Stupefaction

I was currently driving to an unknown location, Alan in the passengers seat giving me directions. We were stopping at Alan's apartment to pick up the last of his stuff, this would signal him officially moving in with us.

I knew this might not turn out well, but what else could I do? There was no way I could leave the kid alone, he needed me.

I couldn't shake the scene from this morning out of my head. I'd offered Alan breakfast and he'd agreed, but as soon as he started eating I could tell how uncomfortable he was. At first I just shrugged it off, but the minute he threw up I started to get worried. Did he have an eating disorder or was he just sick? I couldn't tell, but judging by how skinny he was I had my suspicions. I guess I'd just have to watch him closely and see.

It had honestly shocked me when Alan said he lived alone, I wanted to ask more about it but I didn't want to intrude. Were his parents dead or just out of the picture? I was extremely curious but I didn't know him well enough to know his boundaries. If I asked I was afraid he'd blow up at me.

I'd learned that Alan lived in an apartment about ten minutes away from Shay and I's house, which meant we were almost there. As I continued to drive I spotted several apartment buildings scattered around, so I knew it must be close.

"Just point out which one it is when we get there." I instructed, earning a shy nod from Alan. Finally, a minute or two later he spoke up.

"Its that one." He practically whispered, pointing to a shoddy looking building to my left. I chose not to say anything, turning into the entrance for the place. If I was being honest, I'd say this building was the worst looking of all the ones we'd passed. I wasn't judging though, he was in high school so he obviously wouldn't be able to pay for something better. Come to think of it, I didn't think he even had a job.

"How do you pay for this?" I blurted out as we got out of the car. I immediately regretted it, knowing I shouldn't have asked. Dammit, Austin.

"Um..my parents give me a check every month, as long as they don't have to see me.." He trailed off, biting his lip. I frowned at that, figuring I'd have time to ask him about it later.

When we got inside we found out the elevator was broken, meaning we had to use the stairs. I didn't mind it, but the higher we got up, the more exhausted Alan seemed to be getting. His breathing was heavy and ever so often his body would sway as he went up the neck step, and I couldn't help but be extremely worried. I followed closely behind him on the stairs, keeping an eye on him.

I was relieved when we finally got to his floor, and by the looks of it Alan was too. I really needed to figure out what else was wrong with him so I could help. I had my suspicions though..

Once we got up to his room I immediately helped grab his stuff, which turned out to not be much. I was honestly shocked that he could live like this. His apartment was frankly terrible looking, and I didn't think half of the appliances worked. The paint on his wall was peeling and the lights flickered on and off above me; there were holes in his walls and the place smelled terrible. I was guessing his parents didn't give him much money.

It was then that I knew taking him in was the right choice. There was no way I could leave him to live in a place like this. I couldn't help but wonder how many kids out there were forced to live like this.

I watched as Alan grabbed his clothes and shoved them in a bag. Like I said before, he barely had anything which I decided would need to change. I was just so shocked that a parent could let their kid live like this.

Just when I thought things couldn't get worse I went inside the bathroom, only to be greeted by various red and pink stains lining the sink and floor. I felt sick to my stomach. I wasn't stupid enough to think it was a kool aid stain. I needed to help this kid, no matter what it took.

Once Alan finally had everything, which didn't take long, we headed back down the stairs. When we got to the top of the staircase I stopped, knowing how increasingly tired Alan was starting to look.

I bit my lip and made a split second decision, grabbing Alan's bag from his hands before he could protest, eating a strange look from him.

"Wait here." I ordered him, before running down with his things and putting them in my car. I tried to be as quick as possible, not wanting to leave him alone for too long.

Once I finally got back up the stairs Alan was thankfully still standing there, asking me what was going on. I chose not to answer, but rather scooped him up in my arms and carried him down the stairs. He looked shocked but didn't protest, simply grabbing onto my neck as I carried him down the rest of the staircase.

"Thanks." He whispered once we got to my car and I finally set him down, allowing him to get inside the car. I nodded and smiled at him, causing his cheeks to redden.

In no time were were cruising down the highway to get back to the house. I knew taking care of him wouldn't be easy. Hell, after what I'd seen yesterday I didn't think things could get much worse. I knew this would be a challenge but it was one I was willing to take on. Something inside me was telling me I needed to help this kid, so that's exactly what I'd do.