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

Ash finally got over her shock and put a hand on her brother’s shoulder. “None of us are interested in anything like that. That’s why you almost got caught, isn’t it? Anyone would be suspicious of a kid walking into the liquor section, Matt. A lot of stores also put special bar codes on alcohol and electronics and stuff; that’s what triggered the alarm.”


“Who are you trying to impress?” Jon-Allen asked.


“It’s over now,” Ash said. She felt bad for him even though she was also angry. “It’s normal to be curious about it.”


“My mom drank all the time,” Jon-Allen said. “She used to say it helped her relax. But there were times she would drink too much and I couldn’t wake her up.”


“Dayna and Kevin are both really freaked out by alcohol,” Ash said. “Their mom and dad drank, too.”


“What did their parents do to them?” Matt asked. His face was pale.


“I can’t tell you; it’s up to them to talk about it.”


“Dayna said they hit them,” Jon-Allen said.


Chapter 159