𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭 ✾ (𝐣𝐞𝐧𝐳𝐢𝐞)

ONE !

DIFFERENT !

mackenzie ziegler.
11 years old

ORPHANAGES Are nothing like the movies. trust me on this one. greta would never lay a finger on any of us, although she screams here and there. only about who hid her cigarettes, though.

i think greta is one of the most caring, sweet people in the world. then again, i haven't met very many people. but, still, she's the best. i'm always the one she takes grocery shopping, and i always get my dinner second (after her biological daughter). personally, i think i'm her favorite out of all the foster girls.

"what's left on the paper, mackenzie?" her voice was rusty and crackly from her cancer sticks. she smoked six today (already). i count all the time. that's bad. last night she had one and half bottles of wine. i don't know if that's bad or not, no one taught me about alcohol. yet.

"milk, eggs, cream cheese, butter," i read her imperfect hand writing off of the crumpled paper. it was in pen, and a lot of things were scribbled out after we put them in the cart.

racing around costco to collect our missing items, i felt like i was on a scavenger hunt. i mean, we technically were. just without fun hints. or clues. and we do the same one every sunday.

after we grabbed every single item (besides butter. it wasn't on sale.) from our scavenger hunt paper, i climbed into the front seat on greta's van. i wasn't supposed to sit in the front for two more years, but she said i was tall enough, so i could right now.

"greta," i said when she climbed into the drivers seat. "why do you smoke cigarettes?"

"they calm me down, mackenzie."

"aren't they bad for you, though?"

"bad for the lungs, good for the soul," she replied without hesitation. neither of us realized at this time, but that statement influenced my future. big time.

KARLEIGH SPEAKS !
lmao hi i'm scared for this book !