Still, it was nice to be able to walk in privacy and peace and look up at the stars without worrying. Nobody was paying any attention to him. Not here. He felt free under this sky, the cool breeze only adding to the crisp picture above.

As he walked, he heard the flap from his shoe, the same one that kept tearing apart. Superglue didn’t really work on soles. Then again, most people would be surprised what could work if you really tried things out.

The jean jacket he wore didn’t really keep him warm, even though it sure was tight. He knew this was the last winter it would fit, unless he starved himself. It was tight across the shoulder and arms, and it wasn’t because he was pumping iron at the gym.

Thomas wondered what it would be like not to have to think about such things. The flapping tongue of his basketball shoes, the hugging grip of his favorite denim coat. He saw kids every day who played with expensive things without thought. They didn’t think about the shoes or the clothes they wore. They didn’t wonder about whether they’d eat supper or about the job after school or the rent for this month. They wondered what new apps they could download on their new iPod or iPhone. They checked which movie they’d see even though they’d probably be bored with it as they ate popcorn and drinks that cost as much as he could make working that same amount of time.

Now he had something new to worry about: figuring out a way to support Mom and Sara.

If only he could figure something out. But it was eleven o’clock now. It always seemed like now was not on his side. Later might be a best buddy, but now was an enemy.

He thought stuff like this a lot, but he didn’t get angry when he did. His father angered him, or some of the guys at school, or even the fact that the three of them had to move out here in the first place. But he hated pity, especially self-pity. He was healthy and he was relatively smart and he knew that with time and luck he might be able to get out of this place. Not just this exact address—well, yeah, that too—but this place in life.

For a while he thought about Mom’s news. This only made him more determined to find a job and contribute. It was good too, because it made the stuff at school seem stupid and silly. Which it really was anyway. He wanted to help out his mom. He wanted to help Sara cheer up. She didn’t know how to cope with what was going on, so she went from being mopey to being irritating.

I need to help them out.

He thought about checking back in at the grocery store, using some determination. Maybe that would show the manager he had what it took. He would ask the Parkers about whether he could do any extra work at their house. He might even ask the Sinclairs if there was extra work around the farm.