flashback

t w e n t y - t h r e e

Chapter 23

Fletcher

Danyelle’s father moved quicker than I had ever seen. He caught her before she took a real spill on the shards. He stared exasperatedly at her mother before gently setting Danyelle down on the couch nearby and running a hand through his curls. They were like mine—well when my hair had been straight—and I liked him right away.

“Come again?” he said to Ceon, who was staring with worried eyes down at Danyelle.

“I said, I said—”

“Speak up, boy,” he said.

Ceon’s eyes snapped up from Danyelle and he swallowed. I knew his throat was dry…He was afraid.

I stepped forward.

“Danyelle came to help me.” I said, before staring down at her. She looked haggard out, and then I thought about the stress she must have carried on her shoulders. Her mother sat, her brow furrowed, trying to wake her up.

“I used to live in the SO,” I said, staring her father in the face. My eyes did not waver. “And they wanted to split us up because of funding. So the 4 of us,” I said, gesturing to Ceon and S&M, “Well, we ran off. Joe let us live in the deli undercover for a while, and when he died, we just…” I searched for the right words. “Stayed.”

Danyelle’s dad grunted, but said nothing, and I respected him even more for it.

“Ceon only has a—well, had—a bagging job at the market, so I realized all 4 of us couldn’t live on his $200 a month. Besides, we needed water and light and stuff, so I took Sarai and Matt and tried to look for another place to settle down and Ceon could join us later. I asked Dan to help.”

Danyelle’s mother was frozen in place.

“But,” Ceon said, finally finding his voice, “What they both didn’t know was that in just a few days authorities would legally have to stop looking for the 4 of us, 5 years after we initially ran away. But if we were caught,”

“You’d get thrown back into the SO,” Mr. McKenzie finished.

I nodded.

“So Danny came back for us with Ceon!” Matt piped up, awake.

Mrs. McKenzie smiled faintly, and Danyelle stirred.

“Huh?” she said.

“Nothing,” I said. “I was just telling your parents what happened.”

She looked expectantly at her mom. “Mom,” she said. “Please help them.”

“You didn’t have to ask,” her mom said.

Ceon breathed a sigh of relief.

“I’ve been neglecting you quite a bit, and I realize that…”

“So have I,” said her dad. “So I’m staying.”

Danyelle shot up straight. “Really?”

“Really.” He grinned. His nostrils flared quite a bit, but I liked it.

I took a mind-picture just then as they hugged.

I didn’t know them that well, but I would in the months to come, and they would be the parents I lost, and so much more.

It’s corny—I know—but it’s true.

And I don’t give a damn.