One Day Soon (One Day Soon, #1)(18)

My stomach growled and I took a big bite. It was a stale but tasty. I finished both before Yoss had eaten one.

“Damn, you were hungry. Feeling better?” he asked, smirking.

“Yeah. I guess,” I said, taking another roll from the bag.

Yoss pulled another plastic bag from the dumpster. This one was full of what looked to be chocolate chip cookies. “We’ll take these back for everyone.”

“Wait. Can’t we keep them for us?” I asked, reaching for the bag of cookies. I knew that I sounded selfish, but I was hungry. And worried that this was the last food I’d have for a while.

Yoss frowned, but let me take a few cookies. “Imi, one of the first things you’ll learn out here is that we’ve got to look out for each other. We stick together because it’s easier to survive if someone else has your back.”

I felt like an *. It wasn’t the first time since I had met Yossarian that I felt that way.

“I’m sorry—”

“Don’t apologize. It’s cool. You’ll figure it out. Or you won’t. I kind of hope you don’t.”

I narrowed my eyes. “Why would you say that?”

Yoss shrugged, looking at me through thick, black lashes. “Because that means you’ll go back home. A girl like you is too good for a life like this,” he said softly and I couldn’t breathe around the lump in my throat.

“Come on, let’s head over to the bridge. Everyone meets up there in the morning,” he said, taking a bite of cookie.

“Okay.” I grabbed one of the plastic bags he was holding and put the cookies back. Yoss watched me, but didn’t say anything. “More to share. I’m full anyway,” I explained sheepishly.

We walked the five blocks to the Seventh Street Bridge, the same place I had met Yoss the evening before. Unlike The Pit, underneath the bridge was less intimidating in the light of day. The fires were all dead and it was mostly deserted except for a small group of teenagers hanging out on by a pile of crumbled brick and asphalt.

“Hey guys, breakfast is served,” Yoss called out, tossing the bag of cookies to a small girl with a shaved head and tattoos up and down her thin arms.

“It’s about time. I was just getting ready to head off for my day at the office writing reports and shit,” a kid with short blond hair and a crooked nose laughed.

“More like getting ready to find some old lady’s wallet to pinch,” an older boy with long brown hair muttered, grabbing a roll and taking a bite.

All of the kids looked to be about my age or a little older. And all of them were way too skinny. I stood just behind Yoss, not sure what to say. I felt incredibly out of place.

A girl with uneven red hair and a lip ring glanced my way. “Who’s the fresh meat?” she asked, nodding her head in my direction.

Yoss pulled me from behind his back. He glanced at his friends then at me. “Guys, this is Imogen. Imogen, these are the guys,” he said by way of introduction. He pointed at the girl with the buzzed head. “That’s Di. The lovely vixen to my left is Karla.” Yoss grinned at the red-haired girl and she blushed. She gave him the sort of dewy-eyed look that I recognized. She liked him. A lot. Not that I blamed her.

“The ugly f*cker over there with the shitty sense of humor is Bug.” Yoss pointed to the blond boy who joked about going to the office. He was flicking a silver lighter over and over again.

“Bug?” I asked.

“Because we all want to crush him under our shoe. He’s really annoying,” Di snickered, grabbing another cookie.

“Whatever. You *s just don’t get how awesome I am,” Bug quipped, rolling his eyes.

“I’m Shane. Nice to meet you,” the longhaired boy said, holding out his hand for me to shake, which surprised me.

Yoss snorted. “Is this a freaking job interview? You’re such a tool, man.”

“There’s a lot to be said for good manners. Isn’t that right, Imogen?” Shane gave me a smile.

“Sure,” I agreed, not knowing what else to say.

“Is this the chick Tag was bitching about? The one you snatched away from him before he could get his predatory hands on her?” Di asked, talking with her mouth full.

“Yuck, chew with your mouth closed. You’re getting food all over me,” Karla griped.

Di ignored her. Bug gave Yoss a wide-eyed look that definitely gave him an insect appearance. I understood the nickname now. “He was pissed as hell about that, man. I’d watch your back.”

“Well, he knows where to find me,” Yoss replied dismissively. I wasn’t sure he should be so cavalier about this Tag guy. He had scared me plenty last night. He seemed like a man you didn’t want to mess with.

Karla was giving me the ubiquitous once over I was used to from other females. She moved closer to Yoss who seemed oblivious to her possessiveness.

“Manny was looking for you,” Shane said, shoving the last of the roll into his mouth.

Yoss immediately tensed up. “Oh, okay. Thanks for letting me know.” He drew his shoulders up and moved away from me. “We’re going to head down to The Pavilion, see if there’s anything going on. We’ll catch up with you later.”

He started to walk away from his friends and I guessed I was expected to follow. Karla gave me a nasty look, which I returned blankly. I didn’t think we were going to be best friends any time soon.