Grace was sad. She was sitting on the curb next to her trailer. He father deserted her, her sister, and her mother. And now, out of grief, her mother was always out of the house. Doing, what? Grace didn't know.
Evan, Grace's best friend, came walking down the street towards her house. Grace started crying. Evan started to run.
When he finally got there he said, "What's wrong Grace?"
She couldn't find her voice because she was crying to hard. He lifted up her head. "Grace?" he said. He hugged her.
"What's wrong?" he asked. "My dad left us." She cried. He looked really sad for her. "And my mom is never around to help take of Hannah!" she exclaimed.
Hannah is Grace's little sister who is 8 years old. She's 4 years younger then Grace.
"I've got nobody!" she said. "You've got me." Evan said. Grace looked at him. "What am I going to do Evan?" she asked.
"You can stay at my house. My mom won't even care." Evan's mom was a druggy and was out of the house at night and in the day she was sleeping. Evan usually takes care of himself. Cooks, cleans, and takes care of his younger brother, Jose.
Grace smiled at him. "What would I do without you Evan?" she said. He grabbed her hand and took her over to his house. Hannah was already there because she was playing with Jose. Evan and Jose Guillen (pronounced Gee-yen. Gee with a G sound, not a J sound) were Hispanic.
Evan's mom was reading a magazine drinking a beer on the couch. "What do you want?" she asked Evan when he and Grace walked in the front door.
"Mom, it's me, Evan. I'm just gonna go play a board game with Jose, Hannah, and Grace." He said. Grace felt sorry for him. His mom didn't even realize it was him.
"Hello Mrs. Guilllen." Grace told her. She squinted her eyes like she was near-sighted. "Hmm? What? Oh, hello, Olivia! How are you?" she asked. Olivia?
"Who's Olivia?" I whispered to Evan. "I'll tell you in my room." He whispered back.
Jose and Hannah were playing Playstation 2 and Hannah was winning the car race. Grace and Evan climbed the ladder of the bunk that Jose and Evan shared. They were greeted by their cat, called Fat Louie.
"Hey Fat Louie." Grace said, petting him. He purred.
"Olivia is my cousin, you remember, the one that died in a car crash." He said, looking down.
"I'm sorry Evan. About your mom." Grace said.
Evan's father left with another woman when Evan was 5, but Evan says that he remembers him. Ever since, his mother had started drinking. Last year, his mother's body sort of collapsed and she went into a coma. Now she sometimes doesn't even know who her own sons are.
"Tomorrow, I'll talk to my mom about you and Hannah staying here, ok? Tonight I'll just say that your staying the night here." He said.
Grace smiled. "Ok, sounds good." She said. "What are you having for dinner?" Grace asked.
"Bologna and beans...again." he said. "Sorry, we don't have enough money for good dinners. I often have to steal food."
Grace all of a sudden looked very worried about him. "But don't worry," he said quickly, "I never get caught."
Grace looked at him. Staring and those beautiful dark eyes.
"Grace? Is mommy home?" Hannah asked. "No, Hannah, she's staying with dad at their friend's house tonight." Grace lied. She didn't want her to worry. It's too much for an 8 year old to think about. She doesn't even know about dad leaving.
Evan, Grace's best friend, came walking down the street towards her house. Grace started crying. Evan started to run.
When he finally got there he said, "What's wrong Grace?"
She couldn't find her voice because she was crying to hard. He lifted up her head. "Grace?" he said. He hugged her.
"What's wrong?" he asked. "My dad left us." She cried. He looked really sad for her. "And my mom is never around to help take of Hannah!" she exclaimed.
Hannah is Grace's little sister who is 8 years old. She's 4 years younger then Grace.
"I've got nobody!" she said. "You've got me." Evan said. Grace looked at him. "What am I going to do Evan?" she asked.
"You can stay at my house. My mom won't even care." Evan's mom was a druggy and was out of the house at night and in the day she was sleeping. Evan usually takes care of himself. Cooks, cleans, and takes care of his younger brother, Jose.
Grace smiled at him. "What would I do without you Evan?" she said. He grabbed her hand and took her over to his house. Hannah was already there because she was playing with Jose. Evan and Jose Guillen (pronounced Gee-yen. Gee with a G sound, not a J sound) were Hispanic.
Evan's mom was reading a magazine drinking a beer on the couch. "What do you want?" she asked Evan when he and Grace walked in the front door.
"Mom, it's me, Evan. I'm just gonna go play a board game with Jose, Hannah, and Grace." He said. Grace felt sorry for him. His mom didn't even realize it was him.
"Hello Mrs. Guilllen." Grace told her. She squinted her eyes like she was near-sighted. "Hmm? What? Oh, hello, Olivia! How are you?" she asked. Olivia?
"Who's Olivia?" I whispered to Evan. "I'll tell you in my room." He whispered back.
Jose and Hannah were playing Playstation 2 and Hannah was winning the car race. Grace and Evan climbed the ladder of the bunk that Jose and Evan shared. They were greeted by their cat, called Fat Louie.
"Hey Fat Louie." Grace said, petting him. He purred.
"Olivia is my cousin, you remember, the one that died in a car crash." He said, looking down.
"I'm sorry Evan. About your mom." Grace said.
Evan's father left with another woman when Evan was 5, but Evan says that he remembers him. Ever since, his mother had started drinking. Last year, his mother's body sort of collapsed and she went into a coma. Now she sometimes doesn't even know who her own sons are.
"Tomorrow, I'll talk to my mom about you and Hannah staying here, ok? Tonight I'll just say that your staying the night here." He said.
Grace smiled. "Ok, sounds good." She said. "What are you having for dinner?" Grace asked.
"Bologna and beans...again." he said. "Sorry, we don't have enough money for good dinners. I often have to steal food."
Grace all of a sudden looked very worried about him. "But don't worry," he said quickly, "I never get caught."
Grace looked at him. Staring and those beautiful dark eyes.
"Grace? Is mommy home?" Hannah asked. "No, Hannah, she's staying with dad at their friend's house tonight." Grace lied. She didn't want her to worry. It's too much for an 8 year old to think about. She doesn't even know about dad leaving.