The young woman walked briskly through downtown. Her hands were shoved in her coat pockets, shoulders hunched to the wind. Music blasted through her headphones, her heels tapping the ground with songs four-four rhythm. She made her way down the filthy subway stairs and stepped onto the train. She sniffed, crinkled her nose, and turned away from the overwhelming stench of and elderly homeless man.
The man sensed her disgust and hesitated. Finally he spoke.

“Please,” the man begged, his eyes plagued with hunger and sadness. Yet, holding a hand out to the lady, a shimmer of hope appeared. “Could you spare some change ma’am?”

The lady turned her nose up and tucked her Gucci purse under her arm, weary of pick pocketing.

“Please. Just something to eat.” He reached out for her.

“Don’t touch me,” she snapped, “It’s scum like you that pollute our city.”

She spat at him.

Her stop arrived and the doors opened unleashing a burst of steam. She stepped out, not allowing the man another glance or thought.
*
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*
The young women sat on a bench, her unkempt appearance achieving the occasional eye brow raise of a passerby. A suit case was carelessly thrown on the ground near her left foot and her head was buried in despair. She couldn’t take it anymore. She’d had enough. After she had used… she didn’t want to think his name, credit card to buy a divine Prada dress, she’d been abruptly kicked out of his apartment. Where was the reason in that? She’d nearly ran herself out of money on hotel rooms and cab fare. Didn’t he know how hard this was for her? She sighed.
The sky let out a threatening crackle, mocking her, as rain began to pour down. The woman dashed into the subway, escaping the rain. She thought about the various places she could go. Not to her brother’s, she was passionately hated by her sister-in-law. Something or other about her “attitude.” She really didn’t have any true friends. There was Kelly from work, but they only acknowledged each other with nods or smiles, nothing more than that. She could go to her parents. That would be a last resort. But then again it seemed to be her only resort. Now all she needed were tokens for the subway. And change to purchase them. She rummaged through her pockets. Nothing. She let out a deep, slow sigh and began to approaching a business man.

“Excuse me sir, could I borrow some change?”

The man humphed. “Of course not. You’ve obviously created this problem for yourself. It’s people like you that give our city a bad name. Besides, where could you possibly need to go?”
He spat.