City Street

[SageTavers]

Sage had more then a little bit of difficulty sleeping the previous night. She'd met a kid worse off then she had been, worse off then she could really imagine in her head. She knew there were kids in the system, knew there were kids that lived on the streets, but it was one of those things you tried so very hard not to think about until it was thrown into your face. It had been thrown in her face in the form of a little girl named Alice, and Sage wasn't entirely convinced her name was actually Alice.

She'd spent her night sketching the face in her note-book just in case, then there were of course the accompanying dead eyes of her best friend, the lost eyes of her boyfriend. Things were shit. Her aunt had checked on her a handful of times, which was a concept to Sage that she didn't quite understand. Once she realized sleep wouldn't be had she made her way towards her parents house, something on her mind. She grabbed a few things, stuffed them into a bag and then spent the rest of her night wandering the streets. To get an idea of what it was like out there. Not that she didn't spend her time wandering the streets, it was rarely in the middle of the night. New York City might have been the city that never slept, but that didn't mean some of those streets weren't quiet. It was eerie really.

The next day though she'd shown up at the coffee shop, she went inside only to grab herself an iced coffee and spotted a few of the same patrons, the same Cashier, so she took her iced coffee, the bright orange messenger bag she had, and headed out to standing for a while at first, watching the passerby's, before she took a seat in one of the metal chairs outside. Hooking the bag handle around her arm but setting it on the floor. Again anything of real importance was in the pocket of her jeans. Black flip flops on her feet out stretching in front of her crossed at the ankles, a pair of aviators on her face covering up tired eyes, blond hair pulled back in another messy french braid. A plane green tank top today covering her torso.

She wondered if the girl would show up, or if she'd be waiting here for hours. And Sage planned to wait...it didn't matter how long it took. If she had to go in and get a handful of refills on the iced coffee, she'd sit, she'd wait. If she got bored she had a book, she had her sketchpad. She could entertain herself for the most part. There was a distinct part of her brain that thought perhaps she shouldn't have shown up. That she should have washed her hands of an eight year old girl and let it be. But she just couldn't bring herself to do it.

[Little Bit]

She had her own things to do that night. She made her rounds to the different places that were sometimes friendly and then buried herself in the sewers. The lady making the phone call back in the coffee shop had scared her more than she wanted to admit. She promised herself that she was not going to go back. A sandwich wasn't worth getting caught for.

She hunkered down and slept in a pile of newspapers and an old pillow that she'd found. Dreams were not good that night. They were about the woman and the phone. She was back in a home and there were things eating her brains. She finally woke up and wrinkled her nose as she shook her head to clear her mind of the dreams. It was still dark out but she didn't care. She was done sleeping.

Little Bit found her way to the shelter that let families stay over night. She snuck into the shower and washed herself and her clothes all at the same time. Then she fled, wet but clean, into the early morning. It would be hours before she was dry but she didn't care. There were worse things than wet clothes.

About noon though, her stomach started aching and that sandwich came back to haunt her. She tried to stay away but eventually she found her way to the street where that coffee shop was. She waited and watched. For a long time she watched the blond girl sit outside with a cup of something to drink. Little Bit found she was thirsty too but it was still a good long while before she came out of hiding and started walking down the side walk. By then her clothes were mostly dry, her face mostly clean and her hair mostly brushed. She dropped into a chair by Sage and just stared at her.

[SageTavers]

Sage sat kind of quietly she scanned the streets but she didn't pay much mind to anyone wandering about. She was looking for someone much shorter then any of the people that she could see. Did she notice Alice before she decided to come out of hiding and hunker down in the chair at the same table as Sage? It was hard to say. She might have. She was good at noticing things, even the tiniest of things.

She shifted and turned her head lightly, pulling her glasses down a bit to look at the little girl who just sat there like she belonged for a moment. A small smile tugged at the corner of her lips. "Well then. Good afternoon little one." She pushed the sunglasses back up on her nose and was standing up in a pretty smooth motion and holding a hand out to her.

"Let's go get us a sandwich or two...maybe some chips...and a soda."

She wiggled her fingers in Alice's direction, getting right to business on that promised sandwich from the day before.

[Little Bit]

If she was surprised at how quickly Sage offered the sandwich, Little Bit didn't show it. She got up and took the outstretched hand after only the briefest of hesitations. She didn't say anything yet though. She was thinking. It was odd that Sage was actually there. How often had she encountered people saying things only to forget or not follow through? Was it a trap? There was a part of her that was scared that overnight Sage might have changed her mind and decided to call someone to come take Little Bit away.

She kept a wary eye out as they walked away from the coffee shop. She hadn't noticed the same lady inside the shop or that she was on her phone again. If Little Bit had, she probably would have bolted right then and right there!

As it was, she walked next to Sage. Finally she looked up and said, "You came back."

[SageTavers]

She wasn't offended by the hesitation. It wasn't as if Sage expected the little girl to trust her inherently over night. That would just be asinine and a little silly. But she was more then pleased as the tiny hand slipped into her own and they started on the short walk down the block to the place that she had mentioned the day before. She actually rather enjoyed their food. It was quick, cheap, but tasted amazing. Especially if you were hungry enough. She didn't say anything else, waited for Alice to speak up.

She glanced down as she glanced up and made that single comment. Shifting the bag on her shoulder just a bit. Smiling just a bit.

"I thought about ditching ya..."

She said it a bit teasingly giving the little girls hand a squeeze as if to explain that she was not in any way shape or form ditching her.

"If I make a promise I try to keep them to the best of my ability...I got another surprise for you, but that's for later."

She gave her bag a little bit of a lift as to say if it was in there, all but daring the little girl to go for the bag before she was rounding the corner with her and motioning towards the little deli . Like the coffee shop it had out door seating which she figured they could take advantage of because it was so nice out.

[Little Bit]

Her face screwed up into a thoughtful expression. "I thought about ditching you too." Since they were being honest, right? Her eyes went to the squeeze to her hand and up went her little blond brow.

"I don't do promises." Any promise she'd ever had given to her had been broken. Why do it? But the comment about a surprise, that got her attention. Her head perked to the side like a little bird. "How much later?"

She was watching where they went and her steps picked up a little when they were getting close to the sandwiches.

[SageTavers]

"Not doing promises is a good policy. I don't do them often. But I've been known to make one or two of them over the years."

She shrugged her shoulders, though she was just amused beyond belief when the little girl seemed to perk just a bit at the thought of a surprise. Watched that head tilt, watched as she asked how much later and she couldn't help but grin just a little.

"After we get our food and sit down. Okay?" She was grabbing the door to the deli with her free hand and holding it open for the younger girl to head on in. Once they were inside Sage was grinning at the man behind the counter.

"Usual?"

She was nodding her head without even though before she was lifting up the little girl and setting her in a seated position on the counter.

"And whatever this one wants. She eats like a pig."

She said it as if she were annoyed but she was teasing just a bit as the man behind the counter started on at least making her own sandwich while Alice got a good view of everything that she could choose from, there were actual pictures on the menu, and really you could create whatever the heck you wanted.

"Can I get a bottle of water, a couple of soda's and two bags of chip with it too."

He was nodding as he worked.

[Little Bit]

She accepted the explanation of promises from Sage and didn't poke at that any more. She was more interested in the idea of a surprise. After they got their food. Okay. She could do that.

Little Bit ducked into the sandwich shop and drew in a deep breath. It smelled so good in here she believed she could get full if she just breathed it in enough. Up to the counter and then up onto the counter she went. Her attention wasn't on the man or Sage. She was busy looking at the food back there. There was all sorts of stuff and her stomach growled.

"I do not!" She gave a half smile though because she thought it was a jab of a joke instead of something nasty. Nasty usually came with burning. "I want one of those!" She pointed to the Italian sub and then put her hand back in her lap. She looked at Sage and then did something surprising. Her blue eyes went big and innocent, her mouth turned into a hopeful little smile as she uttered, "Please?"

[SageTavers]

Her quick defensive 'I do not!' had Sage grinning from ear to ear for a moment and just shook her head.

"I don't know kid, I saw you wolf down a bear claw and then try and prove your worth by eating half a fritter. That's a lot of food." When she pointed to the sandwich she wanted the guy that Sage vaguely knew as Steven was glancing back at the menu board and let out a low whistle.

"That's a mighty sandwich for such a little girl. Hope you can handle it."

He went along with the tease that Sage had set. And Sage just kind of smiled as her sandwich was set on a tray in front of her with the bag of chips two bottles of soda and two bottles of water as he got to working on Alice's sandwich. She was digging in her pocket for the bit of cash she had, and was handing it over to him and telling him to keep the change as he wrapped up Alice's sandwich and put it on a second tray.

"Eat outside?" She glanced at her.

[Little Bit]

She shrugged and promptly stated, "I know how to save food for later." But you know the pride in her spine was going to make her try to eat it all even if the voice of reason was going to get her to save some for later. She studied the chips and the drinks then then started watching her sandwich be made. Yes, she had picked the biggest sandwich on the menu because, well, when you're offered food you take the most you can get!

Little Bit nodded and jumped off the counter, turning around to offer her hands to carry the tray. She was, after all, quite dexterous.