hoodie, placing it on top of Libby. Then cold and shivering, I huddled against the wall and dosed of.
* * *
I walk up to the feel of something hitting my foot and the sound of cursing. I could just about see a pair of black "Converse" and looking up I could make out a medium sized man.
"Hello," I said cautiously.
"I tripped over you, sorry," he said hastily.
"Yeah...em, sorry, what's your name? Just, you sound familiar..." I recognised the voice.
"Em, I doubt you know me," he said quickly, too quickly I thought.
I stood up. and I could outline his hair. I recognized that hair.
OH MY GOD, OH MY GOD, OH MY GOD, I thought.
"You're, you're, you're Billie Joe Armstrong!" I stuttered.
"What's it to you, kid?" He was obviously getting pissed off at me.
It was Libby that got us a comfy bed, to be honest. I was standing there starstruck when she woke up.
"Cassie?" Her innocent face worried.
"It's ok sweetie, go back to sleep," I told her gently.
"You have a little kid on the streets? At night? That's dangerous! Jesus!" He stared at me.
"It's just till we find our-" He cut me off.
"Come on, your staying in mine." As I began to open my mouth he simply said "No objections!"
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