Root walked out of the science classroom and hiked her back on her shoulders, looking around the empty hallway. She spotted Sameen sitting on the floor near the doors texting. For a moment, Root wondered if she should be worried. It seemed like every time one of them was texting somebody else, something bad happened.

Sameen looked up and grinned at Root, shoving her phone into her pocket and climbing to her feet. Root shook her head. They were past that. They were fully committed now. She started walking down the hall, but Mr. Ingram stepped out of the classroom and called to her.

"Root!"

Root turned around. "Yeah?"

He smiled at her and held out a binder. "Don't forget this. You've got a lot of catching up to do."

"Oh." She jogged back to him and took the thick folder. "Thanks. I'll be caught up by next week."

"I don't doubt it." He winked at her and ducked back into the classroom.

Root smiled and clutched the binder to her chest. It was good to be back. The past few months felt like a million years ago; she could barely remember what had happened. Sitting in the Science Bowl meeting, looking forward to school work again, helped her feel real again.

Sameen appeared on her left and took the binder from her. Root started down the hall to the exit and Sameen trailed along next to her, leafing through the pages.

"This doesn't look to bad," Sameen commented. She shut the binder and stuck it under her arm. "Are you happy to be back in Nerdland?"

Root rolled her eyes. "You're top of the class, but I'm the nerd?"

"Being on the soccer team makes up for the intelligence," Sameen joked. "Jock outweighs Nerd."

"Whatever," Root laughed. She pushed open the front door of the school and led them down the steps. "I am glad to be back, actually. Mr. Ingram said they could sit me at the end of the competition table, so there's no one on my right."

"That's good." Sameen dug in her pocket for her car keys as they crossed the parking lot. "Are you on the team, or an alternate?"

"On the team," Root said, smug. "Mr. Ingram said he'd only let Cal on the team as a place holder until I was back."

Sameen laughed. "That's so mean."

"Cal can deal with it. I think he was relieved to be demoted to alternate. He's only on the team for college applications."

They got to the car and Root walked around to her side. College was all anyone was talking about these days. Zoe and Joss had both gotten accepted to A&M. John would do his police academy entrance exam when they moved. Root watched Sameen push up the lock on her door through the window.

Root should just make a copy of Sameen's key so she can unlock her own side. She opened the door and pulled her bag off her shoulders. Sitting down on the hot, pale leather, she dropped her bag at her feet and smiled at Sameen.

"Speaking of applications," Sameen said, starting the car, "I heard back from Kindred Hospital."

"Oh yeah?" Root asked. She buckled her seatbelt and turned to face Sameen. "And?"

Sameen shrugged and drove them out of the lot, heading home. "I got the internship."

"What!" Root took her seatbelt off to kiss Sameen's cheek. "That's great! I'll be working at NASA and you'll be working at Kindred! This is so cool!"

"Ok, calm down," Sameen chuckled. "Now we need to find an apartment for the summer."

Root nodded and sat back. "NASA has some information on their site. We can see what they recommend."

She dropped her head against her window and stared out at the passing houses. Leaving Bishop for another summer was thrilling. Root was so close to moving away and never having to come back. Of course, she probably would for holidays. Mrs. Reese would demand that Sameen came back and Sameen would definitely drag Root along.

There was the problem of her permanent address. They were going to be applying for college soon and Root wasn't sure what she was going to put on her applications. Mrs. Reese was her temporary guardian, but when she turned 18, she'd be out of the system and technically homeless.

"Root?"

Root drew a breath, lifting her head. Sameen was glancing at her as she drove. Root smiled reassuringly.

"Sorry. Just thinking about the future."

Sameen shook her head. "As per usual."

"Hey, did you hear back from Joss and Zoe?" Root asked, changing the subject. "Are they coming over?"

"Yeah." Sameen stopped at a light for a moment, before turning right onto their street. "They're technically sleeping over with John, but they said they'd hang out with us for a while."

"Good," Root said, lifting her bag into her lap. "They're going to be living with John soon. We're the ones they need to spend time with."

"Well," Sameen smirked, "I know Lionel is going to be happy to have his own room."

Root laughed as Sameen pulled over in front of their house. A large black sports car sat in their driveway.

Sameen whistled. "That is a nice car. I would love to get my hands inside her."

"Gross," Root wrinkled her nose. "That's Harold's car."

"Harold?" Sameen's eyes widened. "I feel disgusting now. I need a shower. Why is he here?"

Root shrugged as she pushed the door open and stepped into the cool, evening air. It was almost six o'clock, the sun was starting to set, and a nice breeze ruffled the trees. Sameen would call this weather 'too damn warm,' but Root loved it. March was the beginning of Spring, Root's second favorite season after fall.

"Maybe it's about my grades," Root joked. "I did have a B in his class at one point."

Sameen snorted and shut her door, starting for the house. "I know that's terrible for us, but that's just fine for almost anyone else."

Root followed Sameen down the walkway, carrying her bag at her side. "Still, he could be worried about me."

"Now? After you're back to normal? Where was he in November?"

Root knew Sameen was right. She had no idea why he would be here. Was Grace here, too?

Sameen opened the front door and threw her bag on the ground, Root's binder still in her hand. She took Root's bag and hung it on a hook. It was Friday, the one day they didn't do homework.

"Mom?" Sameen called into the house. "We're home."

After a moment, Mrs. Reese stuck her head out of the living room. "Root? Could you come here please?"

Her stomach twisting with anxiety, Root nodded. This was about her? Maybe Harold was here to say she was expelled. No, Principal McCarthy would do that. Was he here because she'd stopped texting him about birds? No, she'd sent him a picture of a Lesser Kiskadee the other day.

She glanced at Sameen, swallowing. Sameen gestured her forward and they walked into the living room. Harold and Grace were sitting in chairs facing the couch. Dropping onto the couch, Root tried to calm her nerves, reassuring herself that if it was something bad, they would have made her come straight home after school.

When Sameen tried to sit next to Root, Mrs. Reese stopped her.

"Sameen," Mrs. Reese said, her hand on Sameen's arm, "I think we need some privacy."

Sameen looked surprised, but nodded. She smiled at Root. "I'll be in our room."

Root watched her leave, her stomach clenching. Mrs. Reese crossed the room and settled into the arm chair. The last time Root had been sat down like this, it was Mrs. Reese's sex talk. Somehow, she doubted Harold had come for round two.

"Root," Mrs. Reese started, hands folded neatly in her lap, "we wanted to talk to you about your mother."

Root wanted to vomit. Was her mother coming back? Was her mother dead? She felt her eyes water. This was too much.

"Oh, Honey." Mrs. Reese leaned forward and put her hand on Root's knee. "I'm sorry. I know this is a hard subject for you. Are you alright?"

Harold and Grace glanced at each other, looking nervous. Root swallowed hard, her hands clenched into fists in her lap.

"Is she coming back?" Root whispered, feeling small. "I don't want to see her."

"No," Harold said, pushing his glasses up, "she's not coming back. Ever. I'm afraid she's lost full custody of you and will be serving several years in prison."

"She still had custody?" Root asked. "I'm confused. I thought that's why Mrs. Reese was taking care of me."

Mrs. Reese sat back in her chair. "The court allowed you to stay with me during your mother's trial, because I was proven to be a competent caregiver and because you wouldn't have to change schools. Now, your mother's been found guilty of child neglect and abuse and she's fully lost custody."

Root dropped back onto the couch, overwhelmed. She closed her eyes, trying to organize her thoughts. Apparently, her mother had still been in her life. What would have happened if her mother had been found not guilty? Would Root have had to live with her? Root knew her father had given up custody years ago. She was officially an orphan now.

"Root?" Grace asked softly. "I'm sure you're feeling a lot right now, but we have some good news for you."

Root laughed dryly and opened her eyes. "Unless you're adopting me, I don't think anything can cheer me up right now."

Grace glanced at Harold. "Well," she said, "that's why we're here."

"What?" Root sat forward. "Are you adopting me?"

"Now," Harold clasped his hands, "you can say no. I'd like to say, before you decide, that we wouldn't try to parent you. We know you're almost an adult. You'll need an address for your applications and we could finance your college education. We're give you your own room in our house, so you have your own space."

"Don't think we'd let you slack on home work," Grace joked. "We're still teachers!"

Root stared at them, mouth open. Harold and Grace wanted to adopt her. She was going to have a room at their house and they offered to pay for her college. They had more than enough money to pay for four years at MIT, where Root was definitely going.

She thought back over the past couple years. Harold had been awkward at first, always trying to lead BACKS meetings and forcing her to look at birds. He'd grown on her though. Once they got passed the weird age difference, Harold had respected her and encouraged her interest. He even let her into the school after hours to use the science labs.

Grace was kind to her. She always let Root talk in class, just babble on until she made a point. Grace was an amazing cook. Whenever they had BACKS meetings at their house, Grace made them snacks. Sameen had slowly come around to hanging out with Harold and Root was sure 90% of that was because of Grace.

"Root?" Mrs. Reese prodded. "Any thoughts?"

Root wiped her eyes and took a deep breath. "I'd love it if you adopted me. I…It would be an honor."

Grace sighed with relief and moved across the room to sit next to Root. They hugged and Root let herself relax into Grace's arms. She knew it would be weird at first, but it could be great. Grace and Sameen could cook. Root and Harold could talk about computers. Even if it ended up being awful, Root would go to college in a year and a half.

"Um," Harold coughed, "We have a gift for you."

Root pulled away from Grace. When she saw Grace was crying too, she laughed and wiped her face. Sameen was probably dying upstairs, trying to guess what was happening. Harold reached into his pocket and pulled out a small box.

"Harold," Root laughed, "Are you proposing? We should actually live together first."

The adults chuckled and some of the tension left the room.

"No," Harold said, handing the box to her, "It's just a gift, I'm afraid."

Root pulled the lid off the box. Inside was a small key with her name engraved on it. It was the key to their house. She held the key in her hand. It wasn't just a gift; they'd really been thinking about this. Having parents who wanted her made her heart clench.

"I hope you don't think it too forward," Harold sighed. "We don't want to seem desperate."

"No," Root grinned at him, "Thank you."

She jumped off the couch and ran to Harold, throwing her arms around him. The rough wool of his jacket was scratchy against her arms, but she didn't mind. Harold had been a mentor for her and now he was her new father.

Root felt tears run down her cheeks and sighed. She'd cried so much in the past few months, she was surprised she wasn't dehydrated. At least they were tears of joy this time.

"I have to say," Mrs. Reese joked, "I was worried I'd have to adopt you. I don't think you and Sameen would want to be sisters."

Root pulled away from Harold, scrunching her nose. "Gross."

"Speaking of Miss Shaw," Harold said, "I'm sure she's waiting impatiently for you upstairs."

"Is it ok if I go tell her what happened?" Root asked, looking around. "It's a lot."

Grace smiled at her and waved her hand. "Go on. We've still got things to discuss."

"Thanks!"

Root turned on her heel and raced out of the room. Pounding up the stairs, she kept the key clutching in her hand. The key to her home. She opened the door to Sameen's room and laughed.

Sameen was lying in bed in her pajamas, staring at the ceiling. Bear was asleep in her legs, his tail thumping softly against the footboard. He noticed Root and his tail started waving faster.

"Oh, thank god," Sameen sighed, "get him off me. I'm trapped."

Root closed the door and moved into the room. "Just push him away."

"I can't," she rolled her eyes, "he'll hate me."

"So, you want him to hate me?" Root put her key on the desk and started pulling her sneakers off. "You just want to be his favorite mom."

"I am his favorite mom!" Sameen scoffed. "I saved him, you know."

"That was years ago. He's probably forgotten all about it."

Sameen sat up and stared down at Bear. His tongue hung from his mouth as he looked up at her. Dropping into the desk chair, Root watched them stare at each other and shook her head. Whatever apartment they got for the summer had to accept dogs. Sameen had really missed Bear on their trip. Besides, Root would feel better if Sameen had a jogging companion in a big city.

"You win," Sameen sighed. She glared at Root like it was her fault. "Bear has an attitude. I can only guess who he got it from."

"Right, because I'm the rude one."

Root moved to the closet and started undressing. She felt Sameen's eyes on her as she pushed her jeans down.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Sameen asked carefully. "What did they want?"

Root pulled her shirt over her head. "Grace and Harold are going to adopt me."

"What?" Sameen's eyes widened. "That's great! Right? Are we happy about this?"

"Yeah," she replied, crawling onto the bed and pushing Bear to the side, "we're happy about it."

Sameen wrapped her arms around Root's waist and pulled her into her lap. "When do you move in?"

"I don't know yet," Root said, settling onto Sameen's legs. "They had more to talk about, so I came up to tell you."

"Well," Sameen smirked, "we'll have to christen your new room."

Root winced. "Sex at Harold's house?"

"Oh," Sameen frowned, dropping back onto the pillows. "That's weird. Maybe we should stick to having sex here."

"Good plan."

Root leaned down, pressing her stomach against Sameen's, pushing her shirt up so their skin touched. She sighed into Sameen's mouth and pressed their lips together. Tightening her hands around Sameen's waist, she felt Sameen's hands slide down her back.

The door to the room opened and Root jumped to the side, trying to cover herself.

"So you do have sex!" Zoe laughed. "We were wondering!"

Root rolled her eyes and climbed out of bed to put on her pajamas. Joss smacked her butt as she passed, making her jump.

"I'm not surprised," Joss said, dumping their duffel bag on the ground. "I could tell. They have that glow."

"You could tell?" Zoe scoffed and collapsed into the desk chair. She spun herself around. "Please. Just the other day, you asked John if he'd seen them kissing."

"Ok," Sameen held her hand up, "No more. No more girly gossip."

Root pulled her dog shirt over her head and smirked at Zoe and Joss. "There's a lot of kissing and a lot of sex. You can tell John that if he ever hears music playing, it's because we're having sex. It's not like I listen to music anymore."

Joss' mouth dropped open. "Can we tell him that? He'll flip out!"

"He's already paranoid he's going to see something inappropriate." Zoe clapped her hands. "Please let us tell him that!"

Root knelt on the bed, pouting at Sameen. Sameen was incredibly susceptible to Root's big, brown eyes. After a second, Sameen crossed her arms and looked away.

"Tell him."

The girls cheered and Root hugged Sameen. Joss settled onto the floor and pulled the Monopoly box from under the bed. She was a Monopoly beast; she'd only lost once before to Zoe. Normally, Sameen lost patience and tossed the board away before the game was over.

Zoe dropped to her knees on the carpet next to Joss and got into place. She glanced up at Root and Sameen.

"You guys going to play? Or make-out all night?"

Sameen pushed Root away and stepped off the bed. Root watched her walk away for a moment before moving down to the floor. As much as she did want to make out with Sameen all night, their time with Zoe and Joss was running out.

Besides, they could always have sex later. She'd let Sameen choose the music.