Figuring Out Foster

Chapter 14

A light shake awoke me.

I hadn't realized I'd fallen asleep until I wondered about where I was now. The feeling of waking up and not knowing where you were hit me hard.

Staring into a dark blue blanket that covered me, I recognized that I was in a car now as the sound of us driving on a road was unmistakable.

I was in Michael's car now.

Both of them weren't talking. So I assumed, well hoped, that Foster was asleep somewhere in this car. Though, I understood if he couldn't sleep after standing in front of his real mom's house.

So I quietly moved around and immediately felt my phone as it dug into my butt

Pulling the blanket off of my face, I squinted as the streets light glared down at me. The lights disappeared and reappeared from out the car window as we drove fast down a freeway.

I leaned on my side to reached down and yank my cellphone out of my back pocket. I mentally cursed to myself that while out on this midnight adventure my phone had died.

Looking up from my phone, my gaze immediately landed on the back of the passenger seat in front of me. I saw Foster wasn't sleeping at all, as his head was turned to look out the window.

I glanced to the left and could clearly see Michael. He leaned onto the steering wheel, and was obviously tired as well.

"Why didn't you tell me what was going on?" Unexpectedly Michael asked Foster, not bothering to turn and look over at him as he kept his eyes on the road while he drove, "I would have helped you. Well, I wouldn't have been okay with driving somewhere on a school night, but it can't be avoided if you are stuck out somewhere—"

"Can you keep this from dad?" Foster interrupted before shifting around in the passenger seat.

"Yeah, yeah I can." The uncertainty in Michael's voice was evident, and apparently Foster heard it too as Michael confirmed it, "Really, I can. Foster don't give me that look."

I wished I could see Foster instead of only being able to see Michael, but the way they laid me down in the backseat. I couldn't do much about it. Unless I wanted them to know I was awake. Which I didn't, interested in what Foster would say if he thought I wasn't listening.

"He can't know." Foster sternly told Michael, and then he sighed annoyed, "If dad finds out I did something 'irrational'...he will ask if I'm on lithium. Well by Monday, he won't have a say in that anymore." I could picture him chewing on his lip piercing now as I heard him move again in the seat to look out the window.

"Dad doesn't know you're not taking it?" Michael looked at Foster in disbelief, but was ignored completely, Foster chose to not speak up, always a sure sign of the answer 'yes'.

"Foster, did you see her?" Michael leaned towards Foster and changed the subject.

"No." Foster answered simply, but I couldn't tell if he was upset about it or not. I wanted to move so much to see Foster's expressions. Though, I knew if they heard me get up they would stop talking about this.

"Then, he doesn't need to know anything about it, but if he asks... I have to tell him something." I had to smile a bit. Michael said he would try to lie to his dad, but I knew it was a part of his DNA to tell the truth.

"That's what I mean Michael. I'd hate to ask you for anything but—"

Michael cut him off suddenly, raising his voice slightly.

"You'd hate to ask me for anything—was the only reason you called me because of Maggie? Actually, I already know it is. If she wasn't with you, what would you done?" Michael suddenly surprised me by saying that, I hadn't expected him to ask anything about me.