[ Eddie doesn't worry about how quickly or enthusiastically he answers, his eyes shining with excitement. Even if he enjoyed being home with his dad, getting to walk Chrissy home would seem a much better prospect. And so they continue their little ritual together. Sometimes they sneak snacks from the pantry, other times they find their way to playgrounds, inventing make believe stories to play out, both of them trying to imagine their way out of the scary things at home. It's a wonderfully happy time, and Eddie finds himself watching the clock at the end of each school day, ready for another adventure.
And then Eddie's dad gets arrested. "Larceny" is the word he hears but doesn't understand, until he learns that larceny means stealing. His dad has to go to jail, and a lady who says she's a social worker shows up at their trailer to try and figure out what to do with them. He hears her talk about getting in touch with his mom, hears words like "foster care" and "system". All of it sounds scary to him, and for as much as living with his dad is difficult, sometimes impossible, he doesn't want to live anywhere else.
That's why he's packed what he's deemed as essentials. A few extra t shirts, some snacks, his favorite book-- The Hobbit, all tucked into his shabby black backpack. It's a warm Saturday afternoon when he slings it over his shoulders and hits the pavement, determined to find somewhere, anywhere else for him to be. To get away before they can get him. Inevitably, his feet bring him to Chrissy's street, and he finds himself pacing up and down her block. In a perfect world, Chrissy's parents would be the kind from fairytales, that take him in as their own. But he knows that her mom is strange and a little scary, and her dad-- well he doesn't know much about him at all.
But still, he doesn't want to continue on without at least saying goodbye. Now if only he could work up the courage to approach her front door. ]
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[ Eddie doesn't worry about how quickly or enthusiastically he answers, his eyes shining with excitement. Even if he enjoyed being home with his dad, getting to walk Chrissy home would seem a much better prospect. And so they continue their little ritual together. Sometimes they sneak snacks from the pantry, other times they find their way to playgrounds, inventing make believe stories to play out, both of them trying to imagine their way out of the scary things at home. It's a wonderfully happy time, and Eddie finds himself watching the clock at the end of each school day, ready for another adventure.
And then Eddie's dad gets arrested. "Larceny" is the word he hears but doesn't understand, until he learns that larceny means stealing. His dad has to go to jail, and a lady who says she's a social worker shows up at their trailer to try and figure out what to do with them. He hears her talk about getting in touch with his mom, hears words like "foster care" and "system". All of it sounds scary to him, and for as much as living with his dad is difficult, sometimes impossible, he doesn't want to live anywhere else.
That's why he's packed what he's deemed as essentials. A few extra t shirts, some snacks, his favorite book-- The Hobbit, all tucked into his shabby black backpack. It's a warm Saturday afternoon when he slings it over his shoulders and hits the pavement, determined to find somewhere, anywhere else for him to be. To get away before they can get him. Inevitably, his feet bring him to Chrissy's street, and he finds himself pacing up and down her block. In a perfect world, Chrissy's parents would be the kind from fairytales, that take him in as their own. But he knows that her mom is strange and a little scary, and her dad-- well he doesn't know much about him at all.
But still, he doesn't want to continue on without at least saying goodbye. Now if only he could work up the courage to approach her front door. ]