A Family of Strays (Part 1)

It was idiotic from the start. I was telling myself that running away is what’s best for me and everyone else. Unfortunately, that decision left me stranded, with no one to call and nowhere to go. I packed only snacks and a few bottles of water in a backpack and extra clothes in a duffle bag that I carried. All of which was stolen.

I walked and walked, hoping someone would stop to help a poor straggler reach his destination wherever that would be. I was assisted by none and so hungry that I could eat a cow. Ironic enough, a farm was spotted in the distance. It was dark out, so I figured I would just snatch up a few ears of corn or whatever else I could fit into my pockets and take off without being seen. It was my mistake not spotting the colossal hound dog in the area.

The hound dog barked loudly and repeatedly, which alerted the people hanging out inside the nearby barn. If I move, they would see me for sure, and the last thing I want is a dog being let loose to bite me in the butt or a bullet. Although I tried to remain as quiet as possible, my stomach made noises nearly as loud as the dog’s bark. At that point, it was either run or show my face.

“Who’s there?!” yelled out the voice of a young man. I decided to reveal myself in the hopes of not being shot. My hands were raised high, but it was unknown if anyone could see me within the mighty cornfield.

“I’m sorry!” I yelled out in response. “I was stranded and hungry! I don’t mean any harm!”

“Just come on out! Show yourself!”

Slowly, I approached the person that spoke to me, only to see him holding a shotgun and four other people next to him—three girls and two boys, including the one with the gun. They all looked about the same age as me.

“What’s your name, boy?” asked the boy with the gun.

“It’s Nathan. My name’s Nathan.”

“Well, Nathan, what are you doing here on our property?”

I told him what happened and how I came to be where I am now—residing in an old barn with those who would become my new family. The group of kids welcomed me inside the barn to offer me food and introduce themselves. First, there’s Max, the Native-American boy holding the gun with brown eyes and dark hair, standing at about 5’6. Then there’s his twin sister Stacey, same eye color but with hair dyed with burgundy color, standing at about 5’4, and the other three are Julius, Michelle, and Tori. The five are all siblings of different ethnicities, with only the twins being the only blood siblings.

I scarfed down the food Stacey provided me in a matter of seconds. The awkward stares weren’t a bother as I was too hungry to care. “How long have you been out there?” asked a curious Julius. Julius is an albino African-American, about 6’0, and always wears a hat. I’d only been away from home for a day yet; it seems a lot longer. After sharing my story, each sibling shared theirs. I’ve come to find out that I’m not the first or only runaway to reach this old barn. The barn didn’t hold any animals. Instead, there are bales of straw, a table with chairs, a couch, lights strung all over, and some lost souls in search of something. But Michelle is the one who caught my eye. Her skin is the perfect shade of bronze, her hair is long and curly, and she has the most mesmerizing eyes. If only she weren’t such an ass towards me.

“Now that you’re done eating, you should leave,” Michelle says.

“If it’s not too much trouble, you mind if I stay? Just for the night.” I respond.

“You can’t. We don’t need any more strays staying here. We don’t even know you!”

“Michelle,” Tori intervened, “...it’s cool. We were strays, too, remember?”

“But what about Stephanie and Coop? How would they feel knowing we let this kid stay without their permission? Not to mention he’d be another mouth to feed.”

“It’s just for a night,” says Max, “He’s exhausted with nowhere to go. I’ll keep an eye on him and will take full responsibility if anything happens.”

The group went on as if I wasn’t standing right there in front of them. Stacey agreed with Michelle, and Julius was on the fence. All I wanted was a few hours of sleep. My feet ached, had no money, no destination, food, or water, but the couch looked mighty comfortable. So while the others bickered amongst themselves, I sat on the sofa, and before I knew it, I was out like a light.

I woke up just before the crack of dawn. Everyone else was asleep, so I thought it best to leave immediately. Max and Julius slept in the barn while the others went inside. Max must’ve heard me rustling around, seeing as he woke up just before I took my first step outside.

“Where’ya headed?” asked Max.

“I’m not sure where to go, so I guess wherever the wind blows.”

“Well, you can leave. We’ll give you a new pack with some food and water and some fresh clothes.”

“I appreciate the⎯

“Or...you can wash up, have some breakfast, and stay here for a while. I already spoke to Steph and Coop, and they were not happy with me at first. But, they did come around.”

I didn’t want to intrude. It was rude for me to stay there, and I felt bad for getting Max into trouble. Still, a nice hot shower and a meal sounded awesome. Also, staying another night or two will maybe help me determine what my next move will be. So I agreed to Max’s proposal and went back to sleep on the couch for another few hours.

I was awoken by a hot stench coming from the mouth of that big hound dog. Doc is what the owners named him. Doc proceeded to lick my face, which was disgusting.

“Move, Sparky,” I said to the hound dog, “Stop licking my face, you grotesque-looking beast.”

“Aww, he likes you,” says Tori as she walks inside the barn. “He’s just saying “hi.”

“I’d like him, too, if he didn’t drool all over me. He even licked my mouth.”

Tori laughs adorably, “Ew! That’s gross.”

Tori is sixteen like me. From what she told me last night, her mom is Chinese-American, and her dad is Japanese. Tori likes to keep her hair short with new color highlights every week. She’s about 5’3 with a fantastic singing voice and an adorable face. She and Max are the ones I became the closest.

As Tori and I were talking and laughing, Coop and Stephanie, along with Max, walked inside the barn to properly introduce themselves. They said I could stay however long I need, but made it clear that I would have to earn my stay by helping around the farm. A day or two is all I need, but I oblige and thank them for being so lovely and trusting a stranger like me.

“We’ll never turn away a child in need,” says Stephanie.

“But we do want to know more about you and what your plans are,” says Coop.

“That’s fair,” I respond, “but can I take a shower first? I stink, and I’m covered in dog spit.” Tori laughs while the others form smiles and giggles.

“Yes, you can take a shower first,” says Stephanie within her giggles, “and it’s ‘May I?” continued the grammar police.

After a nice long shower, I returned to the barn, where I felt the most comfortable. Tori came back to the barn as well to bring me food and to chat. She knew it would be awkward sitting in the house with everyone after last night. She even mentioned how she did the exact thing her first day here. Not long after, everyone else, too, entered the barn where we all ate. It was like they all welcomed me into the family the way they comfortably talked and joke with one another and even included me in the conversations as if they knew me all their lives. The way everyone made me feel made me never want to leave. Unfortunately, I did not get the complete stories of what happened with the other kids, and I never told my entire story. That was to come later on. This much is only the beginning of how these people became my new family.