I'm under the beating hot sun dripping with sweat; I'm dizzy and dehydrated.

"Just a little bit further," I think to myself as I drag my feet on the burning sidewalk. "Just come on, you can make it." All of a sudden I collapse into darkness.

I open my eyes and the first thing I see is the color brown. My eyesight clears up a little more and it's a man. A man with light brown hair and brown eyes staring at me.

"Youre awake," He says smiling, flashing his white teeth.

"Where am I?" I ask him sitting up from a bed.

"In my home," He says.

"How did I get here?"

"I found you on the side of the road during my morning jog, then I picked you up and took you here."

"Listen, I have to get going," I say urgently trying to get out of the bed.

"Not so fast," He stops me by putting out a hand in front of me. "You have a fever, you must rest for at least a few days." Before I can protest a woman walks in the room. She has midnight black hair like me and piercing blue eyes.

"Well look who's awake," The woman says. I blink and stare at her.

"This is Crystal," The man says. "She's in her last year of college studying to be a doctor and also she's my sister-in-law."

"Nice to meet you," Crystal says. "You sure got lucky because if it weren't for Ryan, you would have been severely dehydrated by now, speaking of dehydration I need to get you some water." She quickly runs out of the room again and the door shuts behind her. The man who I assume is Ryan turns to me.

"I don't think I've learned your name yet," He says.

"Why do you need it?" I ask him while glaring him down.

"Just to know the name of the girl I've saved,"

"You didn't save me, you just got me into more trouble." I said.

"How so?" He asks and I remain silent. "Are you a runaway?" I turn my head away. "You are a runaway! What happened,"

"Why should I tell you?" I ask him getting defensive. "Your just going to tell the cops and there going to bring me home,"

"Well, first of all, my cousins boyfriend who also lives here is working for a criminal society called the "Robin Hood Foundation" where they steal from the rich and give to the poor, so we have to keep away all contact with the cops whatsoever," Ryan says to me. "Second of all, I just told you a secret now you tell me one,"

"How do I know if it's true?" I ask trying to get on his nerves.

"Just trust me," He says and something tells me in his eyes he's not lying.

"Okay," I say taking in a deep breath, "My parents died when I was one in a plane crash, leaving me an orphan, however my grandparents took me in after that. But then they died in a shooting where they worked a few weeks ago. I'm only sixteen so I would have definitely been put in foster care right away. I heard stories from other kids saying how horrible life was in foster care. So right when I heard the news I packed a few of my things and ran away." Just before Ryan could say anything Crystal comes back into the room with an ice cold glass of water. The water drips from the cup as she hands the glass to me and I gulp it down as the cold burns my dry throat.

"Don't drink too fast," Crystal warns me. I slow down my drinking and I manage to drink the whole thing in a minute.

"Sorry for just gulping it down like that," I apologize.

"It's okay, what's your name sweetie?" Crystal asks me.

"Ocean," I tell her my real name.

"What a pretty name," Crystal admires.

"Thank you,"

"How old are you?" She asks.

"Sixteen,"

"When's your birthday?"

"April 4th"

"How did you end up passed out on the sidewalk?" I tell her the story I told Ryan and she seems sad at the end. "Ocean, I am so sorry you had to go through that, you can stay with us and we'll take care of you,"

"How do I know your not all rapists," I squint.

"Well the only criminal here is Eduardo, who is part of the Robin Hood Foundation which in my opinion is actually a good cause and Ryan's a musician, I have a two year old son with my husband who is also a musician, and his and Ryan's cousin Madison is a musician too." She finishes. "So basically its just musicians and beneficial people with a toddler all living under one roof."

"Why do you all live together?" I ask in the least rude way possible.

"Were family, we stick together," Ryan says. I found that kind of cute but I still might not want to…"Just stay for at least one week," Ryan starts. "And if you don't like us we'll let you go."

"Fine," I say. "I'll stay for a week," Ryan and Crystal smile and I sink back into the bed.

"Whose bed is this?" I ask.

"Mine," Ryan says. "Hope that doesn't bother you,"

"It doesn't," I tell him. Someone knocks on the door which makes me jump.

"Come in," Ryan says. A red headed guy about Crystal's age comes in with a toddler by his side.

"I heard voices and Desmond woke up from his nap." He says to Crystal and then he looks at me. "Oh, your awake."

"She be staying with us for at least a week," Crystal tells him picking up who I assume is Desmond. "Just so we can bring her back to health and look after her."

"Sounds like a plan," He says smiling. He extends out his hand to me and I take it.

"Ian," he shakes my hand.

"Ocean," I say shaking it. We let go of hands and then I look around. "What time is it?" Ryan reaches into his pocket and pulls out his phone and turns it on.

"Three thirty," He tells me. "You should get some more rest,"

"Okay," I agree. He smiles at me and walks out of the room with Ian. Then Crystal turns to her son who looks a lot like her.

"Come on Desmond let's let Ocean sleep," She puts him down and holds his hand while he walks with her. Desmond turns to me and I smile at him and he smiles a cute pudgy smile right back at me then turns back around right away. The door closes and I sit back in the bed and shut my eyes. Something about Ryan stands out from the others in a good way, but I don't know what it is.

I sit up and I look out of the window. The sky has became more of an orange color since I fell asleep. I crawl out of the bed and make my way to the door, I turn the knob and it opens. I stand where I am for a minute but then decide to take a bold move and go down the stairs. I hear someone chopping something on a cutting board. I walk down the hallway and peer into the kitchen. Crystal is there chopping lettuce and Desmond is on the kitchen floor playing with a miniature fire truck.

"Hey Ocean," Crystal smiles. "Ryan's out grilling hot dogs outside, you could go talk to him if you want." I smile and make my way out the screen door. Ryan turns around and when he sees me he smiles. A blush creeps up me and I smile.

"Hey," I walk over to the grill next to Ryan who changed his outfit into a band t-shirt.

"Hey," Ryan turns over the hot dogs on the grill. "I didn't know if you wanted one or two hot dogs so I decided two."

"Thanks," I said suddenly realizing that I'm hungry. "Hey can I ask you something?"

"Sure, anything."

"How old are you?"

"Twenty-two," He turns to me. "Now can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"How far did you make it to here, which is South Carolina?"

"I ran from Maryland."

"Wow, you made it pretty far."

"I'm surprised that I even made it a few weeks,"

"Yeah, you might want to check your hair." Ryan chuckles. I realize what a mess my hair must be and my face turns redder. Ryan notices my embarrassment and nods his head to the door. "Bathrooms next to the kitchen." He smiles. I walk past Crystal and Desmond and open the bathroom door. I look in the mirror and my hair is super messy. Tangles are every where and it would take me forever to brush it. I guess I'll have to take a shower after dinner. I step out of the bathroom and Crystal is stirring up the salad.

"Need any help?" I ask.

"Oh thats sweet of you Ocean," Crystal says. "Why don't you take these plates and set the table." I take the plates on the countertops and place each plate on the table carefully. Then I take some napkins and silverware that Crystal also set out for me and placed them along with the plates. Crystal takes the finished bowl of salad and at the same time Ryan comes in with the hot dogs. Crystal also adds some condiments and places them on the table next to the hot dogs.

"Dinners ready!" She calls to the upstairs. She places Desmond in his booster seat and cuts up a hot dog for him as Ian quickly comes down the stairs wearing a more formal jacket. A girl walks down the stairs in heels and a tight, low cut black sequined dress with her hair in a high sleek ponytail with her makeup all done up. Along side comes another guy and he looks like he just got out of the shower and he's wearing a black t-shirt and black jeans.

"Ocean, this is Madison and Eduardo, guys Ocean's going to be staying with us for at least a week." Ryan says. Ian, Madison, and Eduardo take their seats at the table.

"Cool," Madison smiles breaking the ice.

"Nice to meet you Ocean," Eduardo says.

"Nice to meet you too," I smile.

"Ryan, we have fifteen minutes to eat dinner and get the show on the road if we want to make it to our gig at the Water Hole tonight," Madison says taking salad and putting it on her plate. Ryan nods and bites into his hot dog. "Ian where's your drum kit?"

"In the back of the van," Ian nods his head towards the outdoors.

"Perfect," Madison says.

"So who's who in the band?" I ask.

"Ian's the drummer, Ryan's the lead guitarist and I'm the lead singer," Madison tells me. "Did you play any instrument's back home Ocean?"

"No I couldn't play any instruments to save my life," I admit.

"Well I bet Ryan could teach you how to play guitar or something."

"Yeah I think I could teach you a song or two," Ryan speaks up.

"I'd like that," I reply. Ryan smiles at me and returns to his food. A couple of minutes later, Madison gets up.

"Alright band," She claps her hands together. "Lets go." Ryan and Ian follow her and I watch them leave out the door.

"Ocean, if you want to take a shower then the showers upstairs on the right." Crystal points upstairs.

"Okay," I get up from my chair.

"I'll lay some clothes out for you in Ryan's room okay?"she says.

"Okay," I nod. I go upstairs and find the bathroom easily and luckily I can figure out the shower controls. I strip out of my shorts and t-shirts and hop in the hot water. Since it's been two weeks since I showered, this feels like heaven. I scrub the dirt out of my hair and the rest of my body. After about ten minutes in the shower I step out and turn the shower off. I look at myself in the mirror and realize I lost a lot of weight. I'm probably ten pounds underweight now. I grab a towel and wrap it around me and I go through the hallway and into Ryan's room. Crystal laid out a crisp button down, a tank top,some underwear and some shorts. I put them on and I go back into the bathroom and brush my hair. I have never felt this clean in my life. Crystal comes upstairs with Desmond and looks at me.

"My clothes are pretty big on you," She balances Desmond on her hip like Ian did earlier. "We'll have to go to the store and get you clothes that fit tomorrow.

"Oh, no you don't have to do that," I say.

"It's okay, I like shopping anyway." she says going to the nursery. "You can go downstairs if you want, its only six o'clock."

"Sure," I say going downstairs.