Adopted by Jennifer Lawrence

[16]: Less Alone

Maddie

Next day, 4:00 PM

Gemma and I spent the day at the pier. She's a total scam artist! She lies about everything, and she shoplifts like crazy! She stole a necklace, some toe rings, a surfboard key ring... what's she need a key ring for?

She did get us a free ride on the Ferris Wheel, though. I'd say the view was breathtaking, but really, I'm not in the mood.

* * *

5:00 PM

Things are going sour fast. Gemma is so nosy! And pushy! She wants to know more about my life. It's none of her business!

I couldn't take it anymore, I got up and left.

She probably thinks I went back to the pier, but I'm right under the house. I'm not hiding or anything. It's big and open under here. There's sand all around and posts that hold up the house.

Hey, maybe I'll go up and snag some blankets while she's gone. I could sleep down here tonight...

But what if there's an earthquake? What if one of these posts gives way? I should probably not even be sitting here.

Yeah, I think I'll find someplace else to hang out...

* * *

9:15 PM

Gemma apologized. And she talked me into coming back inside the manor. We watched the sunset and played cards. She's being nice. Too nice.

The way she's acting makes me feel creepy. I hate not knowing what I'm up against.

* * *

September 1st

I'm not the manor anymore. Who cares? I should never gone there in the first place. Good riddance to all those losers.

I still have to put up with Gemma smirking at me when I stand at the rescue-wagon line.

* * *

4:00 PM

I'm back at this cave where I stayed last night. It's basically just a hole in the base of a cliff at the edge of a beach. It's not big enough to stand up in, but I like it. The walls are smooth and white. It stays pretty warm, especially with a little fire going.

* * *

9:30 PM

I've got a little fire keeping me warm, the sky is crystal clear and twinkling with stars, and the waves crashing onshore are so... peaceful. Sometimes I get so caught up in my problems that I forget how amazing the world is.

But not tonight.

Tonight I feel blessed with this moment.

Toes in the sand.

Heart in the stars.

* * *

September 2nd, 3:00 PM

I got drenched last night!

The tide came into the cave, and I've must have been zonked out because all of a sudden I was surrounded by freezing water. I bashed my head trying to stand up. Another wave came gushing in and swirled around the cave, then another. Everytime I tried to run out, water rushed in. It felt like I was wide awake and half asleep at the same time. Part of my brain was racing, but I was still going, watching all my earthly possessions get swept away.

I did rescue my backpack, but everything I'd left outside of it was gone. Blanket. Flashlight. Rescue-wagon leftovers. My bathing suit. Hand lotion... Good thing I'd bundled up before bed and put my shoes back on or I'd have a lot more to worry about than looking like a drowned rat.

I was still wet when I went to the rescue wagon. Especially my shoes. Gemma saw me and said, "Look at you! Were you out swimming with the dolphins?" She singsonged it in a real sarcastic way, so I just pretended she wasn't there and went up to the rescue-wagon window.

"Were you pretending to be a mermaid?" she asked, following me.

I got my food and murmured, "Thank you very much," to the rescue-wagon lady.

Gemma was right next to me now. "What's that farting sound?" she said, like she was totally disgusted. "You are so gross!"

It was my shoes, and it was embarrassing. Every step I took, my shoes went sploosh-thwwwwt, sloosh-thwwwwt, sploosh-thwwwwt...

The woman who'd given me my food leaned out the rescue-wagon window and growled, "Back off, you uppity homeless brat."

I was so shocked I pointed to myself and said, "Me?"

"No!" She pointed at Gemma. "You. I'm tired of you harassin' her. Now back off or I'm not servin' you tomorrow." Then she pointed to two signs posted on the wagon that read:

FOOD SERVICE AT OUR DISCRETION

and

WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO REFUSE SERVICE

Gemma gave her a hate stare but the rescue-wagon woman gave it right back, and finally Gemma turned and ran across the parking lot squealing, "Mama! That witch called me a uppity homeless brat! Mama!"

The rescue-wagon lady scowled and muttered, "Uppity homeless crybaby is what you are..." Then, without looking at me, she slipped another sandwich across the counter and said, "You look like you could use this." Then she pulled the metal window-door closed.

That whole scene actually made me feel pretty good. I've been thinking about why that is, and I'm still not sure. It's not because someone came to my rescue. And it's not that someone called Gemma an uppity homeless brat. Even though that is really funny. Uppity and homeless just don't go together, but somehow Gemma manages it.

It's also not that I got an extra sandwich and Gemma didn't.

So why did I feel so good?

I look gross and have farting shoes, I have no place to sleep and no blankets to sleep under, so why?

Maybe it's because the rescue-wagon lady noticed.

Yes. I think that's it.

It's because for once somebody noticed that I wasn't the bad one.

I operate under the assumption that people don't notice the good in me. That's just how things always seem to play out. I get blamed, while con-artist kids like Gemma and Molly get believed.

But the rescue lady noticed.

In the background, just observing, she noticed.

And if she noticed, maybe other people in the background, just observing, notice, too.

But if that's true, why don't they step forward like the rescue-wagon lady did?

I feel like I have more questions than answers, but something about one person noticing that I'm not the bad one makes me feel better.

Less alone.