write me a short story about the inner thoughts of a troubled youth in an inner city environment as he finds refuge from his arguing parents
He sat on the fire escape, watching as his breaths puffed out in small clouds into the cold December night, following the corners and edges of each wispy tendril as they faded away. He sighed. This was his quiet place, out here, on the fire escape. He pulled his knees into his chest, huddling into himself for warmth. Despite the chill, he had no intention of climbing back through the window into his bedroom for a good while. His dad had just got home from work, and as usual, had started a fight with his mom the second he got home. The screaming matches were like clockwork, and he wondered how his parents even had the energy for it. The topics were always the same. Same arguments, same insults, same dialogue. If he didn't know any better, he might've even said the routine was familiar and comforting in a perverse way. 

Money. It always came down to money. The reason for his dad's late nights, working his fingers to the bone. The reason for his mom's frustration, raising four kids on a shoestring budget. The reason he dropped out of high school two years ago, deciding to pick up more odd jobs around town. Counting pennies, calling for payment extensions, and shoving bills unpaid into the kitchen counter. It didn't help that part of the reason they were in this situation was that his dad had gambled away all their life savings a few years ago, at the height of his secret gambling addiction -- which was a fact his mom never let his dad forget. They were probably coming up on that point in the argument, actually, judging from the commotion in the apartment. He sighed again and pulled his hoodie up tight against his ears. It was going to be a long night. 