"I know, Princeton lost, I owe you $8," Tina acknowledged as Sam entered.
Sam threw himself face down onto his bunk, exhausted from a 10 hour shift at the car wash. The 2 years since being fired from his Wall Street job had been rough. Nobody will take a chance on someone fired for fraud. If it weren't for the minimum wage car wash job he'd be sleeping in park benches.
Living at a hostel was miserable. But the $8 a night rent fit his poverty budget. Tonight, Sam had two new roommates and then Tina was back for a second night. Every night he had at least one roommate change. Sam was the only long term resident besides the manager, Clara.
Bob and Romero said hello, attempting a conversation with Sam. Rarely would Sam talk to the transients. Constantly angry, he had no interest in their problems. However last night he talked to Tina for a fast minute. But only because they had gone to high school together, so she said.
In that minute he told her he didn't care, and threatened to toss her stuff out the window if she didn't shut up. Before she did Sam agreed to a wager. Recalling he went to Hofstra, she bet him a nights rent on last nights the Princeton versus Hofstra basketball game.
"Then why are you here?" Sam barked into his pillow at Tina. Looking up, "I still don't recall you, and I still don't care. Leave!"
"I'm not afraid of you," Tina yelped. "I'll pay you soon. Just go to sleep, car wash boy."
Sam jumped up and towards Tina.
"Whoa now," Romero stepped in front of Sam.
Five seconds later Bob was kneeling beside Romero, trying to wake him up.
Tina got low beside her night stand. Sam grabbed her bag off her bed before she could.
"Hey!" Tina yelled.
"$8," Sam said angrily. "Now, or I'll throw you out."
"Dude," Bob shouted. "You can't..."
Sam's left boot slammed into Bob's right ear. Bob lay motionless atop of Romero.
"Oh, oh no. What, the... I don't have anything," Tina said erratically. "I used my last $10 for tonight's rent and a bag of potato chips."
"Stand up!" Sam whispered.
Tina popped up, spun and hopped through Bob and Romero's bunk bed. "I'll go, I'll..."
"Shut up," Sam took a step between her and the door. "I do, just now, I remember you now. Tina Tumbles. You were on the gymnastics team. Right?"
"Yes," Tina held up her forearms defensively. "I used to be, until I wasn't."
"Wait here," Sam insisted.
He left the room and came back with Clara.
"Those two," Sam pointed to Bob and Romero who were starting to stir. "They assaulted her, I clobbered them."
"Get up and get out scum bags!" Clara commanded, lifting the two up and pushing them through the door. They protested but were no match Clara's 300 pounds of leverage.
"You are not the nice kid in geography class I recall," Tina said, sitting on her bed.
