Crossing the Lines

ONE

Hannah's POV

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"Hannah, get your ass up now or you're gonna be late!"

I quickly sit up when I hear my foster mom scream from down the hall. Of course I had to sleep in on today of all days. Olivia is gonna kill me. I quickly get up and take a cold shower. A hot one would be nice, but Tammy and Bill's three little boys get priority over me.

I never understood why people who don't want more kids foster. I understand they're literally getting paid to keep me, but what's the point? They don't want another mouth to feed, they don't want to actually love me, they don't even realize I'm there unless my chores aren't done. I mean, I don't think the money is even that great.

I quickly throw on some ripped jeans and navy hoodie, my usual. I don't bother with any makeup other than mascara, which is all I even have. Normally I'd do something with my hair to try to look slightly decent, but I don't have time.

"Hannah, why the hell did you not get up earlier?" Bill asks from the table as I walk into the kitchen. "Tammy had to get the kids ready because you didn't. You know what that means?"

"More chores?" I ask, even though we both already know the answer to that.

"Yup."

"Great..."

I walk out the door and run to the end of the driveway where the bus is already waiting. Ms. Daisy gives me a small smile as I get on and my head immediately starts pounding from all of the rowdy people. I sit in a seat towards the front and immediately stick my earbuds in.

A lot of people think foster care sucks, which it does, but it's not completely horrible as long as you follow the rules. I've had some families that were really nice and some not so much, like Tammy and Bill. They pretty much just make me do all of the housework and watch their kids, but it's not that bad. I've been in the system since I was eight so I'm pretty close with my social worker, Anne.

Anne always tries to get me the best homes but it's harder for teens, especially when you're no longer a minor. I turned nineteen last month, but I'm still in high school because the moving around made me fall behind. When you age out of foster care, you have the option to stay in it until your twenty-one and can leave any time. Trust me, I want out, but I don't have the money to live on my own.

When I was a freshman, I was put with a nice couple and stayed with them till my junior year. They thought they couldn't get pregnant, but they did and decided it best if I find a new home. I met my best friend, Olivia, freshman year and we had been friends ever since. I asked Anne to keep me here, so I could have my senior year with Olivia. Tammy and Bill, to put it lightly, suck but at least I have Olivia. She is the only person I really trust and knows everything about me and my past.

When I was eight, my house burned down with my parents in it. No one, including myself, knows how I got out. My parents weren't close with my extended family, who didn't even know I existed, so I went into the California Department of Social Services. I don't remember much about my parents but I do remember they were kind and how much I loved them.

The bus stopped and I immediately shot forward, almost falling in the floor. I sighed, getting off and walking straight to Olivia's locker. When I got to her locker she was looking at the mirror inside and adjusting her tiara that read 'birthday girl'. She was applying her lip gloss till she saw me out of the corner of her eye and immediately slammed her locker, causing me to jump.

"Where the hell were you?!" She asked. "I waited outside for thirty minutes."

"Sorry, I may or may not have over slept..." Since it was her birthday, Olivia was going to pick me up before school so we could go get breakfast.