, Priscilla staying the night just to be safe, reminding Noel of a guar

king like he has slept a whole day, refreshed and energetic, rather than the

dad's private affairs to question him about it. He took the blow of losing her mother the hardest, she can't tell him h

his to be a new thing until I graduate, or should I just surrender my room now?" she grumbles to him at the breakfast tab

ife on the table with

you wouldn't understand them anyway, and this situation i

and explain to your teenage daughter why she ha

There isn't anyone else for him to turn to, and I don't want to see another kid falling victim to the streets. Harken might not see

the moment they met? What did she ever do to him? It's not like they've ever met before, and she is more than certain Harken is a m

ing to be staying w

a handful of credits to get into a community college at th

s the table

.." she stops herself to repeat in her hea

the storm bef

public high school

o, no. Thi

en the chance to disrupt her peaceful school life. She can already see it now, al

e! I'm always home anyway and what's one year left of

e been put on babysitter duty. It's just for the school year, and then he'll be out o

nder of a hope of hers tha

e're forbidden from mentioning that until sa

t?" Priscilla says groggily

to come over and give her a comforting hug and pat her head

have a new kid in

r, wondering how she knows this alre

Noel and slams her ba

u've got to b

*

t, everyone craning their necks to get a look at the new kid. What a lot of the

family there with other kids. Even then, that is a rare occasion, no one ever wanting to live here, everyone trying their best to find a way out. He wonders if a

get a good look at him and doesn't recognize any faces. Nothing he isn't accus

d her mouthy friend. As if he developed a sixth sense, he hears loud music coming from around the corner of the street as he scans the parking

trucks, pulling into the spot next to them. He waits for Noel to get out and watches as she see

will be attending her school starting today, and he only wished he could have

r face bright red, squealing and squirming like she is an innocent child rather than an almost grown woman seeing a sh

re he was going to have loads of fun with this girl before he high tails it out of there. He

er before she finally cracks and breaks th

n of one in particular, hoisted up on the bed of the truck. He watches as he smiles down at them, noti

at do we