Urban Survival - The Uglier Side of City Living, Wednesday, Period 2

[myownface]

"Hookay," Sparkle sighed, looking over his classroom and giving them all a wry smile, "I'm guessing you guys have probably noticed by now that I've been sort of squirming away from just straight-up suggesting you use homeless shelters. And the reason for that is because, while in theory they're amazing, and having a place to rest your head on a

Comments

Discuss

[myownface]

Other options for shelter, perhaps? Or strategies for keeping safe if you ever have to put yourself into this position?

Anything you might want to share with the class is awesome.

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[intotheout]

"I mean, I guess you could try squatting instead?" Tip suggested. "But I'm kinda thinking that could be a whole class by itself. Or -- several."

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[myownface]

"Oh, it will be," Sparkle agreed, nodding. "I've got experience with that one, too."

Such a worldly kid he'd been. Worldly and angry.

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[intotheout]

Well. That was what the world did to you.

"I guess doing that you'd still have to deal with other people, too." Tip sighed. "The other people are really a big part of what makes this whole deal hard, aren't they. Sure, it's nice to have someone to pool resources and skill sets with, but if you don't have someone you can really trust with you, you're kind of just always in danger."

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[myownface]

Sparkle nodded his head a little.

"Yeah, what I would've given for someone to at least pull lookout shifts with at night," he admitted. "There are points when it just feels like no-win all around. If the hunger or the cold don't kill you, it'll be disease, or drugs, or other people, and by far the most unpredictable, dangerous thing in that list is the people."

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[intotheout]

"What did you do when it felt like that?" Tip asked. She had her own answers, mostly yell and stomp around, or sit in a pile of depressed lumpishness watching television.

But then, at least she'd had television.

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[myownface]

Sparkle kind of grimaced. Shrugged his shoulders. Shifted his weight around uneasily.

"Drugs," he answered bluntly. "Not like there was anything left to lose."

He... did not suggest that his class take up a drug habit.

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[intotheout]

"Oh." Honestly, that wouldn't have occurred to Tip. But then, she'd been 11. And living on stuff she could scavenge from broken vending machines and abandoned gas stations. "Isn't that . . . kind of expensive?"

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[myownface]

"Sure," Sparkle agreed, shrugging. "People make stupid decisions when they've hit rock bottom and there's no way out anyway. Not like I was old enough to rent an apartment or even hold down a job."

Anyway, it was easier to spend money if you stole it.

"Maybe I'll get all after-school special and talk about addiction before the semester is through, too. I don't know exact statistics off the top of my head, but I'm willing to guess that most homeless people with drug habits picked them up after they lost everything. It's easier to be high than hopeless. More stupid, maybe, but easier."

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[intotheout]

"That sounds . . . really depressing," Tip said. "But interesting. And hey, if you run out of other topics. . . ."

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[myownface]

"Never said it was going to be a happy class," Sparkle replied, giving Tip a tired little smile. "I'm mostly just kind of hoping it's a useful one."

He was at least in control of his knee-jerk urges enough to follow that up by asking if it was a useful one.

Barely.

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[intotheout]

That's alright, Sparkle, Tip would answer that question anyway. "I definitely could have used knowing some of this stuff before the alien invasion in my world," she said. "Though . . . mostly I just kind of wish everyone could have their own alien best friend, now."

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[boneyard_girl]

"'S gonna sound strange, but find a trailer park," Ada said. "They're used t' people coming an' going at all hours, an' constant new faces. Plus, most are up on cinder blocks if'n they're parked, an' you can always nap underneath. It's gonna be dry, an' probably warm."

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[myownface]

"Dry and warm are two of my favourite things," Sparkle replied, grinning a little. "You still have to be careful not to get caught at it, but that's basically the same as anywhere, if you're sleeping outside."