"Darien, are we still gonna hit the convenience store today? I'm running low on smokes." Jackson asked his older brother.

Rubbing his arm, Darien thought a moment before he responded. "Yeah, I guess we can. We're running low on funds though, so we're gonna have to find another odd job somewhere. We can mow lawns or something."

"We just got here two nights ago. No one will recognize us yet, so we better do that sooner rather than later. Don't want a repeat of Hoodsport."

Darien nodded emphatically. "Stupid oyster farmers. We weren't even technically stealing. They said we could eat whatever when we were on shift."

"Yeah, but we weren't on shift."

Darien shrugged. "Whatever."

The boys grabbed their backpacks. Darien picked up their blankets from the ground and folded them before shoving them inside his backpack. When Jackson had his back turned, Darien quickly hid a folded piece of paper in his own pocket.

"Can we look for a shelter tonight?" Jackson asked. "I don't wanna keep sleeping behind dumpsters. The smell is atrocious."

"I'm not sure if Port Townsend has any shelters. We can look though," Darien laughed. "I've gotten used to the smell. Doesn't bother me anymore. Plus, the streets are safer. No prying eyes."

"Would it really be so bad to stay somewhere long term? I mean, what if we find a shelter and stay there until we can get established. Jobs, an apartment maybe, steady food supply."

Darien narrowed his eyes. "You know why we can't do that, Jackson. You can stay somewhere, if you want. I'm staying on the streets. I want to preserve my freedom." He cautiously made sure the paper was still in his pocket.

Jackson hung his head. "I'm not gonna leave you. Where you go, I go."

Heaving his backpack onto his shoulder, Darien pulled out a cigarette from a box in his other coat pocket. He put it in his mouth and lit it.

"Can I have one?" Jackson held out his hand.

"You know, smoking's bad for you. You really shouldn't do it." Darien blew smoke as he handed a cig and the lighter to his brother.

"Real funny," Jackson said as he lit up. He breathed in the smoke deeply, exhaling a cloud.

The two started walking to the main road. The city was small and looked like something out of a storybook. On one side of the main road was a large cliff, and on the other, the Hood Canal. The brothers walked along the pier, breathing in the smell of sea salt.

After about an hour of walking, they stopped at a food mart. Jackson wandered along the aisles as Darien bought more cigarettes. The door opened again and five people walked in, one of whom was visibly injured and helped along by his friend.

"You don't have to fully support me, Luke. I can handle my own weight," said the injured one.

"Liam, you could have a broken foot for all we know," replied his friend.

Darien paid for the cigarettes and joined his brother, carefully sliding food into his backpack, continuing to watch the party of five.

"Oh! Liam! Can we get popsicles?" a blonde girl asked eagerly.

"Bailey, we have to be as frugal as possible. We don't know how long we're staying here," Liam replied.

A dark-haired girl walked over to a rather quiet boy. "Jacob, do you want teriyaki jerky or Korean barbecue," she asked, holding up two bags.

"Korean barbecue, I guess," Jacob replied. He and the girl walked into the same aisle as Darien and Jackson. "Do you think we need nuts or dried fruit, Macy? I know we have some food stocked in the shelter, but I'm not sure how long it'll last us. I'm worried we'll run out quickly."

Jackson looked at Darien with a raised eyebrow and mouthed the word "shelter". Darien shook his head and put a finger to his lips.

Macy chewed on her lip as she directed Jacob to the drink refrigerator. "It's not like we're hours away from the town, Jake. We can stock up whenever we run out. I think all that's left for us is to get some Gatorade or something."

Jackson moved closer to Darien. "They have a shelter! And they're all around our age," he whispered excitedly.

Darien shushed him. "Quiet down. We don't even know them."

The group met up again at the counter to pay for their things. Darien pulled his hood down to mask his face, and got in line behind them, Jackson at his side. The group thanked the cashier, then exited the store.

Darien placed a bag of jerky on the counter, pushing his hood back to a normal spot. He handed the cashier the money and quickly left the store.

"So where are we headed now?" Jackson asked.

"We're gonna follow them."

"Who?"

"The group headed to 'the shelter'. If it's a homeless shelter, we'll be able to check in. If it's a different kind of shelter, well, then we'll have a pretty exciting day."