Finding Home

Chapter 7

I woke up the next morning in a groggy state of loneliness. I missed Mama. I missed AJ. I missed Ms. Lewis. I longed for them all so much, why couldn't they be here?
I sat up and cut a glance to my clock, hoping and praying it wasn't time for me to get up yet. 7:46. Falling back onto my pillow, I sighed. I let a small smile slid onto my face. For what felt like the first time in my entire life, I didn't have to get up on my own, make breakfast, wake up Mama and complete all my other endless responsibilities. I wiggled back underneath my cozy, soft covers and began to doze back off to sleep when there was a sudden knock at my door. I sat up abruptly and stretching got up to answer the door. A smiling Lauren was there to greet me. I couldn't help but smile back. Her smiles seemed contagious, unlike Mama's moods. They were a good kind of contagious, the kind that didn't rub onto me in a bad way, but a good one instead.
"How did you sleep Anna?"
"Okay actually." I guess I had been expecting worse on my first night away from home.
"That's great! Most kids tend to have a very rough time the first couple nights." Lauren's face had such a glow, my spirits lifted immediately once she said that.
"Well ..." Lauren continued, "I just came up to tell you that breakfast is in ten minutes. After I left your room last night, I realized you didn't know when to come down. I'm sorry I didn't warn you last night."
"Oh, also, you're probably wondering what's going on with your clothing and personal belongings, yes?" I nodded, but truthfully I hadn't really thought about that part of things.
"Well, later today or possibly tomorrow, we'll be heading over to your house and collecting your things. You'll be with us, but don't worry, we will make sure no one is there."
"For now, I have some clothes you can borrow." Lauren produced a pair of navy, blue jeans, a lavender shirt, white ankle socks and undergarments. "I know they might not be your size, but I try my best. If they don't work, just call me up. My number is on the desk by the phone, next to everyone else's." Lauren pressed the clothes into my hands and we said goodbye. I bent down to smell them. Not as bad I'd imagined, fresh but a worn kind of scent.
I turned to the desk and spotted the phone Lauren had mentioned. Laying beside it was a sheet full of numbers. I peered over at the clock again and jumped. If I was going to make it to my second meal here I'd have to hurry. I darted over to the squished bathroom and started to get ready for my first full day as a foster kid.

Minutes later I was rushing out of my room and down the long hall to the dining room I'd been in last night. When I stepped in the room, the atmosphere felt entirely different. The judging feeling of it all had blown away in the wind and in its place was a friendly bird perched on an oak tree. Maybe it was because I spotted Lauren right away or maybe because I'd simple had a good sleep. I wasn't quite sure, but it felt overall, better, lighter.
I found a seat by a girl who looked to be my age, possibly a year younger. She had her head bent down, nose inches away from a book. Her blond hair covered her face so I couldn't see what she looked like, but I could make out the book she was reading. It had a picture of a girl with hair as orange as carrots who was standing in a large field of beautiful emerald. I recognized the cover instantly, it was one of my favourite books.
I snapped my attention away from the girl and the book to an abrupt noise. The kitchen staff barged in carrying piles of food to be set on the table. My stomach growled. I hadn't eaten much at all last night and that's when I remembered, last night. Everything came crashing down onto me like a tsunami. The food, my stomach, the explosion and the escape. A new feeling entered my stomach, not hunger, but nervousness as to what the consequences to my actions might be because of last night. Would they punish me? Would they send me to another foster centre? What would happen if they just kicked me out?
A man who had what once a pure white apron, but now covered in splotches of stains, set a plate heaped full of one of my all time favourite breakfasts. It instantly reminded me of home. Chocolate chip pancakes. True, they weren't banana chocolate chip pancakes like Mama always made on my birthday, but they still comforted me. Even though I was mad, very mad at Mama, I still loved her and missed her so much. Nothing would ever change that or at least I hoped nothing would.
I grabbed a small stack of pancakes and poured a large quantity of maple syrup onto them and took my first nibble. I practically sighed with relief. They sure as the sun weren't as good as Mama's, but they beat last night's by a landslide. I had been so nervous that all the food would taste bad that is felt like a miracle that these pancakes were edible. I rapidly finished the three cakes I'd been taken and moved to the next delicious thing on my plate, berries. There was an assortment of blueberries, raspberries, blackberries and strawberries. I, as discreetly as possible, nudged the raspberries into the napkin that I'd placed on my lap. Then I shoved the napkin into my pocket to discard of the horrid fruit later. Jared had wrecked raspberries for me by putting them in pancakes one morning Mama hadn't been doing so well. He'd been put in charge of breakfast by himself (I would have happily made my own breakfast) and decided to put a twist on my birthday pancakes. Instead of chocolate chips, he made banana raspberry pancakes. They were tremendously bad and I've never been able to eat the brightly sweet, almost sour treats again.
Returning to my plate, I contently munched on the rest of the scrumptious berries and the several pieces of bacon I'd been given.
While I was eating, a boy from across the table whispered, loudly enough for me to hear, "Hey, you!"
I looked up and made eye contact with an older sun coloured skin boy, the one who'd spoken, "Yah you. Are you the one who puked everywhere last night?" My face instantly became coated in a flush of pink and I looked down. I looked to the floor, not daring to raise my head to face them again. I finally did when the boy beside him who appeared even older with darker skin and light black hair assured me,"Hey, don't worry about him ... " He joking shoved his seat mate, who wasn't now talking at top volume to another boy on the other side of the room and continued, "Or the food for that matter." He paused then continued on, "It's really normally quite good, like today. Last night was meatloaf and uh," He lowered his voice even lower, "Let's to be honest, meatloaf ain't all that great whoever makes it." He was smiling and I offered a small smile in return. I didn't know what to say so I returned to my berries. Maybe today wouldn't be as bad as yesterday. Maybe.

After breakfast, I went to go find Lauren. I had to apologize for what I'd done last night and receive my consequence. Many people wouldn't be brave enough to do this, but I'm not brave. I'm just used to consequences. Mama would give them to me all the time, so after a while they just became a part of my life. Whenever I hadn't, say unloaded the dishwasher which was my job everyday after school, I knew that I had to go to her and ask for my punishment.
Once I located Lauren I explained everything starting with an apology, my voice shaking uncontrollably, "Lauren, I'm so sorry for last night. It was so awful of me to, to um, well", but I couldn't continue because, Lauren looking stunned interrupted me, "Oh Anna, don't you dare worry about that. You don't have to apologize. Happens more than you would think. How was this meal?"
"Oh, um, really great, thank you."
"Don't feel bad about last night," then she leaned closely and whispered, "Meatloaf here isn't the best, trust me, the other meals at much better." I smiled.
"Thanks" Lauren was about to turn away when she hesitated and swivelled back to me, "Is there anything else you need hon?"
"Um, yes actually. Uh, what am I supposed to do now?"
"Ah, well, typically we'd have an earlier breakfast and then you'd all get taken to school, but since it's Saturday, it's a bit different. A lot of kids like to hang out with the other foster kids in our big "hangout" room, I can show it to you later if you'd like. There are also kids who just like to spend the day in their rooms or by themselves, but we also have different activities that go on throughout the week. There's a board near the lobby that has all the activity schedules. I don't know if there is anything scheduled for today. Does that sound okay?"
"Yah. I think I'll head to my room for right now. Thanks though."
"No problem Anna." I turned to find the stairs to my new bedroom when Lauren caught me on the elbow. "Oh! Anna! I got a message that Ms. Lewis will be coming not today, but in a couple days. She has a very busy schedule right now, but she said she was sorry and hoped your first night went okay. If you need someone to talk to though, come find me, alright?"
"Okay."

Once I was back in my room, I flopped onto my bed and let out a massive sigh. I sat back up and looked over to the desk. There were the phone and numbers still sitting there. I wondered if AJ was home. I hesitated only for a second before leaping up and grabbing the phone, dialling her number by heart. She picked up after two rings, "Hello?" I smiled, it felt so good to hear her voice.
"Hey AJ!"
"ANNA!" Her voice was so excited I couldn't help but laugh. "Anna! Oh my gosh! Hi! Are you okay? Where are you? What happened? I tried finding Ms. Lewis at lunch, but she wasn't there! Oh my gosh! Where are you?"
"Well, I'm okay other than the fact that I'm in a foster facility and completely alone." I started sarcastically.
"Oh my gosh! A foster facility? Really? Does that mean your a, um, well,"
"Yah, you can say it. Foster kid. I know it's kinda crazy and freaky."
"So what's the place like?"
"It's nicer than the movies and television shows make it out to be. The people seem okay and the foods not bad either, well except for last night. That was pretty bad!"
"Why? What happened?"
"Well, apparently it's the meatloaf that's just really bad because today's breakfast was pretty good. Well, anyways, I kinda puked in front of everyone on the table and ran out of the room bawling. It was probably the worst way to start my foster kid career." I felt sadness roll over me from the previous night.
"Holy cow Anna! Are you okay?"
"Yah, I'm fine now. I'm just so scared to go out and try to talk to people because they've probably already labeled me as the girl who vomited on her first night."
"No! You said they appear nice, so that means they most likely are. Just give them a chance!"
"Yah, I know. It's still as embarrassing as heck! Hey! What happened in the classroom after I left?"
"Oh, yah. Well, there was a lot of whispering throughout the whole rest of the class and Cameron and his gang were acting like jerks. But don't worry, Mr. Rolando sent him to the office and shut up everyone else. Also, at lunch I maybe gave him a good talking to!" I could hear the grin in her voice and it made one come into mine too. If I knew AJ, it was more than a good talking to.
"Oh AJ! Have I ever told how great you are?" We both giggled. It felt amazing to talk to her.
"Now, Anna. Stop talking to me and go make yourself some friends! Go! That's an order from you best friend!"
"Okay" I answered reluctantly. "Bye AJ"
"Bye Anna! Don't worry, you'll make ten billion friends by the time we talk again- and we will talk again very soon, okay?"
"Okay, wish me luck"
"You'll be great! Bye" I hung up and headed for the dreaded "hangout" room.