Another week had passed and Sara found she wasn't feeling as uncomfortable with her new home as she did at the beginning. Some nights, she would spend her time with Stephanie, doing homework together, or dancing to Stephanie's CDs. Some nights, Sara and Becky would play one-on-one basketball in the backyard. Becky was still convinced she could win against Sara, but Sara was on a winning streak. Some nights, Sara would even go down to Jesse's recording studio and listen to Jesse practice. He was teaching her how to play the drums, which she loved. Sara was even involving herself in dinnertime conversations. Jesse and Becky were so happy to see her smiling more, but still, they were feeling discouraged. Despite all the efforts to listen to Dr. Harner's advice to get more involved in Sara's life, Sara was still very withdrawn when it came to her emotions. Becky had tried to get Sara to open up a few times during their time together, but Sara either changed the subject or instantly remembered something else she had to do, and ran off. They were happy Sara was opening up, but were a little disappointed Sara didn't trust them yet. Dr. Harner had told them this week that Sara was making great progress but they still had to be patient with Sara because she was still carrying a lot of pain inside.

"I think she will allow herself to open up eventually, but I cannot give a time frame. It could take weeks, months, maybe even years before she opens up. She may even open up tomorrow. I don't know, but it's important she knows you care about her and are there for her so when she is ready to talk, she'll know she can come to you." Dr. Harner had told them.

It was Thursday evening and Sara was helping Stephanie clear up after dinner. She noticed Jesse and Becky had gone up to the attic right after dinner, looking pretty serious.

"What was up with them?" Sara asked. Stephanie shrugged.

"I don't know, but they looked kinda weird." She replied. Sara puckered her brow.

"Yeah I noticed that too." She shrugged. "Oh well." She continued to load the dishwasher. Stephanie shook her head.

"You don't really like them, do you?" She asked. Sara turned in surprise.

"I never said that. Why would you think that?" She asked defensively.

"I don't know. You just don't act the same with them like you do with me." Steph replied. Sara sighed.

"It's different with you. Y-you don't understand." She said quickly, turning away. Stephanie rolled her eyes and rinsed a plate.

Sara walked up the stairs slowly after she and Stephanie finished cleaning the kitchen. She thought about what Stephanie had said. You don't really like them, do you? Sara liked them; she just felt a little weird around them. Stephanie was right about one thing; she did act differently around Jesse and Becky, but Stephanie was her age. It was no different than the difference between hanging out with Britney and talking to Ms. Morrison. It was different with them too, it's…it's just the age difference. But Sara could not justify her reasoning. She had problems feeling comfortable around any adults, and she knew why, but refused to think about it.

She reached the attic, but before she opened the door, she could hear Jesse and Becky's voices from behind the door. She didn't mean to eavesdrop, but when she heard Becky say her name, she was curious.

"Jess, I know we're supposed to be patient with Sara, but I'm just worried about her. What if she never talks to us?" Becky asked.

"Becky, she talks to us." Jesse replied.

"You know what I mean."

"I know, but she's doing much better than last week, you know that. At least she's not ignoring us anymore."

"But she is, in a way. Every time I try to get her to talk to me, she changes the subject."

"Honey you can't expect a kid to open up after two weeks of being with strangers. Not after what she's been through."

"I know, and I'm trying to be patient; we both are." Becky let out a sigh, and Sara could hear them both pacing. Jesse suddenly sighed, almost angrily.

"I really hate to say this, but I'm really not happy with what her parents did to that kid. They really screwedher up! They made a really stupid mistake and I think they're real jerks!" Jesse snapped suddenly.

"I know, it makes me angry too. What kinds of parents dump their kid like that? They're responsible for all of Sara's problems. It just isn't right." Becky replied angrily.

Sara, still standing outside the attic, felt tears stinging in her eyes as she felt anger welling up inside of her. She stood there, numb for a moment or two before she heard footsteps coming closer to the door. She ducked into the bathroom as Jesse and Becky left the attic. Sara heard them walking downstairs.

"I'm going to see if Sara wants to play some basketball or something. We have to keep trying." Becky said quietly.

"Good idea. Do you mind if I join you?" Jesse asked.

"No, it's a great idea. It'll be good for us all to spend some time together." Becky replied and the two disappeared down the stairs. Sara emerged from the bathroom, feeling angry and upset. She felt like crying but couldn't. She impulsively ran up to her bedroom and grabbed her jacket, roughly forcing it on.

"So I'm just a screwed up kid, am I? I have problems now? How could they call my parents jerks?" Sara felt so angry as she shut her light out, slamming her bedroom door behind her as she stomped through the attic. She couldn't figure out why she had felt angry with Jesse and Becky saying her parents were jerks. They were jerks, they left me. Yet something inside of Sara was still hurting. Maybe it was the reminder itself, but she felt so angry, she couldn't take it anymore.

She quietly went downstairs and saw there was nobody in the living room. Sara quietly unlocked the front door and stepped outside, quietly closing the door behind her. The sun was just beginning to set, and Sara stood on the front porch for a moment, as if seriously wondering whether this really was a good idea. She really didn't know the neighborhood very well, and knew she would be in a lot of trouble for leaving without asking permission, but Sara was so deeply filled with rage, she didn't care.

"If they think I'm just a screwed up kid, fine! I don't need them!" She said to herself, and she stepped off the porch, running down the street as the moon began to rise higher in the sky.