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I didn’t open a , but did have the presence of as valve off Then I glanced at the curtains, a s ashen lump in the sink

Well, that’s it, I thought, a bit frustrated Joan and Roy will never continue to put up with me after this

Perhaps you think I should have felt ashamed But as I supposed to do? Like I said—I couldn’t hide injust because life was a little different for me than it was for ordinary people? No I had learned to deal with ured that others would simply have to do so as well

I heard a car in the driveway Finally realizing that the kitchen was still rank with s a towel to fan it out My foster mother—Joan—rushed into the kitchen a e

I tossed aside the towel and left without a word, going up to my room

“That boy is a disaster!”

Joan’s voice drifted up through the openinto my room My foster parents were in the study down on the first floor, their favorite place for “quiet” conferences about s that I’d broken in the house had been the study’srollers, locking the s permanently open so that I could listen in

“Now, Joan,” said a consoling voice It belonged to Roy, my foster father

“I can’t take it!” Joan sputtered “He destroys everything he touches!”

There was that word again Destroy I felt ht I break them They’re still there when I’ht anymore

“He means well,” Roy said “He’s a kindhearted boy”

“First the washing machine,” Joan ranted “Then the laer Then the upstairs bath Now the kitchen All in less than a year!”

“He’s had a hard life,” Roy said “He si passed fro a home…?”

“Well, can you bla rid of him?” Joan said “I—”

She was interrupted by a knock on the front door There was aon betweenRoy “the look” Usually it was the husband who gave “the look,” insisting that I be sent away Roy had always been the soft one here, however I heard his footsteps as he went to answer the door

“Come in,” Roy said, his voice faint, since he now stood in the entryway I re—the sun hadn’t even set yet

“Mrs Sheldon,” a new voice said fro Joan “I came as soon as I heard about the accident” It was a woman’s voice, familiar toPerhaps that had so to do hy Ms Fletcher wasn’t married

“Ms Fletcher,” Joan said, faltering now that the time had come They usually did “I’m … sorry to—”

“No,” Ms Fletcher said “You did well to last this long I can arrange for the boy to be taken tomorrow”

I closed —longer, certainly, than any of htcare of me was concerned I felt a little twist in my stomach

“Where is he now?” Ms Fletcher asked

“He’s upstairs”

I waited quietly Ms Fletcher knocked but didn’t wait foropen the door

“Ms Fletcher,” I said “You look lovely”

It was a stretch Ms Fletcher—ht have been a pretty wolasses She perpetually kept her blonde hair up in a bun that was only slightly less tight than the dissatisfied line of her lips She wore a simple white blouse and a black skirt that went tooutfit—the shoes, after all, were maroon

“The kitchen, Alcatraz?” Ms Fletcher asked “Why the kitchen?”

“It was an accident,” I mumbled

“I was trying to do so nice for my foster parents”

“You decided that you would be kind to Joan Sheldon—one of the city’s finest anddown her kitchen?”

I shrugged “Just wanted to fix dinner I figured even I couldn’t mess up ramen noodles”

Ms Fletcher snorted Finally she walked into the roo her head as she strolled past e with her index finger, harrus; Ms Fletcher had a thing aboutout of fa rumors Soon there won’t be any place left to send you”

I re down

Ms Fletcher sighed, folding her arainst one arm “You realize, of course, that you are worthless”

Here we go, I thought, feeling sick This was my least favorite part of the process I stared up at

“You are fatherless and motherless,” Ms Fletcher said, “a parasite upon the systeiven a second, third, and noenty-seventh chance And how have you received this generosity? With indifference, disrespect, and destructiveness!”

“I don’t destroy,” I said quietly “I break There’s a difference”

Ms Fletcher sniffed in disgust She leftthe door closed with a snap I heard her say good-bye to the Sheldons, pro to deal with me

It’s too bad, I thought with a sigh Roy and Joan really are good people They would have reat parents

Chapter

2

Now, you’re probably wondering about the beginning of the previous chapter, with its reference to evil Librarians, altarsof “Oh, no! Alcatraz is going to be sacrificed!”