I'm awoken by screams from one of the girls. Lauren comes in and calms Alexis down. Hours pass by. I can't get back to sleep. I get up, zip on a hoodie, put on grey converse, and head downstairs. I exit through the back of the house.

The air is nice, calm. Not too cold. Not too hot. It's April. The weather is perfect. I sit on one of the chairs on the patio. The sky has a lot of stars tonight. I think about life. 

Life. Life. Life. I don't want to escape again. I'll just wait until my meeting with Ethan to ask to change foster parents. But, that's in a little less than a month. I wonder where Ethan is right now. Is he in the woods watching me think? Is he helping some other girl with her problems? Ethan is a really nice guy I think. Why was he out in the forest? What was he doing there?

My mind fills with unanswered questions. When someone takes a seat on the other chair. I just about jump out of my skin. 

"Sorry to scare you," He says. "I assumed you heard me come out here." He smiles a little. "I'm Evan." 

"I'm Erica." I say.

"So...What are you doing out here?" His eyes twinkle in the moonlight catching my gaze.

I shake my head. "Those girls. They cry, and scream. I couldn't stand it any longer."

"I know what you mean. When I was younger I had to live with girls. And only girls. And they were younger than me." 

There's a long silence. The silence is deafening. 

"Are you one of the foster kids too?" I say.

He nods his head. "Yeah. I don't think I'll be switching foster parents any time soon though. They really like me for my height, and strength to help around the house." 

"Wow. So, they're like adopting you?" 

"Yeah, I think they will be." He looks down into his hands. "And hey, if you're good around here maybe they'll adopt you too."

I laugh a little. "Yeah, right. I don't want to live with those little kids."

"Well. They're all getting new foster parents. Lauren and John don't like giving up the older ones. So, maybe when they're done having foster kids then you'll have your own room." 

"Yeah, maybe." I sigh. 

"So. You're my little sister now."

"Who says I'm younger than you?" 

"I did."

I look straight into his eyes. "How old are you, Evan?"

"I am 16, turning 17 in a month."

I raise my eyebrows. "Turns out, we're the same age."

"You're kidding. You can't be more than 13."

"Oh. Wow. Thanks. I'm 16." I'm smiling. I'm actually smiling. 

"What grade are you going in?"

"I'd be going into 11th, but I have to retake 10th because I..." I trail off. That's right. I have to retake 10th because I tried to die. That memory is now a part of me. I can't take it back. I wish I could've died. But it's too soon to let Evan know that.

"Cool. I have to retake 10th also. I flunked it." 

We do have a little bit in common at least. We sit in silence for what feels like decades. 

"Lauren and John are going to be getting up soon. So, we should probably go in." He says.

I nod my head, and walk through the door with him. I lay back in my bed, and wait for the sun to rise. I count the seconds in my head of everything that happened outside.