Can't Get There From Here   

             Kids always need someone to lean on. They always say they don't but, they all do. That's why when the person kids thought were their rock starts to crumble, it hits them hard. In the book Can't Get There From Here by Todd Strasser, the main character Maybe has a hard time trusting people because her mother had hurt her.
             Maybe wants to help every single person that she is on the street with. They all have gone through things that many people couldn't imagine. For example the first one up is Tears. Tears is the youngest in the group. She sticks to Maybe like a fly sticks to honey because she's scared of getting hurt. Tears step-dad had abused her and touched her. Tears had a hard time trusting OG, another kid on the street, because he wasn't welcoming and was violent towards people, it reminded her of her father. Ever since then she wouldn't go near OG without Maybe right behind her.
             Next up is  Rainbow. Rainbow has been pretty her entire life, but living on the street it didn't do her any good. She is constantly looked at, touched, and even sold into prostitution for a short period. Rainbow has a hard time trusting guys, and even girls. But of course the only person she does trust is Maybe.
            Finally there is Maybe herself. Maybe's mother had told her to get out after she pressed a hot iron to her back. Maybe always wanted to take care of everyone but she never quite trusted anyone. For example when a social worker finds maybe and her friends in a building their conversation goes like this.
"We want to give you a warm meal and a place to sleep."
"What do you want in return?"
"For what?"
"Giving us food and a place to sleep?"
"Nothing!"
As you can see, Maybe and her friends have a hard time trusting people because they're scared they might get hurt.
             Maybe and her friends have gone through a lot. They learned how to trust each other, but because they all had to work for that trust. When Maybe decided to leave, she knew that her mother was not trustworthy, and for a kid, your mother is who you look up to. Do you think you would have an easy time trusting people if one of your parents abused you? Think about it.