4. Friends

After another abysmal day of kitchen and bathroom duty, Joey was suddenly hit with a startling realization—he hadn't checked on Adam. The last time he saw him was when they split up in the forest, each running in different directions to avoid the cops. Joey had no idea if Adam had made it home safely or if he'd gotten caught.

Panic flickered through him. He figured he could call Adam's house, but there was one big problem—he didn't know the number. Neither he nor Adam owned a cell phone. Not that Joey would have been allowed one anyway.

That left only one option: going to Adam's house. But that came with two major issues.

One—his ankle was in no condition for the trek. Even if he took it slow, the idea of walking all the way to Adam's house on a sprained ankle made his stomach turn.

Two—Mr. Marks was watching him like a hawk. Every time they passed each other, Marks gave Joey a look that made it clear he was just waiting for an excuse to pounce. The man had already made his feelings about Joey known, and after the stunt with the police, Joey wasn't eager to push his luck.

Frustrated but determined, Joey decided his best bet was to ask Ms. Kwan for help.

He found her in her office, busy with paperwork. Joey tried to act casual, leaning against the doorframe like he just happened to be passing by, but Ms. Kwan saw right through him immediately. She didn't even look up as she said, "If you're here to sweet-talk your way out of punishment, save your breath."

Joey cleared his throat. "Uh, I was just wondering... do you know if Adam's sick?"

That got Ms. Kwan's attention. She finally looked up, eyebrows raising slightly. "Sick?"

Joey shrugged, trying to look concerned. "I heard he wasn't feeling well."

Technically not a lie. He didn't know if Adam was feeling well or not, so it wasn't wrong to ask.

Ms. Kwan studied him for a long moment, and Joey shifted under her gaze. He didn't like lying to her. She was the only adult in this place who actually looked out for him, and he hated deceiving her. But she didn't know about Adam's involvement in the police chase, and Joey planned to keep it that way.

"Did you try calling his house?" she asked.

"I don't know the number," he started. "Maybe I could get a ride to his house..."

Ms. Kwan sighed. "Joey, you know you're on punishment. That means you can't leave unless it's for school."

Joey's heart sank, but he nodded. He expected that answer, but hearing it still sucked.

"I'm sure Adam's fine," Ms. Kwan reassured him. "You'll see him tomorrow at school."

Joey tried to mask his disappointment, but Ms. Kwan saw right through it. Even though she was firm, she was fair, and she understood the weight of punishments. They came at a price.

As Joey turned to limp out of the room, Ms. Kwan called after him. "And stay off that ankle, Joey!"

"Yes, ma'am," he grumbled.

It looked like he'd just have to wait until tomorrow to check on Adam.

As Joey walked away from Ms. Kwan's office, he noted that the pain in his ankle wasn't as bad, though the swelling still persisted. He was rounding a corner when he suddenly collided with someone. The impact sent him stumbling backward, and before he could regain his balance, he toppled to the ground.

Looking up, Joey saw a tall, wiry teen—probably thirteen or fourteen—standing over him. The kid had shaggy dark brown hair, sharp green eyes, and a lean but surprisingly strong build. He looked like the type of kid who had lived in a dozen different places and never fully settled anywhere.

"Whoa—sorry about that!" the older boy said, quickly offering a hand to help Joey up.

Joey grunted as he took the hand and was pulled to his feet. "Man, you're strong."

The older kid smirked. "I practice rock climbing and parkour when I get the chance. Helps build a lot of strength."

Joey's eyes widened. "Wait, for real? Like... actual parkour? Off buildings and stuff?"

Andrew chuckled. "Yeah, sometimes."

Joey lit up, suddenly very interested. This kid had to be the coolest person at Mauna Vista, and he had just magically bumped into him.

"I'm Joey, by the way," he said quickly.

"Andrew. Just got here today."

Joey tilted his head, noting Andrew's accent. "You don't sound like you're from here. Where you from?"

Andrew hesitated before answering. "Arizona, mostly. Grew up there until my parents passed. Then I moved in with my aunt in Ewa Beach until she passed too. After that, it was foster care—bounced around a lot. Just got sent here."

Joey's excitement dimmed slightly. He knew better than anyone what it was like to bounce from place to place, never really belonging anywhere. "That sucks," he muttered.

Andrew shrugged like it didn't bother him. "It's whatever."

He glanced down at Joey's ankle. "What happened?"

Joey grinned. "Police chase."

Andrew gave him an amused look. "Seriously?"

"Yup."

Andrew laughed, shaking his head. "Okay, man."

Joey was about to start bombarding Andrew with questions about rock climbing and parkour when Andrew interrupted him. "Hey, you mind helping me move my stuff into my room? My bag's kinda heavy, but I don't want you messing up that ankle more."

Joey waved him off. "I'm fine. Seriously. I've been limping all day anyway, might as well do something useful."

Andrew still looked wary, but after a moment, he nodded. "Alright, if you say so."

Joey, still caught up in the excitement of meeting the coolest kid ever, immediately agreed. "Yeah, no problem."

Surprisingly, Andrew didn't have a lot of things to unpack, almost as if he didn't expect to stick around too long. Joey figured it came from Andrew moving around so often. While carrying boxes, Joey quickly learned that although the pain in his ankle had lessened, it still flared up when he moved around too much. Andrew noticed and told him to take it easy as he finished unpacking himself.

Joey plopped down on a futon that Andrew placed under his window, watching as the older boy organized his things. The two continued to chat, getting to know each other. Joey learned that Andrew was a big Phoenix Suns fan and didn't care much for sweets. By the time Andrew unpacked his last box, the two felt like old friends.

Andrew settled on his bed, pulling a vape from his pocket and taking a slow pull. A large plume projected from his lips as Joey watched in amazement. A lot of the teens in the home vaped, but there was something about Andrew that made it seem like he actually earned the right to do it. Andrew casually offered the vape, but Joey declined, to which Andrew nodded approvingly. "Smart."

After a moment, Andrew brought up the police chase Joey had mentioned earlier. "So how'd that actually go down? You said you ran, but what happened to your ankle?"

Joey, always one to enjoy telling a good story, leaned back against the futon and recounted everything—running out of the gas station, hopping the fence, and landing horribly. Andrew's reaction was unreadable, but he nodded along as Joey talked.

"Why were the cops after you in the first place?" Andrew finally asked.

Joey smirked. "Me and my friend Adam were setting off fireworks in the forest. Guess someone called the cops, and next thing we know, we're getting ambushed. We split up and I kept going until I saw the gas station. Must've been running for half an hour."

Andrew's expression shifted, a flicker of delight crossing his face. "And you just slipped inside without anyone noticing?"

Joey grinned. "Blended in with a family walking in. Didn't even look twice at me."

Andrew nodded slowly, tapping his fingers against his knee. "Huh."

Joey raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"Nothing," Andrew said smoothly, but there was something thoughtful in his expression. "Just… that's good thinking."

"What happened to Adam?" Andrew asked after a pause.

Joey's grin faded slightly. "I don't know. I haven't been able to check on him 'cause I'm stuck here on punishment."

Andrew took another long pull from his vape, his expression turning a bit serious. He exhaled a thick cloud before speaking. "Go under the futon. There's a shoebox."

Joey furrowed his brows but did as he was told. Inside the shoebox was a set of keys with a Honda keychain.

He looked up at Andrew, confused. "What are these for?"

Andrew stood up, stretching his arms above his head. "We've got a friend to go check on."

Joey blinked. Then a slow grin spread across his face.

Joey followed Andrew through the hallway. It was late enough that most of the staff were holed up in their offices or already home for the night. A few kids lounged in the rec room, but no one paid them much attention.

Andrew led him down the back stairwell and out the side door into the warm night air. The sky was inky black, streetlights casting long shadows against the brick walls. The two boys moved quickly, sticking close to the edge of the building as Andrew guided them toward a chain-link fence bordering the back alley.

Joey frowned. "Uh, we're not seriously hopping that, are we?"

Andrew smirked as he reached down and effortlessly scaled the fence, his feet landing silently on the other side. He turned back to Joey, lifting an eyebrow. "You tell me."

Joey groaned, reaching for the metal links. He was halfway up when his ankle flared in protest. "Ow, crap."

"Yeah, maybe don't break yourself again," Andrew muttered, grabbing Joey's arm and hauling him over the top. Joey let out a yelp as he landed not-so-silently in a pile of gravel.

Andrew sighed. "Smooth."

Joey scrambled up, brushing dirt off his pants and noting that his ankle didn't any worse than before. "Next time, I'm doing that way cooler."

Andrew just grinned and kept walking. He led Joey a little further down the alley before stopping in front of an old storage shed tucked behind the neighboring apartment complex. Joey watched as Andrew knelt beside a tarp-covered shape and yanked it free, revealing a sleek Honda CRF250L dirt bike beneath.

Joey's jaw dropped. "You have a freaking motorcycle?!"

Andrew chuckled. "Technically, it's not mine."

Joey hesitated. "...So you stole it?"

"Borrowed." Andrew swung a leg over the seat, rolling his shoulders. "Besides, the guy I got it from isn't using it anymore."

Joey wasn't sure he wanted to ask what that meant. But he also realized that he wasn't in any position to judge.

"So where does Adam live?" Andrew asked.

"Kawailani Estates," Joey said. "Couple miles from here."

Andrew kicked the ignition, and the bike roared to life, the sound echoing off the alley walls. Joey's heart pounded. He'd never ridden on a motorcycle before—only seen them in action movies and video games.

Andrew gestured for him to hop on. "Let's go."

Joey hesitated. "Uh, do I get a helmet?"

Andrew just smirked. "Don't fall off."

Joey gulped, climbing onto the back. The bike shifted beneath him, and suddenly he realized he had no clue where to hold on.

Andrew glanced over his shoulder. "Dude. Grab my waist."

Joey's face burned. "That's weird."

Andrew rolled his eyes. "It's that or the pavement."

Reluctantly, Joey wrapped his arms around Andrew's waist. "If we crash, I'm gonna haunt you."

Andrew grinned. "Then hold on tight."

And just like that, they shot forward.

Joey barely had time to process before the night blurred around him. The wind tore through his hair, the city lights streaking past as Andrew weaved through the empty backstreets. Every bump, every sharp turn made Joey's stomach lurch, but at the same time—this was the most alive he'd ever felt.

Andrew took a sharp turn, hopping the curb onto a narrow side street. Joey's grip tightened instinctively. "Dude—DUDE—"

"Relax," Andrew called over the wind. "I know what I'm doing."

They sped through the residential district, cutting through alleys and side roads Joey had never even noticed before. Andrew moved like someone who had studied the city's layout for years. It wasn't just that he was fast—he was calculated.

Joey's heart pounded as they finally approached Adam's neighborhood. It was quiet, the streetlights buzzing overhead. Andrew slowed the bike to a stop a few houses away, killing the engine.

Joey exhaled, his legs shaky as he slid off the bike. "Okay. I take back everything. That was—insane."

Andrew smirked, swinging off the seat. "Told you."

Joey turned his gaze toward Adam's house. There were a few lights on, but his mom's car wasn't in the driveway.

Joey pointed toward one of the back windows on the second floor. "That's his room. His sister's probably home so we can't go to the front door. How should we do this?"

Andrew didn't answer right away. Instead, he studied the two-story house, his green eyes flicking over the structure like he was mapping it out in his head.

Then, with a smirk, he simply said, "Watch and learn."

Before Joey could react, Andrew took off running.

Joey's mouth fell open as Andrew jumped onto a dumpster, sprang off the side, and grabbed onto the house moulding like it was nothing.

"Dude, what—?"

Andrew swung himself up, his feet finding grip against the side of the house as he scaled the drainpipe. Within seconds, he reached the second-floor window, crouching on the narrow ledge.

Joey couldn't believe what he was seeing.

He watched as Andrew peered through the window, tapping on the glass. A few seconds passed before a figure appeared.

Joey tensed. Was it Adam? Or was he about to see Andrew get decked by Adam's sister?

A second later, the window slid open, and Adam's confused face appeared.

"Dude." Adam squinted. "What the hell are you doing on my window?"

Andrew grinned, gesturing down toward Joey. "Checking in."

Joey burst out laughing as Adam's bewildered gaze shifted to him. This was officially the greatest night of his life.