• I stand there on the station platform, hands in my jeans pockets while looking down at the floor. Smoke fills the air as people puff away on cigarettes, and the honking of horns is heard in the distance. It's morning, but I haven't slept in four days. I wish I could say I hadn't seen this scene, a crowd of people nervously shuffling while waiting for the train, in a while, but I'd be lying. I wish this, because every time I see this scene, relive it, it means only one thing.
    I'm running away again.
    The crowd lurches forward suddenly, and my head jolts up as the brakes of the train squeal to a halt. I brush my frizzy hair out of my tired eyes, shoulder my backpack of belongings, and hand my ticket to the man in front of the train. He looks me over, from my oil covered coat, to my torn jeans and scraggly beard.

    "Awful small load you have there, son. Where are you off to that you need so little?" He inquires.
    "Anywhere... Honestly, as long as it isn't here, it doesn't matter where I go."
    "Sounds like a story, there. Best get on, son, if you want to leave." He waves me into the train's cabin, and I shuffle into the nearest room. I pull off my bag, my green flannel coat, and I plop them onto the floor as I fall into the seat.. I lay my head back, exhausted as I revisit the events of the last few days in my head. The train slowly starts to chug along, and I say goodbye to my old home, Chicago, and start on my way to a new beginning.

    Two and a half weeks ago.

    "And the stock market takes another turn for the worse in what experts say 'we've seen coming for a while'"
    The T.V. was on across the room as I lay in the soda-stained couch, looking at it over a floor of old chip bags and T.V. dinner boxes The kitchen sink was piled high with dishes, and the trash overflowed. I heard the door to my room mate's room open with a crunch, and a soft "********!" amidst the tinny sound.
    "Dude, we REALLY need to clean sometime." Sean said in a serious tone as he carefully navigated the sea of trash to the living room.
    "Hmmph nmphgh mm phhgnmm" I mumbled while absentmindedly gnawing on a ham sandwich.
    "I hear you, man." He agreed, plopping down on a crumb covered loveseat, wearing a crumpled white dress-shirt.
    I swallowed my mouthful of sandwich and said "Anyway, what'd you want?"
    "You wanna see the Cubs game tonight?"
    I looked up from my lying position on the couch and saw Sean grinning from ear to ear as he waved two tickets in my direction. I put the ham sandwich I was eating back on it's plate on the ground and jumped up in excitement.
    "Dude! Where did you get those? I thought the game was sold out!"
    He pushed up his glasses and slicked back his hair, obviously impressed with himself.
    "Well, Karen and James were going, but, well, a few things came up. Namely, Karen suddenly going into labor."
    I dropped the glass of water I was holding, and in a second I was at the door with my jacket on, keys in hand.
    " Holy crap! Karen's baby is coming too!? I gotta check on them!"
    "Um, Dean? What about the game?" Sean shouts at me.
    I paused, shut the door, and put my keys back in my pocket as I slowly turned back to see Sean standing with his arms crossed against his chest, obviously not wanting to miss the game, but not wanting to go without me.
    "Oh, yeah... But, I wanna know how it's going with them, too..."
    I nervously brushed my hair out of my eyes, and tugged at my white t-shirt. I struggled with the decision in my mind, not knowing how it would affect my life in the following days.