Clay Garrity is 11 years old, and he has never felt so alone in life. Weeks before, his father lost his job and left Clay and his mother, who was pregnant, to fend for themselves. Soon after, they moved into a welfare hotel. They didn't have much, but they did have each other. Now his mother is gone too. And all Clay has to live on is the $28.75 she left under a box of doughnuts. On the 6th day, running out of food and afraid that the welfare people will come and take him away, Clay leaves the apartment and begins to wander the streets of New York City. Clay knows he can't continue to live this way for long. Already his memories of school and the people he cares about are fading. If he leaves the streets he may never see his mother again. But if he stays he may not see tomorrow.
