Chapter 1- It’s There for the Taking

            Renée waked into the crowded mall and looked down. She would spend the day inside the mall, just to get some time off of the streets, and then she would sneak into someone’s backyard to sleep for the night. Renée had been following this particular routine for the past two years. She couldn’t remember what she had done before that.

            Saturday’s were the perfect days to hide out in the mall. It was crowded and it was easy to go unnoticed. Today it was particularly crowded, thanks in large part to some benefit concert.

            Renée did various odd jobs to earn money to but what she needed to survive, though she preferred to save that money. So instead she could steal what she needed. Once or twice, when she had been desperate, she tried picking pockets, but she found that there was too much risk and only did it occasionally. Or when she knew that she could get away.

            Renée pulled her visor down to cover her eyes as a security guard walked by. She breathed a sigh of relief as he walked past her and into a donut shop.

            Renée wandered about the mall for several hours watching the teenagers and wishing that she could be like them, have no worries, except for if se was going to pass Algebra.

            Suddenly a boy ran smack into her, knocking her over. Her visor flew off and she scrambled to grab it. She looked up, the boy’s blonde hair was tousled and he looked out-of-breath.

            “Oh. Sorry.” He said, trying to catch his breath and he thrust out his hand to help her up. Renée ignored his outstretched hand and jammed her visor back onto her head.

            She pulled herself up and said, “Watch where you’re going!” The she started to walk away.

            “Ok……” He started, “Look can I make it up to you?” He said hurrying t catch up to her.

            She thought for a second, ‘Heck, he offered, and I might as well get something out of getting knocked on my ass!’ She thought to herself.

            “Here,” he handed a ticket to her for that concert.

            “Why’d you have teenybopper tickets?” She asked looking puzzled.

            He paused for a second, “There were my little sisters, she got sick and couldn’t come. Well, I gotta go.” The blonde boy waked off.

            She made a face and was about throw the ticket into a garbage can. Then she stopped herself. She stared at the front of the ticket.

            ‘Why not?’ She thought to herself, ‘It might be fun.’