Abused Foster

Sixteen

"Here, lemme put this on you," Jace says, leaning back out of our hug which I didn't really want to end.

I hand him the necklace before turning around and moving my hair out of the way so he can clamp it on.
The feeling of his fingertips brushing lightly against the back of my neck as he puts it on leaves somewhat of a tingly feeling. But the good kind.

"There," he says as he withdraws his hands, and lets the necklace rest on the back of my neck.

I turn so I'm facing him and look down at it resting just under my collarbones.

"If it's too low I can always adjust it, or if you want me to add anything to it-"

"It's perfect," I interrupt him as I hold the stone in my hand.
"Amethyst is my favorite color," I say, looking down at it.
It's the color I've always associated my mom with, since her favorite earrings are - were still sitting in the bathroom cabinet she shared with dad. They had small amethyst crystals in them, hung off a short gold chain. I miss her.
They would be the last thing I had of her, aside from an old worn out picture, if my dad hadn't sold them because he couldn't afford his alcohol and the house.

    He smiles lightly then trails his fingers through his hair.
    "I'm sorry you had to hear that downstairs," he sighs as he looks up at me after fidgeting with his rings. I didn't even realize he was wearing those.
    "Karl's always been a bit of a prick, but this time he crossed the line."

    I sigh softly and look down, my shoulders slumping slightly.
    "I know it's not my fault, but in a sense I feel sort of guilty," I admit, looking down and fidgeting with the stone hanging from my neck.

    "Hey," he says and cups my chin gently and lifts it up, which makes my breath hitch in my throat as I make eye contact with him.
    "Don't blame yourself," he says as he withdraws his hand and smiles lightly.

    I sigh softly and smile, placing my hands in my lap.
   "I wanted to go to the lake and just sit there for a bit, but I heard that and it stopped me - would you want to go with and maybe smoke?" I ask shyly,  shifting my eyes so I'm not looking directly at him.

    He chuckles lightly, sensing my nervousness, then stands up and walks over to his desk.
    "I was gonna ask you that, I rolled a couple joints and like to go out there sometimes myself. It's really nice out there at night," he says as he picks up the two joints and turns towards me.

   I smile and get up at the same time as him, but he gets to the door before me and pulls it open, stepping to the side to let me go out first.

   "We'll go out the front and around so we don't have to acknowledge any of that," he says as he follows me out of his bedroom door, shutting it as he does so.

I smile at the kindness he's showing, even though the upstairs hallway is really dark now since the bedroom light isn't there to at least slightly illuminate the darkness.

"Here, let me lead you. I know this house like the back of my hand at this point," he says as he slides past me, grabbing my hand as he does so, as to lead me through the darkness.
"We're coming up to the stairs now," he says, and I notice he begins to pull my hand to the left slightly, which I'm assuming is him guiding me to the top of the stairs.

"Just, tell me when to step down," I say, reaching out for a wall with my free hand, the one he's holding tingling in a sense, yet in a good way.
His hand is warm and welcoming, yet he's holding it tight enough to not let my hand slip out of his at all.

"Who says you're walking down the stairs?" He asks before putting the joints in his mouth, and before I can ask any questions or retort in any way, he lifts me off my feet, one arm behind my back, and the other under my legs, before he starts walking down the stairs.
That answers that question.

"Thanks for the warning," I tease, smacking his shoulder lightly before grabbing back onto it so I don't fall.

He chuckles lightly, as when I grabbed back onto his shoulder I pulled myself closer to him and tried to look down, but my eyes still haven't fully adjusted quite yet.
"Aaand we're at the bottom," he says, being careful not to drop the joints out of his mouth before he sets me on my feet.

I follow him through the darkness towards the kitchen, using his silhouette to guide me.
As we pass by the door to go into the garage, I can hear muffled voices - which sounds like Shaun and Addison talking, but I can't quite make out what they're saying.

    "Hey," Jace half whispers and grabs my hand.
I didn't even realize I had stopped in my tracks.
    "Don't worry about that, c'mon, we're gonna smoke a little, maybe listen to some music," he says, a smile hinting at his voice as he begins to lead me towards the door into the back yard.
   "You'll forget all about it," he says as he leads me out the door and across the yard.

   I hope so. I want this to be the place I finally fit in.