Riley sat on a bench before the bus stop, contemplating their mission. Sure, it was something they had done before. Listening in on the conversations of passersby and collecting information from the passersby as they gossiped was a common pastime for Riley. No one would notice them; they never did. Why would anyone pay attention to a homeless teen panhandling for money? Their time on the streets taught them no matter the situation, people's eyes always turn away from people like them. It was like they didn't want to acknowledge their existence; they were much more content in the cozy world they made around themselves.
The bus pulled to the stop, opening its doors with a metallic screech. Wincing, Riley stood up and crossed the distance to the bus with a few quick strides. The bus driver tipped his hat at them.
"Miss," Riley flashed a short smile at the man and paid their fare. They walked down the aisle, looking for a free seat by a window so they could watch the city pass by as the bus traveled down the busy streets.
"Go down to the community center, see what you can find out. You know people will be talking about this new development. I want to know where our people stand on this new 'death cure.' You'll know what's important. You're a smart kid." Scott said this last bit with a slight smile and a pat on the back. Riley knew they had to return with something so the Pastor would be pleased with them. The Pastor's smile and kind words made them more helpful and significant, only increasing their need for his approval.
Riley sat on the bus and popped their earbuds in to make the time pass quicker. They didn't have a working phone, but they had music on the old hunk of crap, and the library had many free audiobooks. They listened to 'Brave New World' by Aldous Huxley. The audiobook started in the middle of the book.
Getting lost in the story, they looked out the window and watched as the buildings went from decrepit, run-down slabs of concrete and steel to the rising skyscrapers and well-kept office buildings of downtown. The place they were headed to was a mixture of old and new. The squat building was smack dab in the middle of two towering buildings, making it seem more diminutive than it was. The cement foundation was spiderwebbed with cracks, and the walls were graffiti-covered. Tags and clever taglines such as 'FUCK YOU' and 'MIKE WAS HERE' gave the building an almost abandoned look.
The city had a unique and quirky style that Riley couldn't help but appreciate. It was their city; after all, they hadn't ever lived anywhere else. There was the one time Riley had gone to the neighboring town for a school trip before they dropped out to visit a community college they could not get into. The small college town was nothing compared to the bustling city, and it didn't even have any high rises or office buildings. Just a few apartment complexes where the students lived while attending the college.
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Riley much preferred the city. There was so much to do, even for a poor high school dropout, and there was always some kind of event going on, making it easy for Riley to make money through different odd jobs. It might be a challenging and dangerous life, but it was the life they had.
The bus finally arrived at its destination, rumbling to a halt in front of the community center. Taking in the building from up close, it was nothing special on the outside. The inside, however, was a different ball game.
The brick walls were painted a calming and welcoming blue-green color, and a huge sign above the reception desk read, "All Who Wander Aren't Lost." It always made Riley smile; they had a special place in their heart for J.R.R. Tolkien's work, which helped ease their spirit.
The boy behind the desk welcomed them in with a short wave. "Heya, Riley! How's it goin'?" He asked cheerfully. "Did you see the news? That old lady is practically our age now!" A mirthful laugh erupted from his lips as he leaned farther back in his seat. "Now, if only we could get our hands on some of that miracle elixir. We'd be young forever!" Riley smiled back, taking their earbuds out of their ears before answering.
"Hey, Jamal. Yeah, that would be something, huh? Who's all here today?" Riley walked over to the counter to lean closer to the boy.
"Oh, you know, the regulars." Jamal was friendly but would talk your ear off if given a chance. "Plus, this posh chick from the city is talking to people to get their opinions on the cure. I told her I'd sign up for a decade's worth of life if I had money. Now that it's proven to work, you know they're gonna try to get our hard-earned cash." Riley nodded but was much more interested in getting into the facility and listening in on this strange woman. She grabbed a blue raspberry lollipop from the candy bowl and unwrapped it, popping it into her mouth as she turned away.
"You know, living forever is a curse. At least that's what Pastor Scott says." The boy just scoffed at her and returned to playing on the computer.
Riley took in the giant room that comprised the community center's bulk. In one corner was a seating area full of comfy, if not run down, couches and armchairs. On the wall next to the seating area were four giant bookcases filled with different books. It was Riley's favorite spot and ran on a take-one-leave-one policy. They had read so many books from this small library that Riley had hardly anything left to read. On the opposite side was an old foosball table and a ratty pool table. The foosball table was missing some of the little people on its poles, and the pool table was missing the eight ball, stolen many years ago by someone who thought it was a funny joke.
The other side of the community center was full of tables and board games, all missing pieces. However, most people who came didn't mind and just used bottle caps and other trash as their pieces. It had been a long time since Riley had played a board game with anyone, and it would be a long time before she did again. Not after Jamal cheated at Monopoly, Riley raged against him for almost three months afterward, and Jamal swore he would never play a game with Riley again. What could they say? They hated cheaters.
'Alright, time to get to it,' Riley thought to themself. Cracking their knuckles, they entered the building proper, looking out for this woman Jamal mentioned. 'It's almost too easy.' It wasn't hard to spot her, with her neat black bob and expensive-looking high heels. Riley went to the lounging area near the woman to hear her conversations. 'This should be good,' Riley mused, popping in their headphones but not turning on the music. They pretended to bob their head to a non-existent beat while covertly keeping their ears and eyes open.