Chapter Four: Trust

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"I'm still confused. Who are you?" Questioned Micah.

"Why should I tell you? I just met your friend over here a few minutes ago!" Charlotte fought back.

"Don't worry, you can trust us. We want to be your friends. And I'm pretty sure we have a few things in common." I said.

"Have at it." Charlotte said.

"Well, I can tell by the way you act that you don't have a family, or even a home. I-" I was interupted.

"How did you come away with that?" Charlotte questioned.

"I'm wondering the same thing!" Micah said.

"Well, if you did have a family, they would supply you with proper clothes, and shoes. They-" I was interupted again.

"I do have a family, alright!" She fought back.

"And there's the lying. See, at this rate we won't be friends. Don't you want to have friends?" I said sarcastically, "Listen, if you tell me the truth, I'll tell you my truth."

She hesitated.

"Fine. You guessed it. I don't have a family. Now. Your story." Charlotte said.

"You really want to know?" She looked at me with a blank expression.
"Alright, my name is Maylen-"

"I know that!" Charlotte said

"Oh my goodness! Can I even say one thing without you interupting me?" I yelled.

"You just did." She said blankly.

We continued to walk down the sidewalk having to dodge everyone in our way.

"OK, continuing, her name is Micah." I gestured to my left where Micah was standing, "I don't even remember how I got here. I asked Ma'am, she's our care taker at the foster home, how I came to her, and she said I came in a blanket, nothing else, except for a note saying my name was Maylen, and a necklace around my neck with a swan on it. She kept the note. It is back at the house in my drawer. I wear the necklace to this day." I didn't realize it, but I was fiddling with the necklace while I talked, "Micah is the same, and when Ma'am opened the door, she said Micah was there with me." As I finished, I looked over at Charlotte to see a surprised look.

"I didn't know you were in the foster system," she said.

"How could you!? We just me-" Micah started, but I stopped her before she could hurt any more feelings.

"You know, Ma'am has some room left. You could swing by the house with us and talk about staying, for a little while?" I asked.

"Sure." She replied sceptically. We continued to walk through downtown. "Stop! I'll be right back." Charlotte turned down the alley way we were next to. A few minutes later, she walked out with a girl, about the same height as Micah, with red hair too. She had a bow and arrow in her hands, one of the cheap ones from the thrift store.

"I want you guys to meet Claire." Charlotte said.

"Do you really think you can trust them?" Asked Claire, holding up her bow.

"Oh, I know. They are going to take us to their foster home. The blonde one says we can stay there with them." Said Charlotte.

"Um, Claire, I have name, and it's Maylen. Nice to meet you!" I held out my hand, but Claire didn't take it. Instead, I saw her staring at Micah with wide eyes, and Micah the same. But she shook off the look as she realized I was looking at her.

"Fine. I come with you too," Claire said, "but don't make me use this!" She held up her plastics bow with a foam arrow.

"She's mental!" Micah whispered as we continued to walk to the our home.

"Why were you staring at her like that?" I asked, but she didn't respond. "Come on, you could tell me anything!"

"I don't know, alright. I just got this feeling, a weird one at that too."

* * *

As we walked up to the building, Charlotte stopped.

"I thought you guys lived in one of those nice houses up north? Not this trash bucket!" Charlotte said.

I didn't respond, but instead walked inside with Micah and Claire, and shut the door before Charlotte could come in. Looking through the peep hole, I could see she was smirking. Opening the door back up, I asked sarcastically, "Do you want to come in now?"

She walked in and gave me a smirk. "Oh, we're going to be great friends."

"This is called an apartment building. I'm sure you've many of them," Micah told our new friends, "because they are almost the only living space any normal person can afford in New York."

Claire had put down her bow and was staring at the ceiling.

"Our apartment just one floor up," I told her.

"But what if I'm afraid of heights?" She said defiantly.

"Well, I'm not going-" I started, but Micah cut me off.

"I can help you. Trust me, I used to hate going up the stairs! But you know, it is truly easy to overcome your fear. I can help you-"

"I'm good." Claire said, and brushed Micah off like she was a piece of dust.

After that we started to walk up the stairs leading to room 102.

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