Rain drizzled on the windshield of his car as Benny sat there for the better part of an hour. He hadn’t moved since he escaped the library and he had no idea what to do next. What could he do? He was at his wit’s end. Maybe he should just go to a homeless shelter tonight or go back to the foster home. Were those options really worse than where he was now?

Or should he just find some creepy old dude and let him do whatever he wanted to Benny for money? He was rapidly running out of other options. He had no home, no future, no hope of anything getting better. He wanted to keep fighting for Angel’s sake, but he was so tired.

Maybe she was better off without him.

His car faced the sidewalk and he watched people go by. None of them paid him any attention. It was good. Better than being noticed and jeered at, but it made him feel even more alone. They all had homes. People they were going home to. People who cared about them.

A couple of teenagers ran by, laughing in the rain. He hated them so much. He hated how carefree they were. They were dreaming about college and if the person they had a crush on would notice them. They imagined getting video games and an iPhone for Christmas. They didn’t have to worry about where their next meal was coming from or if it would get so cold some night that they’d freeze to death sleeping in their car.

It wasn’t fair. He wasn’t even eighteen yet. He shouldn’t have to be the one worrying about his sister and trying to support himself. He shouldn’t be living like this. It was too much for anyone to deal with.

He gripped the wheel so tight his knuckles turned white and he let out a muffled scream. He was so angry and frustrated he just wanted to smash something.

Loud pounding on the window on the passenger side of the car made his heart jump in his chest. He slammed his hand on the center of the steering wheel as he turned to see, making the horn blare. Shaken and confused, he turned to look at the person standing outside his car. Blood drained from his face when he recognized Scott’s blue eyes.

Shit. How did he find me?

“Let me in, Benny!”

“No!” Benny yelled back. The last thing he wanted to deal with was Scott right now. “Go away.”

“You can’t ignore me forever!” Scott shouted. He pounded on the window again and Benny could see people on the sidewalk staring.

Shit. Benny couldn’t afford to have someone call the police.

He leaned over, unlocked the side door, and pushed it open, hitting Scott’s knees in the process. He almost didn’t feel bad about it. “Fine. Get in here and we can talk.”

Scott stared at him for a moment before he got inside and pulled the door shut after him. He was silent a moment as the rain dripped from his nose. “Um, hey,” he said eventually.

“Hey?” Benny said. “You were screaming and banging on the window two seconds ago and all you have to say now is ‘hey’?”

“What do you want me to say?”

Benny sighed and leaned his head against the seat. “Nothing, really. There’s nothing to say. But you seem determined to do it anyway so ... get it over with or go away.”

“Why did you leave the store like that?”

“That’s why you tracked me down? To ask me that?”

“Just answer me.”

“Uhh, because I shouldn’t have been there in the first place,” Benny said. “Going to your parents’ store was a huge mistake.”

“So why did you come there at all?”

Benny swallowed hard. “I didn’t mean to, honestly. I was out walking and I guess I just wandered to the shop without really thinking about it. Habit, I guess. It was freezing outside and I didn’t see you or your parents so I figured I’d go in for a little bit and warm up.”

Scott was silent for a long while before he glanced around. “Are you living in your car?”

“What does it look like?” Benny gestured to the space around them. The back was piled with a pillow and blanket. “Yeah, this is my home now.” His laugh sounded brittle.

“Why?” Scott croaked.

“Dude, you know my dad got sent to jail. And my mom’s a fucking train wreck. They sent me off to juvie and Angel to foster care.” Benny’s throat felt very thick. “I’m not eighteen yet. So when I got out, they sent me to a foster home. I stayed for like, two days and then realized I was better off here on my own.”

“But why didn’t you call me? Ask me for help?”

“Call? With what phone? It’s not like when I was in juvie I could keep paying the bills on the one I used to have. And I sure don’t have the money to buy a new one. I’ve been trying to feed myself and pay for a little gas while I look for jobs. That’s it.”

“I would have given you money!”

Benny looked away. Scott would have too. Every last penny he had. “I know.”

“So, what’s the problem?”

“The problem is that I’d be a fucking drain on you. We both agreed it was better if we ended things.”

“No, you decided it was better if we ended things. Asshole.” Scott shoved at his shoulder, knocking Benny against the car door.

“Can we stop having this fight?” Benny asked. He was too tired for it.

“Sure. If you agree to one thing.”

“What’s that?”

“Come home with me.” Benny stared at him in shock. “Look, I have a plan. We’ll sneak you in the basement and you can sleep in Misty’s old room. No one ever goes in there anymore. Mom and Dad are super busy at the store so they’re hardly home. You’ll be fine for a few days until we figure out how to tell them you’re there. I’ll sneak food down to you in the meantime. And when the house is empty you can shower and do laundry and stuff.”

Benny wavered. God, that sounded nice. A real bed in a warm house. Clean clothes. A shower. Food. He wanted it so bad he ached for it.

“I can’t ruin your life anymore,” he said miserably. “Your parents would be so mad once we told them. Especially if they knew you snuck me in.”

“They’ll get over it.” Scott shrugged. “And you haven’t ruined my life at all.”

Benny wanted to believe that so bad.

“Look, you said it yourself; it’s way harder to search for jobs when you’re not clean. You stand a better chance of finding one if you can shower and do laundry. You know my parents will help you get back on your feet. You’re just being stubborn, Benny.”

Benny’s resolve crumbled. He didn’t want to take advantage of Scott or the rest of the Sullivans but Scott was right. Getting a job was the most important thing. It was his only hope if he wanted to get ahead. What he’d been trying wasn’t working and he had to do something different. For Angel’s sake, if nothing else. “Okay,” he reluctantly agreed. “But just for a few days. And I’m not convinced we should tell your mom at all.”

“We’ll decide that later,” Scott said, and for once, Benny didn’t argue.

He was too tired to protest anymore and it felt so nice to have someone else make the decisions for once.