Even 10 years later, Chase only remembered bits and pieces of the night they ran away. He remembered hopping the train to Denver, and flying to Washington, but there was only one time where everything that happened, came clearly. Ben and Chase were waiting for the plane to arrive. It was about 5am, and the plane was due at 7. They were sitting in the waiting dock.

"Why did you finally decide to run away Ben?" Chase asked.

"Because I thought…now don't laugh 'cause this might sound pretty gay…but I just thought about this one girl that was in the police station after you left. Everybody she trusted, treated her like crap…kind of like our families, you know? And I thought man, the only person I really need in life is Chase. Everybody else is just crap. I just got really sick of them, my parents, and your girlfriend. I was going crazy, man. I swear if that son of a bitch hit me one more time…I just couldn't take it anymore, Chase."

Chase had thought he was going to cry all over again. They finally made it to Washington. Chase had brought over $5000 of cash he had stolen from his parents and some cigarettes, and their plane tickets had been cheap. They were in Olympia and the boys decided to catch the train to Seattle.

"I figured we could sit in the last train. The conductor said nobody sits back there, so it'll be good for us to talk privately in." Ben said

He was right. The last train was totally deserted, but everything still looked in good shape. I wonder why nobody goes back here, Chase thought. It's so nice. They sat down and Ben pulled out two Wonka bars he had bought from the train station gift shop.

Unwrapping his chocolate bar, Chase asked, "So um, why are we going to Seattle?"

Ben looked at him suspiciously. "What'd you mean?"

"Well," Chase said. "I mean did you have a special reason that made you want to go there?"

"Nope." Ben said between mouthfuls. "I just thought it would be a nice place to go. Lots of sights to see, stuff like that."

"Oh." Chase said, not believing him at all. "So where are we going to live?"

"Well, you know, a section of this newspaper might help." Ben said sarcastically. "But then, we COULD just live in the sewer. I've heard it's quite nice there!"

"Ha-ha, very funny. Start looking."

Chase and Ben went through the newspaper and finally picked out 5 apartment complexes nearby.

Getting off the train, Ben said, "Let's hit West Avenue first." The apartments there were not really even apartments. They had one room only, and somehow two beds, a kitchen, a toilet, and a sofa all seemed to fit inside it.

"The sewer's looking pretty good right about now." Chase said. "Next please."

The next two apartments were no different; small and cramped. And the next complex was 3 miles away. The boys headed for the bus station.

"So, Chase are you sure that there isn't anything you want to tell me?" Ben asked tentatively.

"I dunno…should there be?"

Ben thought about this. "Nah. I was just wondering. You seemed kind of weirded out when we were looking through the newspaper. I just wanted to know if something was bothering you."

"No. This whole situation is weird though Ben. I never thought we'd get out of that town and if we did, I didn't expect it to be so early on." Chase said. "This is where we get off."

They climbed off the bus and over to the crosswalk. Pressing the crosswalk button Chase said, "There were so many things I hated in Colorado, not just my family." They crossed and opened the door to the complex. "Like Mackenzie Walters." He shuddered. "If I never see her again, I'll be the happiest man alive!" Ben laughed and approached the front desk.

"Hello!" he said. "We're here to see the apartment."

"How old are you!" the secretary exclaimed.

"Eighteen." he lied. "We both are."

"Right. ID please." She said.

Ben pulled out his and Chase's fake ID cards. "SEE."

The woman looked flabbergasted. "Well I…it's room 13B. Second floor."

"THANK you." Ben said as he suppressed a laugh. When they got to the stairs around the corner, he couldn't hold it in any longer. "Oh man did you see her face!" He laughed even harder imagining it in his head.

"Yeah. Hey, but where'd you get those IDs?" Chase asked laughing a little too.

Calming down Ben said, "I've had them forever."

"Mine too?" Chase asked. Ben nodded. "Wow." They walked up the stairs. A girl by the looks of it was coming down them, carrying a full hamper of laundry.

"Excuse me, don't wanna hit you with this." She said.

Ben and Chase moved out of the way. It didn't help much. The girl missed a stair and fell, her clothes flying.

"Don't worry, we'll help." Chase said. He grabbed some clothes and handed them to her. Their eyes met. "Wow." Chase said under his breath. She was beautiful. Her long brown hair curved around her face perfectly, and her eyes were blue and seemed to sparkle.

"Thanks." she said blushing. They stared at each other for a moment more, and then gathered more clothes.

"Well, no introductions here I see!" Ben said sarcastically. The girl giggled. "I'm Ben, and the clown down there is Chase."

"Ben has a problem." Chase said whispering so Ben could hear. "He can never remember that he's the clown." Ben smirked.

"I'm Shelly. I live upstairs in room 12B." she said. "Did you two just move in?"

Chase nodded. "We're room 13B."

"Oh! Well um… if you need anything come over to my room. I think we have a connecting door."

"Well then I'm sure we'll see you soon!" Ben said cheerfully.

"Definitely! Bye Ben." She turned to Chase and blushed. "Bye Chase."

"Uh…bye." He started to walk up the stairs but turned around and said, "Do you wanna come out for pizza with us tonight?"

"Sure!!" she said. Smiling broadly, she turned down the hall and disappeared.

The boys walked up to room 13B. It was huge. The kitchen led into the living room equipped with a TV, stereo, and two nice sofas. The apartment continued into another room with two beds and two dressers. The walls were a faint blue and there was lots of room for posters. And as Shelly had said, there was a locked door in their bedroom which Ben and Chase suspected was the connecting one.

"This is so great. Ben we are definitely moving in." Chase said flopping onto the bed near the window. "Ah, I could get used to this."

"Well now we have to don't we?" Ben said. "You've got the hots for Shelly!"

Chase threw a pillow at him. "Hey, I don't blame you man, she's pretty cute." Ben said laughing and throwing the pillow back. "I'm gonna go downstairs and tell that hag we're staying. Later." He walked out the door locking it behind him.

Chase sighed. This place is great! Great apartment, great friend to share it with…a hot girl next door. Everything I could ever want! And no parents to not care about me anymore. He turned on the TV and heard a door slam in Shelly's apartment. He got up and unlocked the connecting door. He knocked.

"Chase, Ben, you guys can come in!" she yelled.

He opened the door. Shelly was sitting on a stool next to her desk. "Hey." she said.

"Hey, laundry all done?" Chase asked. How gay are you Chase, you're talking about her laundry, he thought.

"Yup! So Chase, where are you guys from exactly?" she asked.

"Uh…Chicago. What about you?" he said, sitting on her bed.

"Florida. It's weird though…you guys don't look too old and most guys living here are in their twenties. I'm only eighteen so…I dunno, I always felt kind of in superior around everyone here." Shelly said.

"Oh…yeah. I would too." Chase heard his door open in his apartment.

"Ok Chase, it's settled. Now let's go out to pizza with the girl you've got the hots for!!!" Ben yelled through the apartment. He walked in. "Oh, am I interrupting?" he laughed.

Chase stood up. "No man, we were just talking." He blushed.

"Sure. So are we going or not?" Ben said. Chase and Shelly followed him out the door and onto the streets of Seattle.