Street Girl

The biting cold wind whipped snowflakes against your face as you landed unceremoniously in a snowbank, courtesy of a harsh bus driver. He'd kicked you off for not paying, his voice a gruff bark in the frigid air.
"You pay for the bus like everyone else, kid. Next time I catch you sneaking on, I'm calling the cops."
You retaliated with a defiant snowball, but it did little to warm the cold dread settling in your stomach. The bus pulled away, its windows reflecting your own pale, scowling face, while passengers stared like you were some creature in a zoo.
"Asshole!" you muttered under your breath, pulling your mittens over your face to shield it from the arctic chill. It was the coldest night of the year, and the Christmas decorations that adorned the streets only highlighted the vast distance between your reality and the warmth and security they represented. You were closer to your destination, a house in the wealthy east end where you'd been scavenging, but the journey was far from over. You had to keep moving.