Free A Shot at Freedom by Kelli Bradicich

the railing.
    “It works to be happy in this place.”
    “Cheeky more like it. Who says fine and dandy ?”
    Tyler kicked at her leg playfully.
    “Who do you think is in the van?”
    “Josie said last night, someone new might be here today.”
    “You remember everything don’t you?”
    “I like to keep a tab on things,” Tyler said, startling her as he jumped to his feet and took the stairs four at a time. Long legs and Adidas track pants were good for something.
    Down on the footpath, he glanced up at the mirrored windows of the workers’ office before daring to poke his head inside the open door of the van. One of the office windows opened, Brooke shrank back and slipped up a couple of stairs hoping she wouldn’t be dragged into something she knew nothing about.
    “Tyler,” Josie called. “Stay away from the van, and back upstairs mate. Leave him alone, eh?”
    Tyler smirked first to whoever was in the van and then up at the worker. He dawdled towards the stairs, stomping up them one at a time. “I was just welcoming him.”
    “He’ll come out . He just needs some space.”
    Tyler sat just down from Brooke this time. “They were just scared I was gonna nick off with their van,” he grinned. His lips were kind of like the Joker’s , thin and quirky. “Plenty of opportunities for that. As if I’d be stupid enough to do it in front of witnesses.”
    Almost as soon as the office window slid shut, a kid stepped out of the van onto the footpath. He kicked at the footpath. The window opened again. It was the worker who had driven him. “Just wait on the stairs mate, ‘til they’re ready for you. I’ve just got to talk to them about a few things.”
    “They say ‘mate’ a lot here,” Brooke said, keeping her eye on the pouting kid coming up the stairs. He plonked himself down a couple of stairs below them.
    Tyler laughed . “It makes all the instructions sound a little less Hitler-like. Workers spend a lot of time telling us what to do. Haven’t you noticed?” He lit up a cigarette.
    “Can I have one?” the kid asked.
    “Nope,” Tyler said, blowing smoke into his face.
    “I’m Brooke,” she said, extending a hand out to him.
    The kid touched her fingers and said, “Tim.”
    “This is Tyler,” she said nodding across the steps.
    “He knows. He’s been here before. Just last week, wasn’t it?” Tyler said, puffing a more smoke in the air. “I knew you’d be back.”
    Brooke waved away the wisps of smoke, but said nothing.
    On the next puff, Tyler blew the smoke over his shoulder. “They must be ready to kick you out. Back to short term stay and lots of uncertainty for you.”
    The window opened again . “Tyler out the back with the smoke please,” Josie said, “The longer you guys keep disturbing us the longer handover will take.”
    “Foley and I need train fare for the course we’re supposed to be going on today.”
    “You’ve got plenty of time,” Josie said, looking at her watch. “Unless one of you is on fire, we don’t want to be disturbed, okay?”
    “Well, stop opening the window.”
    Josie crossed her eyes at him, withdrawing again.
    He took one last puff and put out the cigarette.
    Natasha appeared at the darkened hallway. “I want to go on that course today with you and Foley.”
    “ Josie’ll never let you,” Tyler said.
    “I’m going,” Natasha said, and knocked on the door.
    “Don’t knock on the door,” Tyler moaned.
    “Are any of you o n fire?” came the muffled words.
    Tyler handed Tim his lighter. “Do us all a favour mate. How about you light yourself up. Get them workers out here for us.”
    Tim hurled it back at him.
    As though it didn’t bother him at all, Tyler gazed out over the streetscape, then lurched forward, grabbing Tim by the throat and hoisting him up the stairs out of view of the office window.
    “Treat me with respect,” Tyler spat, pressing Tim’s skull against the corner of the door frame.
    “Ah-hah-ah!” Tim