Crimson

Family Meeting

        “Hello, I’m Amanda Walters, your social worker. Today I just wanted to touch base with both of you so we can begin looking into discharge in the next two days.”

        She was so perky. She dressed in expensive, fashionable clothing, with that stupid fucking orange foundation and perfect white smile. I already hate her.

        “I’m fine,” I muttered.

        “Then you wouldn’t have attempted on your life!” Mom yelled.

        “My best friend had just died! I was upset! Back the fuck off!” I was mad.

        “I thought you were out of this phase,” She said disappointed.

        “It’s not a fucking phase!” I yelled.

        “I see you have some family issues to work out. But, where’s the father?” Plastic asked.

        I stared at my lap and didn’t answer.

        “Fallon was adopted at fifteen…” Mom started.

        I tuned it out and tried to think happy thoughts. I couldn’t break down right now. They would see me unfit to discharge.

        “How many stars do you see?”

        “I don’t know, there’s too many to count,” I stated blandly.

        “That’s true. There are thousands of people who try, but they always lose count. A lot of the stars you see now aren’t really there anymore,” Samuel pointed out.

        Samuel was my roommate in foster care. Samuel was about the age I am now. He was my protector. He took care of me and made sure I always got fed and got showered and clothed. He made sure I wasn’t left out by everyone. He was like my big brother. He was the first person to ever care about me.

        “But that doesn’t make sense. How can we see them then?” I questioned.

        We were lying on the roof of the foster home.

        “Well, their light is just reaching us from wherever they were in space, but that star has already died.”

        “What’s that supposed to mean?” I didn’t understand what he was trying to say.

        “They’re like people. Sometimes people are really amazing, but nobody notices until they’re gone-“I cut him off.

        “Like Edgar Allen Poe.” I smiled at my relation.

        Samuel grinned,” Yeah, like him. But sometimes there will be people who seem really happy and full of life, but they really aren’t there anymore deep down inside.”

        That statement made me think. That sounded like me. What if Samuel felt that way?

        “You’re going to meet some people who are like stars. Try and find them because they are usually the ones that nobody notices because they’re too busy staring at the moon,” Samuel didn’t make any sense to me at the time, but he does to me now.

        “So I shouldn’t look at the moon?” I asked slightly confused.

        “No, you can look at the moon; just find that beauty in the stars too.” Sam was a smart guy, but a lot of people didn’t like him.

        I yawned involuntarily and he sat up,” Time for bed kid.”

        I nodded and we climbed down into our small window.

        “Fallon, if you sign this contract saying that you are stable for discharge then we can clear you for tomorrow.”

        I signed the papers and Amanda shook our hands and left.

        “You’ve been lying to me this entire time, haven’t you?”

        “No,” I denied.

        “The show me your wrists,” She demanded.

I pulled up my sleeves and showed her my wrists before storming out.

“Where are you going?!” She yelled after me.

“Away,” I answered.

“I’m not done!” She yelled.

“Fuck off!” I yelled going into the library area.

Can’t wait to go home to that. Addiction is settling in nicely.