Life on the streets has never been easy.

I should know. I ran away from the orphanage when I was only five years old, and I have been homeless ever since. I'd probably have died soon after if I hadn't met Sage, my closest friend, the only person I truly trust after knowing him for ten years. Surviving is always easier when you're working as part of a team. Not easy, but easier.

I wake up this morning to the sounds of shouting and honking and the sight of police officers all over the place. For a second, I panic, thinking they're here to arrest me. And then I remember. Today is Examination Day. The police are here to help organize the hundreds of fifteen year olds swarming towards the Examination Hall, not to take me into custody or send me back to the orphanage. Besides, I'm holed up in a sewer. They'd have a hard time finding me here if they weren't actively searching for me.

"Morning, Sleeping Beauty," I hear a voice say. Sage. Seems like he's been up for a while.

"Sleeping Beauty?" I repeat. "It's still pretty early! What time is it, six-thirty? Seven?"

"Seven-fifteen," he tells me. "The police have been here for an hour, honking horns and setting up signs and screaming instructions into their megaphones. I don't know how you slept through that."

I rub my eyes tiredly. "I was exhausted. Do you not remember what I did last night? That huge getaway I had to make?"

Sage pinches the bridge of his nose. "I remember you doing something insanely stupid. Attempting to rob a bank? Have you gone mad?"

"I wasn't trying to rob it, Sage. Even I'm not that reckless. Do you remember that one guy we met the other day?"

"The guy who was insulting you?"

I nod. "Yeah. Well, he was there and people were already giving him suspicious looks because, you know, he looks like a thug. I thought he could use the money some stolen jewelry would get him, so I just helped him out a little."

Sage shakes his head, trying to conceal a smile. "You mean you set off some sort of alarm and framed it on him so he would get arrested? That was a bitchy move, Rel. Even for you. You know that the punishment for that sort of thing is ridiculously strict."

I shrug. "You don't call me a weakling and get away with it. I may not be able to physically take him down, but you have to admit, I can still get him into serious trouble. I was trying to prove a point."

Sage sighs in exasperation. "God, Rel. You're a real asshole, but I can't blame you."

"Thanks!" I say brightly.

"That wasn't even supposed to be a compliment."

"It's all a matter of perspective, Sage."

"Yeah, that doesn't make you any less of an asshole."

"Hey, wait a minute. You can't just start insulting Rel and not invite me! I have a few things to say about her too!" a new voice interjects. 

I groan as a stocky, dark-skinned, curly haired boy drops into the lovely sewer that is our temporary home. Asher is another 'friend' of mine. I don't get along well with him, and he doesn't like me much either, but Sage trusts him, so we've ended up working together. I can't deny that a team of three is much more effective than a team of two, but that doesn't mean I have to like him.

"It's great to see you too, Asher. Your face is almost a better sight than the inside of this sewer."

"Shut up, Rel. I got us breakfast, but I can always accidentally drop your portion in mud," Asher retorts.

"Then I will accidentally drop my fist in your face--"

"Rel," Sage sighs.

"Yeah, listen to Sage. He's actually smart, and he probably realizes that with police officers swarming this area, there is no way you can steal yourself some more breakfast if I do drop this on the ground," Asher smirks.

"How did you get breakfast then?" I demand.

"I actually paid for it, as a matter of fact. I have the basic decency to do that."

"Yes, the decency to pay for something with money you stole."

"Guys!" Sage interrupts. "Do you two ever stop arguing? Wait, don't answer that. It was a rhetorical question and I don't need any of your sarcastic comments."

"Yeah, I have an actual question for Rel here," Asher says. "Why on earth are you still in here? Shouldn't you be out there, going in to take the Examination? You're fifteen, aren't you? It's not like the test is limited to those who attend school. You know anyone can take it. Even homeless kids."

I shrug. "No use wasting time on something I know I'll fail."

"I feel obligated to agree with you, but I know that although I call you an idiot, you're not as stupid as you look," Asher begins.

"Wow, thanks."

"No, I'm serious, what makes you think you'll fail?"

I snort. "You're kidding, right? The test is so rigged. I mean, if you haven't gotten a proper education, or at least gone to school for a few years, you don't stand a chance. I've never attended school in my life. I may have street smarts, but do you seriously expect me to be able to do calculus or trigonometry or whatever?"

"You could always try," Asher insists. "And there's more to it than math."

"Why didn't you? You were fifteen last year, weren't you?" I ask.

Asher purses his lips. "You know I had just ran away then. Do you think I wanted to risk getting sent back to my family?" I instantly feel a little guilty as I hear his words, but he continues before I can say anything. "You don't have anything to lose, though. You should do it."

"You know, Rel, Asher has a point," Sage speaks up. "I had no idea what I was doing, but I still took the test. Granted, I did fail, but I feel good knowing I tried my best given the circumstances. You should do it, seriously. It's not all textbook knowledge. I feel like you might do well."

I give him a look.

"I'm serious!" he protests. "What do you have to lose?"

"My dignity," I mutter under my breath.

"Oh, now you're just being overdramatic," Sage says. "You still have time. Come on, just go, or it'll be too late. There's no harm in trying."

"Sage," I hiss. "Have you completely forgotten--"

"Unless she's scared," Asher suddenly interrupts. I start, snapping my head in his direction.

"What did you just say?"

"I said you're scared," he repeats, grinning. "Don't give me that crap about not wanting to waste your time. You're just making up excuses because you don't want to admit that you're scared."

"Scared?" I splutter. "Scared of what?"

"Scared that you'll fail, and everyone you know will realize that you're not all that you make yourself out to be," Asher smirks.

I glare at him furiously, shooting to my feet. "I am not scared. And you know what? I'll prove it. I'm going to go in there and show everyone that they shouldn't ever doubt me." And with those words, I storm out, taking care to make sure that no one sees me leaving the sewer.

As the cool wind whips my short, dark brown hair across my face as I stride towards the huge building known as the Examination Hall, I realize that Asher probably did that on purpose. He was most likely trying to help me out, because he really thought I had nothing to lose, and felt that he was doing me a huge favor. That itself is surprising, because the two of us can't stand each other. I really do appreciate his intent, but it will never work out, for reasons I don't think I'll ever be able to tell him.

Sage knows those reasons, though. God knows why he was supporting Asher on this. He knows the risks, knows what happened all those years ago that caused me to have no choice but to run away, knows why I refuse to return to an orphanage or attend any official events. Sage is aware of why anything that could result in people connecting me to the innocent little five year old girl I used to be is a danger.

With that information in mind, I don't know what he was thinking as he encouraged me.

But if I head back now, Asher will think I really was scared and backed out. To have Asher, of all people, the one person I'm always competing with, think that I was scared, would be a serious bruise to my pride. And it's not like I can tell him the real reason I didn't take it. Maybe I should just go off on my own for a few hours so that he and Sage think I'm taking the test, then return after the test is over. And when the results come out and my name is not on the list, it won't be suspicious, because failing scores are never put on the list anyway.

Deciding on that course of action, I hurry towards the Examination Hall, knowing that a young teenage girl not heading in that direction would look suspicious. Most people are already inside by now, though there still are a few people trickling in. Noticing how some are dressed nicely, I quickly glance at my clothes. A too-small faded denim jacket over a stained t-shirt and worn out jeans, and ratty old sneakers. 

Great. Anyone would be able to tell that I am homeless while I am wearing this outfit. After a couple seconds, I shake my head, realizing it doesn't matter. Besides, it's not like I'm planning on actually sitting for the test.

As I draw close to the doors, I see a couple people standing at the entrance and greeting the students. I slow down, deciding like this is a good place to act like I forgot something and walk away without seeming suspicious, and get ready to put on a convincing act. But when I get within twenty feet or so of the doors, one woman suddenly snaps her head up to look straight at me, her eyes narrowing.

I freeze in place.

No. No, I shouldn't panic. Maybe she's just judging me because I look like a hobo. The woman continues to stare at me as I shuffle my weight from side to side and then bend down, pretending to tie my shoe. As I do so, she moves towards one of the police officers and whispers something in his ear.

Shit. Shit, shit, shit. Maybe I should panic. Maybe she recognizes me from yesterday. Now she's reporting me, I'll get arrested, and I'm screwed for the rest of my life. I knew I should have been more careful.

I try to back away as inconspicuously as possible, but before I can vanish from view, I see the woman point a finger in my direction. The police officer she was talking to follows her line of vision, and the man's gaze lands directly on me. His eyes narrow and one of his hands reaches for a gun at his hip.

Before he can do anything else, I make what is quite possibly the stupidest, most idiotic decision I have ever made in my life. I should have tried to act natural. I should have played it cool to make them less suspicious of me. I should have let them approach me and lied, made up a false story.

Instead, I bolt.