“That‘s where I would buy my Top Ramen, beer and cigarettes.“  Harper points out the store.

“Very healthy.“  Shane kids her as she pictures the store in L.A. she frequented for the same items.

“And I lived on the top floor of that building,“  She points across the street.  “That place had rats, but it was big.“

“Rats?“  Shane sounds horrified, she hates vermin.

“Baby ones,“  She smiles, “They hardly ate a thing.“

They cross the street, walking one more block.

“This place here was my weekend home my senior year of college.“

“Weekend home huh?  Very fancy.“

“Not entirely.  Back then it was a squat filled with punk rockers and artists.  The rats here were much bigger and no where near as cute.  Either were the cockroaches.“

“And you lived there?!?“

“Just Fridays and Saturdays for a year.  And for about a month when I graduated.  I got good drugs there, what can I say.“

“So why‘d you move?“  Shane mocks her.

“A couple of reasons.  Girls wouldn‘t walk past the front door if I brought them home.  And when everyone started shooting smack it freaked me out.  So I bailed and found a job and a decent apartment.  It‘s hard to tell now, but this used to be a ***** neighborhood.  Lots of junkies, crackheads, and homeless.  People were sleeping all over the street.  And this place was practically falling down.  Half the windows were boarded up and the rest were broken.  The fire escape was all rusted and pulling away from the building.  It was a real fixer upper.“

“Sounds like it.  I guess I‘m lucky!  The place I squatted at was an earthquake damaged mansion.“

“How L.A.!“  Harper laughs as they continue their journey.

“How come you never told me that story?“  Shane asks.

“I forget sometimes.  It was so long ago.  And well, when you told me your story it seemed like bad timing.  I wanted you to keep opening up.  I wanted to listen and I didn‘t want to make it about me.  Plus I chose to live there and you had no choice.  Ya know?“

“Yeah, Ok, so time to tell more.“  Shane says.

“Ok.“

“You never did heroin?“

“Nope, it freaked me out.  I had a friend OD on it in college and seeing that was enough for me.  I‘m glad I the happened, because a few years later everyone started doing it and I‘m sure I would‘ve followed suit.“