1. DON'T YOU FORGET ABOUT ME. (Peter Parker!)

CHAPTER 5 ✧

                     ▀▄▀▄▀▄ ᗩ𝕟𝔡я๏𝐌εĎά ᗪẸＡη ▄▀▄▀▄▀

                                                 05| let me go

a year.

it had been a year.

Things hadn't changed much, apart from knowing everybody better of course. Anna had been wrong the first day I'd arrived. This place would never feel like home and we all knew it was true.

Even so, I'd chose the foster home over my mom anytime. Mom. I wondered how she was doing. Was she fitting in with the other criminals? How was she coping with being sober? I chuckled to myself.

I don't care about her anymore.

So as I sat on the edge of my bed, fully clothed and staring at the blank wall opposite me I wondered; what have I become?

I had developed a tough shell - there was no denying that. But would I ever remain the same after what happened with my mom? Probably not. Was I kind? Probably not. Did I try my hardest in everything? No. Did I still have hope? Yes. 

"You look like you're fighting a war in your head. I hope you win." A smile lit up my face as I turned around to see Caleb waiting outside the door. He had blossomed in the past year, that's for sure. There had been a new recruit a few weeks ago called Kayleigh who he immediately took a liking to, so I suppose you would say they were dating. As for me, no boys. I knew that once I was out of here, I was out. Don't get me wrong, this place was nice, but at the end of the day, in it's own way - it was a prison. I wasn't allowed to leave, and I was being sheltered from the brutality of the world. But was I really being sheltered from the world, or was the world being sheltered from me? I wasn't sure.

I hadn't noticed Caleb was still standing there until I heard an awkward cough.

"I've got some news." He said. I stood up and turned to face him. There was never any news here. He was smiling at me, but there was something in his eyes I couldn't figure out. sadness? I'm pretty sure the whole year I'd been here, I'd never seen him sad. "What is it?" I asked, my heart beating rapidly in my chest. "I'm leaving." He stated, taking a step towards me. "What?" I asked, flabbergasted. I honestly wasn't sure what to feel. "That's-- that's amazing!" I exclaimed, pulling him into a hug. "Congrats! When are you leaving?" I asked with a broad grin on my face. The smile wasn't returned. "Now." He said sadly. 

He had never told me he was getting adopted. Maybe he wanted his last few weeks to be good ones, without the sadness of knowing that he was going to leave.

"What? no.." I trailed off, looking outside the window to see a fancy looking car in the driveway. "Please don't make this a sad goodbye, it was hard enough saying goodbye to Kayleigh." Caleb groaned, tears in his eyes. I already knew it was too late for it to not be a sad goodbye. "I'm going to miss you so much." I said as a tear rolled down my cheek. "Not as much as me." Caleb said, pressing his lips to my head. "That was a platonic kiss, right?" I joked, laughing through the tears. "I'm pretty sure I wouldn't make out with Kayleigh for 30 seconds straight and then move onto you only 3 minutes later, Andromeda." Caleb chuckled, wiping a stray tear from his eye. "Ew. TMI. Good to know you two finally worked out your feelings though." I said, giving him one last hug. "Bye." He said, walking out through the door. 

"Bye." I whispered.

My friends were all going to leave one day. 

But when was I?

                                                                 ..........