Jenna turned and glared at him again, "He doesn't come in till tomorrow...and the horrid park is you best bet"!

She seemed almost offended that he'd insulted her park, in fact she was. There were no women only shelters in this city, that park had been her saving grace for the time she'd been here. The police kept it patrolled, and protected people when they were attacked. Not that she'd ever been attacked there. The men who lived there were all old and quiet, they were the sorts who had ended up here full of regrets. Not like the cocky ones who thought the world owed them everything, and definitely not like the anarchists that were coming in tonight. No the men in the park were the same sort of man she was talking to right now.

Jenna just shook her head, "Look...just come with me...I'll find ya a bush to sleep in or something.."

"A bush," he repeated to himself, "a bush... Maybe I should just kill myself.... No, but my sister... Agh!"

Control, what he needed right now was control.

"Your name... what's your name?" he managed to mutter between his racing thoughts, between all the emotions that currently filled him. "I'm Andrew... and I lied about my wife... she didn't throw me out of my house... the authorities kicked me out... because of her..."

Jenna's hands rested on her hips, "I don't care bout' your stories. We all have stories. " she said gruffly, "I'm sure there's those with ones that can top yours...but its not a one upping contest and it ain't a sharing circle either... its us just trying to survive...and maybe helping one another out when we need it. And it's no use learning others names... your just gonna move on and forget them anyway"

She started walking backwards through the slow growing crowd of people now.

"I really can't stay in this area much longer...I'm still a girl and I still don't feel safe here...So you have a choice...you can come with me, or you can stay here and try and fend for your self..." she offered one last time as she started to disappear amongst the people.

"Wait!" called Andrew, reaching for her wrists. "I'll go with you... I'll follow you... Just.... tell me... where... can I... find a bush...?"

Arthur's words were strained, they cost him every ounce of dignity he had left. Getting home from a homeless... sleeping in a bush... This was a world so foreign to him and he wanted to throw a tantrum like a little kid and run it away. But this was the only way to move forward, the only way to control his aching mind, his aching heart.

"Its a tough world, huh...? Guess it took me long enough to realize it..."

She winced when her grabbed her, it took every ounce of her will power not to just turn and hit him. Jenna was giving him the benefit of the doubt, he was new, he didn't know any better. He didn't know how paranoid she got when some one touched her. It had gotten so bad lately that she had been thrown off public transportation for attacking people who had bumped into her. For her being touched was just as painful psychologically as being burned was physically.

Yanking her arm away from him she looked up at his face, "Yeah we'll it is...you don't see it from your pretty little homes on the hills" She grumbled as she adjusted her hat, "a lot of people just turn a blind eye to it, cause it doesn't concern them."

The auburn haired girl turned around now, her back to him, she waved for him to follow.

"Rule one, not to many of us appreciate physical contact... we aren't like you." She muttered, "Rule two, keep your mouth shut about your past and your plans...you might garner a bit more resentment than you'd like. Rule three....you eat last".
She glared at him as she said that, "And don't worry bout where you sleep...It's not hard to figure out..."

"I got it, I got it! No need to eat me because of it!"

A lot of unsaid rules, a lot of paranoia. He had enough of it because of stress, he didn't want it to become a way of life.

"Hey, can I ask a question? Why do I eat last?"

He definitely wasn't going to like this world. His, the guest would eat first. His, talking about yourself was something good. His, someone wouldn't freak out because he grabbed their wrist! Their wrist, it wasn't even for her hand! Good thing he wouldn't need to tread this world for long.

Jenna's face brightened a bit and a sinister smirk crept across her face, in any other company it might seem like a teasing smirk.

"You eat last... because I'm spiteful, and I still don't like you much" she said rather matter-o-factly.

Jenna hummed a bit as she walked, the park wasn't much further and as the approached they were greeted by an older woman in the same grubby style as many of the other homeless. She was taller with messy straw colored hair and grey eyes, she clutched a baby doll to her chest with one hand and a lumpy cloth shopping bag in the other. She didn't seem to notice Andrew at all, or even register the fact that he was there.

"Jen dear..." The woman said in a dreamy voice, "I picked up some old bread from one of the bakeries....I was going to sell it, but would you like some for free? There's to much for me and the baby..."

Jenna nodded a little, "Sure...I'm uh..expecting guests, could you give me a little extra?" She asked quietly.

With a nod the woman reached in the bag and pulled out two halves of a baguette and handed them both to the younger girl, "There's only a little mold on the top..." She said softly.

With a grin Jenna turned to Andrew and passed him one of the halves, there was a little bit of green mold on the part where it had been cut, but other wise it was fine.

"Your rather lucky tonight..." She said as she walked through the gates.

Andrew once again held his tongue. If this was lucky he certainly didn't want to know what unlucky was. He looked at the woman who gave him the bread, more than nothing at the doll, and wondered what the woman's story was? Did she lose a child? Was it taken from her? A child... something so precious, something that could make anyone fall insane both having it and not...

Andrew surprised even himself when he noticed he was removing his jacket. "Would it be rude... to give this to her?"

He also surprised himself when he put that molding bread into his mouth, but it felt like it had been ages since he'd last eaten... and maybe that wasn't too far from the truth if you didn't count cocktails, rum, and who knows what else he's been having for the last couple of days...

Jenna lifted an eyebrow at his charity, "No, it wouldn't be rude... Just be careful about it." She said softly, "She's a jumpy sort... She won't hurt you or anything but, I'd hate to see her upset. And once you give it away, don't count on getting it back"

She watched him curiously, this guy was so odd. He'd be cold tonight, but that was his choice. Maybe he wasn't quite as stuck up as she'd pegged him for, he wasn't complaining about the bread. Most people complained about food when they first started out living like this. Even complained about having to eat off the dollar menu's at restaurants.

"Excuse me... miss...?" he whispered softly, trying to be careful and not get her startled. "The night is a bit cold.... would you like this...? I... I wouldn't want the baby to get a cold..."

He put the jacket closer to her, keeping it away from himself. His $200 jacket was going to become the blanket of a doll... no, of a child... an imaginary one but it was better than nothing... Nothing was what he had, no possessions but what was on his back, but no debts either... This woman... the world had debts with her, in all her wonder... so he might as well waste $200 he never really cared for anyway, so they might serve someone who truly cared for them, not as money but as support.

The woman's wild grey eyes brightened a bit, she reached out and took the coat. There were tears in her eyes, happy tears as she wrapped it around the doll kissing it's head lightly, "There there" She muttered rocking it a little.
She looked over at Andrew with a soft smile, one that gave just a small glimpse at what had once been a beautiful woman. She nodded a little "Thank you....thank you so very much sir" She said softly.

Jenna couldn't help but fold her arms and smile shaking her head a bit as she took a huge bite from her own hunk of bread. "Yo' Andy..." She called "Lets go and find a place to camp for the night already... It's cold, like you said."

"Yeah, I suppose we should" he said, a slight, sad smile drawn on his face. He returned to her, a bit happier, a bit sadder, and full of wonder. He had seen happiness in that woman's tears.

Even in a world such as this there was happiness... even in a world like his was despair... And the world where happiness should reign, his, was not so. His world was more fragile, his world more frail, nothing but a mask of how the true world was. Their world was one where everything mattered... Or maybe he was just speculating, trying to generalize, trying to describe something he hadn't even begun to sink into.

"Lead the way, Jen," he added with a smile.

Jenna smirked a bit and walked on through the park chewing on the stale bread, "Yeah just don't call me Jen anymore...Makes me sound like some sorta yuppy" She said teasingly.

It didn't take her long to locate a small trash can fire down by the bridge. No one ever said anything when they started fire's by the river, she guessed it was because it was so close to the water.
Some boxes had been set up around the bridge since the sun had started to go down, they always waited to set up their boxes till later. If they left them up during the day they got fussed at.
Jenna walked over to the fire and held her free hand over it with a small quiet smile.

There were only about five others down here with them though, so the fire wasn't terribly crowded. However all eyes were on Andrew, all skeptical nervous eyes. He was a new comer, and none of them were very trusting.

Andrew warmed his hands in the fire, a slight smile on his face. He looked at Jenna nervously, asking with his eyes if it was safe for him to be there. He was a quick learner, he knew talking in this world was going to get him nothing but trouble. And even the fact that he was in his world was trouble enough.

Jenna glanced over at Andrew and then looked around at the others, "This is Andrew, dude blew all his money or something and he's one of us now..." She said taking another bite of her bread, "He's kinda dumb" she tacked on there.

A couple laguhed and nodded at the last comment their expressions becoming less menacing as they accepted that fact. A few others still stared at him skeptically but went about their own business.

The girl looked over at one of the older gents standing around the fire "What did ya buy with that fiver I gave you?" She asked watching him.

He pulled the bill out of his pocket, "Nothin yet, I ain't left yet.."

Andrew smiled awkwardly, the playful insult stinging slightly. Maybe he was an idiot. But she didn't have to say it so publicly.

"Hey, what do you plan on using it for?"

He wondered if he should have kept his mouth closed the second he opened it. But curiosity filled him, as it always had. He wanted to know more of this world, understand these people a bit better.

The man grumbled and pocketed it again "Whats it to you...its mah money and I do what I want with it" He growled.
"Pain medicine" Jenna piped up, "Correct?"
The man grumbled and nodded a bit "Yeaaah that's it, I don't got an address so I can't apply for meds..." He sighed "I been have-in migraines since I was a lil one.."

Jenna nodded a bit and looked at Andrew, "Its all pretty much druggies and people like you in the shelters most of the time. Park regulars try and stay outta that sorta thing. This is our safe haven..."

"I didn't mean to be rude," he said defensively, quite a bit nervous. "I mean... I hope you can get it soon..."

He Kept his mouth shut, even if he'd meant to say Maybe I could buy it for you... I think my insurance still works, if the haven't taken it from me yet.

What was he now, Santa Claus? What had gotten into him lately! No, he can't keep giving to this people, he barely had anything left himself. And without anything he couldn't help himself, much less those around him. He refused to become a permanent part of this world!

His brow furred in concentration. A somber mood filled his face. He had to learn to keep his mouth shut.

The man stood up and stretched a bit before walking off with a small yawn, "I'll see you dirty bums in the morning" The man said as he wandered towards the little box apartment complex that had been set up under the bridge.

Jenna tossed the inedible pieces of her bread into the fire and stuffed her hands in her pockets starring into the flames. She looked over at Andrew, "Your gonna be cold tonight, You should try and get a blanket or something tomorrow, especially if your gonna be traveling."

She rolled her shoulders and walked over to the river grabbing a big rock, she tossed it into the trash can. The fire flared up for a moment and then went back to its calmer height. Jenna just stood there watching the water boil off the large stone.

(( I thought I had replied to this! Sorry, must have had connection problems. Do you like how its going so far? ))

Andrew nodded, his face still somber. It was colder than he expected. How was he going to get a blanket, searching the dumpsters? No, he refused to stoop to that. But he had no money... or did he...?

He had nothing in his pockets... and he had already lost his watch gambling... He still his wedding ring... but no, he refused to lose that... His rosary...? A lot good that had done him? He didn't believe in God anyway... He would sell his rosary...

((lol its fine I had to take off and go to school anyway. And Yes...I'm trying to think of a way to speed it up personally LOL Get to the better parts.))

Jenna mumbled a bit as she sat down beside the Trash can unfolding a coat hanger she'd picked up and twisting it into some bizarre shape. She glanced up at Andrew from time to time.
When she was done she held up what she had made, a doubled up coat hanger haphazardly attached to a scoop of some sort. She stood up and dipped it in the fire stirring around for a moment or two before pulling out the red hot rock.

"Come on Let's find you some place to sleep" She said as she wrapped a filthy rag around the stone, "I'm sure we can find you something to pull over you"

"Its fine, I can handle a night without a blanket" he said, his face softening a bit. "I'll get something tomorrow, and I'm getting you something decent to eat. Your friend... what will he ask for his help..."

Suddenly, Andrew noticed what she had in her hands. he couldn't help but stare. " What the blazes is that supposed to be...?"

Jenna looked down at the warm stone in her hand and grinned as she pulled it to her chest, "You learn a couple of tricks on cold nights... Toss a rock in the fire and it'll heat up really nice then you snuggle up with it and it keeps you warm the whole night. I don't really know how it works...just that it does. And that Bricks and cement aren't as good as just ordinary river rocks."

She walked on, looking around and scanning the park. It was dark but most of the park was still pretty well lit.

"As for my friend" She went on, "He's not really my friend, just a guy from the rails that's decent to me. I dunno what price he'll ask you for...but um...if you you got anything sentimental and valuable" She was glancing at his watch now "I'd hide it before you speak with him."

"Oh, I'm selling this, don't worry..." responded Andrew. "First thing in the morning. I'm getting at least some food and change of clothes. I don't think looking like this is the best way to slip unnoticed..."

He sighed, a small smile on his face. "So we'd be going on a train, huh? That doesn't sound so bad."

Jenna nodded a bit, "Yeah but its not like how your thinking" she said still hugging the rock close, "You really think any of us have the 200 it takes to ride a train? Nope...no sir. Nah its gonna be touch and go...your gonna have to do what your told when your told" She said quietly, "I came here like that...I Said I'd try to avoid doing it again.."
She shrugged a bit as she walked past an old man sleeping in one of the bushes already, "I'll help you find a decent pawn shop...try an keep your clothes pretty clean though...You'll get a better deal if you don't look all dirty and desperate.."