The characters in these stories have lives that are messy and flawed. They are slices cut on a brittle edge, balancing wonder, joy, love and despair. They are the people who live down the street or right next door. Thirteen fictional tales shine a light on the crooked roads, the narrow passages and perhaps the paths not taken. Come take a look through the window and see them for yourself. Leroy's face showed a cheery smile even though he felt terrible inside. The blood from Jake's punch was oozing a bit from the corner of his mouth, but it didn't hurt too much. He licked the blood off with the tip of his tongue, but the smile remained frozen on his face. -"Jake and Leroy Had a Fight" Nobody said anything for a long time. Finally, Mrs. Ordonez called on another girl who talked about how mad she was at her parents. Walking out of the room after group, Mrs. Ordonez put her arm around me and gave me a hug like I was her own kid or something, even though I'm nobody's kid anymore. -"Days For the Rain" Kenny stopped, 'cause he knew I was right. Money and him ain't very good friends. He acted a little ashamed, but I don't know why. He's pretty good at catchin' things, just not in keeping hold of 'em. -"Honey Child" I lost it. Unable to speak any more, I cried like a baby in that busy park on an early autumn evening with every stranger around me staring. I didn't care. My world was crumbling down, and who were they anyway? -"Descending"