Flying Too Close to the Sun

America

I flew down the street, tears in my eyes. My mother really was pure evil. As soon as she caught an inkling that I was happy and actually doing well, she wanted to snatch me away. Because she was pathetic. She couldn't stand the fact that I liked the Mirandas more than her.

If that lady thought I was going with her, she was out of her mind. They'd have to drag me out. Who knew who I'd get stuck with? And at 8:00 at night? What the hell was up with that?

I walked without a destination at first. When I was angry, I needed to do something physical. I stormed around the streets for a good half hour before I felt my mind was in a decent enough place to figure out what to do. I found a closed store and ducked in the nook at the doorway, then pulled out my phone. Tons of missed calls from Lin and Pippa. I didn't want to talk to anyone right now.

I pulled up Google and searched for youth hostels in the New York City area. I found one about 15 blocks away. I pulled up the directions and made my way there. Once I'd arrived and checked in, I was given a bunk in a big open room. Some of the other girls probably lived in the city as well and just didn't want to go home. Some of them chatted excitedly, but I just climbed onto my bunk and closed my eyes.

I was just starting to drift off when the attendant came to the room. "America?" she called.

I sat up in my bed and looked at her. Two police officers were with her.

"We need you to come with us," one of them said. The other girls looked at me, shocked. The room was dead silent. I sighed and picked up my purse and jacket, then made my way towards them. There was no use trying to run.

I followed them out and when we were outside the ushered me to the side. "We got a call from CPS you were a runaway."

"How'd you find me?"

"Tracked your phone," they said simply. So stupid. I should have turned it off. I was put into the back of the police car and taken to my new foster home. They must have been newbies, because the two parents both opened the door, smiling widely. I talked the minimal amount.

Once they showed me my room, I shut the door and curled up into a ball. My phone kept buzzing with texts and calls but I didn't want anyone. Everyone had failed me.

At some point I fell asleep because when I woke up it was light outside. There was a knock at my door. The kindly white lady had a mug in her hands and was smiling.

"Are you a tea drinker?" she asked me as she crept in.

I sat up, not answering. This lady didn't know me and she thought she could win me over with tea? Nevertheless, I accepted it. She told me where the towels were and that there was cereal in the pantry. As soon as she left, I found my clothes, put them on, and got out of there as quickly as I could. It was a school day, but I definitely wasn't going.

I caught the subway back to Washington Heights and went back to the Mirandas'. No one could stop me from going there. When I got there, Lin was on the phone, a mug of coffee in his hand. He glanced at me and I attempted to walk straight past him to my room, but his hand caught me. He tried to quickly wrap up the conversation he was having. When he'd finished, he set his phone on the counter and sighed at me.

"Where have you been?" he asked me.

"Some random foster home," I reported.

"Where'd you go before that? I heard they had to track you down?"

I shrugged and went to the pantry for some food. "I went to a youth hostel."

He sighed, one hand on his hip. "I was just on the phone with your social worker. I need to go downtown and we can file a request to have you transferred back."

"And how long does that take?" I asked him.

"Beats me," he said. "But until then, they can't stop you from hanging out here during the day. You'll just have to sleep somewhere else."

"I'm not going back there," I countered, crossing my arms.

He looked at me silently for a few moments. "I'm afraid you have to. Or you'll be considered a runaway."

"And what can they do to me exactly?"

"They'll come and get you and take you back," he said. "I've been on the phone all morning learning all about this. 'Mer, it's not worth the trouble."

No one had ever called me Mer for short, and I kind of liked having a nickname. I sighed and walked to the living room, then plopped down on the couch.

"Why do I have to be the spawn of Satan?" I asked him, rubbing my fingers over my forehead. He sat on the arm of the chair next to me.

"Unfortunately you don't get to pick your parents," he acknowledged. "But we can pick you. Don't worry, we'll get this worked out."

I sighed and closed my eyes. He rapped me on the arm with a magazine. "Go take a shower, and I'll take you to the courthouse. Then I'll take you to school."

He stood up and I groaned at the thought. I sat there for a couple more minutes then made my way to the bathroom. Soon, Lin and I were at some front desk, asking directions for where to go. We soon found what we needed and filled out the necessary paperwork. The courthouse was really close to school, so we walked together. Lin walked me to the front office.

"Hi, I have America Martinez here," he said, picking up the pen to sign me in late. "We had a legal matter to take care of."

The secretary greeted us and marked me present in the computer. Once everything was squared away, we stepped to the corner of the office.

"I'll get in touch with your foster family," he told me. "And I'll let them know what we're doing. Hopefully they're understanding."

"They seemed okay enough," I told him. If I hadn't been in a fowl mood, we may have actually gotten along okay.

"Good," he said, then gave my upper arm a squeeze. None of the Mirandas had ever hugged me. I guess they weren't sure how to treat me. I looked at Lin gratefully. I'd been horrible to Cam and Molly, and yet he was now going out of his way to make my life better. No adult had ever cared for me so much. I stepped forward and gave him a hug.

He didn't hug me back right away, but then I felt his arms around me. "Thank you, Lin," I told him honestly.

"You're welcome, kiddo," he told me, giving my back a pat. "Now get to class. See you later?"

I smiled as I pulled back. "Yeah."

I took my pass and stopped at my locker, then made my way to second period. Things were still kind of a mess, but I felt hope in my heart. The Mirandas were on my side.