.I had walked about two blocks when I noticed that he had not followed. I felt the vague feeling of disappointment, then revulsion as I realized what it meant.
My house came into view; the chipped tan siding was bland compared to the perky blue and white houses that lined Cherry Street. My house was situated at the end of the street, a dead end, just like my life. The patchy dead grass looked horribly out of place next to the impeccably kept, lush green suburban yards.
I sighed as I ambled up the creaking wood steps, my foot smashed through the second rotting step and I cursed loudly. Yanking my food out of the hole, I leapt the rest of the stairs and pulled open the torn screen door.
The outside of the house was a façade from which I hid from the world. I needed no one to know that I lived alone. If someone had found out, DCFS would have been called, and I would have been lost within the system. Not much different than being lost in the real world, but at least here I depended on no one but myself.
I did not want to gather all my possessions into black garbage bags as I was thrown from house to house, different guardians perhaps every week. I earned myself enough ridicule at school, I did not need to smell like garbage bags or be seen as damaged goods.
The inside of my house was warm, the aging fir place stood against a wall vacant of any photographs. A single solitary maroon couch stood erect in the middle of a room dormant of furniture other than the small television resting in the corner.
I shrugged off my coat and book bag, setting them in the small closet behind the front door. Sighing, I relaxed my tense shoulders, here's to the age-old adage, 'home sweet home, I muttered to myself.
My silent reverie was interrupted by a knock on the door behind me. My eyes snapped open and I spun around, wondering who would be at my door. Opening it, I growled at the visitor. Grey eyes stared back at me from underneath damp blue fringe.
"Hello Sweetheart, mind if I come in?" I froze, my eyes flickered behind him.
"How'd you find me?" I muttered but nonetheless opened the door wider, my head hung dejectedly.
"It wasn't that hard to follow you, you really weren't paying attention." I snarled as he smirked at me.
He glanced around the room, "so this is where you live?" I nodded, crossing my arms over my chest.
"Now if you would leave, I don't usually let strangers into my house, and seeing as I've only known you a day, I would categorize you as a stranger." I bit out venomously. I walked behind him and shoved him out the door.
"See you tomorrow at school, I shall be looking for you...sweetheart" I bared my teeth at him and slammed the door shut. Trudging down the hallway to my room, I dropped onto the mattress on the floor. Sighing I curled up into a ball, wishing for a dreamless sleep.