My bleary eyes fluttered under the blanket. I rolled to my side and peeked at my pink, scrub watch that I'd bought from Walmart for under twenty bucks. Being frugal meant more savings and a shorter stay at the shelter.

It was Saturday. My only day off. The day I'd used to look forward to all week long, but I wasn't sure why I missed work so much. Was it Asha's company? Or the home-like feeling I'd found in there? Or was it something else entirely? Something related to my foolish obsession with a certain, handsome stranger?

It was still 6:10 a.m. Most residents were sleeping in, but I needed to hurry. I had things to worry about before I could hit the park. Like, for example, going through my morning routine without bumping into Vivian, or anyone remotely connected to her.

Central Park was my favorite place for reading-my only real hobby- and a reprieve from the bleakness of the shelter, and the dullness of the city. If I was lucky, and the day started off well, I could finish a whole book in one sitting and then, maybe, stop by the bank -open that savings account and deposit my paychecks- before it closed.

Keyword: If...

Craning my neck, I scanned the beds next to mine and exhaled in relief. My roommates hadn't returned yet. I slipped out of my bed and walked towards the window, looking through the smudgy glass.

It was Springtime. The best time of the year. It looked like spring hadn't touched anything in midtown Manhattan, except for a lonely tree, shyly blooming on the sidewalk. The tree was small and haggard, its skinny branches straining upward. But it stood tall in the middle of the concrete. Determined. Its sallow buds scantily sprouted from the ends of each branch, so fragile, so pale. Its florets were barely seen, but they were there, fighting to blossom and grow for the rest of the season. Trying hard.

The lonely tree wanted to survive, too.

The corners of my mouth curved. I really wanted to survive today. I wanted to be happy and cheerful and to enjoy my time.

Reaching for the key dangling from a chain around my neck, I shuffled to open my locker. I went through a thin stack of clean shirts; only three tops, plus the only clean pair of jeans. My limited wardrobe was a timesaver.

I pulled the pink and white striped shirt, my baggy jeans, gathered my few toiletries, and headed to the showers.

When I'd first come here, I'd been horrified they were communal showers. I'd faced a tough decision between getting over my shyness, or forgetting about personal hygiene. But really, there was no option but to adapt. I needed to cleanse, to feel human. And that meant I had to wake up before everyone else, and I had to be quick.

In the shower room, my head was whipping left and right while brushing my teeth. I used the vanity mirrors for better surveillance. There was no sound of running water coming from the shower stalls behind me and I relaxed a little. I didn't have the stomach for funny surprises. People here didn't care about privacy or personal space.

I tiptoed into the farthest shower and shut the curtain. Hanging my towel on the dividing wall, I undressed and let the hot water wash away my anxiety.

As soon as I finished showering and got dressed, I took a deep breath. A couple of years more and I'd be out of here. Probably. But tomorrow, I'd have to do this all over again.

Sneaking back across the silent hallway, I found my dorm room still empty. I brushed my hair, splitting it into a pair of pigtails, then jammed the dirty laundry into my locker. I grabbed my purse, quickly checking its contents: my ID, my paychecks, breakfast bar, hand wipes, and my little emergency cash. I picked up the book I'd borrowed a week ago, and all was set.

When I made sure I hadn't forgotten anything, I sat on the edge of the bed, slipping on my sneakers.

The faint footfalls outside the room made my stomach churn. My head swept up, eyes fixed on the door.

I froze as the door creaked open. A petite figure appeared, wearing a black mini dress, black boots, and heavy makeup smeared all over her childlike face. She draped a light coat on her skinny arm, her fiery hair mussed up, and she looked like she was going to faint any minute.

"Hey." Tina flung the coat on the bed as she wobbled into the room.

"Hey, Tina," I whispered, staring at the doorway behind her.

"She's not coming yet."

"Are you Okay?" I asked, relieved.

"Never better." She had a tired smile, darker circles around her eyes, and violaceous bruises on her arms and legs.

A lump blocked my throat.

"Melody?" She called my name for the first time.

"Yes?"

"Watch out," Tina said, her face blank. "When I go, she's not gonna leave you alone."

Gaping at her empty face, my heart rate spiked, and a chill ran down my spine.

Tina dragged her feet to her locker, slipped into her pajamas, then collapsed on her bed without another word.

***

It was a mile and a half walk to Central Park. Nearly a forty-minute walk, which meant forty minutes of over-thinking and trying to stop myself from over-thinking at the same time.

Tina's words thrashed at my mind as I crossed Times Square into 7th Avenue, heading to the southern entrance of the park.

Apparently, Vivian hadn't given up trying to dragoon me into her underworld. It made me sick, and terrified, what a homeless girl was expected to do for a living. I wasn't going to sell myself. Definitely not. But poor Tina, she'd had enough. If she escaped from the shelter, Vivian would want a new subservient object; a new toy to order around. And I was her number-one choice.

I just couldn't understand why I seemed to be some sort of a trophy target. Why me? Was it because I'd happened to stay in the same room? Was it because I'd rejected her influence time and time again? Did she get high on the challenge, or was she just a pathological psychopath?

This was another reason why I missed the cafe. I needed to stay away from the shelter as much as possible. Work, the park, and the library were my only recess since I didn't enjoy doing many things. But there was a curfew, and eventually, I would have to go back and face my reality.

Like Cinderella, I had to return to my oppressive stepmother after I'd tasted a bit of good life at the royal ball. Hope House was my oppressive stepmother, who gave me crumbs to eat, made me sleep on cinders, and pretended to care about my well-being.

Okay, what happened to wanting to enjoy my time today? I asked myself, trying to push the negative thoughts away.

Asha's words rang in my head, making me smile.

Having fun and smiling once in a while wouldn't kill you, would it?

It wouldn't kill me to have fun. It'd only make me worry about what would happen next. Because the worst things always happened right after I'd dared to enjoy an ounce of peace.

But I needed my ounce of peace today, I told myself as I passed the park's main entrance into the pedestrian pathway, surrounded by trees, and all my negative thoughts seemed to evaporate.

Nothing was more peaceful than reading a good book within nature's embrace.

Once I thought about books, a little memory flourished in my mind.

Superman.

Yesterday at the cafe, he'd sat at his isolated table, absorbed into a mysterious book he brought with him. And I'd been dying to know what the book was about...

Clark was shielded inside his private bubble again, this time with a thick paperback in his hands. There was an enigmatic expression on his face, his eyebrows knitted, his lips parted slightly, and it made me itch to know what the book was about. It was a stupid compulsion. An urgent need. I kept nagging Asha to ask Susie to try and catch the title of his book.

"Are you nuts? I thought I was the crazy one here, but you're really losing it, Melo." Asha shook her head, pressing her lips disapprovingly.

"Please, Ash. I really want to know what he reads," I begged, my hands clasped together. I was too embarrassed to ask Susie myself. She didn't seem to like me that much.

"Why?" she asked, narrowing her eyes, although she didn't succeed to make them look smaller.

"Because... uh! I love books, and... the books you read are like..." I sighed, searching for the right word. "Well, they reveal who you are."

Asha deliberated, tapping her index finger to her lips. "Fine. What's the trade?"

"Trade?" I asked in confusion.

"Uh huh!" She arched an eyebrow. "You have to work for this one."

"Fine. What do you want?"

"A bet."

"On what?" I asked cautiously.

"The tips," she challenged. "If Susie makes it, you win and you keep your tips, if she doesn't, I keep your tips."

My face fell. I wasn't being cheap, it was just... I needed to save every penny for the great escape from the shelter. I couldn't afford to squander money over stuff like that.

"Alright," I agreed, of course. I was that stupid.

"God heavens, I was joking, bonehead! You must be falling hard, I can't believe you'd really give up your money over him!" Asha cupped the sides of her face, her eyes as wide as cereal bowls.

My face went red. I placed my palms on my eyes and almost cried out of humiliation.

"Oh no, please don't! Gosh, I'm sorry, Melo. Ok, I'll ask Susie, I'll ask her right now. Just don't cry, ok?" Asha cooed, curling an arm around my shoulders and then bounced away.

She signalled to Susie and jogged around the counter, whispering in her ear. I hoped she didn't tell her it was my idea.

My heart was beating fast as I cleaned up my workspace, taking extra care of the espresso machine, polishing it thoroughly. I peeked through my secret window, watching Susie meander toward Clark's table. Something in her walk made me feel she was reluctant, but I was grateful Asha was pretty persuasive.

Susie stopped next to him and leaned in. She seemed to speak to him, because he dropped his book on the table, his thumb hanging between the pages, and looked up. He smiled at her. That smile had never ceased to amaze me.

Susie pointed at his coffee cup, asking if he needed a refill, I supposed.

He shook his head once, and I could lip-sync his habitual 'thank you'. The guy was too thankful for his own good.

Susie nodded and turned on her heels, marching back to the counter. She had a sneer on her face and I knew it was for my sake. I backed away, biting the tip of my thumb.

A moment later, Asha went to speak to her and came back, her face unfathomable. She crossed her arms and sighed.

"What?" I asked in anticipation.

Asha jutted her lower lip. "Sorry, Susie says it's not in English."

"Oh!"

"Are you gonna cry?!" Asha made an exaggerated sad face.

"Nope." I shrugged and smiled.

It felt like I solved a part of the mystery. It was a small piece of information, but it made my day. He was smart and he spoke at least two languages. There was more depth behind the handsome face.

A guy who reads! What more could one ask for?

I snapped out of my head, evading a horse carriage that appeared out of nowhere as I strolled the forested pathway.

The winding path was fringed by lilac shrubs in purple and pink and every shade in between. Slowing my pace, I inhaled the fragrance in the air, mixed with the smell of recently cut grass, then continued to the border of the meadow.

It was a beautiful place and a beautiful morning. And I was determined to focus on my goal. Be happy. Enjoy my time. I knew better than to expect too much, but I had this strong feeling in my bones that it was going to be an exceptional day.