A/N: If you decide to go on and read, thanks. Chapters will vary in length, and updates will occur sporadically because this is just something I pulled from my head, and inspiration strikes only every so often. This is also not beta'd.

Disclaimer: All publicly recognized characters belong to their respective owners.

I awoke slowly to a gnawing pain in my stomach. This, the empty feeling in my belly, wasn't an unusual occurrence. The hollowness and its companion, thirst, where a very prominent presence in my life. It had been a few days, a week tops, since I had eaten something proper to sooth the aching hunger. I'd gone longer with little to no food before, but the constant growling made me realize just how fucking starving I really was. I longed for something fresh, warm, a decent meal for once, but I knew that the dumpsters and trash bins in the alleyways couldn't offer me that luxury.

The best places for me to get semi-fresh food was behind the restaurants. The only problem there, was sometimes I had to fend off pissy stray cats and the occasional knife wielding chef.

I pulled myself up and slinked through the alley to the local Mexican place where I knew I would find several trash cans and a big dump. Some pretentious prick who didn't like a dish was bound to send a plate back and have it thrown out and into my awaiting grubby hands.

I glanced furtively at the large steel door, making sure that no one would be coming to watch me rummage through their garbage and scanning the alley for anything valuable in the surrounding trash bags. My mouth watered slightly from the smells coming from the place but I ignored it and continued searching. Just as I spotted what seemed to be a half eaten enchilada, the door swung open to reveal a large mocha skinned women...and surprise, surprise she was wielding a very sharp knife. I never understood why it was that chefs went to their back door brandishing cutlery, wasn't that unsanitary?

She was screeching at me in a mix of Spanish and English.

"¡Oh, Dios mira qué sucio! Leave here now!"

'Oh god look how dirty!'

I had a scar that ran under my jaw that was testimony to the fact that I learned the hard way. Trying to argue or explaining my situation only proved to make the irritated more angry. My problems didn't mean shit to them, all they knew was that some dirty bum was digging in their trash. I lost my dignity a long time ago when I became so hungry I couldn't even see straight, almost attacking a scrawny man who'd been eating a scone outside of a coffee shop.

I darted out of the ally, knowing full well that because of her size she wouldn't even attempt to follow me. Why would she anyway. I wasn't anything worth it,just street scum rummaging in her much-needed trash.

I could lie and say I kept running until I hit the beach, but the undernourished state that my body was in didn't allow me to. So I stumbled along until I hit the beach, which was an easy feat when you lived in south Miami. Finding refuge under a palm tree I sank to my knees in the sand. I felt dizzy from pushing my body with no sustenance and my mouth was dry from the constant muggy heat that Florida provided.

No one paid me any mind, it was a weekday so the only people out here were tourist marveling at the beautiful beach.

It was like I was invisible, except for the side glances that some of the passing children would give me until their parents pulled them along. I guess I was invisible, I was just an unwarranted eyesore to their vacation that didn't require recognition.

A hefty little boy passed by with his arms full of junk food, chips, sodas, and candy that seemed to be his choice for lunch at the beach. As I eyed the food my stomach let out a low rumble. I hunched over closing my eyes and groaned pressing my back into the rough bark to distract myself from the pang.

"Excuse me. Hey, mister." The voice was high, that of a young little boy. I looked up expecting to see the fat kid , maybe offering me a bag of chips,but instead found myself staring into the biggest brown eyes I'd ever seen. The kid's blonde hair was falling into his face, and he pursed his lips to blow it out of his eyes.

"What do you want kid." I asked sourly glancing over his shoulder and searching for his parents. Surely they wouldn't want their child associating with the likes of me.

"Well... what do you want?" he countered.

I stared at him for a moment, wondering if he was playing with me, but his big doe eyes showed no hint of amusement.

Again I looked around to spot the caretakers for this brave little boy, but didn't see anyone rushing over to pull him away by the ear.

"Listen kid, go find your parents or somthi-" I started but the growling of my stomach cut me off.

He shifted his feet and held a hand out to me.

"I can give you something to eat if you want." he offered, with an innocence and sincerity that only a child could muster.

I thought for a second. It felt wrong to say yes, like I was taking advantage of the little boys naïvety but the thought of finally having something warm in my stomach after rancid or no food for a week overpowered the feeling.

I stood on wobbly legs but steadied myself with a hand on the bark. I was so tall the boy had to tilt his chin to stare up at me.

"Alright kid," I said conceding to his offer. "lead the way."