Wow, thank you so much for sharing those stories! I just read
this article about Crystal Haag, and it definitely adds new perspective, showing how a 14-year-old child can intentionally go missing and even make a life for herself. And it hits close to home because I suspect the "heavily Dominican neighborhood" in "Upper Manhattan" where she wound up is Washington Heights, which is my neighborhood!
To summarize: at 14, Crystal was being sexually abused by a neighbor since age 9, and she believed her mom knew but did nothing about it. (The mom says she didn't know.) One day she disobeyed her mom by staying out with friends till very late, and so decided on impulse that she "wasn't going back." She boarded a bus to New York where she eventually created a new identity, support system and even a family, and has been living here for 21 years. Just like that. From the article, it doesn't sound like Crystal had been planning to run away when she woke up that morning. One decision just led to another, and that was the result.
Could something similar have happened with Andrew? Maybe that morning he didn't intend to leave forever—hence not taking the money in his room and his game charger. Maybe he was just confused about the transit system and just shrugged off the "return ticket deal." And then he stayed out later than usual and figured he couldn't go back now, especially since he'd already cut school.
And who knows what else could've been happening at home or at school? We know what we know from his parents, and I don't doubt their sincerity. But we don't know Andrew's perspective. Like Crystal, he could've had a totally different take on his life and kept that to himself. He could've been struggling with his sexuality, and I'm sure his parents would've accepted and loved him no matter what. But all it takes is one absent-minded comment to make him doubt that. He could've also had developing, but unnoticed, mental issues that contributed to his decision. Someone from school or summer school could've also contributed.
In short there's so much we still don't know.