"Runaway"
"Dustin, Becky, come here!" Jake Brooks called from the bottom of the stairs. 10 year old Dustin Brooks and 7 year old Rebecca Brooks ran down stairs.
"Yes Daddy?" Becky asked.
"Have a seat. Your mom and I need to talk to you." Jake said.
"OK." Dustin said sitting next to his sister on the sofa.
"What's going on?" Becky asked.
"Ok, there is no easy way to say this…sometimes people…grown ups…well sometimes we just can't live together anymore and when that happens it's hard on everyone." Jake started.
"What are you saying?" Dustin asked.
"What your father is trying to say is…he's moving out." Britney Brooks jumped in.
"Daddy no!" Becky cried.
"Are you guys getting a divorce?" Dustin asked.
"Yes Dustin. We think it's the best thing for everyone." Jake said.
"NO!" Becky cried.
"I'm so sorry Becky. Someday you'll understand." Jake said.
"No, Daddy don't leave me. I promise I'll be good. I will keep my room clean and I won't bug Dustin when Tori comes to play. I'll be a very good girl." Becky pleaded.
"Oh Becky…this isn't your fault. This has nothing to do with you. This has to do with your father and I. But this doesn't change how much we love you." Britney said hugging her daughter.
"Your mother is right. We both love you very much. We love both you and your brother and that will never change. And you both are welcome to come see me at my new home whenever you want…you can even come live with me if you want." Jake said.
Britney looked wide-eyed at Jake. She didn't want to lose her children.
"I want to stay with Mommy." Becky said.
"Dustin you're being awfully quiet. Are you ok?" Jake asked.
"I don't wanna live with either of you! I don't have a family anymore. Come on Becky, we don't have parents anymore." Dustin said reaching for his sister.
"I wanna stay with Mommy." Becky said holding her mom's hand.
"Fine. You stay. I'm leaving." Dustin said running out of the house.
"Dustin!" his parents called after him but he had already jumped on his bicycle and ridden off.
Dustin pedaled as fast as his little legs could carry him. After riding around for awhile he stopped in front of his friend Tori's house. He went and rang the doorbell. Tori's mom, April Hanson, opened the door.
"Hi Dustin." April said.
"Hello Ms. Hanson." Dustin said softly.
"Dustin? Are you alright sweetie?" April asked. Dustin never called her "Ms. Hanson". Normally he just called her "Mom" because he was at the Hanson house so much.
"No ma'am…is Tori here?" Dustin asked.
"Yes, in here room. Go on in." April said.
Dustin walked to Tori's door and knocked.
"Come in!" Tori called. Dustin walked in and saw Tori laying on her bed reading a surfing magazine. "Hey Dustin…are you ok?"
"No." Dustin said about to cry.
Tori shut the door and looked at Dustin with worry. "What's the matter?"
"My parents are getting a divorce and my dad is moving out." Dustin said.
"Oh Dustin, I'm so sorry." Tori said hugging her best friend.
"Can I stay here? I don't wanna go home." Dustin said.
"That's fine with me but we need to ask my mom." Tori said.
"OK. Let's ask." Dustin said as he followed Tori out of the room. They found April in the kitchen.
"Mom, can Dustin spend the night? He doesn't want to go home." Tori said.
"Of course. That's fine with me. The guest room is all made up but why don't you want to go home Dustin?" April asked.
"Because my dad is moving out." Dustin said.
"Yeah, his parents are divorcing." Tori said.
"Oh sweetie come here." April said hugging Dustin. To her he was the son she never had and it upset her to see Dustin hurting. "You know you're always welcome to stay here."
"Thank you Mom." Dustin said feeling somewhat better.
"Tori, why don't you go get Dustin settled in the guest room. Emily should be home soon then we're going to eat dinner." April said.
"Ok." Tori said walking with Dustin to the guestroom.
"So how is Becky handling this?" Tori asked as the two friend lay on the bed staring at the ceiling.
"She thinks it's her fault." Dustin said.
"Poor Becky. Does she want to come stay here too?" Tori asked.
"No. She wants to stay with our mom." Dustin said.
"Where is your dad moving to?" Tori asked.
"I don't know exactly. I didn't give him time to tell me." Dustin said.
"Dustin, Tori! Come eat!" April called.
The two kids ran downstairs and sat at the table where Tori's older sister, Emily Hanson, was already sitting.
"Hey Dustin, how are you doing?" Emily asked, taking care to be extra nice since April had already told her about the situation.
"I'll be ok. Thank you for asking." Dustin said softly as he started to eat.
The next few days passed very slowly for Dustin. As each day passed he got more and more depressed and as he got more depressed he started to make himself physically ill. Tori began to get very worried. It was 4:00 and Tori and Dustin had just finished their homework and Dustin had fallen asleep. Tori went to the kitchen, where her mom was preparing dinner.
"Momma? I'm worried about Dustin." Tori said pulling herself up into a sitting position on the counter.
"I know sweetie. I am too but he's going through a lot. He'll snap out of it, just give him some time." April said.
"He seems so sad though." Tori said.
"I know…think about how you felt at cousin Alex's wedding when they had the father/daughter dance and you didn't have anyone to dance with. That sort of how Dustin is feeling." April said.
"Why did Dad walk out?" Tori asked.
"He wasn't ready to have a family. Two daughters and a wife was just too much for him." April said.
"Is that why he never wants to see me?" Tori asked.
"To your father sending money once a month is his way of being a good dad. I know you wish you knew him but sometimes things just don't work out that way. You are lucky though. You have a mother and sister who really love you and a best friend who adores you. Some people don't even have that." April said.
"You're right. I love you Momma." Tori said hugging her mom.
"I love you too baby." April said hugging her daughter.
"I'm gonna go check on Dustin." Tori said running to the guest room. She knocked on the door.
"Yeah?" Dustin asked. She walked in.
"Hey Dustin, feeling any better?" Tori asked.
"Not really." Dustin said.
"I was thinking, even if you don't live with your dad anymore you are still lucky. You have your mom and Becky and my mom and me…you know everything is gonna be ok." Tori said.
"I know…I just hate him so much for leaving us. How can he walk out on his family?" Dustin said as tears of anger flooded his eyes.
"I know Dustin. I never even knew my dad and I hate him for walking out. It's ok to be angry. But at least your dad wants to see you. I've never seen my dad. I've talked to him on the phone and gotten cards with money but that's it." Tori said hugging Dustin.
"Does the hate ever go away?" Dustin asked.
"Not totally but…it does get better and you don't think about it all the time." Tori said.
"Thanks Tor." Dustin said.
"For what?" Tori asked.
"Being my best friend." Dustin said hugging Tori.
After dinner that night Tori and Dustin stayed up late talking and playing and eventually fell asleep next to each other in Tori's room. The next morning marked a week since Dustin rode away from home and with a little coaxing from Britney and April Dustin finally agreed to go home. When he got there Becky ran to him and gave him a big hug.
"Are you going to stay with us Dustin?" Becky asked.
"Yes. I promise I won't leave you again." Dustin said hugging his sister.
"Are you ok Dustin?" Britney asked.
"I think I'll be fine. I'm gonna go play Zelda, call me when dinner is ready." Dustin said walking to his room.