Chapter 17
August 2012
Gabriel hefted his backpack and shifted from foot to foot as they waited outside a strange apartment door. His mother knocked on the door again, this time harder than the first time. Justin slouched against the wall, looking tired.
A twelve-year-old shouldn’t look that tired, Gabriel thought, but he felt just as fatigued. It had been two weeks since they’d come home to their half-duplex apartment and found it padlocked with an eviction notice posted. Luckily, they’d managed to break in through one of the windows and grab some of their clothing before the building manager had chased them off, threatening to call the police if they didn’t leave immediately. Their mother had argued heavily with the man at first, but when he’d raised his fists, she had grabbed both bo
