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two things. One, Jackson was a light sleeper. Two, he was not smart enough to move his wallet. The guy reached for his wallet but woke him in the process.
    “Get away from me,” came Jackson’s muffled voice before the guy pulled him off of his bunk and threw him to the floor. He grabbed for Jackson’s jacket and then threw a strong right hook to his jaw.
    “Fuck,” Jackson cursed and threw a punch of his own. He connected pretty hard with the guy’s gut.

    I was off my bunk in a heartbeat. Jackson getting robbed was one thing. Jackson getting his ass kicked was another.
    I pulled the guy off and told them both to break it up. I got in a pretty good shot to the guy’s head while I was at it, which was mildly satisfying. I hadn’t been in a good street fight for a while.
    The shelter workers interceded after that and proceeded to throw us all unceremoniously out into the rain. They didn’t care if you fought, just so long as you didn’t do it inside while everyone was sleeping.
    Jackson had lost his jacket. The guy was running off down the street with it. I wasn’t sure about his wallet.
    I tried to slip off down the alley, but Jackson called to me before I could make my break.
    “Hey thanks,” he said, “I’m not sure why you did that, but I appreciate it.” He had a bloody lip, but didn’t look too bad all things considered. He was calmer than I thought he would be. His hands were shaking, but he wasn’t running home.
    I nodded my head at him and walked away. I was hoping he wouldn’t follow me, or this whole gig would be up. He didn’t. He turned and walked away. I let him get a few blocks before I doubled back to follow him. I called Sean to let him know that I needed him. I wouldn’t do for Jackson to see me again tonight. We were going to have to change shifts early.

Chapter 5: When Jackson Met Alissa
    Jackson
    My jaw was killing me and my shoulder didn’t feel too great either. I ducked into a 24-hour McDonald’s and managed to get into the men’s room unnoticed. I took a look in the mirror. It wasn’t as bad as it could be. My lip was split and a little swollen, it needed ice, but even without it, I would heal. It really wasn’t even that noticeable. My shoulder was bruised from where I had smacked it on the bed as the guy pulled me down from the top bunk, but it wasn’t swollen, and I could rotate it.
    I took a quick inventory. I still had my wallet, thank God, which meant that I had my birth certificate and remaining cash. I had lost my jacket though, which also meant that I had lost my soap, deodorant, and toothbrush. I ran some hot water in the sink and washed my face as best I could without hurting my lip. I was going to need to shave soon. My five o’clock shadow was turning into serious stubble. I could smell myself, too. Lovely.
    I needed a better plan. There was no way I could go back to that shelter tonight. I thought there was a chance that it would be dangerous, but now I realized that I stood out like a sore thumb among the homeless. I couldn’t allow myself to be a target like that.
    Not for the first time, I wondered who that guy was that had helped me. I was grateful but confused. It was not in his best interest to jump in the middle of my fight, and I was sure that I would have been a lot worse off if he hadn’t. I wished he had stuck around for more than one reason. Having a friend in this world seemed like an invaluable asset. I wasn’t liable to be that lucky twice.
    I had actually gotten a fair amount of sleep, and I felt pretty well rested. That was good. I had a feeling that this would be a long day.
    Maybe I should just give up on this whole ridiculous charade. I clearly was not cut out for this. I did have a stubborn streak a mile wide though, and part of me would never be content with letting Jason win.
    If I was being completely honest with myself, I knew that it ran deeper than the bet. I wanted to prove to myself that my success in life was not just a