Chris wasn't the most popular guy in school. In fact, he wasn't popular at all. He tended to stick to himself and not get involved in social activities. It wasn't that no one had tried to friend him, a few had. For some reason unknown to his peers, he just wouldn't give them the time of day.




Only in eleventh grade, Chris was one of the taller kids, peaking at six foot two. He strode through the school in a confident, yet intimidating way, not once looking at anyone. It seemed as if he saw through everybody, like they weren't even there. He never raised his hand during class and only spoke when spoken to. To an outsider, he came off as weird, distant and sometimes rude. But if anyone ever bothered to get to know him, which no one did, they'd see he was just misunderstood and hurting deeply.



His mother was in the hospital with cancer. Everyday it got a little worse and everyday, Chris broke a little more. His dad wasn't in the picture, having left before ever seeing his son, and so if his mother happened to pass, Chris would be alone. That frightened him.



One day after school Chris was walking to the hospital. He had decided to take the long route, figuring his mother would still be asleep since she had undergone her third round of chemo earlier this morning. The walk took about forty-five minutes and in an effort to not worry about how the chemo could have gone wrong, Chris thought about the hard per-calculus test he would be taking tomorrow. Grades were very important to him as he feared if he did poorly, it would disappoint his mother and all he wanted was for her to be happy and well.


At around 3:30 Chris arrived at the hospital. The way to his mothers room was so familiar, he didn't bother with asking a nurse. With each step he quickened his pace. Something didn't seem right. It was as if he could feel something was terribly wrong.


When he reached her room a doctor and a nurse were leaning over his mother with distressed faces. They spoke in concerned voices but Chris heard nothing of what they were saying. All he heard was the sound of a faint beep that got slower and slower by the second. The noise brought tears to his eyes and before he knew what was happening, a nurse was holding him back as he screamed and bawled. He struggled to get out of her grip but his efforts were useless. The beeping continued to slow down. Only when it stopped completely did the nurse let go and by that time it was too late. He rushed to his mothers side and held onto her pale, lifeless hand, desperately hoping for the noise of her heartbeat to start up again. It didn't.


Chris's mother died September 21th, 2011.

- - -


Just an hour later, a young boy is sitting alone in a bus station. His eyes are red like he was just crying but now he shows absolutely no emotion whatsoever. A black backpack is slung lazily over his shoulder replete with enough clothing to last him for a while. He carries all the money he's saved up from holidays, the few babysitting jobs he managed to land and what he earned working at the local pizzeria. All together he has almost $600. He knew it wasn't much, but this had been a spur of the moment decision. As the bus drives into the station, he hesitates.


A voice in the back of his head tells him he's making a mistake. The boy has no idea how long he will be gone or even where he is going for that matter. The only thing he knew for certain, is he would not end up in foster care. So with that in mind, Chris DeLayne boards the bus, determined to leave the state of Maryland and all the awful memories behind.