Friends Forever

/ ABBY /

The car slowed down as we drove back to the blue house by the river. We took it as a chance to listen to what excuse Shade had to say.

"I stole some money from my parents and ran away from home," she explained to us. I could sense the desperation in her voice. There was also a look of disappointment on her face.

Now it made sense where she got all that money. There was no way someone like Shade, a student without even a job, could pay for all our living expenses. There was no way.

Genebeth gasped and we both went silent.

"Oh my God, Shade," Genebeth muttered, reaching a hand to Shade's shoulder to empathize with her.

"No big deal, I've done it a few times before, they always let me come back," she added, trying to be nonchalant about it but I could sense her worry. "Yeah, you're right. Probably this time, they're going to abandon me. I stole a lot. Like a lot. Enough to sustain my independence, including the bail money I got Adam and Zhask out of prison, and yeah, the money