Mute Boy » Ashton Irwin

Three : The Way It Goes

Ms. Sunshine has been my social worker for four years now. She's the only one I can openly talk to without hesitation. I met her at fourteen, when my mother died. She had natural red hair and freckles, with beautiful green eyes that stood out from her pale skin. She was an angel; My Angel.

I found myself opening up to her about everything all the time, when she came to visit every two weeks in the foster home I stayed at the time. Sometimes we'd talk about the most dumbest shit for hours. I never worried about how I talked or what I said. Whenever I became nervous and began to stuttter, Ms. Sunshine would teach me how to slow down my train of thought, and have me picture myself saying the words before I spoke them. Within a few weeks of her company, I was completely adored by her.

Today Ms. Sunshine dropped by. That's odd, she never comes on a Saturday. I shrugged the awkward visit and felt a surge of excitement as she came up the stairs and into my room. I can't wait to tell her how good I'm doing in school.

I saw the sad facial expression on her and I knew something was wrong, "What is it?" I asked in a low voice.

Ms. Sunshine placed a hand on my shoulder. "You need to back a bag, love," she said with pity.

I brushed her hand away. Another foster home? "Why?" I exclaimed. "What did I do?"

Ms. Sunshine gently explained that I wasn't in any trouble, "It's just the way things are, you know that," she told me. "I had been trying to move you into another foster home with fewer kids."

Now that I thought about. This foster home was pretty cramped. Me and another boy being the oldest and having nine other kids all under the age of thirteen. I was excited but scared to leave to another home. I began to panic. "What about my school?!" I asked. "What about the other kids? What about Bonnie!"

Ms. Sunshine gently kissed me on the forehead, "It'll be alright.." She took a step back, "Wait, who's Bonnie?" She lifted her eybrow.

Shit. Did I say that out loud? "Uhh.. my turtle... Bonnie's my pet turtle."

"Mhmm." She nodded her head not believing me, she knows me so well. "I'm in a jam babe." She continued, "I got a younger kid released into the system next Monday and, well, he's been assigned to live here, so come on now, move it."

I said goodbye to my former foster parents, yet again like the many times before. I learned to block out my emotions a long time ago. The two ultimate rules of being a foster child that I learned were never to become too attached to anyone and never take a home for granted.

Outside, Ms. Sunshine opened the door of the pasenger seat, then I stuffed all my belongings in the backseat and we both got in. As she backed out the driveway, I waved goodbye to my foster mom and her ten other children.

Ms. Sunshine assured me that she had discovered the perfect home, just half a mile away so I would be able to attend the same school. She also told me that my new foster parents had never had foster children before and only received their license yesterday. What the fuck? The more Ms. Sunshine tried to convince me about my new foster parents, the more I knew how desperate she was to place me.

A half mile later, Ms. Sunshine parked her car in front of a small brown house, along with a sheriff car that had parked behind our car. Stepping out of the car I glanced over at the probation officer who walked around the car and opened the backseat door, out stepped a boy with bright coloured pink hair and jeans tighter than mine. He swung his army duffled bag over his shoulder and nodded over to me.

I waved over to him and grabbed my gym bag from the car. I exhaled and gave the woman who stood on the porch a false smile. Before the boys and I social workers can introduce us, the woman flew down the stairs and smothered the pink haired boy and I against her chest. My right arm squished with the boys left arm and my other arm hunged from my side.

After eternity of cheek pinching and another round of bone-crushing hugs, the lady held my shoulder in arm's length. "Oh, just look at you!" the woman cooed. I glanced over at the boy who had a big grin on his face. Fuck, im seventeen, not seven.

She then grabbed the other boy by the shoulders and shook him so fast that his head bounced up and down. "Oh, I could just eat you alive!"

She let go of him and admired our presence once again, "You're both so handsome!" the woman shrieked, as she jerked us up the steps into the house. This woman is crazy!

We stumbled into a small living room, inside sat two more boys on the sofa. One had blonde hair and blue eyes, he's pretty scrawny. The other was well built with dark brown hair. The crazy woman then shoved the pink haired boy and I onto the other sofa.

Once Ms. Sunshine and the officer sat down with the lady, they explained everything they could about our character. Then filled out stacks of papers of legal custody and such. Ms. Sunshine looked over at me and winked.

"Well then," the officer chuckled, "We should be on our way and let you guys get to know Ms. Rose a lot better."

After our social workers drove off, Ms. Rose stood in front of us, "Well, boys, what do you think?"

The four of us exchanged looks, not exactly sure what to say, still holding his bag, the pink haired boy replied, "It's a very nice house, ma'am."

Ms. Rose waved a finger in his face. "Now, we'll have none of that. You can call me Rose or Mom.

I don't feel comfortable calling Ms. Rose, some lady I met a few moments ago, mom. The boys and I nodded.

"So!" Ms. Rose clapped her hands together, "Now that you boys know my name. Why don't you introduce yourselves."

I felt like I was back in second grade."You go first." She pointed at the blonde boy.

The blonde sat up from the sofa and cleared his throat, "Uhm... I'm Luke Hemmings, and uhh yeah... I'm Luke."

"Tell us about yourself, Luke." Ms. Rose suggested.

Luke then began to fumble his fingers, "Well, umm I'm fifteen... I play the guitar, and uhmm... uhh.."

"Guitar huh?" The brown haired boy interrupted, "That's cool, man!"

Luke then smiled, "Thanks."

"Okay. Okay!" Your turn, Ms. Rose grinned as she patted the brown haired boy on the shoulder.

The boy was much more confident than Luke. Not cocky but pleased with who he is, "I'm Calum." He smiled and glanced at all of us, "I'm sixteen and I really love music."

"Good... Good." Ms. Rose smiled, pleased with herself. "Now you!" She pointed at the pink haired boy.

The boy whipped his hair and moved his fringe to the side of his face, "I'm Michael Clifford, and yeah."

Ms. Rose stared at him dumbfounded, expecting him to say more, "And..." she hinted.

Michael tilted his head and squinted his eyes "Aaaand... Oh yeah! I'm also sixteen."

Ms. Rose then pointed at me. Oh shit! She's pointing at me! Okay Ashton calm down, calm down... Just say your name and thats it. Ashton. Ashton. Ashton. Say it! Say it! "Ashton!" I blurted out startling everyone in the room.

The boys and Ms. Rose stared at me in shock. Fuck, I just want to hide under a rock. "Well nice to meet ya, Ashton!" Michael smiled at me breaking the silence and patted my back.

The rest of the boys laughed along with him. I felt this strange feeling like I'm finally where im supposed to be. Instead of making fun of me I felt like these boys laughed with me. I'm going to like it here.