A week later, it's the day I go back to school. Lena wanted me to have two more weeks off after the events of last weekend, but I can't afford to fall behind more. So, we come to a compromise of one week. At lunch, I sit with Taylor, Jude's meeting with Noah so it's just the two of us.

"How come no one's saying anything?" I see a lot of the kids who were saying horrible things online, but they don't say anything to my face, I just received a few weird looks. We sit down at a bench.

"They hide behind their usernames. They would never say any of that stuff to you in person, they're afraid of getting in trouble. Cowards," She says.

"So, you saw all the videos too?" I'm pretty sure there's not one kid at school who wasn't tuned in to my live breakdown. They've probably all seen me naked too.

"I saw one, but after that, I started reporting everyone who retweeted them."

"Thanks, Taylor."

"Just ignore the looks, the whispers. It'll blow over and everyone will forget it ever happened." She touches my hand and smiles. I haven't seen Jason today either, I wonder if he's avoiding me. I take my mind off of the bad stuff by changing the subject.

"I need to figure out a way to catch up with my classes, and I need extra credit. Lena suggested joining a team but I'm not very athletic," I tell her.

"Well, I get extra credit in English Lit."

"You do? How?" I love English, I wouldn't mind doing more work if it meant I could avoid repeating 9th Grade.

"I write book reports for Timothy every week, sometimes two, that's why my head is always buried in a book."

"So, he just gives you books, and you read it, then write about it, then hand it in?" It sounds too simple.

"Pretty much, actually he got the idea from the book he gave me last week, 'Perks of Being a Wallflower'. Ask him if you can do it too."

The rest of the day went by pretty slowly, but it was pretty good. I knew what was going on in all my classes and I ignored all the whispers just like Taylor said to do. Timothy told me to meet him at the end of the day to discuss extra credit. The others are waiting in the parking lot for me.

"I spoke to Taylor earlier and she told me she was doing book reports for extra credit. And I need that right now, I already have to do summer school and if I don't get enough credits, I might have to repeat 9th Grade."

"Gracie, I love your ambition," Timothy says. "But I've spoken to your Chemistry teacher and he said your current grade is not where it needs to be. You'll need to get your grade up before piling on anything extra."

"Oh, right." I was expecting him to agree. "So, as long as I get up to par with the rest of my class, I can do the extra credit?"

"Well, yeah, I guess, but I still think maybe it might be too much work for you."

"No, honestly it's not, I love reading. And writing actually, this is my favorite class and if I go to more work it would be amazing, I think this is what I want to do when I'm older. You know, teach like you."

"Okay, then here's the deal. Study, work hard and get your head down, then if your chemistry teacher tells me that your work is improving by the end of the week, I'll give you one book. And if in a few weeks, you get caught up and you're on the same level as the rest of your class, then you can do it weekly. Sound good?"

"Okay, I can do that. Thank you, Timothy. I won't let you down." I start to leave.

"Gracie, don't let yourself down." He smiles at me.

I tell Lena all about what Timothy said. She's pretty happy with my initiative, even though it was kind of Taylor's idea. "And I've been studying chemistry since the second I got home, I know I can do this if I put my mind to it."

"I'm so proud of you Gracie, even with everything you've been through you still have the courage and the drive to succeed, it's very admirable," Stef says as she serves up dinner.

"Thanks. If I didn't have you guys, I probably wouldn't even be going to school. You're all so supportive."

"Speaking of family, what's going on with the adoption?" Callie asks Stef and Lena.

"Well, we started on the papers last Friday and-"

"Last Friday? But you hadn't even asked me then." I say.

"Yeah, but we got a little carried away." I smile at my moms-to-be. "And we met with your social worker today and it looks like we can get this done pretty soon, the judge is a good friend of hers, so she was able to get us a court date at the end of the week," Stef says excitedly.

"Seems like she wants to be rid of me," I laugh. "So if all goes well, I could be a permanent member of the family by next week?"

"Yep!" Lena kisses my head.

"This is so exciting! This family just keeps growing, I love it." Mariana says.

"None of you can be as excited as me, I can finally feel like I'm a part of something."

As the week goes on, I knuckle down and get to work with my chemistry assignments. It's always been one of my weak points, well science as a whole is a weak point. But Jude helps me get up to speed and I use some of Mariana's techniques to help me remember stuff. We have a test on Friday so if I get at least a C+ then that will be enough of an improvement to start doing extra credit.

"You're not pushing yourself too hard, are you?" Lena comes into our room one evening.

"No, I'm fine, I'm enjoying myself. I've never been able to put my mind to something like this before."

"I'm glad to hear that. Anyway, you skipped your last couple of counseling sessions, any particular reason for that?" She perches on the edge of my bed. I was trying to keep it a secret, I honestly haven't felt like I needed to go.

"Oh, right, that. Um, I didn't want to go. I was burying myself in my work and I just wanted to get everything done." Callie's sat on her bed, trying not to pay attention but I know she can't help it.

"Well it is one of the terms of your release from the hospital, and the judge also recommended it, twice."

"I know, I'm sorry, I won't skip it again." I'm not lying, I will go next Thursday. The first session was helpful, it was a place to talk about my feelings without fear of being judged or laughed at. Not that the Adams-Fosters or Sophia would laugh at me, but it's always in the back of my mind that people sometimes aren't what they seem. That point has been proven by Rachel.

"Good. Don't stay up too late girls." Lena kisses us both goodnight. "Don't forget we're going to court tomorrow, dress nice." She switches the main light off leaving us in the light of our small bedside lamps. We put our schoolwork away and climb into bed, turning the lamps off.

"Are you nervous?" Callie says.

"I don't know, were you?" I haven't thought about the adoption all week. I guess I'm just a little scared it's not going to work out. Wow, maybe I should have gone to counseling this week. It's just that I feel like I'm cursed or something, every time something good happens, something ten times worse comes to wash it all away.

"Yeah, but I the first time Jude and I went for the adoption, it fell through, but you know all about that." It took her a long time to get adopted because Robert wouldn't sign the release papers. I'm just glad that won't happen to me, both my parents are dead. "But yeah, I was nervous the second time too, it took me a while to accept that the Fosters truly wanted me."

"But you're okay now, you've accepted it?"

"Yeah, have you?" That's a very big question.