Figuring Out Foster

Chapter 20

After school, we were waiting for Foster to get out of detention, and I was being a third wheel to a conversation Michael and Jess were having. Though, I wasn't listening to them. Only keeping my eyes on the front gates of the school and wondered when Foster would round the corner. His skateboard in hand and backpack strap hanging off of one shoulder.

"Maggie, how's your head?" Jess's questions pulled my gaze away from the school's entrance that I have been staring at since we got here, and I looked over at her.

I had told Jess about Vincent hitting me with a bat in class earlier. She had her eyes on me, watching me with concern, while Michael stood next to her looking at me questioningly.

I sighed and turned toward them so I could better fight the urge to glance at the entrance again, "It only hurts when I touch it." I answered her question. And as if to prove that it was true I lightly tap the bump on the side of my head. The sharp pain I felt when I did forced me to flinch.

"I still can't believe you jumped in between them." Jess said wincing; most likely thinking about how it would feel if she was the one getting hit with a bat.

I wished it hadn't gone down like that either, and I wished that more than because I got hurt from it. Foster and I not talking was something that hurt more than that. Some part of me wanted to take back what I had said to him, but I couldn't.

"Yeah, it was stupid." Michael commented, breaking inner conflict with what happened last night, and makes me roll my eyes at both of them.

"Oh come on, I stopped the fight so that's all that matters." I told them but Michael didn't look as convinced as Jess with my deflection.

"I couldn't even imagine how Foster feels about seeing you getting hurt." Michael said catching me off guard. He looked at me knowingly, possibly seeing my reaction to his remark, as if he knew what I had done. I quickly looked away from him so he couldn't see something else was hurting me.

But, I should have known he wouldn't let me off that easily. His internal justice system seemed to be overloading as he had the sudden need to right a wrong.

"Maggie—?" He started to question me in front of Jess before thinking better of it. Before interrogating me further, Michael turned to her, "Jess... can I talk to Maggie for a second." Without another word, Michael held out his car keys to her.

"Sure." Jess gazed back and forth between us, before taking the keys and walking around his car. Keeping my eyes on Michael, I heard the doors unlock as Jess hopped into the passenger seat. For a pause of silence, Michael didn't speak.

"You can talk to me." He stated softly.

I wanted to tell him everything. That Foster and I were only friends now. Though, lying to him didn't feel right. Especially, after Michael wanted to be kept updated on his brother.

I take in a deep breathe, "Foster didn't say anything to you?"

"No. Maggie, he didn't come home until late last night." Michael shared that information with me and it made me feel extremely guilty.

"Foster left my place after midnight."

"That means we don't know where he went for two hours... I'm guessing he needed some time to himself then. Why would he need that?" Michael looked down at me as if he was the one I'd hurt. Though, I guessed he was just looking out for his brother.

"Basically, I just told Foster to focus on his mom and he agreed too. Well, sort of."

"He can make his own decisions Maggie." I looked up at Michael, surprised he had said that to me as it was something he's said to Foster too.