Beaten and thrown out of his home by his father, Guy ends up on the streets. A few days later he's 'adopted' by two strays, a German shepherd mix and a gray kitten. Later that night, when he returns to a vacant house he'd found the previous day, he meets three other homeless teens -- Mack, Tone, and Dani. After a false start, because they think he's a punk looking for trouble, they become friends. Dani insists the animals need names, and she decides to call the kitten Ghost, while the dog becomes Shadow. When Mack and Guy are threatened by two real punks in the alley behind the house, Shadow defends them, with Mack's help. This leads to their decision that it isn’t safe to remain where they are. As they move on, the quartet's friendship deepens, and Guy eventually trusts them enough to tell them he's gay ... which they accept with no problem, as it turns out so are Mack and Tone. Now they have to continue dealing with life on the streets while COVID ravages the country, making being homeless a fight for their very survival.

Strays in the Time of COVID

“Great. I have a class with him tomorrow morning at ten. If you want, we can meet here, say around nine? That way I can introduce you to him beforehand.”


“He’ll be here,” Dani said before Guy could answer.


“Apparently she thinks so. She’s right. I will be, with what I’ve got to show him.”


As soon a Ben left, Tone hugged Guy enthusiastically. “The first step toward fame and fortune.”


Guy snorted. “Or a hard lesson in reality if he doesn’t like what I’ve done.”


“Of course he will. You’re good.”


“He’s great,” Dani said with a hard nod.


Kurt and Velma were equally as supportive when Guy told them over supper what had happened, although Kurt cautioned him that nothing might come of it other than verbal reinforcement that he had talent. “Raw talent that you should pursue if you can afford to pay for art classes.”


Chapter 35