Surely Blue

~7~

     I was sitting against my tree once again. It's was late evening and the sun was barely peeking through the sky. The dishes were done and the rest of my night was free.
     A small silhouette of a child caught my eye. She was on the other side of the fence, probably 5 years of age. Her dark hair was slicked back into a beat ponytail. Her brown eyes were filled with curiosity as to why a gate separated us.
     "I'm Sydney," she introduced.
     "Jack," I respond, looking at her.
     "Jack?" She asks in a confused high pitch voice.
     "That's my name."
     "Why are you behind a fence?" She then asks clearly leaving the whole "name" subject.
     "I don't have a family." I say truthfully. These days people sugar coat every thing to make reality not seem as brutal. I don't believe in that.
     "So you don't-"
     "Sydney, honey, don't talk to strangers," a women said. Her mother I'm assuming. The women then stares at me like an animal in a zoo, behind a cage. She takes Sydney's hand and pulls her away.
     I watch as they swiftly walk away with the occasional glance from Sydney. That little girl had it easy.
     The sun was fully set and the moon was slowly climbing the sky. I start to walk inside when I see a man looking through adoption papers. He pulls out my "file". He peers over at me, then at the paper, then back at me.
     "Are you Jacklynn Carter?" He asked in a soft voice. The man had dark hair and eyes, but a pleasant smile.
     I nod my head, expressionless. Nobody has even considered adopting me. Once they saw my record, I was no longer an option to them.
     "I'm-" the man started to say.
     "Oh, sir, you don't want her." Ms. Brady  interrupted. "She's a trouble maker and is...emotionally closed off."
     I burn my eyes towards her. If she hates me so much, then why is she telling this man this.
     "Well she seems pretty sweet to me. Just a little shy." The man smiled.
     "You don't want this one. Trust me. She has gone through 5 orphanages for bad behavior. You don't want her." Ms. Brady repeated.
      I slip away not wanting to hear Ms. Brady "brag" about my  terrible behavior and "mental issues".
     I swiftly walk to my room and lay on my bed, starring at the ceiling.
     "What happened?" Questioned Brayden. I slightly jump forgetting that he was in the room.
     "Ms. Brady," I sigh. I turn so my back faces him.
      "What's he do this time?" He then asks.
     I stay motionless, contemplating on whether I should explain or not. I feel the end of the bed dip down.
     "Jack," I heard Brayden say. "What happened?" He repeated once again.
     I sigh, sitting up deciding that I would tell him.
     "This man was considering adopting me. But Ms. Brady had to create his opinion about me, and brag about my "amazing" achievements." I say  sarcastically.
     "Somebody was going to adopt you?" Brayden asks in a shock tone. He sounded surprised at that fact.
     I look at him dead in the eye. It takes him a couple seconds to realize what he just said. I stare at him in disbelief.
     "Jack, no, I didn't mean it-" he started to recover. But before he could finish I walk out of the room.
     I walk into one the bathrooms locking myself in. Where else was I suppose to go? I look at my reflection in the mirror.
     My dirty blond hair was in its natural mess. I ran my hand through it pushing my hair back. My eyes were dark, darker that usual.
     This is a prime example as to why I don't open myself to people. In the end they'll just break you. This is what I wanted to avoid. This kind of pain. It's the worst kind of pain. Tylenol won't fix it, and a band-aid won't make it better. The only medicine for this is time.
     I pull my knees into my chest, as a knock on the door breaks the silence.
     "Jack, it's me." I hear Brayden say. "I'm sorry I didn't mean what I said."
     I don't say anything in return. I just stare at the door. Humans can not be trusted.
    I soon hear footsteps walks away from the door. Once I'm almost sure that he's asleep I quietly slip out of the bathroom and into my room.
     He was curled up on his bed with his arms outside of the blanket. He's just like everyone else.
     I get into my bed as quietly as I can and soon fall into the nights sleep.