When Terry and Kel Coleman run from their abusive father, they end up in Denver. The day they arrive, they meet three street kids named Rudy, Snap, and Josie. The brothers move into the trio's squat where Rudy and the others teach Terry and Kel the ins-and-outs of survival on the streets. While that happens, Terry and Rudy are drawn to each other and begin a tentative relationship.<br><br>Then Kel is almost kidnapped by a man sent by his father to bring him home. Forced to leave their squat to keep Kel safe, they turn to a local pastor for help. Thanks to the pastor, the five young people may find hope for their future -- if they can survive the present. In the process, can the budding relationship between Terry and Rudy survive, or will it be torn apart by the life they're forced to live?

Surviving

He shook Kel’s shoulder, getting a muttered “It’s too early” from his brother. Then Kel opened his eyes and sighed sleepily. “It wasn’t a dream and I gotta piss.”


“Me too. So hop to it and let’s hope the construction workers don’t kick us out.”


“They won’t,” Rudy said from the other side of the room. “They know us.”


“They know you, not me and Kel,” Terry pointed out.


“Same diff, but I’ll go with you this time.”


The three young men left the room after Rudy woke Snap to let him know what was going on and to bar the door.


“Question,” Kel said as they walked down the alley. “How do you keep people out when you’re gone? You can’t bar the door behind you then.”


“Trust to luck, and so far it’s worked. Or I should say that no one’s tried to steal anything. We’ve found dudes crashing there a time or three. We let them stay the night and warned them before they left they’d better not tell anyone about the place. As far as I know they didn’t.”


Chapter 7