Every afternoon, Chauncy Jones followed the same routine. The final school bell would ring, and while other students headed home without a second thought, Chauncy took a different path. One that led him past streets lined with things he couldn’t afford… straight to the grocery store at the edge of town.
He never rushed. Not because he had time—but because he needed to prepare himself. By the time he reached the sliding glass doors, he had already run through it in his head a dozen times. What to say. How to say it. How to make it sound like he was offering help… not asking for it.
Because asking felt different. Asking made people uncomfortable. And uncomfortable people said no. Chauncy adjusted the strap of his worn backpack and took his usual spot near the entrance, just far enough not to be in the way, but close enough to catch someone before they walked past.
For a moment, he just stood there. Watching. Waiting. Because today wasn’t like the others. Today, he couldn’t afford to go home empty-handed.