Fostered {h.s}

Chapter 4.

"Get in." Harry said as we approached his car that sat in the drive way. It was a shiny black with tinted windows, obviously some type of sports car.

"Where are we going?" I asked, already starting to open the passenger side door. I would be excited to go anywhere away from the house. Although it had not even been a week, I'd been cooped up here the entire time, so seeing some different scenery would be great.

"Hardware store," Harry answered, climbing into the driver's seat to join me in his car.

I nodded and stayed quiet as we took off down the road. My eyes flicked over to his arms, dancing up their length and resting on his tattoos. I wondered why he'd gotten so many and what they meant. Before he could notice me staring, I refocused my gaze on the road ahead of me. In no time, we arrived down town and were parked in front of a hardware store, just like Harry had said.

I followed him inside and down an isle. He picked up boxes of nails, a gallon of white paint and some strange looking tools that I'd never seen before. His arms were full, almost overflowing, before he told me he was going up front to get a cart and that he would be right back. I stood with my arms crossed out of boredom of being in a store where nothing interested me.

Just as Harry rounded the corner, someone tapped me on the shoulder, making me jump. When I turned, a smile stretched across my face instantly. My friend, Rachel, stood behind me, mirroring my expression, and we both launched forward into a hug.

"Sami! I haven't seen you in forever, girl. One day you were at Mrs. Rayburn's and the next you weren't. What happened to you?" Rachel squealed.

"How about we walk down to the old park we used to hang out at and I'll explain everything." I suggested, looking around to make sure Harry wasn't back yet.

Rachel agreed with me and started towards the front door.

"Wait," I said, "Can we maybe go out the side door instead? The park is that way, anyways."

I led the way to the side door that I had spotted when Harry was grabbing the can of paint. Rachel and I chatted as we walked down the loud city street, discussing all what had gone on since we'd last seen each other. She was now nineteen and lived in an apartment with a roommate and she also had a job at the mall. She'd been in the hardware store to pick up a pack of nails to hang some pictures with. It kind of made me jealous that she was out of the foster system but I was happy for her also.

Before I knew it, we had reached the edge of the park and we made our way over to set on the swings.

"So where are you staying now?" Rachel asked.

"You won't believe this. I'm basically staying at a farm house. I mean, there's no farm but it's out in the country and there's a barn and no neighbors that I can see in any direction."

Rachel busted out laughing. "Knowing you, you won't be there very long, so don't worry too much about it."

A small pang shot through me at that, but she was right. Staying with the Holbrooks wouldn't be any different from all the other foster families I stayed with. Sooner or later they would have enough of me and send me on my way.

Rachel and I talked a lot after that, about the foster system, about her job, about all the trouble we used to get into together, and about boys. It had been around a half hour and I wondered how long it had taken Harry to realize that I'd left.

As if on cue, Harry's black sports car rounded the corner and skidded into one of the parking spots at the edge of the road. He got out and slammed the door, walking in my direction. I turned my head as soon as I'd seen him, refocusing my attention on Rachel so I could pretend I didn't see him.