I feel like i've lost years i haven't lived-September

Twenty Questions

1 (Monday Sep. 24th)

The two were sitting on the roof watching the night sky as they talked. Eventually, after 15 minutes or so, the boy decided to start talking again.

"You want to play 20 questions?"

"Mmmm.. how personal of 20 questions?"

"As personal as we want. You can ask me whatever and I can ask you whatever but we get three outs. Deal?"

"...Deal."

"Why do you hate it here so much?"

A soft sigh escaped the girls lips before she responded.

"I don't. I actually really like it here to be honest."

"Your turn"

"Is it just Phil and your brothers here?"

"Yeah. Mum used to live with us.. but she died a while ago. We still talk about her sometimes but we've all had a hard time with it. What happened to your parents?"

Carson sighed

"Mom died when i was two. Father didn't want me in the first place.. he was gonna give me up but then he found out he could make money from me. Kept me till i was eight when i got taken away by the state. Were you adopted too?"

"Yeah. Mum and dad adopted me when i was just a baby. My birth mum was strung out on drugs when she had me so i never even met her. What did you mean 'make money from you'?"

"He was a sex trafficker i guess. Used to sell me out to different guys. The deal was always they could do whatever they wanted as long as i wasn't dead. State took me away after i came to school with a broken arm. Do you like your dad and brothers?"

"Yeah they're cool. Wil and Tech are dads biological kids.. but they've never treated me any differently because im adopted. Is that why you're scared to be nice to them?"

Another sigh

"Yeah i guess so. I don't know.. they just seem like.. oddly nice y'know? Almost like they're trying to hard or something. Kinda freaked me out."

"Whats my question?"

"I don't have anymore.. You can keep asking if you want."

"Okay.. Why did you flinch so much?"

"I was in foster care Toms.. what do you think?"

"Thats not an answer."

"Second family. Used to take anger out on me. Even the kids."

"They hit you?"

"Hit is kind of an understatement Toms. Foster care isn't as good as everyone makes it out to be."

"The worst thing that happened to you?"

"Family six was the worst family. I don't know that one thing was worse then the other. But family six did it all."

"Number one fear?"

"Going back."

"But you act like you hate it here?"

"Yeah.."

"So why do you act like you do?"

"How else am I supposed to act?"

"I don't know.. I mean some times you're just really mean to dad and Wil and Tech and i just don't get it i guess."

"Because im nice to you?"

"Why are you stating that as a question I am literally the only one you are nice to."

The two kids laughed at this statement

"Im working on it Toms. I didn't grow up learning how to be 'nice'."

"But maybe if you tell them that they can help you learn how to be nice!"

"I don't know that they would understand Tommy."

"Please Carson.. for me?"

"Ill think about it bud. The suns coming up. Phil's gonna be looking for you soon."

"He's gonna be looking for you too!"

"I know.. I just need to think. Can you tell him that for me?"

"Okay..."