you should know what you're falling for

eight

After I've guided a tipsy Kendall back up to her room, I release myself from the soggy, constraining dress. I change into a loose, black T-shirt and flannel pants, take a quick glance around, and tiptoe across the hall to my foster-mother's bedroom. Since the sounds of her cleaning dishes downstairs fill the house, I know it's safe.

In the blink of an eye, the cocktail dress is back in its original, obscure spot. With a sigh of relief, I return back to Kendall's bedroom and turn on her desktop computer. After I sign into my Facebook, a chat pops open in the lower window. It's Josh Hyland.

HEY, he's written.

I take a deep breath and type back, AREN'T YOU STILL AT THE PARTY?

The little bubble in the bottom right hand corner indicated that Josh is typing. NAH. CAN WE TALK?

I refrain from answering immediately. If I say yes, he'll assume I'm into him. Hesitantly, my finger drifts over to his name, and clicks on his profile.

After scrolling through his pictures, I've gathered some information.

He's got abs, and his eyes are like little oceans in his head.

Typical.

In the midst of my boredom, I stalk his page for about maybe another half hour, and it comes to be like I have known him for a long time. I just don't know if I like what I see, yet. 'Bloop.'
Josh Hyland has sent me another chat message, and I open it.

U STILL THERE?

The corners of my lips turn up into a smile.

YEP.

As he types, I rest my head in my hands. I've been icing people out since I went into the system eleven years ago. It's what I know, and what I'm good at. I haven't opened up to anyone except for Alex in a long time.

And I don't know if I want to, just yet. I don't want to get hurt again, and love spells heartbreak. When my father died, I saw how my mother hurt. She totally collapsed, and was depressed. Then, one day, a lady came and told Alex and me that my mother was going a way for a while. 

She never came back for us, and that was when we entered the foster system. I vowed a long time ago to never hurt that way again.

My daydream is ended by another 'Bloop', COOL. Josh types back.

I take a deep breath and reply, 

I'LL TALK.