Taranee was glad when the bell rang and it was time to go home. She, Will, and Jess usually walked home together because they lived in the same direction. Jess was, as usual, silent as Taranee and Will chattered on and on about everything under the sun. The conversation turned to a party that was happening that weekend. "Are you going?" Will asked Jess.
"I don't have a date,"
"Neither do I," Taranee said and Will nodded in agreement.
"I don't know if my parents will let me,"
"Well, we're almost to your house. Why don't we go ask them?" Will said.
"No. I'll ask. It's ok." she said, her cheeks flushing red. Will nodded, confused. They came to Jess's street and she mumbled a hasty farewell. Will watched her go with a confused expression on her face.
"Have you ever even met her parents?" Will asked.
"No. You?"
"No. I'm not fully convinced she even has any. She never talks about them, or about any siblings or anything. I know she has the puppy, but that's only because I was with her when she got her." Taranee remembered all too well when, she, Jess, and Will had found the starving puppy in the back of the school grounds. Jess cleaned the puppy up and was able to determine that she was an ASCOB (any solid color other then black) cocker spaniel, around two weeks old. Jess had bottle fed the little thing, carrying her everywhere, even school, in her black backpack. The puppy was now about six weeks old and she had been weaned and christened Sunny. Jess called the puppy her "child."
It was odd though. Jess had been Taranee's friend for months now and she had never met the girls parents. She and Will parted company at Will's apartment building and Taranee continued home.
Jessica Aradia Marshall-for-now trekked up her front porch steps and entered the house quietly, trying to slink upstairs unnoticed. "Jess, is that you?" a voice called from the back room.
"Yeah, Vicky, it's me." she called with a grimace as a young woman entered the room.
"Now why don't you call me 'mom' like everyone else does their parents?"
"Because you're not my mother." Jess snapped coldly. My real mother was smart enough to get rid of me early, she thought bitterly as she walked to her room. She opened the door, and she released Sunny from her kennel. "You ready for a walk, mutt?" The puppy yipped and nipped her fingers. Jess gave an involuntary smile. She snapped the leash on the dog's collar, sat the puppy and a flashlight gently in her backpack, and zipped it up, leavening it opened slightly so the puppy could slip her head out. Jess lifted the window, hoisted the bag gently over her shoulder, and climbed out the window and down the trellis. As soon as they were far enough away from the house, she released the pup, allowing her to walk freely along the leash length.
Jess walked blindly, knowing exactly where she was going. Sunny seemed to know as well, for she never strayed off the path or pulled at the leash. It wasn't long before girl and dog had reached the beach just outside of Heatherfield. With one quick look at the pounding surf, she picked Sunny up in one arm, and slid down the steep embankment, crossed the dunes, and entered a cave in the rocks. The cave was pitch dark, hence the reason Jess brought a flashlight. The river ran through the rocks were it would exit the cave and eventually reach the ocean. Jess climbed the rocks until she reached the flat rock near the roof where she spent most of her time. Halcyon Haven, she called it. She fished her book out of her bag and read by flashlight while the puppy snuggled close. Jess's cell phone rang and she rolled her eyes as she saw Vicky's number on the caller ID. She should be used to me sneaking out by now, Jess thought maliciously, I've been living here for almost thirteen months now…
Thirteen months this Thursday! Jess realized with horror as she dropped her book. The puppy was startled awake with a yip. So I guess D-day's this Thursday, Jess thought, fighting back the tears in the back of her eyes. But I don't want to leave. This is the first time I have allowed myself to make friends. How could I possibly have done that? I knew that this was only temporary. I guess the ol' Oracle of Candracar was wrong to anoint me as a guardian. By Thursday, I'll live too far from the other guardians to be of any use saving Metamoor or closing portals.
The truth was, there had been no plans to move Jess out of her current foster home, but, from Jess's personal experience, they never wanted to keep her after thirteen months. Things always started to get bad around month ten, and by month thirteen…Jess fingered the bruise on her wrist in remembrance of month ten. She didn't want to leave…
…but what choice did she have. She was a ward of the state.