Shunned Homeless Man Hears Screams from Burning School and Rushes Inside — Story of the Day

One day, Steve and his dog were walking near the local prep school when they saw a huge commotion. It was a massive fire. Some kids and teachers had evacuated, but Steve didn’t see a particular child in the crowd, so he moved closer to the burning building. That’s when he heard the screams and rushed inside, shocking the parents who used to hate him.

Steve and his dog, Rocky, lived under the Third Avenue Bridge in New York City near a local prep school called The King’s Academy. Sometimes, he walked through that area, and a few parents gave him their spare cash.

Generally, he avoided that area because most people looked at him in disdain. The kids at the school all came from wealthy families, save for a few who were scholarship kids, and most of them were taught not to talk to strangers like him.

Steve fell in with the wrong crowd during his high school days, and it all went downhill from there. It had been decades since he had a real place to call home.

But he lived alright and wasn’t alone, thanks to Rocky. The only downside about his pet was that most shelters rejected the presence of a dog, and the New York City winters were bitter. But Steve thought they were doing fine.

One day, he was sitting on a bench on Each One Teach One playground when a boy in a school uniform approached them. The boy said his name was Brian Davies, and he asked to play with Rocky. Steve gladly agreed and let the boy use one of Rocky’s toys that someone had donated. They started playing fetch while Steve watched.

Since that day, the boy kept dropping in on Steve and Rocky after school. He even brought food for them. However, Steve was concerned that Brian’s parents wouldn’t want him socializing with them, so he asked the boy why he wasn’t back home hanging out with his friends.

“I don’t have any friends, mister. Everyone bullies me at school, and no one ever invites me to hang out,” Brian replied.

“You’re 12 or 13, right?”

“Well, why don’t your parents sign you up for soccer or something? You can always make friends that way,” Steve suggested.