shoulders, but the kind of tired he felt wasn't something that sleep could fix. He pulled o

rakes hissing, voices battling in alleys, bikes bu

the spot he worked yester

loosely to the wal

eded. 6 AM. No experience requir

d the tim

ain," he

ed together behind a rundown grocery shop. Tarps flapped in the wind, held down by bricks and crates. Metal pots clange

d apron with arms like she haule

ere to

es

. Wash. Rinse. Scrub.

once and

nd your hands shriveled from soapy water. He scraped charred pans until his knuckles stung, lifted

someone dropped a tray of rice loud enough to make e

s its own k

eased and damp, but real. He tucked it into his pocket like it was treasure, thanke

cy. Just something hot. Spi

d like it was alre

mewhere nearby, someone was cooking meat over open fire. Spices floated i

it ha

r slammed

his momentum. He turned quickly. A man in a grey hoodie kept

ang

ot al

l instinct made him

pt

ace s

ecked

l no

sh was

d in the middle of the sidewalk, surrounded by strangers moving

is pocket. And now,

ief might still be in view, but there

oo tired to

d-slow, bitte

tomach wa

f a busier lane. The paint was peeling, but the smell was magnetic-meat skewers crackling over h

a dark t-shirt with the sleeves rolled up, and gloves that were already stained with

n leaned against t

& P

Skewers

AY FIRST. NO

scent pulling at him li

ing, she sai

d for his pock

time. Somehow, saying it

ed into me. Stole my money. I

e look

ng about her posture shifted. She stared at him

re se

es

t me to be

it up," he sai

brow. "You wouldn

six-hour shift scrubbing grease out of someone's kit

e said coolly. "Bu

out. I just-look, I'm hung

op

N

the board. "No credit. No exceptions. Especially

t's not a story

y who totally didn't spend his last cash on so

ightly. "I didn't

anything, so it's kind

. "You're real

norted. 'Thanks. He

t lying

ding you. That's

assuming I'm

ired, polite, and full of half-truths. You think if you

rising in his chest. "So what? You grill food

work twelve hours a day to afford a stall on a corner most people i

them, people passed by, too used to sidewalk argume

tension, and the low

sharply.

e replied st