Foster Me: Emerson's Secret (ON GOING)

Chapter 24

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December 1, 2013

Dear Journal,

I'm happier. I'm a bit more scratched due to my little tumbling incident but things are better. Levi FINALLY let me into his private little bubble, telling me about his parents. He gave me a shortened version of his adoption experience and it gave me hope. Jake and Carol could very well end up wanting to adopt me and I too could end up happy like Levi. He geniuely seemed to love The Jacobs and I really hope I can learn to love Jake and Carol too.

Levi still has his secrets but him opening up to me even the slightest gave me hope. I could wait.

I want to be his friend and help him learn to trust me more.

-Emerson

**

"Emme!" Levi called out. I watched as he slid down the school stair-case railing then jumped, landing on his feet. Levi walked towards me. "Hey."

"Hi," I said. Someone seemed to be in a really good mood considering everything. Someone started a rumor that Levi pushed me down that hill at the bonfire party.

No matter how many times I told people what actually happened, their minds were already made up.

"Has Amber talked to you?"

"No. Why?" I asked. I guess I should be expecting a visit from her today. I shouldn't be so surprised.

"She wants to confront you about the rumors."

"What?" I demanded. There is no need for a confrontation.

"Yea," he sighed. "She thinks you're out to get me."

"Did you try telling her what's going around is a bunch of rumors?" There is absolutely no truth to what's being said about my fall. Hell, people who were at the party have no right to make up such stupid rumors. They were too drunk to remember anything that happened that night.

"I haven't seen her yet."

"Great." Something to make my day so much more eventful.

**

English Class came around. Mrs. Myer started off the block giving us the plan for class.

"For those of you who have not finished your Persuasive Essay, deadline is tomorrow. I've been more than gracious giving that 4 day extension. As for today's class," she added. "I will be handing out the work package for our new novel study. By the end of class, I want to see that you have read the first 20 chapters of Lord Of The Flies. Then I ask that you complete the first four pages in the work package."

Mrs. Myer gave us alot of information all at once. It was overwhelming to even think about all the work that we had to do just in one period. I was put at ease when I flipped through the package she had asked us to complete. The first two pages had instructions to look up definitions first then create our own sentence to remember each term. Then the final two pages had a bunch of chapter questions I would have to answer. It didn't look so bad.

"If you finish well before the class ends," she says," if you haven't completed your Persuasive Essay, that should be your first priority so you can hand it in tomorrow. If that is complete, read on in your Lord Of The Flies book."

I managed to complete everything 20 minutes before the block ends. I had finished my Essay too so the only other choice I had was to read. I didn't want to though. I did enough reading so I told Mrs. Myer I had to go to the bathroom and she didn't ask any questions. I managed to grab my books before I left the classroom so I could put my stuff away. Having two minutes at the end of each class to sneak away to my locker would be so helpful. I wouldn't have to rush trying to get to the next class, course, I don't get any special treatment.

I closed my locker and turned around to see Amber walking down the hall. She saw me. She had a look of pure hatred plastered on her face but she wasn't heading in my direction. Looks like she was going to walk right past me actually.

Amber watched me closely then walked right past me but at the last second, she whirled around and shoved me against the lockers.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?" she hissed, her face so close to mine. "Levi is a good guy and you have to betray him like that? Why the hell did you do that huh?"

"I didn't."

Amber pulled me forward then slammed me right back against the lockers.

I clenched my teeth, "Stop it! I didn't spread those rumors!"

"Really? Then who the fuck did?!"

"How am I suppose to know? There was no one there."  The person who started the rumor would have to have been a freaken ghost and probably wasted. He had to have been hallucinating or something to 'see' Levi pushing me down the hill. That never happened.

Amber dropped her hands and took one step back.This chick has some serious mood swings. She's like a ticking time bomb. "If I find out you're the one who started the rumors, you're dead."

"Ok," I scoffed, "that will never happen cuz I didn't start them."

"Pretend to be innocent all you want, I know the truth."

"I don't need to pretend to be anything." Only the guilty would have a reason to lie.

"Levi's a fool to even try being your friend." Her hands curled into fists.

"A fool?" I repeated, "And is that why you had the abortion?" Fear does strange things to people. Maybe Amber was afraid Levi wouldn't rise to the occasion and take some responsibility. What if she feared he would still be that 'fool.'

Amber became silent.

"Mhmmm" maybe this wasn't the best time to bring that up. Especially since I don't know for sure if that's the complete truth. It all kind of started when Levi became defensive when I called him 'father.'  Then I thought about possible reasons why they broke up and it just popped into my head. Something that Levi even said only confirmed my suspicions. "She made her choice."

I don't know how, but it just sounds right.

"You have no idea what you're talking about," Amber finally said, shaking her head.

"Yeah?" I said, "Well I think I pieced it together."

Her voice hardened, "We'll your wrong." She pushed past me.

"Wait!" Ok. I'm not handling this right. I'm mad, yeah, cuz she slammed me into the lockers then accused me of starting some rumors. But, I have no right to bring up something like that. No matter how sure I am that it was the truth.

I didn't know what happened.

Levi could have encouraged her to do it.

Maybe her parents found out and said if she don't get rid of it, she's on the streets.

"What do you want?" Amber turned around to look at me.

I felt really guilty. Her eyes were slightly red and her cheeks were flushed. She just looked terribly sad and....lost.

I sighed, "I'm sorry...."

Silence.

"I was out of line."

More silence.

What was this woman expecting me to say? Jesus, talk already!

"You accused me of something I didn't do so I just got pissed. Sorry."

Amber rolled her eyes and spat out. "Don't look at me. Don't talk to me. Stay away."