Lauren hits the end of her rope.

"MM MM MM, boy that was a good supper" Exclaims Paul, "don't you agree?"

Lauren just sits on her seat and sighs. She obviously didn't enjoy her meal. "No."

"Hey bitch, listen." Lauren looks up, hearing the meanness returning to the smelly hobo's voice. "That was the best meal I've been able to have in at least a week!" Paul tells her. "You're gonna have to stop being such a stuck up bitch if you want to survive out here. That was supposed to be 4 of my meals and we just ate it all because I just got your daddies $300 and I know you're not gonna want to feel real hunger!"

Lauren couldn't contain her contempt any longer, and hearing this piece of lowlife trash call her a bitch was the last straw. "I DON'T CARE! I JUST ATE A MEAL OF STALE CRACKERS OFF A DIRTY PLATE AND THEY WERE PREPARED BY YOUR GROSS POOR PERSON HANDS! I JUST WANT TO GO H-"

*SMACK*

"Alright, enough of your tantrum. I think you're forgetting who holds the cards here. If you don't want to feel my poor person hands again tonight I suggest you start acting grateful."

"How dare he lay a finger on me? Does he know who I am?" Lauren thinks, before shouting again.

"GO FUCK YOUR-"

*SMACK*

"Alright, hows about you just leave and I'll just pocket the money your daddy gave me. You ain't gonna get very far though, what do you think you're gonna do with no money? Sell your fancy purse and pay for a single night at a hotel?"

"Yeah, at least I could call Kate and she'd help me get my -" Lauren stops speaking abruptly, realizing she doesn't have her ayePhone. When daddy found out she had poured her coffee in that hobo's panhandling hat he was furious and took all her belongings. Lauren hadn't had a chance to write down Katie's number that was stored in her contacts list. "She'll help me get my stuff back and I won't ever see you again!" Lauren lies, trying to save face.

"Wow-ee, that sounds like a plan. I'm sure your friends all really like you and not just your money."Laurens confidence started to fade. She thinks Kate really likes her, but she knows that her and her friends have turned on many girls in the past just because they looked like easy prey. "Better start walking then I guess. You'll wants to find a safe place to sleep while you wait for the pawn shop to open tomorrow."

Any bluster Lauren had left evaporates when the bum in front of her says the word "tomorrow". The only light around is coming from the burn barrel. She figures it has to be at least 7 pm with how dark out it is. There's no way she could make it all the way into town by the time the shops close, even if she were willing to walk all the way there. She wouldn't be caught dead riding a transit bus, and even if she would they don't run at such a late hour. Still, she's not gonna let this asshole win.

Lauren gets up and starts walking in the direction she thinks she came from. Paul just chuckles to himself when he sees her walking towards the creek. A few minutes later he figures it's time to go find her, so he retrieves the headlamp from his tent. Putting in his last pair of fresh batteries, he gets up and starts walking toward the creek.

About 5 minutes later, Paul sees Lauren sitting on the ground with her head in her hands. He could hear her quiet sobbing even before he saw her. "Hey! Honey, are you okay?" Paul loudly asks, figuring he didn't want to startle her too much.

Lauren turns to face her tormentor, and he can see the mud and pebbles stuck to her face. "I'm fine." She says, coldly. "No you aren't. Come back with me I'm gonna need to clean that up or it's going to get infected." Paul tells her, referring to the gash Lauren is clutching on her shoulder.

"Get away from me! I'll wash myself in this creek." Lauren wonders why he won't just leave her alone.

"No. That's a stupid idea and you will freeze to ****. Do you know which animals shit in that creek? Come back with me." Lauren can tell the man is serious. Paul's voice is void of the shrill mania and odd diction that he usually injects into it.