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"But I know she’s a good kid, all appearances to the contrary I wish so more permanent would’ve worked out for her" I could hear the sy it hard to breathe

"Maggie Mae, since you don’t seery, would you like to see your rooentle

I let out a breath that had been stuck in rabbed ht of stairs and down a hall to the other side of the barn house At the end of the hall a door led to a small, cluttered room

It had stark white walls, a small chest of drawers, a little CD player, a closet half filled with a hundred different kinds of fabric scraps, and against the far wall beneath a s cot with a homemade purple patchwork quilt draped over it Smack in the middle of it all was a table that took upin the sewing room?" I asked

"It’s temporary I have an empty stable hand’s room above the barn, but John says you need to be in the sae Your birthday’s just around the corner, right?"

I nodded

"Why don’t you unpack your things while John and I finish your paperwork" She turned to leave, but stopped "I alot! The laundry room is just down the hall, there Across from it is the bathroom It’s all yours, so feel free to use the drawers for your toiletries" Her cowboy boots clip-clopped on the wood floor as she walked back to the dining room

Toiletries? I didn’t have any toiletries except store makeup, and a hairbrush I didn’t even own a tube of toothpaste Tears threatened my eyes, but I forced theht to cry But tears over a tube of toothpaste?

I pulledand shoved them into the drawers--jeans in the bottom drawer; T-shirts and tank tops in the htshirt in the top Next I hung my jacket in the e hangers There--I was unpacked

Clutching my "toiletries" to my chest, I darted down the hall to the bathroom It, unlike the rest of the house, was empty The vanity draere empty, the shoas empty--no soap, no shay clear I arrangedroo and wished I had a CD to drown out the quiet mumble of Mrs Carpenter’s, Mr Petersen’s, and Ollie’s voices Only a feords stood out of theout Police Nude Arrested Almost an adult Prostitute Convicted

I pulled the pillow over my head

A little while later I heard a quiet knock I took the pillow from my head and stood "Come in"

Mr Petersen stood in ood-bye for us You call " He held out his business card "You’re a good kid Take care that you turn into a good adult"

I stood ers I took his business card and tucked it into my jeans pocket He nodded, turned, and walked down the hall

I wasn’t sad to see hihout my life than any ofa part of me aith him Who else would reeness started to happen todown the hall and feeling e towarda conversation, that I snapped out of it

"School starts at seven forty, so I reco a soft, fresh-s bundle into my hands I stared at it "It’s an extra blanket In case you get cold The cot’s not all that warm," she explained "You act like you’ve never seen a quilt before

"My roo, just holler I’ll hear you" She stared at ht," she finally said

I shut my bedrooot htshirt--an old oversized Michelin Tires T-shirt that used to belong to Jenny Sue’s husband I slipped it over my head and padded across the hall to the bathroom

I washed my face and brushed my teeth with lukeater, used the toilet, and then stared in theit, I could still see the faintest shadow of gray beneath ht with the prostitute I looked older than seventeen When did I begin to look so old? So tired? So hopeless?

I flipped off the light, crossed the hall, and eased onto the rickety cot

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