Different

47

I walked into the living room to find two letters sitting on the floor in front of my door from the day before, Tuesday. I bent down to get them and they were both addressed to me. One had my name typed on it and the other written. I opened the typed one first and found a letter from the police chief. It said that my father had been sentenced 11 years in jail for child endangerment, assault, and theft. I sighed in relief that Hopper kept his promise that he told me. He swore to me that he wouldn't make me testify, but I would need to give him my statement over a video tape. Which I did.
   I moved onto the second letter and ripped the top off. I got to the handwritten letter inside and saw if was from my Aunt Grace. I slightly smiled as I thought about my Aunt Grace and my cousin Liz. I read the letter quietly.
   The more I read the more my smile faded. As I read down I covered my mouth. I dropped the letter and fell to my knees. My Aunt Grace was coming to get me at the end of the week to take me with her back to New York. She was going to get custody of me because she got a call about my father being in jail. She was doing what she felt was right.
I felt a tear roll down my cheek. I wiped it away and stood up. I threw out the envelopes and took the letter from my Aunt. I walked to my room and put it in my sock drawer quietly. I turned back around and faced my bed and a sleeping Billy. He was sprawled out on my bed with his shirt off. I sat next to him and watched him for a while.
I wasn't ready to leave him. I didn't want to. I touched the necklace I had on and sighed. I scooted down to lay next to him. I got under the covers and put myself under his arm. I felt his soft breath on the back of my neck. I took a shaky breath. This felt so right. I couldn't leave him.
I felt my eyes start to swell with tears. My breath getting quicker and more uneasy. I was panicking. I took short quick breaths. My breathing got louder and louder. I didn't want to wake Billy. I covered my mouth and shimmied out of his embrace. I tiptoed out of the room and closed the door. I then went to the bathroom.
My shallow breath increased its pace. My stomach hurt so badly. I felt like I was going to throw up. My fingers grew cold. I got on my knees and threw up into the toilet. My face felt strained as I vomited out of nervousness. When I was done I got up and brushed my teeth. I washed my face and went back into my room. I didn't want to go to school today. I wiggled back into Billy's arms and heard him grumble softly. I faced him and brushed his hair out of his face. I lightly kissed his nose and lips. I rested my hand on his cheek and drifted off back to sleep.