She breezed past them, acutely aware of her smoky scent in comparison to the sterilized dehumidified air that circulated endlessly inside the building. It was eerily silent, save for the dull hum of the up and down escalators that continued their circulation regardless of the fact that they stood unused in the midst of the emptiness. She stepped onto it and watched, holding the conveyor handrail for support. She always got a little lightheaded after chain smoking.
The second floor of the building was littered with couches just outside the entrance to the library. She collapsed on one of the many of them that were vacant, and rested her head against the tattered cushions.
"Ariel," the deep, raspy voice of the elderly, dark skinned janitor drew the girl from her haze. He gazed down on her with the warmest, deepest eyes she'd ever seen. He clutched a mop between his calloused knuckles, distorted by arthritis. She smirked up at him and the entire demeanor of his face shifted.
"I told you you couldn't sleep out here. If anyone sees you, it's both our hides." He scolded with a smile on his face, a condition that didn't make his words as ineffective as it could have.
Ariel stood, taking the man's hand and