Sophomore Year

17. Another Move

About three days later, I had my family meeting. It didn't go the way I had hoped, and I couldn't keep myself from crying. By this time, no one knew where I was going to live, so I couldn't be discharged. My dad got evicted, and he didn't have a place; therefore, I wasn't going to leave anytime soon. Myra and I talked after my dad hung up. "I'm going to Regina and see if she's able to take you." Regina was Makara's mom. "Maybe he'll keep you at Daniel Lee, and my plan is to have him do that," Myra said. I cried for awhile because I didn't know what was going to happen.

When I talked to Dr. B, he told me that Regina decided to not take me. I understood. "We might have to get you into Foster Care, but we have to talk about it." When he told me that, my heart dropped. Foster Care? Last time I was told I'd be in foster care, I was told I might actually get raped. Hailey, my mom's, friend didn't believe me about the guy that had raped me at her house. I didn't know what was coming. The uncertainty I was being handed wasn't very helpful.

A few days had passed and I was told I'd be going home on Monday April 22. I cried. I didn't want to go with my dad. They told me he found a place and that's why I was going with him. He came and got me around 2p.m. "What am I suppose to do with you now?" He asked as we walked out the hospital doors. I looked at him confused. "Um, I don't know."
"I have an interview. I can't be late." In my mind I thought: why couldn't he just went there and then come get me. We got into the truck and we sat in silence for awhile. "Hadley was there too?" He asked. "Is that why you wanted to?" I scrunched my eyebrows and looked at him. "No," I said. "Are you serious? How was I suppose to know that was where I was going to go?" He didn't say anything and he continued to drive.

"Every time I have a job or an interview I either lose it or don't get it because I have to do something for you," he said. "I don't mean for that to happen." What he said honestly hurt me. I'm his kid. I was going to kill myself, and he's focusing on what he lost because of me. Thanks dad. You have been doing so great to show you cared. The rest of the ride was quiet up until his girlfriend called. My dad was getting mad because he was almost late for his interview because of me. I texted my sister and asked if I could come to her house because my dad wasn't able to keep me at the apartment. That's great. I got to my sister's house around mid-night, and I took a shower.

The next day at school people asked where I had been, and some even thought I died. I went by Dr. Barns' class, and she looked happy to me. I was actually surprised. "How are you?" She asked. "I'm getting better," I said. I asked her if she knew where I was because some teachers didn't read emails. "Yes. Mrs. Gibson sent out an email, and I had to fax the papers. I knew you were in a facility." I told her about my time there and explained a lot of complications stuff. Malee saw me in the hall, and she ran to give me a hug. Makara passed by as well. "Oh! Lindsay, you're okay. I'm sorry, but I have to go to class," she said. We had state testing this week, and I missed one test due to being in the hospital. After school I went to my softball coach. "I wasn't trying to skip practice or anything. I wasn't able to come," I said. "Yeah. I know. I didn't know what happened, but it couldn't have been good." I told him about it so he would know. "I can't stay today. I have to figure out where I'm going to be staying." He gave me a sympathetic look. "I understand." He hugged me and wished me luck.

I went up to Hadley's mom's car. Hadley got out a day after me. Her mom talked to my dad, and we decided on me staying with Hadley and her family. We took her little brother to karate, and we went to the park while he did that. We talked and joked. It was calming for me. I didn't have clothes, so we went to Kimmy's friend's house, Nikki. We spent awhile there trying on clothes to see what I could fit. Hadley and I stepped outside for five minutes and talked. Around ten, we went back to their house. Hadley and I talked for awhile in her room. I slept in Hadley's room while Hadley slept in her mom's.

"I'll get to watch you sleep, Hadley," Tommy said. "Tommy, I'm not sleeping in here. Lindsay is." We all laughed. "I'll watch her sleep," he said. Tommy was younger than us, so he was one to mess around a lot. "No, Tommy. No watching red sleep," Kimmy said. I went to lie down that night, and I thought about what my dad told me. I was still upset over that. I didn't know what he actually meant by that. His girlfriend asked if I was going to do any of this crazy stuff again. I felt offended. Crazy? What exactly did she mean by that? I wasn't crazy, I'm depressed. There's a difference.