by Rose St. Andrews
Jennifer hated everything she saw before her. There was a simple reason for that, it all embodied everything she didn't have. Some kids had gotten together with their parents in the park for a birthday tea party. There were cookies, sandwiches, potato chips, all kinds of sodas, and - of course - a huge cake. Any other day, homeless little Jennifer would just amble off back to her makeshift cave and forget them, but she was hungry, and the party also had a ton of food that smelled absolutely wonderful. Several of the grills the park provided had burgers and hot dogs sizzling on them, and Jennifer's stomach overrode her desire to avoid human contact.
Oh, what the hell, she thought. This party is going to be gatecrashed by an uninvited guest. Me!
Given her life of minimal food, Jennifer could easily be taken to be around thirteen or fourteen-years-old, which was perfect for this situation. Based on the big '13' on the cake, the birthday boy was her apparent age, as were the other kids. She had a fine chance of slipping in among them, snagging some food, and then getting away before anyone figured out she didn't belong.
Belong, what a wonderful word. It was something she had once longed for, but... well, that was over and done with. These days, she lived for the now, and now she was hungry! She waited until the party was in full swing, and then slipped in among the kids playing some sort of dodge ball game. Her clothes - faded jeans and a stained shirt - were a bit out of place, but the kids didn't notice, and they were actually quite accepting of her. After that, they played hide and seek, which was the perfect opening for her. She helped herself to some of the picnic foods, and got rather naughty, grabbing everything in sight and eating like a pig.
"Hey, what are you doing?" a young voice said. "Don't be eating everything, leave some for the rest of us."
Jennifer turned and found a boy and several other kids facing her, scowling.
"Back off, you little snots," she snapped, bullying the kids. "I'm hungry, and there's plenty more. So, take a hike all of you, if you know what's good for you!"
The kids turned and ran, which got her snickering up a storm, until she saw one of the adults closing on her. Uh-oh, she may have pushed things too far this time. She was conflicted; should she turn and run, or stand her ground? Prudence dictated she withdraw, but then poor judgment was practically her motto. The guy had quite the build on him, easily a couple inches over six feet, and looked a lot like the birthday boy. Her guess was that he was probably an uncle, as she'd seen the parents with the boy.
As the man stepped up in front of her, she truly felt intimidated - and he made her feel like a kid of about fourteen.
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