Adrift Summary and Analysis

The bicycle becomes an important part of David's life. He rides up and down the street and to the nearby play park. David says that he often saw younger children there but was never able to work up the courage to talk to them. It's during this time that Larry Junior is picking on another of the foster children, Chris. David stands up to him and the two begin to wrestle. Though Larry is bigger and quickly gets David down, David refuses to give in, earning at least some measure of respect. Chris has cerebral palsy and says being different is sufficient reason for someone to pick on him. David sees a fear in Chris's eyes and wants to know why it's there. He discovers that Chris, at age seventeen, has less than a year remaining in foster care before he'll...