Homeless But Loved

short shots,March contest 2017

Short Shots Contest
Word count: 940

Homeless But Loved
By Lisa Noe

Her beauty was rough, the kind of look you’d see on a street person After being weathered a year or two. You can tell she had no body in her life, she walked the streets alone day and night. She was a run-away who had escaped a hell in her home, having been abused by her parents. She was a bright girl of seventeen, she loved to read and write and had dreams of becoming a writer. Her dreams dwindled day by day as she sit in her little spot under the by pass bridge, along with many other homeless and poor souls. She made her rounds everyday, she would walk to the city library and go in side and read the classics, she spent all day reading or writing. The librarian knew she was homeless, yet he did not chase her away, instead he would welcome her there and offered her hot chocolate and cookies. He got to where he expected her there
Everyday, and each day he would give her the refreshments and a broad smile letting her know it was all right for her to be there.

One cold winter morning The street girl did not show up at the library, The librarian, Danny Holbrook, noticed she was absent. It was so cold outside and snowing, he couldn’t help be concerned about her.
He had become fond of seeing her there every morning for nearly a year. He knew she was young and homeless and all alone, he feared for her. At lunch-time when she failed to show up at the place, he decided to spend his lunch hour out looking for her. He knew that a few of the homeless stayed down by the by-pass bridge and he hoped she would be there. He drove there and began his search for the girl he had become smitten with. He knew she was just a young girl but he hoped she was now over eighteen.
He began asking people under the by pass had they seen the girl, he didn’t know her name only that she, to him was a pretty young lady with strawberry hair and green eyes. One man said he knew the girl he pointed to where she sleep at night. Danny took off in the direction the man pointed and he saw a pasteboard box and a blanket and under the blanket was the girl he had fallen for. He walked over to where she lay …

“Excuse me, dear, I am Danny, The librarian and I was worried about you because this is the first time you have failed to come to the library for the first time in a year. Are you all right?”

She rolled over and sit up, pulling the blanket up around her shoulders.

“Uhm, I didn’t feel well today, I think I’ve caught the flu or something, I’ve gotten sick several times and have been too week to get up. But I thank you for checking on me.”

“What is your name dear?”

“My name is Chrissy.”

“Chrissy, how old are you?”

“I’m going on nineteen, I’ll be nineteen next month as a matter of fact.”

That made Danny happy, because he knew he could show some interest in her now.

“I think you need to go see a doctor, come on, I’ll take you and then I’ll see to it you have some warm place to lay your head for the night. Don’t worry I don’t expect anything in return.”

“Why would you do this for me?”

“Why wouldn’t I, I’ve become very fond of you over the past year coming into the library and seeing you read and write, I always wondered what you were writing about. You dreams I always suspected.”

He helped her to his car and he took her to the doctor, where they diagnosed her as having the flu, they gave her a shot and some medicine. Danny took her to his home and gave her his bedroom while he would take the couch during the night.

The next couple of weeks she stayed with Danny trying to get over being sick. She was now feeling stronger and knew she would soon have to leave, she couldn’t take advantage of Danny’s kindness any longer. She brought up the subject as Danny got home from the library at lunch.

“I think it is time for me to stop taking advantage of you, I need to get back to my spot before I lose it.”

“I don’t want you to leave, I want you to stay and well, I don’t think there is any secret to the fact I like you very much. I think I’m falling in love with you. I’d like for you to stay with me and be my girl friend.”

“I’ve become very fond of you as well, but I feel as if I am taking advantage of your kindness.”

“Well you’re not, and if you become my girl, perhaps it will lead to marriage.”

“Do you really want me to stay?”

“More than anything.”

“Well I will stay.”

She smiled at him and he grabbed her around the waist, pulling her toward him and he kissed her hard on the lips.

“I’ve been wanting to do that since the first time I laid eyes on you.”

They hugged and sit on the couch discussing their plans for the future. She was no longer homeless and she had also developed feelings for Danny. Both were better off and each one of them had someone now, neither were no longer alone.