like a puppy in need.
He snorts. “And risk getting the place trashed? Sorry kid. No can do.”
“Thanks anyway,” I say. I turn around and push the door open and try really hard not to cry. There have been many times in my life where I’ve felt helpless, but I’ve always had Mom with me. Dawn may never win a Mother of the Year award, but I’d always trusted her to keep a roof over our head. Even when we’d spent two weeks camping in the national forest, we’d had a tent roof to sleep under.
I swallow the lump in my throat and force myself to face the truth, as much as I don’t want to. Dawn did leave me with a roof over my head. She thinks I’m safe at the Parks’ house so she’s not exactly responsible for me being stranded right now.
But I am not going back there. I just can’t. I won’t be a burden on a total stranger, no matter how nice they’ve been to me. No one actually likes taking in stranded people as unexpected houseguests and I am not going to put that on someone as nice as Becca. I refuse to be an obligation.
I stand outside in the dark, watching bugs fly around the streetlamp above me. Next year I’ll be eighteen and a real adult. I’ll have to figure out how to take care of myself at some point since Dawn has made it more than clear that she expects me to be on my own by my birthday.
I draw in a deep breath and think. What the hell should I do? I have about a hundred dollars cash on me but even these sleazy motel places won’t take cash without a huge deposit.
I wonder if there’s a twenty-four-hour store nearby so I could hang out in the air conditioning and come up with a plan. Or maybe there’s a bridge.
Shit.
Am I really homeless right now?
All I want is a hot shower, some food, and a bed.
I start walking toward the right since I came from the left and know there’s nothing on that side of town. Soon, the golden arches of a McDonald’s catch my eye and an even more welcome sign underneath it makes me smile. It’s open twenty-four hours. Finally, some good luck.
I head inside and order from the dollar menu, then settle into a booth at the back of the restaurant. It’s secluded enough that the employees might not notice if I stay for a while, and the cushiony bench seat has been recently renovated and is pretty comfortable.
Plus, from this table I have a view out of the window. When Mom’s car pulls into the motel parking lot, I’ll be able to see it. She must be on her way back home by now. I’m sure it won’t be a much longer wait.
Loud laughter from a group of rowdy football players wakes me up. That’s when I realize I’ve fallen asleep in the booth, but luckily no one sees me. I lean out into the aisle and check the clock on the wall. It’s past midnight. Holy shit. I’ve been here for four hours.
Mom’s car isn’t in the parking of the motel, and I sit up straighter in my booth, rubbing the lines from my cheek from where they’d pressed against the seam in the fabric. Am I totally screwed? Am I now living in a McDonald’s? This can’t possibly be my life.
On shaky legs, I walk back up to the counter and order a milkshake. It’s a waste of what little money I have, but I’m feeling a tidal wave of depression coming on and the sugar will help.
The guy takes my order and says the machine will take a few minutes to power up. “What’s your name?” he says, holding a pen over a receipt paper.
“Keanna,” I say.
He writes it down, spelling it Keyana and then smiles. “I’ll call you when it’s ready.”
I head back to my seat, ignoring the football players. They’re still in uniform and their entire section of the restaurant smells like sweat and fries.
The door jangles open and one of the football players whoops. “Jett, man, what’s going on?”
My blood turns cold. Jett’s here? What if Becca’s already told him that I slipped out of her house without telling her bye? What if they all think I’m a huge jerk?
I guess it wouldn’t
He snorts. “And risk getting the place trashed? Sorry kid. No can do.”
“Thanks anyway,” I say. I turn around and push the door open and try really hard not to cry. There have been many times in my life where I’ve felt helpless, but I’ve always had Mom with me. Dawn may never win a Mother of the Year award, but I’d always trusted her to keep a roof over our head. Even when we’d spent two weeks camping in the national forest, we’d had a tent roof to sleep under.
I swallow the lump in my throat and force myself to face the truth, as much as I don’t want to. Dawn did leave me with a roof over my head. She thinks I’m safe at the Parks’ house so she’s not exactly responsible for me being stranded right now.
But I am not going back there. I just can’t. I won’t be a burden on a total stranger, no matter how nice they’ve been to me. No one actually likes taking in stranded people as unexpected houseguests and I am not going to put that on someone as nice as Becca. I refuse to be an obligation.
I stand outside in the dark, watching bugs fly around the streetlamp above me. Next year I’ll be eighteen and a real adult. I’ll have to figure out how to take care of myself at some point since Dawn has made it more than clear that she expects me to be on my own by my birthday.
I draw in a deep breath and think. What the hell should I do? I have about a hundred dollars cash on me but even these sleazy motel places won’t take cash without a huge deposit.
I wonder if there’s a twenty-four-hour store nearby so I could hang out in the air conditioning and come up with a plan. Or maybe there’s a bridge.
Shit.
Am I really homeless right now?
All I want is a hot shower, some food, and a bed.
I start walking toward the right since I came from the left and know there’s nothing on that side of town. Soon, the golden arches of a McDonald’s catch my eye and an even more welcome sign underneath it makes me smile. It’s open twenty-four hours. Finally, some good luck.
I head inside and order from the dollar menu, then settle into a booth at the back of the restaurant. It’s secluded enough that the employees might not notice if I stay for a while, and the cushiony bench seat has been recently renovated and is pretty comfortable.
Plus, from this table I have a view out of the window. When Mom’s car pulls into the motel parking lot, I’ll be able to see it. She must be on her way back home by now. I’m sure it won’t be a much longer wait.
Loud laughter from a group of rowdy football players wakes me up. That’s when I realize I’ve fallen asleep in the booth, but luckily no one sees me. I lean out into the aisle and check the clock on the wall. It’s past midnight. Holy shit. I’ve been here for four hours.
Mom’s car isn’t in the parking of the motel, and I sit up straighter in my booth, rubbing the lines from my cheek from where they’d pressed against the seam in the fabric. Am I totally screwed? Am I now living in a McDonald’s? This can’t possibly be my life.
On shaky legs, I walk back up to the counter and order a milkshake. It’s a waste of what little money I have, but I’m feeling a tidal wave of depression coming on and the sugar will help.
The guy takes my order and says the machine will take a few minutes to power up. “What’s your name?” he says, holding a pen over a receipt paper.
“Keanna,” I say.
He writes it down, spelling it Keyana and then smiles. “I’ll call you when it’s ready.”
I head back to my seat, ignoring the football players. They’re still in uniform and their entire section of the restaurant smells like sweat and fries.
The door jangles open and one of the football players whoops. “Jett, man, what’s going on?”
My blood turns cold. Jett’s here? What if Becca’s already told him that I slipped out of her house without telling her bye? What if they all think I’m a huge jerk?
I guess it wouldn’t
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