It was probably around two in the afternoon when Alex woke up. He usually preferred to be up before noon, but after Brooklyn left, he began to sleep a few hours longer than necessary. Maybe it was due to the increased amount of weed he started smoking. Maybe he was becoming depressed without her. Regardless of the reason, he was running late today and had to pass on his "morning" smoke to compensate. Alex was raised in Florida so he was used to hot weather, but New York's summer days were giving his home state a run for its money. The fact that Finn's basement had no AC didn't help, and although he had a cheap fan next to his makeshift bed, it didn't prevent him from waking up drenched in sweat this morning. Although it was late for him to be waking up, he knew that many of the others stayed out until the early hours of the morning and wouldn't be surprised if some were still sleeping.

After mumbling a "hello" to whoever was down there, he grabbed his backpack, which had been stuffed with dime bags the night before, and a change of clothes and trudged up the stairs. They led to the back of Finn's bar, right beside his storage room. The cool bar air was refreshing compared to that of the humid, musty basement. He peaked his head outside of the back area and although he couldn't see the bar owner, he could hear Finn's booming voice and notable Irish accent from somewhere. Normally he would seek him out and have a beer, but he was still in a hurry and doubted that Finn would want him making an entrance in a damp t-shirt and boxers. Instead, he took another flight of stairs up to Finn's small apartment that was situated over the bar. It was nothing more than a room with a bed, dresser, mini-fridge and microwave, and then a small bathroom, but compared to the basement, it was pretty nice. Anything was though, really, and although the hotter days made the basement less desirable, Alex was content with his living situation. Finn was nice enough to let them all live down there with no questions asked. Plus, he never complained when Alex took advantage of the shower that he had upstairs, as he did today.

After a cold five minute shower, he dressed, tossed his backpack over his shoulder and jogged downstairs. There were only a handful of customers in the bar, but Finn was apparently in a heated debate with one of them, so Alex didn't try to get in a "hello" before exiting. He was in a hurry to catch a subway uptown, where some of his younger clients would soon be finishing their day of summer school classes.

By the time he had gone behind the bar and went through the basement's access door, Alex's spot was empty. He exhaled inwardly as he closed the doors and momentarily went to his own part of the basement. Killens had gotten back around eight AM prior, but seeing as most everyone was sleeping anyways, decided to shower and just go out for a bit. The basement air was thick and hot, making Killens want to jump in the shower again just to cool off. He was never able to get used to American weather; he couldn't imagine what it was like in the South.

Killens mumbled his "hello" to anyone who was there or listening as he sat down. He looked at Alex's side of the bed, which used to double as Brooklyn's before things fell apart. His backpack was gone; probably meant he was out doing business. Roman's side was relatively neat; there wasn't much to cause a mess to begin with. He reached in his backpack closest to the wall and pulled out his tape. Roman rotated his wrist and winced just slightly. As he applied the boxing tape, he stared at the floor, thinking. The heat in the basement wasn't the only reason it was so stuffy. Maybe it was only him, but he couldn't stand Brooklyn being gone. It just made things awkward, and Roman was pretty sure Alex was just comfort smoking as he was starting to smell more obviously like marijuana as time passed; like he wasn't trying to hide it. Roman got it; he understood. No one liked being lashed at day in and day out; to be honest, he's surprised the two of them made it so long. Had this happened a few years ago, Killens would have fine, but now it was problematic. Coming back home was a mental preparation, it was becoming exhausting, and something had to change. Maybe the break up was just long overdue, but he was in an awkward situation. He needed things back to normal before he went insane.

Roman stood up, both hands wrapped snug and took off the jacket he thought he would need early this morning. After checking his wallet to make sure he had enough, he left without word and took to the streets of New York City. Getting there took a lot less time than he expected it would. The diner brushed his skin with cool, filtered air conditioning when he went inside. He looked around for her as he glanced in his wallet once more, needlessly. He'd just gotten paid after a successful fight; although it was tiring and brutal, he made a decent amount. A girl, clearly a worker, walked by him and gestured him to follow.

"Brooke works here, yeah? Archer?"

The girl looked at him and nodded curtly, and the tight gesture made him wonder whether or not he was supposed to ask that question.

"Could I sit in her section?"

The girl, again, looked peeved, but led Roman to the other side of the small diner. After dropping a menu in front of him, she twirled around to leave and her flowery scent shocked his nose. She mumbled, "She'll take care of you shortly," before disappearing. Roman picked up the menu with one hand as he wafted the smell out from around him. The diner was surprisingly cold and he had goose bumps; his mind went back to the now fatal-seeming moment he left it in the basement. Despite this, his palms were sweating and his heart was contracting tightly. He wasn't sure whether he was nervous about seeing her, or nervous about what would happen if things went as planned.

The lunch rush was finally slowing down and three-thirty, the end of her shift, couldn't come any sooner. Today's shift had included tens of tables, many stiff tippers, and a toddler who thought it was amusing to pour two cups of juice onto the floor. Brooklyn's tolerance level was diminishing and although many of the tables were still filled, she was feeling relieved that she would soon be out. Although she was ready to leave the chaotic workplace, she also wasn't exactly excited to go home. For the past few weeks, she had been staying with Tracy, a fellow club dancer. The woman was a few years younger than Brooklyn, and was more than gracious about letting her sleep on her couch. However, yesterday her ex-boyfriend showed up, and if last night was any example, she doubted that she would be able to stay there for much longer. When Brooklyn and she got home from working, Tracy and the man almost immediately became engrossed in a screaming match. It had almost gotten violent by the time the building manager came up and demanded they keep it down unless they wanted the law involved. She doubted that Tracy would outright ask her to leave, but Brooklyn wasn't going to overstay her welcome, especially in an environment like that. If she wanted that type of energy, she'd move back in with Alex.

"Sweetheart, we'll take refills." Brooklyn had a tray of food in each hand but managed to tilt her head back towards the two men she had been waiting on for what felt like hours. They were the type of customers she hated more than anything. One had requested his burger be sent back because he wanted two slices of cheese on it and insisted they had only put one on. The other had called her just about every pet name in the book and didn't make an attempt to hide his lingering glances on her body. She was sure that they would be the type to tip poorly too, and although she wanted to tell them to both fuck off, she refrained.

"Of course, I'll be right over with those," she said with a forced smile. After delivering the trays of food to another table, she brought the requested drinks to the men. They were apparently so deep in conversation that they couldn't look up to thank or acknowledge her presence, but it was probably better that way. If she had to deal with the greasy old man calling her "doll", "baby" or "honey" again, she would probably punch him square in the face.

The two men seemed more desirable, though, when she realized who had just been seated in her area. Roman. What the fuck is he doing here? was her first thought. Especially now that she and Alex were over, Roman would be her favorite person from that group. They had been through a lot together and just clicked. However, Alex was enough to keep her from maintaining contact with him after the breakup. He and Alex were like brothers and Brooklyn didn't need Roman to contemplate whether he should choose her over Alex. Even though he wouldn't, she didn't want him to even consider choosing her over Alex. Alex was a deadbeat loser who had nothing going for him. Taking away his closest friend would do more damage to him than it would for her to lose Roman as a friend. While a part of her was glad to see him after so long, she also didn't want to see him here. Had her manager not been lingering on the floor, she would have told him to get lost. Instead, she headed towards one of the other waitresses who she was friendly enough with.

"Liz, take table six for me?" she asked, pretending to be busy clearing plates off of an abandoned table.

"I would, but I'm about to go on break," the girl replied with a careless shrug of her shoulder. Again, Brooklyn had to suppress her temper. She smiled back at her co-worker and once she finished clearing the dirty plates, she approached Roman.

"What th-" she stopped mid-sentence as she spotted her manager passing out of the corner of her eye. Immediately, her scowl was replaced with a smile. "What can I get f-" Once the woman was out of sight, she dropped the act and returned to her angry and annoyed self. "What the fuck are you doing here?" she snapped in a hush tone. There were tons of other places where Roman could eat at. He was here for a reason, and whatever it was, she didn't want to deal with it.

Every part of Kieran's body ached, right down to his bones. The dark circles under his eyes were indicative that he hadn't slept much, if at all, the night before. He had heard both Roman and Alex leave in the afternoon, but remained on his cot in the farthest corner of the room. It wasn't unusual for him to feel this way. He didn't make much money these days, not enough to support him or his expensive addiction. Most days he had just enough of The Drug to get him through the day with mild aches and pains. If he wasn't able to get his hands on any at all, he was sick with what could only be some sort of demon flu mixed with the pleasant sensation of all his organs being turned inside out and fried. It wasn't fun and for the most part that pain is what fed his addiction.

He dug around in his backpack before finding his prize, careful to keep it as hidden as he possibly could from anyone who might see. Banging up heroin was a ridiculous process that Kieran hated every bit of, but smoking it just didn't work for him a majority of the time. He noticed that his supply was low and his heart started racing. Running this dangerously low almost guaranteed that some really shitty times were coming. He frantically dug around in his bag, hoping that by the grace of God he had just missed some, but there was nothing but the small amount he had already pulled out. A bead of sweat formed on his forehead and it wasn't just the heat.

When the panic had started to form into an anxiety attack, he decided it was time to dose himself. The relief was almost immediate and he exhaled a sigh, leaning his head against the wall. He was relaxed now and the aches were gone; euphoria washed over his mind. While the lazy ecstasy of his heroin intoxication made him want to lay down and enjoy it, he knew that he had to get to work. He ran up for a quick shower, careful to avoid Finn in the process and changed into his cleanest - and favorite shirt. He really needed to do the laundry and depended on how fruitful the day was, perhaps he would have enough to get the drugs he needed and go to a laundromat.

He headed back down the stairs and pulled his guitar out of the case. It probably needed to be tuned and he needed to practice before he headed out to hit the streets. It had been a good week or two since he had had the willpower to do much of anything, even play his beloved instrument that had been with him through so much. He picked up a worn looking pick and began to strum a few chords and played a song of his, quietly as he could in an attempt not to totally wake the last few sleeping individuals. His eyes were half closed as he played, music taking him to a place that even drugs couldn't. It was in the notes that he could truly lose himself and get away from the world.

Sitting on a roof staring down at the street far below, David decided he was grateful for the lack of a fear of heights. The building wasn't as tall as some of the skyscrapers around, but it was high enough that if he dropped a small rock he probably would have trouble seeing where it landed. He was sitting on the ledge with his legs dangling off, hunched over with a mute expression on his face. He enjoyed the feeling of being high up, above everyone else. It made him feel like he was apart from all the problems down below and his life would pause for a moment.

A sudden gush of wind made his stomach clench; the feeling you get when you get slightly off balance on a cliff and have a brief flash of panic before realizing you won't really fall. David sat there for a little longer, watching cars and people below get on with their lives before he slipped back onto the gravel of the roof and headed for the door that lead to the stairs back down to the lobby. There was an elevator too, but there was probably a camera in there so he didn't use it. The building he was in wasn't exactly fancy though, and as far as he could tell the stairs were completely neglected. Everything was painted a white color that took on a brownish tint, and there was dirt and random rubble decorating the steps. He wasn't even sure what the place was used for, the lobby looked generic as hell and the people inside had been boring middle-class trash. Not to call the middle-class itself trash, but these were the trash of the middle-class. David was sure, whatever the business was, it was either a front for something illegal or going bankrupt. Either way no one had questioned him as he made his way to the stairwell, nor had anyone came after him during his full hour on the roof.

Now back outside he reached in his back pocket and pulled out pack of smokes, making an irritated sound when he realized there were only two left. He was the few people who never had a problem putting them down when he needed to but he liked the way it sort of calmed his nerves, and made him less irritated. He lit the cigarette and breathed in the toxic smoke, smiling a bit as he did. Something about the fact that he knew he was damaging his body actually made him comfortable instead of worried. He was in control as far as he was concerned, and as long as he was in control the damage didn't bother him. It was one of the weird things about him that he couldn't understand so he just chose not to.

He made his way back to the bar where most of them had began living. Finn was a great guy, he really was. Letting all of them have the basement to stay in was one of the kindest things he'd seen from anyone in New York as of yet, though I'm sure if too many costumers found out they wouldn't agree with his kindness. Not wanting to disturb said costumers, David finished his cigarette outside before heading inside through the back door. If you could call it a door. He had a dank little twin mattress pushed to the side with no blanket and an old coat as a pillow. Not exactly glamorous, but he preferred it to a stone floor. He collapsed on the mattress and ran his fingers through his hair, vaguely acknowledging that the basement smelled faintly of weed and there was guitar playing. Alex was probably smoking again and Kieran was here. David briefly wondered if he was alright before zoning out in a half-asleep state like he did most afternoons.

Roman looked at Brooke straight faced as she changed from Brooke to polite waitress Brooke in front of her supervisor, and then back to Brooke again. He looked at her for a second before beginning to grin. Roman gave her a once over before returning to make eye contact. "Cute outfit. On top of the fake smile, you actually look a bit like Barbie. Also, why do I have to pay extra for the cheese on this one? We don't do that in England." He managed to keep a straight face long enough for his spiel. Although he was nervous initially, as soon as Brooke had greeted him, especially with the way she had greeted him, he felt like nothing much had changed, which was a relief to say the least. So he decided to have a little bit of fun with her, as he's always joked about visiting her and giving her hell. He set the menu down, his face light but mischievous as it always was with her. Something about her, though, did look different. He couldn't quite tell what it was though. He lowered his voice some.

"I wanted to talk to you. About Alex. Obviously you both are a bit too content with keeping your head up your ass, so I have to intervene." In his mind, he didn't picture a sweet, sit down heart-to-heart. Especially not with her working. He'd seen her a few minutes before she got to him and watched as she served the two older men. She definitely wouldn't be in the mood for talking, and especially not about something like this. Roman was starting to regret coming; maybe now was a bad time, but it had been two months. Two months way too long. So he didn't expect a beautiful reunion between him and her, or a rejoicing moment that they would finally bring up the elephant in the room, but he was just hoping she would hear him out.

"Hear me out, okay?" he started. "Alex misses you like crazy. He's about losing his shit, and that means I am too. Look, you know he loves you. Stop being so damn cheeky, because at this point you win, Brooke. You proved your point. I'm not saying you have to go elope or anything. Just see the guy. Please. And if it doesn't work out, who knows?" he shrugged. "Maybe you and I could run off, get a cute little apartment in Manhattan and call it a day."

Even though he tried ending on a light note, he hoped Brooklyn could tell he was serious about the matter. He desperately needed her to agree to this, because if not, he wasn't sure what he would do. Sure, he stretched the truth somewhat. Alex wasn't on the floor drowning in his own tears like he was portraying him to be. But Brooke needed to hear that. He didn't think of it as taking advantage of her; they both loved each other and they were being stubborn, so he was there to make amends like he usually did. He hated any kind of conflict between the two because it always felt like he was indirectly arguing with them as well since he was so close to both of them. He looked at her.

"You say yes, and I'll take care of those pricks for you," he said gesturing towards the older men across the way.

It didn't take long for Roman to get to the point of his visit, but before it, he almost got Brooklyn to crack a smile. While amusing, she was tempted to reach out and smack him across the face for the Barbie reference. He could be such a little prick sometimes, but she loved it. She would never admit it, and sometimes (like now) didn't even realize it, but she appreciated the way that Roman could go back and forth with her. She was still the queen of getting the last word in, but his bantering skills came close to hers. She liked to give herself credit for it, too. When she first met Roman, neither liked each other very much, but he eventually came out of his shell. Sure, he probably had a personality before then, but she liked to believe that her impact on him was larger than it probably was.

The last person that she wanted to hear about right now was Alex, but she definitely was pleased to hear that he wasn't doing well without her. It's not like she expected anything different. She was the only thing he had going for him, and of course he was bound to realize that at some point. It was like that saying, "you don't know what you've got 'til it's gone." It took her deserting him for two months, but now he obviously was realizing what he had lost. Good, he deserves it.

She had been able to resist smiling before, but she couldn't stop the smirk from appearing now. It was validating to know that she had been right all along, and in her mind, there wasn't a bit of doubt about how truthful Roman was being. It all made perfect sense, and while she did want to go back to Alex, she wasn't going to return just yet. She had gotten the confirmation she needed that he couldn't survive without her, but if she ran back to him now, it would look like she was desperately for him too. That was not going to happen.

"Alright, great! That'll be right out," she said, not responding to his comments as she pretended to write down an order on her notepad. This time, she made sure her tone was overly peachy to not only satisfy her manager, but also to poke fun at the role Roman was seeing her in for the first time. Being forced to smile and wait on people was definitely different from the abrasive personality she took on when she was out of the restaurant. It was one of the reasons why she had basically banned any of the others from coming to the restaurant, but she guessed that it was better that Roman show up here than at the club. If he tried to pull that one, he would be just as disowned as Alex currently was.

She headed to the kitchen and jotted down a real order this time. She knew Roman well enough to get chicken fingers and fries for him, and some food for Kim and Ella. It was a combination of not really giving a damn about the others, and knowing that they could take care of themselves, that prevented her from sending food for them too. If she had more time to think, she probably would have ordered enough for everyone but Alex, but the idea didn't come to her mind until she had already given the cook the slip.

In the fifteen minutes that it took for the food to be cooked, she only returned to Roman's table once to bring him a cup of tea. When he tried to speak, she only gave him a superficial smile and pretended as if he hadn't said a word. For the most part, it was just amusing to her, but she also didn't want to discuss Alex at work (or at all, really). When she returned a second time, it was with two carry-out bags in hand. "Chicken fingers and fries for my bitch, and food for my girls," she instructed quietly as she placed the bags in front of him. "I'm treating for lunch, which, according to our friendship rule book, means that you're stuck taking me out to dinner tonight. Meet me outside Finn's at five." She didn't give him a chance to enter before slipping away from the table and attending to other customers.

Kimberly had been working the previous night, which meant that Gabriella fell asleep quite early. Not only did she dislike the darkness of the night, but she also disliked being away from her sister, so it made sense for her to go to bed soon after her sister left. Ella was usually fast asleep by nine or ten o'clock on these nights, which meant that she rarely slept past eight in the morning the following day. It was beneficial the night before, since her being asleep meant that she couldn't get into trouble while Kim was gone, but waking up so early rarely set well with the others they lived with. It wasn't like she could sit quietly in her bed and read a book or something. When Ella was awake, she needed something to touch, someone to talk to, something to keep her occupied for as long as her hyperactive mind would allow.

Her two most frequent victims were Kimberly and Brooklyn, and the pair were probably the worst ones to be forced to wake up so early, considering how late they tended to work. While Kim was used to Ella's antics and more than tolerant of her, Brooklyn wasn't. When she abruptly left one day after a fight with Alex, Gabriella did feel like she was somewhat responsible for bothering Brooklyn so much. She didn't exactly think of her interactions with the blonde as being bothersome, and even if Ella did fully recognize why Brooklyn got so irritated why, it wasn't like she could snap her fingers and magically fix herself. The hyperactivity and lack of filter weren't intentional behaviors, but part of who she was.

However, her morning routine had been one of the few things that she was actively trying to tone down. If not to spare Kimberly, but because she had found something new to occupy her time with in the morning hours. Finn had never really liked Gabriella, but she didn't notice. She always managed to sneak upstairs during his happy hour when the bar crowd was at its peak, and was usually pushed back downstairs in a hurry. Although some of the others who were still underage could probably pass as twenty-one, Gabriella definitely didn't. His desire to not cause any suspicion of having underage kids in his bar was valid, but the fact that Ella never stopped talking or touching things didn't make him want her around any more. Still, she was persistent and eventually, he appeased her need to feel involved by allowing her to wash glasses in the small kitchen every morning. He would usually give her a dollar or two for the work, and although it doesn't seem like much, even if she spent two hours in the back, she would probably end up cleaning only ten or so glasses. While she wasn't exactly efficient, it kept her busy and allowed for at least an extra hour or so of peace and quiet in the basement.

It was past eleven AM when she decided that she was too bored with washing glasses to continue any longer, and she returned downstairs. Things were still pretty dead, and although she was anxious for socialization, she could still shower before she needed to wake Kim up. Ella always took hot showers, regardless of the temperature outside. She could, and usually did, soak up the burning water for as long as she was allowed. Today, it lasted around forty-five minutes.

In an unusual event, after going back downstairs, she managed to fall back asleep for another two hours or so before waking again. She spent a moment trying to figure out if it was already the next day or if she had, in fact, taken a nap only hours after actually waking up. When she decided that the latter seemed more reasonable, especially since her wet hair matched her memory of showering hours before, she rolled over and gave a less-than-gentle shove to Kimberly, whose bed was set beside hers. "Are you awake yet?!" she said, now not bothering to look to see if anyone was still asleep. Her voice was loud enough though, that if Kimberly or any of the others were still asleep, they probably wouldn't be for much longer.

As she woke up, Lana noticed two things: one, the room smelled faintly of pot and dirt, making her senses both pleased and offended simultaneously and two, her back ached from a spring that was jabbing her from her worn, tired matress. Even having been staying here for awhile now, under the kind generosity of Finn, she always felt like it was her first morning waking up in the shabby, yet charismatic basement. Lana could hear people around her; someone would leave the room, someone would come in. Someone started playing guitar, most likely Kieran, and then Gabriella was trying to wake someone, most likely Kim. It made her chuckle, Gabriella's eagerness in the morning, like a playful kitten ready to pounce on the first sight of any movement. Rolling onto her back, she stared at the ceiling thoughtfully for a moment. Thinking. Just simple thoughts that cleared and refreshed her mind for whatever the rest of the day may bring. She then sat up, smiling serenly at Gabriella across the room.

Lana pushed back the tapestry that served as her blanket. She found it once through her 'recycling' hobby and the worn cloth depicting the Hindu god Ganesha attracted her and she couldn't bring herself to sell it so she has had it with her ever since and it provides her a light layer perfect for summer nights and handy to have in the winter. Lana stretched to try and get some of the soreness out of her back. She considered investing in a new mattress but had other things on her list of priorities. Besides, she could live with a springy mattress, it wasn’t it’s fault its springs stuck out so horribly. It was the afternoon, she could tell without even a glance outside. She always had a knack for that, knowing what time it was. Figuring it was also sunny today, she left the basement but instead of leaving the building completely, she clambered her way to the roof. Sitting roughly in the middle of the buildings roof she crossed her legs under her and began meditating. It was sort of a routine for her at this point. Every time she woke up, no matter the time of day, she’d meditate somewhere. It brought a peacefulness to her mind and made her feel at one with the world around her. Especially in a city like New York, where everything was always thrumming with energy. The buildings and cars didn’t put her off but she saw them as just a different type of energy than nature, able to connect everyone just as much as it could isolate them.

When she was done she stood up and looked at the world around her, feeling like she was on top of the world despite the buildings that still towered around her. It didn’t matter, on top of that grungy little roof she felt like the strongest person in the world.

Lana made her way back to the basement, her back feeling better and her mind feeling vibrant and ready. She glanced around the room at the people who were still around, wondering what everyone was up to at the moment.

Kimberly had a terribly long and stressful night. Morning. Whatever you wanted to call it, if you wanted to be all technical. Though, the strain was something she was used to. No, not at all. She had decided long ago that she would not complain anymore. Well, aloud at least. Sometimes she could not help the internal ranting inside of her head. Or the screams of how stupid and incompetent some people could be, which she skillfully kept hidden under a strained smile.

She could keep it all inside of herself. Kimberly was not so self-absorbed to think that the others around her did not feel the stress of the world pushing down against their own shoulders. They did not need to hear her complaints about life. Especially not Gabriella. Her little sister was so inexperienced of the ways of the world still. An amazing feat really. Kimberly did not want to be the one who dulled the image she painted.

Still in a state of semi-awareness. Incredibly drowsy and drifting in and out of various lucid dreams. Her hearts seemed to plunge into her stomach as a rough force pushed against her side and caused her to tip over the edge of her plain mattress. Pulling herself into full consciousness, she struggled to grip onto the fabric. In a messy tangle of worn blankets, she finally managed to stabilize herself. Taking a second to regain her bearings, she blinked a few times to place her surroundings.

Focusing on her baby sister, a slow smile painted itself across her plump lips. Despite being visibly tired, she radiated warmth for the younger girl. "Ssh." Kimberly pressed her index finger to lips and cast a sneaky glance around the room. "You might wake the others."

Slowly she pushed herself up from her make-shift bed and arched her back in a wondrous stretch. Taking two corners of her blanket, she hummed absentmindedly as she folded the fabric and placed it neatly on her mattress. "Ella, You wanna go to the library with me?" She offered. Digging out some random clothes from the duffel bag she had at the foot of her mattress, she sniffed them to make sure they did not smell strange or anything.

Feeling particularly lazy at the moment, she did not even walk up to Finn's bathroom to change. As she showered early in the morning when she returned from work like she always did, there was no need to take another. Kimberly slipped on a hand-me-down T-shirt over the sports bra she slept in and slipped off her pajama gym shorts. Shimmying into a pair of tight fitting jeans, Kimberly looked to Gabriella. "Maybe, just maybe, we can get some ice-cream later too." She whispered mischievously.

Gabriella was more than pleased when Kimberly showed signs of life. Despite being woken abruptly and without any real reason, Kim didn't complain and complied with Ella's request for her to get up. The patience that Kimberly had for Gabriella was saintly, and although she was too used to it to recognize its significance, Ella did cherish her sister. She was her world, really. There had never been anyone who cared about and for her in the way that Kimberly did, and even if she didn't fully understand how much the older girl had sacrificed to help her, she did appreciate her. Gabriella just showed that appreciation in different ways than others would.

When Kimberly reminded her to be quiet in case anyone else was still asleep, Ella turned her attention to her surroundings. Luckily, it looked like most of the others were awake. Kieran had started playing his guitar on the other side of the room, David was laying on his mattress but didn't seem to be fully asleep, Roman and Alex were gone, and Nala had just come downstairs. Besides Axel, Brooklyn was the only one missing, but she had been gone for weeks and Ella had gotten used to not looking for her anymore. It was certainly sad not having the blonde around. Gabriella was definitely not Brooklyn's favorite person and her negativity was directed at her very frequently, but her presence in the group was still essential. While Alex was viewed as the head of the group, it had been said that Brooklyn was actually the first one to be living here. Ella didn't put much thought into most things, so she never really worried about where Brooklyn was, but she would occasionally ask Kimberly about it. Her sister worked with her, so she normally would just get a reassuring response that Brooklyn was living somewhere else and would move on with a new conversation.

While Kimberly was dressing, Gabriella moved from her mattress to her sister's. She was tempted to approach Kieran and question him about what song he was playing, or tell Nala, for probably the tenth time, about the cute dog she had seen the day before, but Kimberly addressed her first. The library definitely was not one of Ella's favorite places since reading and being quiet were probably two of the things she was worst at. "Can I go on the computers when we go?" she asked after a slight pause.

However, the next comment about being able to get ice cream after the library negated any objections that she had, and she nodded in agreement. "Did you get a lot of money at your job yesterday?" was her next question. Gabriella knew what Kimberly did for a living to an extent. She knew that she got money for dancing, but in her naive mind, she imagined it to be more like a ballet or talent show, rather than her sister half-naked, hanging onto a pole.

Axel

"Look, kid," growled the pawnbroker as he tapped impatiently on his desk and glared the younger man dead in the eye, "I can give you maybe... $40 for the whole lot, and that's at a push." With a rather disgruntled sigh, Axel tipped the bundle of jewellery onto the desk and nodded. "Fuck it then," he practically spat, thrusting out his hand to collect the notes being forced his way. He left the store not long after, and the change from a cool atmosphere to the unbearable heat of a New York afternoon hit him like a ton of bricks.

Axel, unlike most of the others, had gone to bed at around 11pm. A reasonable hour, he figured. The reason behind his early night was simply that he knew he'd be up early the next day, out on the streets... Doing his thing. All this he had done as soon as he woke up. By the time he was ready to leave, it became apparent to him that the others wouldn't be waking for quite some time; others just simply hadn't come back yet. It was no concern of his; he had a job to do. In fact, it had only just seemed to dawn on him that he'd spent an entire day stealing and 'collecting' for a pathetic amount of money in return. All that effort and time had been wasted for $40. Needless to say, he was anything but pleased.

After quickly nipping into a nearby shop to get some water and a few sandwiches, he finally decided to return to the basement of Finn's bar. The others would all be back by now, he guessed, though he was in an evidently poor mood and, as such, the last thing he wanted to do then was talk to anyone. Still, there was no reason why he couldn't be around them.

Axel stuffed one hand in his pocket and rummaged around through the leftover notes and coins, finally pulling out a plain silver necklace. Lifting it to eye-level, he frowned. I must've forgotten this one, he thought, but quickly shrugged off the idea of walking all the way back to the pawnshop for one necklace. His legs began moving before he'd even had time to register what he was doing, and after a while of walking he found himself drawing closer to the bar.

He entered through the back door and offered only a glance at each of the people inside before he moved stiffly to his own personal 'space'. It was a basic setup, and most of it was stolen. As he favoured his privacy most of all, Axel had a small tent instead of a proper bed. Inside, he slept on an assortment of ragged sheets located to the right side of the tent, whilst the other side was littered with items he thought were too awesome to sell or throw away. Overall, it was a complete mess, but it was the only place in the world he actually felt somewhat comfortable, and he appreciated the fact that he was even able to 'camp' here in the first place.

Axel hadn't bothered to step inside just yet. Hesitating slightly, he reached into his pocket and pulled out the silver necklace with a brief sigh. He turned to face the two sister, his eyes focusing on Gabriella. "Oi," he called, hoping to get her attention quickly. "Not sure how you feel about jewellery," he continued, his eyes more serious than his voice gave off, "But I got this here necklace. I'm not going to wear it, so..." He moved closer and held it out for her, allowing it to hang loosely off right his index finger. It was almost painfully obvious that he wanted to avoid being caught in too much of a lengthy conversation but he was trying his very best to seem nonchalant.

The heavy summer air outside was nothing compared to how thick it felt below ground. Alex leaned against a pole, impatiently waiting for the next subway to come. When it finally did, he stepped on, only to find it packed like a can of sardines. All of the seats were taken, which wasn't very unusual, but there was barely enough space for him to step into the car without his arms being closed in the door. He was now wishing even more that he had smoked before leaving. His tolerance for people stepping on his feet and elbowing his sides as they tried to shimmy into the car was dwindling. He wanted to complain about the physical contact, but he was hardly a better fellow commuter. The smell of marijuana was more apparent on him lately than ever. Even though he took precautions to cover up the smell of the weed, it was difficult to do, especially when carrying a backpack full of it.

The ride took around fifteen minutes and Alex was the first out of the car when the doors finally open. He hurried up the crowded stairs and was refreshed by the air that had felt too hot minutes before. He picked up momentum as he hurried down the street and saw teenagers with backpacks casually walking past him. Their summer classes must have ended already and if he wanted to make a few sales before they left for the weekend, he needed to hurry up. Besides, the sooner he finished here, the sooner he could go home and smoke. Not only was he feeling more irritable, but he was thinking clearer than he did when he was high and like always, that meant that Brooklyn was on his mind. Every blonde that walked past looked like her. He could hear her voice, but not the bitter and angry one that was frequent towards the end of their relationship. He imagined the cheerful voice, the seductive voice, the voice of the girl that he loved. She was gone, though, and if weed was what kept her out of his mind, that was what he was going to use.

Manhattan was filled with every type of person imaginable, so in midtown or downtown, Alex never felt like he stuck out. However, the uptown area wasn't quite as diverse, especially in certain parts. As he approached one of the upscale private girl's schools, that was more apparent than ever. All of the teenagers were perfectly groomed, wearing identical uniforms and carrying an essence about themselves that suggested that they knew they were better than other people. Alex, in his worn out clothes and far from preppy style, didn't mix well. However, he wasn't selling to any girls today. His stop was a few blocks away, at a public school. There were a few kids that he always sold to and thankfully, they had stuck around and were waiting for him at the corner of the street.

The sale was quick and easy. Although the kids he sold to usually wanted to stick around and talk, Alex didn't want to look any more suspicious than he already did, and today he was in even less of a mood to socialize. Rather than take the subway back to Finn's, Alex opted for walking. It would take more time, but he stopped at a convenience store and bought cigarettes, and figured that would hold him over.

Every time he could feel himself drifting off, more people would either come in or leave making David come right back to being wide awake. He wasn't really bothered by it... okay he was really bothered, but he wasn't actually upset since other people were living down here too. And it was way past the point everyone should have been up. He couldn't help that his sleeping patterns were all messed up and he couldn't blame others for you know, acting like normal people. Still, whenever he found a sudden voice bringing him out of his drowsy state he didn't actually make any sign that they had woken him and instead just laid still with his face buried in his crummy mattress. Of course, each time he tried to get back to sleep he was finding it harder and harder, and soon he found he wasn't all that tired at all. Muttering profanities under his breath, David finally pushed himself up from his bed and looked around the room. Gabriella and Kim were getting ready to go and Axel was just getting back. A quick glance around the room and he saw Nala standing around, seeming to just be observing like he was. The girl was abnormally bright in the dusty basement, but that seemed to be her thing. The unlikely optimist.

Having his plans to sleep the afternoon away apparently unattainable, he decided another walk would probably be the best thing to keep him busy. He didn't like sitting around much, it made him feel nervous. He wasn't sure why, maybe it was because he was so used to being on the move. His belongings were few, he had lost a lot of shit over the years and never tried to really collect much other than clothes, cigarettes, and blankets. All of which one way or another ended up getting ruined or used up at some point. The fact that he had little was only worsened when he dug through his beat up bad for a fresh pair of clothes, only to find that not only did he badly need to do laundry but he needed new clothes all together. His shirts all had holes and stains of varying degrees and his only coat's zipper was broken. The coat he knew he could blow off a little longer with it still being summer, but the shirts would need replacing sometime soon. That is, if he could manage to get the money. He cursed again, throwing his bag onto the mattress annoyed and running his fingers through his hair in as a sort of nervous gesture. Now he was sure he needed a walk, the air would do him good. Maybe he could manage to make a few bucks while he was out too, but that seemed less likely. He wasn't in the mood to go steal from someone or beg for coins.

Opting to just keep what he had on, David left through the back and began to light a cigarette as he walked out onto the sidewalk. At this rate he would need to stop at a store to pick up cigarettes as well as clothes, but he told himself that clothes was the priority. Essentials first, habits later. He'd seen what letting a habit come first could do, especially when it wasn't the person's choice to let the habit be first. Sometimes a habit demands it comes first, and that's when things turn scary.

David looked up and down the street, trying to decide where he would walk to first. He didn't actually have much money on him, a few dollars at most. He hadn't eaten today, so that would have been a good place to start, but he didn't feel like dealing with anyone to get the food. He didn't like the attitude people got when they realized he was from the streets. It was like suddenly, with that one fact, they had some huge sense of superiority over you and could talk down to you. Mumbling to himself, David put out his cigarette against the building and stuck the remains of it back in the pack. There was a small gas station not to far that he could buy a sandwich or something small from, and the people who worked at gas stations rarely ever batted an eye at his appearance or his tendency to pay with small bills and change.

It was a short walk, and like he expected he was in and out of the small "shop" without the guy behind the counter as much as looking at him. He didn't feel like walking back though, so instead opted for sitting out on the curb and eating the cheap ass sandwich he had bought. Occasionally someone would pass by and give him a weird look, and by the third person he began to flip off the people that were giving him looks. Most of them just ignored the gesture and went on walking, but for the few that he got a rise out of it was worth the little extra effort.

"Mm?" Kimerly hummed as she fumbled to button her jeans. "Oh! Yeah, I do not mind. I am actually getting on the computers as well." The mention of the machinery at the library threatened to bring a frown to Kimberly's face as she remembered exactly what she was going to the library to do. At the memory, part of her wanted to just say, never mind. And not go to the library. Find another distraction. But she could not do that any longer. She had already procrastinated for a good two months.

The denial was strong in her mind and heart. It had been one of those ignore it and it will go away situations. Well, that is what she was hoping it would be. The pill was supposed to work! But she would be the one it had to fail. Kimberly had finally admitted to herself that she was pregnant-- for real and actually. Only because, she had begun throwing up practically each morning since last Saturday. She told everyone else that she probably had food poisoning. That was a fat lie. Morning sickness. She had Morning Sickness.

"Yep, I did. The most all month Ella! So I thought, why not spoil my baby sis a teeny bit?" Kimberly answered with a strained grin, attempting to force down the anxiety creeping up her stomach. She barely noticed when Axel returned to the shared basement. Only realizing it when he spoke up to catch their attention. The unease she had been trying to quell previously returned in full force as she slowly turned her head to face him.

Though, it settled as she became aware of the fact that he was instead speaking to Gabriella. Kimberly released an imperceptible sigh of relief and quickly slipped away from the duo. Slipping her sock covered feet into her one pair of Adidas slides, she caught sight of Lana. "Mornin' Lana." She greeted as she made her way over.

"Hey, uh, If you aren't busy, do you want to come to the library with us?"

When she began to smile at the sound of Alex being lost without her, Roman was sure he had her. He was surprised how easy it was, and was prepared to leave as soon as she got off work to go back to Finn's and get the two of them back together. That, however, didn't happen and he realized that it was childish of him to even think that. Brooke continued her waitress role, pretending to put in a real order before walking away. He wasn't sure if that meant he was dismissed, but he wasn't going anywhere until he got an answer out of her; he could wait another hour or so without problem. She did return one time with a cup of tea in his hand. Despite himself, a child-like smile formed on his lips. He'd always had a sweet tooth, and being twenty didn't change anything. He opened his mouth to say something, but she only smiled at him tightly before walking away.

Roman watched her leave before rolling his eyes exasperatedly. When she returned a second time, he was again pouting. This time around he was ready to make an embarrassing scene until she complied with him, but she didn't come empty handed.

"I don't believe I recall agreeing to be anyone's bitch," he said as he stuck his hand into one of the bags and pulling out a handful of fries. They burned his tongue, but the excess salt made up for it. Brooke left with quickly after telling him to meet her at Finn's in a couple of hours, again before he could respond. He smiled to himself as he dug into his back pocket and pulled out his raggedy wallet. He figured this had been Brooke's plan all along, but being Brooke, she couldn't just comply right away. And although it was funny in this situation, it indirectly cost her her relationship. Roman wasn't entirely sure what made her like this, as he didn't know much about her past even though they had known each other for such a long time. It was almost a silent de facto that neither of them spill about their sob stories. Everyone had one; not everyone needed to know about it.

Killens dropped a five dollar tip on the table, despite Brooke picking up the tab. It was his way of saying, "I'm holding you to it" in terms of her meeting him later that evening; the fact that it was a five and they were meeting at five was merely coincidence, but he realized afterwards that it was confirming. He knew she probably wouldn't like it very much, as she didn't really believe in helping out others if there was no reward for you, but that wasn't his philosophy. He wasn't sure where she was living, or how. If not anything, it was to make up for the jackasses who seemed prone to her section.

Killens left with the two bags in hand, the bottom of them a darker, burnt brown from the grease and steam. He knew that Brooke was good at heart; he still couldn't figure out why she could be the way she was. Regardless, it probably wasn't his place. And even if it was, now wasn't the time to dwell into the abyss Brooke's unexplainable nature. He would meet her in a few hours, and hopefully things went well.

Ella was glad to hear that Kimberly made a lot of money, but even if she hadn't, Ella wouldn't have really worried. Kimberly always took care of any bad situations they found themselves in, and it was never her job to worry about money. There were weeks when she wouldn't be allowed to get an extra piece of candy at a store they went to, but beyond that, her sister never shared how stressful their financial situation was. It was probably better that way, though. Even if Kimberly did tell her that they were flat broke when they were, Ella wouldn't have a way to help, really. She probably wouldn't even understand how bad things were. Even now, essentially being homeless and living in a dingy basement with an assortment of ragtag kids didn't strike her as horrible. She saw it as more of an adventure. The optimism and innocence worked in her favor though, since it made the experience easier for her.

"Remember that game you put on the computer for me last time? I want to do that one again," Ella said to Kimberly, although her eyes were wandering around the room. David had left and Axel had just come in and if he hadn't approached her, she probably would have went over to him. He was one of the ones that preferred to avoid her, but he was rarely inexcusably mean to her. In fact, his tolerance level seemed to be better with her than it was with some of the others. Still, when he approached and offered her a necklace, it seemed out of character. Ella didn't notice it though, and was more interested in the piece of jewelry he was holding. Her face brightened as she jumped up from the mattress and approached him. The necklace was pretty, especially to someone like Ella, who thought any gift given to her was worth a million dollars.

"Of course I like jewelry, Axel!" she exclaimed, allowing the necklace to drape over her finger as she examined it. "Did you buy it for me?" Of course he didn't. Even if Ella didn't really know that he stole to make a living, it should have been apparent that he wasn't going to spend whatever money he did have to buy her a necklace. Before she could hear his response, she was already moving on to her next thought. "Kimmy, look what Axel bought me," she said, her excitement obvious as she darted back towards her sister. She hadn't properly thanked Axel, but her joy was probaly enough of a sign that the gesture was appreciated. Besides, it seemed like Axel would probably be more grateful for her leaving quickly than sucking him into a lengthy conversation.

Again, she didn't wait very long for Kimberly responded before moving towards the stairs that led out of the basement. In a matter of minutes, she had went from being in a good mood to being in the overly-energetic mode that would probably last for a good few hours. Her thoughts were all over the place and she felt like she needed to keep moving so her body could catch up. "I'm gonna wait outside for you, Kim!" she shouted as she was already halfway up the stairs.

Lana smiled sincerely in Kimberly's direction. "I'd love to come, Kimberly. Thank you so much for asking." Lana was ecstatic that Kimberly had thought to ask her. Ever since being here she felt as though she should really get to know everyone. She knows most of them have the intention of someday escaping homelessness, Lana does as well- however she is content with where and who she is now. If, one day, an opportunity arises- or she feels she would like to manifest a way to find a home, she will. She knows the others are seeking now to manifest a way out and she would like to do whatever she can to help them. Lena is also concerned about the well being of the others, both physically and mentally and she hopes this will be an opportunity for her to get to know Kimberly and Gabriella more, and develop a deeper understanding of their characters.

Lana has been especially intrigued by Kimberly's situation. She holds great respect for Gabriella and how well she has coped with all of this, but also almost even greater so for Kimberly. The fact that she finds a way to be both a mother and a sister simultaneously for Gabriella is astounding and she truly appreciates her patience with Gabriella. In a situation as delicate as theirs Lana wants to be sure that she is there for them if ever they need it. She knows she can't offer much, but she will offer as much as she can even if it is simply her own advice.

"I've been meaning to go to the library too- I want to see if they have The Afterlife of Billy Fingers. It's supposed to be this amazing book about the true story of a woman who communicates with her deceased brother. It's a must read."

Lana felt so bright and so content in this moment. Curious as to what the rest of the day will bring, and joyful that she will be experiencing it with two wonderful people.

"I'll go meet Gabriella upstairs!"