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Authors: Danielle DeVor
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crowds, and relaxed.
The buildings were far bigger than anything Mathias had seen before. He saw no trees, nothing green, only the grey sky peeping over the tops of the tall buildings. Of all the things he knew, Mathias had one thought on his mind— that this would be a place where he could get lost, and that was just what he needed.
He slung his bag over his shoulder and stepped out into the melee of the New York City sidewalk system. People came from all sides, and he allowed himself to be carried along with the tide.
Eventually, he noticed that the tide was thinner. Looking around, the buildings weren’t as nice as those he’d first encountered. He was only a couple of blocks from the bus station, but the difference was startling. The buildings, at one time would have been kind of nice looking, now they were covered in graffiti and crumbling on top of themselves. They didn’t look safe.
He looked around and found an old hotel. It was dirty looking with murky windows that you knew hadn’t been washed in decades. He walked in, and approached the counter.
“Whatcha want, kid?” The man behind the counter was dirty. His black hair was plastered to his scalp with sweat, and sweat stains stained the armpits of his white t-shirt.
Mathias adjusted his backpack. “I need a room for the night.”
The man stared at him and sat back down on his chair behind the counter. “Get lost, kid.”
“What? I have money.”
The man rolled his eyes. “You got ID?”
“No, I don’t need ID unless I want to get my learner’s permit.” Mathias stared at the man.
“Exactly.”
Mathias sighed. “I don’t understand.”
“Kid, we don’t rent to no one under eighteen. No place in this city will give a room to somebody under eighteen without a guardian. Now, get outta here, I’m missing my soaps.”
Mathias slunk out of the hotel. There was nothing to do now but get something to eat. He stepped into a diner a couple of blocks from the hotel. The diner looked just as shabby on the inside as it did on the outside, not that he could really tell because the windows were so dirty. They were so murky with grime that Mathias could barely see the “Pinky’s Place” sign painted on the window. He took a deep breath and entered the diner.
The counter looked a bit less dirty than the booths, and Mathias sat down on a stool and waited. Not long after, an old waitress came over to get his order. Her hair was dyed clown red. She wore a pink uniform that had seen too many trips in the washer and her face was a mask of lines. Her blue eye shadow was so blue that Mathias thought he was looking at an alien for a moment.
“Whatcha want?” she asked.
Mathias looked at the menu on the wall. “A turkey club, some fries, and a coke.”
The waitress turned to the open area to the kitchen. “Pinky! I need a turkey club and some frog sticks.”
Mathias’ heart hammered in his chest. “I don’t want anything frog!”
The waitress laughed. “Kid, you ain’t from around here are ya. ‘Frog sticks’ are French fries.”
“Then why didn’t you just say French fries?”
“Cause that’s the way it is at Pinky’s.”
She walked away, filled a glass with ice and coke and set it down next to Mathias’ elbow. He took the glass and took a long drink. It had been a long day- too long almost. Not long after, the waitress set his food and front of him. He was so hungry that he choked on his sandwich trying to eat too fast. After embarrassing himself and holding his own arm in the air, he got the choking stopped. He finished his sandwich and fries.
The waitress noticed and came over. “You want pie?”
“No thanks, I’m good.” Mathias wiped his mouth with his napkin.
The waitress reached into the pocket of her uniform, gave him the bill, and went to wait on other customers.
Mathias looked down, eleven dollars and seventy cents. He was going to need to find a cheaper way to eat. He took his bill to the register.
“You
The buildings were far bigger than anything Mathias had seen before. He saw no trees, nothing green, only the grey sky peeping over the tops of the tall buildings. Of all the things he knew, Mathias had one thought on his mind— that this would be a place where he could get lost, and that was just what he needed.
He slung his bag over his shoulder and stepped out into the melee of the New York City sidewalk system. People came from all sides, and he allowed himself to be carried along with the tide.
Eventually, he noticed that the tide was thinner. Looking around, the buildings weren’t as nice as those he’d first encountered. He was only a couple of blocks from the bus station, but the difference was startling. The buildings, at one time would have been kind of nice looking, now they were covered in graffiti and crumbling on top of themselves. They didn’t look safe.
He looked around and found an old hotel. It was dirty looking with murky windows that you knew hadn’t been washed in decades. He walked in, and approached the counter.
“Whatcha want, kid?” The man behind the counter was dirty. His black hair was plastered to his scalp with sweat, and sweat stains stained the armpits of his white t-shirt.
Mathias adjusted his backpack. “I need a room for the night.”
The man stared at him and sat back down on his chair behind the counter. “Get lost, kid.”
“What? I have money.”
The man rolled his eyes. “You got ID?”
“No, I don’t need ID unless I want to get my learner’s permit.” Mathias stared at the man.
“Exactly.”
Mathias sighed. “I don’t understand.”
“Kid, we don’t rent to no one under eighteen. No place in this city will give a room to somebody under eighteen without a guardian. Now, get outta here, I’m missing my soaps.”
Mathias slunk out of the hotel. There was nothing to do now but get something to eat. He stepped into a diner a couple of blocks from the hotel. The diner looked just as shabby on the inside as it did on the outside, not that he could really tell because the windows were so dirty. They were so murky with grime that Mathias could barely see the “Pinky’s Place” sign painted on the window. He took a deep breath and entered the diner.
The counter looked a bit less dirty than the booths, and Mathias sat down on a stool and waited. Not long after, an old waitress came over to get his order. Her hair was dyed clown red. She wore a pink uniform that had seen too many trips in the washer and her face was a mask of lines. Her blue eye shadow was so blue that Mathias thought he was looking at an alien for a moment.
“Whatcha want?” she asked.
Mathias looked at the menu on the wall. “A turkey club, some fries, and a coke.”
The waitress turned to the open area to the kitchen. “Pinky! I need a turkey club and some frog sticks.”
Mathias’ heart hammered in his chest. “I don’t want anything frog!”
The waitress laughed. “Kid, you ain’t from around here are ya. ‘Frog sticks’ are French fries.”
“Then why didn’t you just say French fries?”
“Cause that’s the way it is at Pinky’s.”
She walked away, filled a glass with ice and coke and set it down next to Mathias’ elbow. He took the glass and took a long drink. It had been a long day- too long almost. Not long after, the waitress set his food and front of him. He was so hungry that he choked on his sandwich trying to eat too fast. After embarrassing himself and holding his own arm in the air, he got the choking stopped. He finished his sandwich and fries.
The waitress noticed and came over. “You want pie?”
“No thanks, I’m good.” Mathias wiped his mouth with his napkin.
The waitress reached into the pocket of her uniform, gave him the bill, and went to wait on other customers.
Mathias looked down, eleven dollars and seventy cents. He was going to need to find a cheaper way to eat. He took his bill to the register.
“You
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