Life

Chapter Two

Sidney walked up the stairs to the room she shared with her sisters. She put everything where it was supposed to go and started cleaning her part of the house.

"SIDNEY!" Sidney ran to the kitchen, where Miss Jane was angry, "Why were you late?"

She looked down, not wanting to tell the truth. "I got beat up," was what she wanted to stay. But, she didn't. She did something she hates doing more than cooking, or cleaning, or even getting beat up. She lied.

"My friend and I stayed to help a teacher clean up the classroom."

Miss Jane smacked her across the face, "You tell me next time. We have people coming to check you kids out and maybe I'll get rid of you three brats. Now go clean."

She ran off to the boys' rooms, cleaning with a tear falling out of her eye.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The twelve kids got dressed in jeans and their yellow shirts, which helps keep track of them. All twelve of those kids were downstairs talking to the people who came to the open house. All except Savana, who sat upstairs in her room, scared of what would happen. She knew she wouldn't get adopted. She knew her little sisters would. It was just how these things worked. Fifteen year olds just don't get adopted. It's a fact. She put her head into her pillow an a few tears fell out of her eyes.

One of the boys knocked on the door, "Ava?"

Savana immediately knew who it was. There were three people allowed to call her her Ava: Sidney, Bree, and David. David was like her younger brother, fourteen years of age, yet he still had a certain innocence to him. She opened up the door and let him in.

"What's wrong, Ava?"

She couldn't tell him the truth. He was only a year younger than him. She couldn't break his heart and tell him the truth, he has one more year to get adopted. If he doesn't, he'll be in the system until he turns eighteen and he gets kicked out. So she did the only thing sensible, the only thing she knew how to do, she lied.

"Nothing. I just want to soak it all in before I get adopted."

He sat next to her, "I know why you're really here, you're scared. And I know what you're scared of too. Fifteen is sort of a cursed age in places like this. They don't want to adopt you. Fifteen isn't a desirable age in these places. I know that. And I know you didn't want me to know, so you lied. I know you, Ava. I know all you're tricks. And I know when you lie. You do that little blink. Every single time. Don't protect me, Ave. I'm not the scared ten year old I was when you met me."

He got up and started to walk out, before quickly turning back, "And I know you'll get adopted if you'd just come down and meet people."

She sighed and nodded, before telling him to go. He left the room, thinking he had a break-through with the fifteen year old. When she could tell he was down the steps she looked down.

"Except you don't know it all, Davey. I know I won't get adopted. That's a fact."