{Part Seventeen}

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Please read the author's note at the end! Very important!

Monday, I woke up to Nicole and Rick singing "Happy Birthday". Groggily, I sat up in bed and smiled at the sight of them coming into my room holding a cupcake with pink whip cream frosting and a candle in the middle. They were fully clothed.

"Thank you!" I responded, blowing out the candle.

Today, was the day I had waited fro all my life. It was my eighteenth birthday, making me a legal adult and no longer under any serious restrictions- except drinking alcohol. Thinking back seven months ago, this day was supposed to turn out completely different than it is. I was suppose to wake up at midnight, pack a small bag, and rush to Xavier's house. We were going to ditch town for the week, my first week free of the system. Now, it was being spent with my adoptive parent, who I can assure are better than my real parents. I was going to hang out with Anthony, my boyfriends of the last seven months who was actually my age, and I was going to remain in the city I've been in all of my life. There would be no bumps in the road, or glances back. Because I was 18, and as of now under my own rule.

"Get dressed." Nicole said, placing the cupcake on my nightstand. "You have a busy day today."

They left, closing my door behind them. I hopped out of bed and practically skipped to the my closet. Flipping through close, I finally settled on something simple. I knew half of my day: In the mornng it was breakfast with Nicole and Rick, then I would be going out with Kimbrea and Jessica to lunch and medi pedi's. Later this day I would be doing something with Anthony only Kimbrea, Rick, and Nicole knew about. How was I suppose to dress if I didn't know where to go?

Brushing the question off, I went in the bathroom and took a shower. Getting out, I threw my hair in a bun with a polka dot bow headband on the edges. I didn't feel like doing it, since I was getting my hair done in a few short hours. Plus, the headband matched my pink "Unicorns are my favorite" sweatshirt and ripped skinny jeans I was wearing. Taking a quick photo, I uploaded it to Photo Bang with the caption "Part one of the 18th! #IMadeIt".

Within seconds, people from my school began wishing me "Happy Birthday" and to have a good day. I gingerly walked down the stairs, meeting Nicole and Rick at the front door. Rick drove us to iHop, by far my favorite place to go for breakfast. I can never get enough of them. We all ordered, and talked, before an announcement was made I couldn't believe.

"Autumn," Rick said. "I don't think words can describe how proud we are of you right now. When we first saw your file, I'm not even going to lie, I thought we were biting more than we could chew." I laughed at that, I was a little wild one. That was obvious to anyone. I was still ragged around the edges. But aren't we all? "But...we took the challenge, because we still saw potential in you. And you proved us right. Which is good, because we didn't want to have to send you back." I rolled my eyes, still smiling.

"Can never keep a good moment serious. " Nicole said, shaking her head. "What he was saying, is we really do love you like our own, and we're so proud of you for getting this far...with minimal issues."

"I don't understand how either of you have jobs were you need to make speeches." I responded, jokingly. "But...I love y'all too."And I did. Besides Leslie, they never gave up on my. And even I have to admit, taking me on was a big challenge.

Breakfast ended not ot long after that, and they dropped me off at home before leaving out to work. They would be off early to see me leave with Anthony, but they still had small business to take care of. I chilled in the house, since I had to wait on Kimbrea and Jessica. Plus, I was still waiting on Anthony to call me.It was nearing noon now, I knew he was up, but I refused to call him first on my birthday.

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