The spring air was much cooler than what would be expected. Feeling the night breeze, Lee couldn't help but shiver slightly. He crossed his arms -- tucking his hands into his armpits.

"If I had more time, I could've made sure that I was prepared," Lee couldn't help but regret not grabbing either a jacket or a hoodie.

He could hear his stepmother yelling at him that there wasn't any point for him to look with how messy his room was.

Thinking back to his room, it did give the impression of a trash heap with everything piled up. This included plates, to-go boxes, old clothes, and numerous items that would've likely needed to be thrown out because the room hadn't been cleaned in years.

Walking past the houses of his former neighborhood, Lee couldn't help but imagine that they'd agree with how things turned out and that he deserved the treatment he had received.

"If I had known that not cleaning my room and my behavior would cause such an incident...," Lee started to say to himself but stopped. A wave of regret and sadness could be felt. "I wouldn't have changed anything."

Though it was hard to admit it, thinking about how he had placed himself into a situation where no one was there for him to rely on forced him to acknowledge that nothing would've been different.

He looked up at the clear night sky and stared at the stars.

In the past, the stars didn't have much meaning to him. The stars and moon were just things that lit up the night sky, sometimes something he'd look at when waiting for a game to load.

Reaching one of the main roads, there were cars that would occasionally drive past.

Not having felt a desire to explore the area at night, Lee looked at the gas stations, 24-hour convenience stores, and fast-food restaurants and couldn't believe that things were open so late.

"I guess I might as well head to one of those places," Lee thought.

If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

He couldn't help but feel happy at the thought of being inside someplace warm, even for a moment. At the same time, there was a desire to rest after walking for more than a mile.

Now that traffic was greater than in the suburbs, Lee stepped onto the grass next to the main road.

"I should've tried to put more effort into losing some weight," Lee sighed.

Even with how little he had walked, his body dragged due to being tired. It protested, not enjoying what was happening and preferring the comfort of the cushioned computer chair or a bed.

As a car drove past, Lee noticed that the drivers would look at him. Their expressions conveyed confusion.

"I look a little silly -- clearly not dressed for the weather. This is on top of walking so late at night." Lee chuckled sadly to himself.

Now that he didn't have a place to stay, it would become a regular occurrence for people to stare at him.

Lee couldn't help but scratch at his short hair. The accumulated oil made his fingers feel slick and greasy.

Earlier that morning, his stepmother had chastised him for not taking a shower for several days. It wasn't until that moment, with no access to a place to clean himself, that he wished that he had listened.

A wave of shame was felt, knowing that he'd be entering one of the businesses smelling strongly of someone that hadn't bathed for some time.

The closer he approached one of the businesses -- a convenience store -- Lee couldn't help but feel anxious.

He saw a man leaving the store, glancing over at Lee, before entering his truck.

Seeing the man look at him, Lee tried his best to not think that the man was judging him. It was just the natural curiosity people have, especially with Lee looking the way he did walking at night on the side of the road.

Stepping into the parking lot, there was a brief spike in panic. A part of him wanted to run away into the nearby wooded area -- leaving behind civilization.

"C'mon, Lee. You got this." Lee tried to make himself feel better about the situation. "This isn't going to get any better."

Taking a deep breath, Lee made his way toward the lighted interior of the store.

His eyes casually glanced at the posters on the window, advertising various products found inside. One of the posters promoted a drink that was less than a silver coin.

Seeing the sugary drink made Lee's mouth water; his brain made the connection and prepared his body.

Lee would've been drinking soda or other popular sugary energy beverage while gaming if it was a typical night. It was the standard behavior -- practically a ritual.

Laughing at himself, "I imagine drinking that stuff also helped contribute to my current weight." Patting his large belly that barely seemed to be covered by his shirt, "At least me getting kicked out means that I'll be going on that diet that I always said I'd be going on."

Reaching the door, Lee pushed it open.