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But once I get out, maybe I can help her Or if not her, then other foster kids like us So
She starts reading again, and ork on conjugating the verb “to go” for her hout until my foster mom calls my name from downstairs
Katie chews on her pen and looks up at h and dragon the next section”
It has to be a social worker No one else would co for hteen They wouldn’t make me move noould they? I don’t want to leave Katie, and even though this house is cramped and rundown, the Robertsons treat us pretty well and always have food in the kitchen That’s more than I can say for some of the homes I’ve lived in But where I live has never been up to o, then that’s that
“There’s a wo rooet downstairs Her eyes are ri one of her ridiculous aprons This one is pink and says, Life is precious, handle with prayer The TV in the living roo sports at full voluain He’s been doing overtiathered, the Robertsons couldn’t have children of their own and thought they would do soot in over their heads and now they’re barely keeping it together They’re overworked and underpaid and have no idea how to deal with six kids who’ve all been through hell and back
Once we turn eighteen, they’re done The instant the checks stop co, we’ll be out on the street Everyone here knows it, and there’s nothing we can do The Robertsons are doing the best they can, just like the rest of us It’s the syste here races through the hallway and up the stairs, followed by another one who yells, “Give that back It’s e of her nose and sighs “Go on I’ll make sure no one bothers you”
“Thanks”
I holdIt has to be a social worker, even though our weekly s are always scheduled in the afternoon But who else would come to see me?
A wo my foster mom’s collection of tiny elephants Her silky, brown hair has blond highlights, and she carries a slim, leather briefcase After years in the system I’m an expert on social workers, and this woman isn’t one of them Her clothes are too nice, and she doesn’t have that world-weary look in her eyes
“Elena Martinez, I presume?” The woman extends her hand, with perfectly white-tipped nails She has a firm handshake “My name is Lynne Marshall I’m from Aether Corporation”
I raise est tech companies in the world My hand- with the ancient computer in the office we all have to share I can’t think of a single reason ould someone from Aether Corp would want to speak with me
Lynne sits in one of the rickety, wooden chairs and sets her briefcase on the scratched-up table I hesitate in the doorway, still trying to figure out what this wo across froet right to it,” she says, as she opens her briefcase and pulls out some papers “As I said, I work for Aether Corporation My coram with the state of California to help children in foster care transition to adulthood, whether thata place to live”
“What kind of prograram I’ve applied to so far, thanks to et my hopes up, but I need a break so bad, even if this already sounds way too good to be true I wait to hear what the catch is