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“Talia They need you in the principal’s office”

I glanced up fro at the words as Mr Napier lectured, but not really seeing anything

My heart skipped a beat as the girl sent to fetchto be about; I’d been dreading it for the past three days Since the nightto class and work as usual, had tried to keep the wheels of ed his body away fro room, a reminder that my life would never be the same

Sing, I closed my book and tucked it away, then headed down the hall to the office, where Principal Bradford waited with a short, round-faced woman

“Talia?” she asked, stepping forward

“Yeah, that’s me”

“I’m Janet Pelletier I’m from Child Protective Services Can we talk in here for a minute?” She opened the door to a small conference room

“Sure”

I pushed inside and dropped into a seat She se What was there to smile about? My dad was dead I was about to lose the only home I’d ever known

“Talia” The smile stayed on her face like it’d been tattooed there, but her voice softened as she sat down across fro over your case, and I’ood foster home for a few years, and—”

“What if I don’t want that?”

“Well, you’re only sixteen You need at least two years under an adult’s custody before you’ll be able to take care of yourself My job is to place you in—”

Her phone buzzed, an allance down at the screen and sighed “I’ht back”

I watched her walk out of the rooether nervously

Two years?