Aubrey didn't have a favorite baseball team.

The crack of the ball against the bat. That is what first lured her out from peeping behind the wall when her mother was passed out on the couch in the middle of her fucking spazz-outs. She used to be so out of it that Aubrey could eat chips, make a pizza, and hide whatever she could in her room for rations. Never eat everything of anything that would leave a smell. She will want some when she wakes up if there's nothing there she'll call you selfish and—

Make Kool-Aid in a cup from the sink faucet. Do not make a pitcher of Kool-Aid. If you do, use one of the smaller pitchers and hide it in your room for rations. Never put it in the fridge it would take up way too much space where motherfucking shitty beers could go. The smell of Blue Ribbons didn't even bother her anymore. Which was good. The last time her mom found her covered in puke and blamed it like it was her fault—

Anyways, Sunny and Mari's dad. He was a baseball addict. In between doing her hair, Mari would talk with Hero about how her dad would argue with strangers online about it.

Sunny and Mari's dad's favorite team was the Braves and he knew everything about them. Aubrey barely knew 12 different players across the league but she learned to figure out who the Braves' players were. Where they were from. Atlanta. Not where Ariel was from.

After spending days practicing in the mirror, the stage was set. She was sitting on the couch with Sunny and the two shared a game of Snake on his Joshboy.

It was a pretty fun game! Sunny was a lot better at it than her. It seemed like every game he would set a new record or come close. It was exciting! She would grab on his arm and lean on his shoulder to get a closer look. Whenever they switched off, Sunny insisted she play to her heart's content.

He was so cool.

When the baseball theme on TNT kicked in, she made sure to make enough noise to get some attention. Sunny's dad asked what her favorite team was.

Please let this work.

As soon as she said the Braves, his eyes lit up.

Aubrey didn't have a favorite team, but Sunny and Mari's dad did. Aubrey had a favorite team and it was the Atlanta Braves, the greatest baseball team on the planet. America's Team.

There was always something for her to eat here. Always a smiling face and a hello. Every time she walked through the door, she felt a warmth she'd never felt anywhere else.

And that was her first-ever taste of freedom.

If only it lasted.

Sunny and Mari's house. Kel and Hero's house. Basil's house. The Treehouse. The park. The beach. The days felt like they went on forever, but never forever enough.

Aubrey would do whatever she could to make the time last with the people she cared about. Dragging out every last second she could.

The girl talks with Mari. Someone she could look up to. Hero's extra big and yummy sandwiches. He prided himself on making sure she was good and full. Basil and she would tear through his coloring books experimenting with all kinds of palettes. The amount of colors and shapes that plants could take up was amazing. Sunny...Sunny made the world slow down. Life didn't feel like a swivel around him. The seconds always seemed to tick slower. Softer.

But hell, even arguing with Kel was better than—

The thumps of her shoes pounded the sidewalk. It was always quiet this time of night. She refused to start walking home until the street lights came on. That's how she knew she used up as much time with her friends as possible. The pit in her stomach as her house crept into view.

Every time. Every time.

She just wanted to-to-to BANG on someone else's door. If she went to enough houses, screamed loudly enough, cried loudly enough, someone would take her, right? She had options, right? There was a way out of all of this.

Right?

Her body tensed up. Tears were rushing down her face. Ca-ca-n'tbreathe.

Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.

There was only one place she belonged.