Page 8 of Escape

For several moments, we sat there in silence. I was still trying to come to grips with what I’d witnessed. I hadn’t expected any of this was happening in Josie’s life. Finally, I said, “I’m sorry if this is insensitive, but I really don’t know what the right thing to say is. Is your dad intentionally trying to starve you, too?”

Josie’s cheeks turned a deep shade of crimson, her embarrassment evident. “I don’t know if that’s his intention or if he merely no longer cares, but he doesn’t keep much in the house, and he won’t pay for me to get lunch at school.”

“How does he eat?”

“He gets himself what he needs, and when he’s feeling generous, I get lucky.”

I felt sick to my stomach thinking about Josie having to return to this man’s care, if it could even be called that. “Why don’t you tell someone?”

She shook her head. “No. No, it’s only going to make it worse. Even if I get taken out of his home, I’ll end up in foster care, and who knows where I’ll wind up. I just want to graduate and start my career. Please, Huck. Please, you have to promise me that you aren’t going to say anything to anybody about what you saw.”

I didn’t think I should be making her that promise. She needed help. She couldn’t stay where she was.

And what if what she said was true? What if she wound up in the foster care system and had to move to a new school?

She’d hate me.

I didn’t want to do it, but I thought if Josie needed anything, she needed a friend. She needed someone she could trust.

“I promise.”

Relief swept through her, and she slumped back in her seat.

Our food was brought out to us, and for the next several minutes, we simply ate together. Sure, my mom had packed lunches for the both of us, but I decided I’d send that home with Josie instead.

“So, what is it you want to do?” I asked.

“What do you mean?”

“You said you want to start your career after you graduate. Do you know what you want to be?”

Nodding, she confirmed, “I do. I want to become an obstetric sonographer.”

“What?”

“Remember how I said my mom died because someone missed something when doing her ultrasounds?”

“Yes.”

“Well, I want to do my part to make sure that what happened to my family doesn’t happen to another family,” she explained. A beat later, she asked, “What about you? Do you know what you want to do with yourself after you graduate?”

I dipped my chin. “I want to enlist in the military.”

Surprise washed over her. “Really? What made you decide to do that?”

“My dad.” Josie’s expression changed, but I couldn’t quite read the look on her face, so I added, “My dad was a Marine, and I want to follow in his footsteps.”

“What does he do now?”

“He died two years ago.”

“Oh, God. I’m so sorry. What happened?”

I sighed. “He was a firefighter, and he battled in a blaze that consumed a warehouse that handled plastics. It burned for hours and fire companies from all over the county came to assist. In the end, three firefighters lost their lives, and my dad was one of them.”

“I can’t imagine how difficult that must have been for you.”

“And I can’t imagine how difficult every day must be for you.”