"Ready, Jack?" Cat asked again. I sighed impatiently and nodded.

"Yeah! Just do it already!" She'd never done this before. Normally I would've done this myself, but I was too high right now, and despite that, I was still smart enough to know I shouldn't do this to myself right now.

"Okay..." Cat spoke warily. She got ready.

"Don't close your eyes!" I warned. She whined for a bit, then took a deep breath.

"Okay. Ready? One... Two... Three---" Cat shoved the needle through the side of my right nostril. I winced a bit. Cat freaked out lebih than I did. "Oh my gosh! Are anda okay?!" I took the needle from her and slipped in the nice nose ring I'd gotten. I wiggled my nose a bit.

"I'm fine. For crying out loud, Cat, anda should be fine with this. anda got your tongue and your eyebrow pierced!" I berkata incredulously. Cat shook her head, her short merah jambu hair bouncing from side to side.

"I wasn't the one doing it though!" I rolled my eyes. What a cunt.

"I think that looks pretty hot," Aric grinned, wrapping an arm around my waist. He leaned in and kissed me. He smelled like a mixture of weed and alcohol, a smell that still repulsed me. I pulled away and ducked my head, Berlakon shy.

"Evelyn's gonna kill me," I grinned. She flipped out when I got my snake bites. This should blow that out of the water. Cat and Aric smiled and nodded back at me. "Hey, what time is it?" I asked. Cat pulled out her phone and checked.

"Almost six," she informed me. I stood up from my place in the grass.

"I gotta go, 'fore she freaks and calls DCFS, reporting me missing," I sighed. Aric and Cat stood up as well.

"See ya, Jack," Cat turned away and practically skipped off. Aric wrapped both arms and pulled me closer to him. I sighed, exaggerated. He leaned his head down on my shoulder, swaying slightly as he cradled me in his arms.

"I Cinta you," he spoke softly. I rolled my eyes. I patted his back and started to untangle myself from him.

"Yup. anda too," I muttered. He kissed me again. I've had enough. I turned and started off towards Evelyn's house. It was a short walk. Evelyn's house is fairly close to the school; which was both convenient and a pain in the ass. It meant I didn't have to ride the bus with all the assholes at our school, yet it also meant I had no excuse for being late.

I was sure to make a loud entrance once I got to Evelyn's house. I kicked the screen door open and it rattled when it hit the wall. Evelyn was shuffling around in the kitchen, looking for something. I tried to hide my eager smile.

"Hey!" I called out to her. She poked her head out of the kitchen. I couldn't hide my smile. She stared at me, her eyes locking on the new ring in my nose. I could see the profanities running through her mind. But she just shook her head and retreated back to the kitchen.

"Little shit," I heard her mutter. I chewed on the inside of my cheek. Not at all the reaction I'd been hoping for. She came back out a few moments later. "Start getting your stuff together," she said. She stared at me for a moment, then pointed a wooden spoon at me. "You're outta here." I raised my eyebrows, quite surprised. Taken back, but not phased.

"Really?" I wondered. She nodded, seeming relieved.

"Yep. Chad's gonna be here tomorrow after school." I nodded, taking it all in.

"Okay... Cool," I said. I went up to my room. Maybe the seterusnya house I go to will be bigger than Evelyn's rundown piece of shit place. Her upstairs was barely an upstairs. It was pretty much an attic with a katil in it. I was actually surprised I'd lasted so long here: almost a full year. New record. Chad should be pleased with me. I didn't have much to pack; I was lebih than halfway done packing when Evelyn called for dinner. I went and sat down at the table. One thing I would miss: her cooking. We ate in silence. Evelyn looked stressed. I smirked a bit.

"So are anda gonna miss me?" I asked cleverly, raising an eyebrow. She kept her eyes on her plate as she delicately pierced a pea.

"Mhm," she mumbled enthusiastically.

"Cause I'm sure gonna miss you," I continued. "I'm kind of sad to be leaving. We've had some pretty fun times, huh?"

"Mhm," she mumbled again. When I couldn't get anymore of a response from her, I gave up and ate my dinner. A little miffed that Evelyn had been pretty unresponsive since I got home, I went back to my room, and blasted my music. I got up on bahagian, atas of my bed. I bounced up and down a bit, then jumped off, pounding my feet onto the floor. The house shook.

She hates it when I do this.

***

"Oh, Jack, why do anda have to go?!" Cat complained the seterusnya hari at lunch. I didn't reply. I just chewed on my sandwich. Cat and Aric frowned, devastated.

"Will anda still go to this school?" Aric asked hopefully. I shrugged.

"It's doubtful," I answered. He pouted.

"Jack, I'm going to miss anda so much!" Cat whined. She actually looked like she was on the verge of tears. "Promise me we'll keep in touch!" I nodded slowly. Unlikely. Cat was okay, but she was extremely whiny and annoying. Aric? Maybe. He was useful for some... personal matters, but other than that, I could do without him.

"Sure," I muttered, my mouth full of food.

"That's not fair!" Aric growled. "Don't anda have any say?"

"No," I disagreed.

"Why would Evelyn give anda up?!" Cat asked incredulously. I almost laughed. I could senarai a bunch of reasons. "I mean, she's your mom for crying out loud!" I slammed my fist down on the table. Cat jumped.

"She's not my mom," I seethed. "She's my foster... guardian." And so what? I'm used to it. Evelyn wasn't the first to send me back, and she won't be the last.

***

"I gotta go," I grumbled again. "They're gonna send someone after me if I don't get utama soon." I knew that from experience. Too many times I've tried to run away. Too many times I've been caught. But Aric wouldn't let me go. He held on to my arms, and kept Ciuman me. I recoiled from each one, tugging harder to free myself. Somehow he still didn't get the message. Anger boiled inside me.

"Jack, I don't want anda to go," he told me. I stopped fighting and looked up at him, in his eyes.

"Let. Me. Go," I berkata sternly. I guess it finally broke through to him: I didn't care. In fact, I never cared, but he was probably still far from processing that much. He finally released my arms. He looked at me with his sad anjing, anak anjing dog eyes. I took a few steps backwards. "See ya," I said, then turned around and headed home.

"Jack," Chad, my social worker, berkata when I got home. He was there, waiting for me on the porch. "For a moment I'd thought you'd tried running away again." I shrugged and let out a sigh.

"What can I say? After attempting and failing countless times I guess I've learned my lesson," I berkata caustically. He came closer, and tipped my chin up with his hand. He sighed.

"What's that?" he asked, inquiring my nose ring. I grinned evilly.

"You like it?" I asked sarcastically. He rolled his eyes and let me go.

"Just what anda need: another hole in your head..." he mumbled. I guffawed.

"Let me express myself!" I berkata mockingly, taking a line from one of Chad's speeches; the one he gave to people who were new to fostering. Just let the kids express themselves...

"Are anda ready to go?"

"I guess," I shrugged. "Just let me get my things."

"They're already in the car," Evelyn said, not missing a beat. I looked back and forth from her and Chad. I shrugged.

"Fine," I said. I went to get in the passenger side of Chad's car, and stopped halfway in the door. I waved at Evelyn. "I'll miss you! Too bad we didn't get to have our heartfelt goodbye---"

"Get in the car," Chad berkata exasperated. He put a hand on the back of my head, and shoved me in the car, like I was a criminal being put into the back of a cop car. He closed my door, and got in on the other side.

"So, where to next?" I asked eagerly. Chad did not match my enthusiasm.

"Jack...." he began.

"I know, I know," I threw my head back, staring at the ceiling. "'What's wrong? Why can't anda just try to make things work?' I've heard it all before."

"Jack, I could see being switched a few times, four at the most... What's the most you've been switched in a year?" Chad asked. I thought for a moment.

"Seven," I answered. I remembered that tahun clearly. One family lasted barely a week. Others only a few months. I had to give Evelyn credit for lasting almost a year; that was one of the longest homes I've had.

"And how many times have anda been switched overall?"

"Countless," I nodded positively, ignoring his serious attitude.

"Jack, anda can't keep doing this. Soon we're going to run out of places to send you."

"Please," I scoffed. "You've probably got a senarai a mile long for places to send me."

"I'm serious, Jack. This needs to stop. Please. Please try this time. Give them a chance." I stretched and yawned, and leaned against the window, watching the scenery fly past me.

"Whatever," I grumbled.