I woke up with a stiff neck and aching muscles.
"Shit," I breathed trying to massage my sore areas best I could. I looked around. The streets were much less busy than before, and it amazed me how deserted the place seemed compared to yesterday.

I stood up, stretching, and squinted at the clock tower. It was 8:23 am and the bus didn't come until 8:45 am. My stomach growled and I remembered just how hungry I was. I placed a hand on my abdomen as it continued to groan. I sighed and decided that I could wait. I had to save money, especially since I had no idea where I was going to end up.

I sat back down on the bench, stretching out my legs. I pulled out my blade and began carving the bench, making small markings and patterns. In New York, lots of people had a signature pattern or design that they used to show that they owned a certain thing or place. I was careful not to make my marking, which was a series of x's with a w in the middle, so no one would know that I was here.

After a few minutes I was becoming bored. I really wished that I had snagged that old guys lighter so I could have a cancer stick. I shoved my blade back in my pocket, and stared at my hands. They were blue and shaking from the freezing cold air. I held them together and brought them to my mouth, blowing warm air and rubbing them together.

I let my mind wander and I thought back to what the old man on the bench had told me earlier, "Things may seem rough, but it will get better. Remember, you have only one life." I still didn't fully understand why or what he was trying to tell me. And how would he even know? Shit happens like seeing your best friend getting stabbed, your parents being quacks, stealing in order to keep yourself from starving, and that was just the tip of the iceberg.

I remembered back to when I was in jail for the first time, how terrified I was. And my old man wasn't too thrilled when he had to come pick me up. But after that, it almost felt like routine. I've been in the cooler 6 times now. The longest I had was 4 months for stealing and vandalizing someone's house and then fighting the cops when they caught me.

A loud sound pulled me back into reality and I saw the bus coming down the road. I walked to the bus stop as the bus lurched and came to a halt. The doors opened and I stepped on, placing 10 cents in the slot. I looked at the bus driver who was staring straight ahead with his forearms resting on the wheel. He seemed fairly young and had a gray baseball cap on.

I took a seat close to the front.

"Where does this bus stop at?" I asked hoping to find a place that seemed well enough to go.

The bus driver looked at me and then cleared his throat. "The first stop will be further down in Bronx, lots of shops and stuff. Then we go down to Brooklyn, and then Manhattan. Right by the airport with all those buildings."

Airport. "Alright," I said. I realized that I could leave for good. I smirked in spite of myself. Man it was going to be awesome living alone.

I folded my arms over my chest, glad that I was finally out of the cold. My hands regained their normal color and I was no longer shivering. I rubbed my eyes lazily and sat back in the seats. They weren't too comfortable, but it sure beat laying on that bench.

After about 10 more minutes, the bus door closed. Something was finally going to change. I wasn't sure if it was going to take a turn for better or worse, but I was willing to take that chance. I was on my way to Manhattan.

A/N
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Dally is finally leaving, yay! Ok so I have absolutely no idea how far the Bronx, Brooklyn, and Manhattan are from each other but whatever. Anyways hope you guys are still enjoying the story. More chapters to come! And remember: COMMENT. I need feedback people.

Stay Gold!

GoldGreaser83