“Cigarettes?” The counterman shyly asked. But it was her birthday, and she was in a generous mood. She knew they would eat the junk food first and spoil their appetites for the healthier food. She rolled her eyes to herself and took the bags and packages off the shelf and placed them on the piled up counter. Back at the checkout to pay, she spied a shelf of donuts and chips. Hands full, she dropped them off at the counter and returned to get the kids a selection of fruits and juice. She opened the refrigerated compartment and randomly grabbed five sandwiches, making a small effort to find one made with roast beef. There were never many girls, and she did worry about their safety, but she admired their spirit all the same. “Vegetables would be better…” She counted up the kids as she entered the store, five boys and one girl.

“Roast beef would be good today.” He smiled brightly to her and she couldn’t help but return the expression. The travelers aimlessly roamed around the country and she would sometimes hear of their sad fates. “Hey Faye,” A dread locked boy with a guitar in hand sang out to her. The secret habit that was ending that day. Part of her felt that this act of charity inoculated her from the dangers of the secret habit. She would go to the store to buy cigarettes. They morphed into new groupings over time but there was always a straggler who recognized her and would alert the others to Faye being a soft touch. The gathering of kids shouted out their hellos. Left to their own they would choose to survive on a diet of chips and sports drinks. She would pass out sandwiches and orange juice to the malnourished drifters. She liked to feed the traveling youth that gathered in front of the convenience store not far from home by the beach in Venice. You can’t give your heart to a wild thing. We promise never to spam your email account.

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Heartbreaker Breaks by Paloma Meir