The punishment for a seventh-grade dropout runaway is probably pretty harsh, but Ash Barker doesn't care. She can’t waste time or emotions on anyone but her brother, Matt. They were placed in separate foster homes, so Ash runs away to find him. If she fails, she’s headed back to juvenile detention. Everything is going right on schedule until two kids, Dayna and Kevin, barge into her hideout -- which just happens to be in their house. She ditches the pair fast, but can’t stop thinking about those bruised, skinny kids. Dayna and Kevin live with abusive parents who force them to stay in their room most of the time. If they go to the authorities for help, they’ll be split up, too. Ash knows how that feels, and she goes back to help, taking the two with her. With any luck, they’ll all help each other along the way. Meanwhile, as Matt waits for Ash, he can’t resist telling his foster brother and best friend, Jon-Allen, about the plans. They stash food, earn money, and keep watch for the night Ash appears at their bedroom window. Ash is so happy to be reunited with Matt and to discover she’s falling in love with Dayna that, at first, she doesn’t worry about what they’ll do next. But life on the road begins to take its toll -- they have to resort to shoplifting and scavenging to survive. Ash feels a growing sense of guilt at the disaster she’s made of everyone’s lives. Can she somehow keep her newfound “family” together despite hunger and sickness? Or will she be able to find the strength to reach out for help?

No Turning Back

“I know where we can hide out for the night,” Jon-Allen said.


“It’s not another tube slide, is it?” Ash asked.


“No,” Jon-Allen said with a chuckle. “At the other end of the park there are some trails through the woods. We can stay there, and then sneak out and make the phone calls tomorrow.”


“Sounds good to me.” Ash refilled her water bottle, and after another glance at her reflection, decided to wash her face and hair. Dayna and Kevin did the same. Their clothes were still a mess, but at least they looked more human. Then Ash grabbed every roll of toilet paper and added it to their supplies.


“Oh, man, have you ever tried to wipe your butt with a leaf?” Kevin asked the other boys.


“Are we ready?” Ash asked. She shouldered her bag, grabbed the cooler, and opened the door.


Everyone filed out, and suddenly a light blinded them.


Ash squinted. “It’s a police car!” The headlights glared right in their faces.


Chapter 146