Thank you to Harliquinn for beta reading and editing
/\/\/\
A couple of days later she was at her locker at the beginning of the day. Lily joined her.
"Hey," Skye said.
"Hey," Lily said. "How was your weekend?"
"Good. Yours?" Skye asked.
"Mine was good," Lily said.
"No Ivy?" Skye asked.
"She is on her way. She got stopped by a cute boy," Lily said with a smile.
"Zach?" Skye asked excitedly.
"Yes," Lily said.
"Yes!" Skye said. The four of them had been working hard to get Zach to notice Ivy and, clearly, it had worked.
"How about you and Tucker? Have you seen him recently?" Lily asked.
Skye hadn't told her friends about everything that had happened with the court case or about what she had learned. "Um, yeah, I saw him this weekend. But you know how my dad is, so I'm just friends with him," Skye said.
"I know, but that doesn't mean you don't want something to happen," Lily said.
"Of course I do," Skye said with a smile. "There is chemistry between us. Every time we touch there is electricity," she said closing her locker and leaning against it, hugging her books close to her chest.
Lily squeed. "You have got to get your dad to reconsider."
Skye sighed. "That will never happen."
"Just ask him," Lily said.
"I'll think about it," Skye said with a smile.
Anna came and joined them. "Hey!"
"Hey," Lily and Skye said.
"I saw Ivy talking with Zach when I came into the school," Anna said with a grin.
"Yes!" Lily said. "I will let her tell you both what is happening,"
Ivy came over to them with a big smile on her face.
"Tell us everything," Skye said insistently.
Ivy swooned. "Well, he texted me on Saturday that he wanted to talk to me this morning."
"And?" Anna asked excitedly.
"He asked me on a date next weekend," Ivy said.
All four girls squeed and jump up and down excitedly.
"You all have to help me figure out what to wear!" Ivy said.
"Definitely," Skye said.
"Come over Saturday afternoon," Ivy said to Anna and Skye.
"We will be there," Anna said.
The bell rang warning them class would start in five minutes. They all went their separate way to classes.
At lunch, the four sat at their regular table.
"Has anyone else noticed that Carly hasn't been here in like a month?" Anna asked.
"It has been unusually peaceful," Lily said.
"That's a good thing," Ivy said.
"Yes, and let's not jinx it by talking about it," Skye said.
"Right, so any idea what you want to wear on Saturday?" Anna asked.
"No idea," Ivy said.
"She has three times the clothes I do, and I have too many to keep track of," Lily said.
Skye and Anna chuckled.
"I know every piece of clothing I own," Ivy said.
"Really? Then which pieces of clothing have I borrowed in the past two weeks," Lily asked.
"The sweater you are wearing," Ivy said.
Lily chuckled. "Okay."
"If you wanted to trick me, don't be wearing the evidence," Ivy said with a smirk.
Anna and Skye laughed.
When lunch was finished they all went to their classes.
That Saturday Anna and Skye went over to Ivy and Lily's place just after lunch. The three girls were sitting on Ivy's bed while Ivy was going through her wardrobe trying to decide what she would wear on her date that evening.
"So, he is taking me out to dinner and then to a roller rink," Ivy said.
"Roller rink, you sure that's a good idea?" Anna asked with a smirk.
"Yeah, you tend to not be very steady on two feet. Adding a pair of roller skates might not be the best idea," Lily said. smirking as well.
Ivy scoffed. "That is so not true."
Skye giggled, "Well, it kind of is. But I mean, it's an excuse to hold on to him so you don't fall."
"That is a good point," Lily said.
Ivy sighed and shook her head as she pulled out a pair of grey straight-leg jeans. "I don't think I have worn these yet."
"That's because they are mine. I have been looking for those for months," Lily said.
Skye laughed. "So it seems you are the one who can't keep track of her clothes."
Ivy chuckled. "My bad, could I maybe borrow them and wear them?" she asked her sister.
Lily smiled and nodded. "Sure."
"Urg, you two are so lucky. Having a sister to share clothes with. Doubles your wardrobe." Skye said.
"Did you ever have a foster sister you shared clothes with?" Lily asked.
"Yeah, Kate and I did share clothes," Skye said sadly.
"Hey, I think we are a similar size, so if you ever want to borrow anything just ask," Ivy said with a smile.
"Yes, Anna borrows our stuff all the time, too," Lily said, smiling.
"That I do. I think I have a few things in my closet that belongs to them," Anna said.
Skye smiled and nodded. "Okay."
Ivy went into the closet, changed into the jeans, and came out.
"What top?" Anna asked.
"How about that white smocked tank with the geomantic red pattern?" Lily suggested.
Ivy went into the closet, found the top Lily was talking about, and put it on before coming out.
"White top when going out to eat where you could drop food on yourself and to a roller rink where you could fall and get it dirty?" Skye asked.
"Yeah, she might be right," Ivy said.
"How about the blue ruched cropped camisole?" Anna asked.
Ivy back into the closet and tried it on before coming back out.
"Pretty sure Dad already said you're not allowed to wear that out of the house again. So unless you want to risk him telling you to cancel the date, that wouldn't be the best idea," Lily said.
Ivy chuckled. "I forgot about that."
"How about that pink ribbed cashmere button-up?" Lily suggested.
"It itches my skin," Ivy said.
Skye got up. "I don't know your wardrobe well enough, may I?" Skye asked.
"Go for it," Ivy said.
Skye went into her closet and started to look through her tops.
"So, I've heard some interesting news about Carly," Anna said.
"Oh yeah?" Lily asked.
"Yeah," Anna said. "I think Skye might already know about it, too."
"Really?" Ivy asked, looking at Skye.
Skye sighed. "For two people who aren't allowed to wear crop tops, you have a lot," she said, trying to get the subject off of Carly.
"We are allowed to wear certain ones. With that one it's the mix of the crop and low cut that he doesn't like," Lily said.
"And it depends on what pants we are wearing them with. High-rise jeans cover more so crop tops cover enough," Ivy said.
Skye picked out two off-the-shoulder tops, a floral one that was slightly cropped and a teal one that was longer, and held them up for Ivy to pick.
"I love the floral one," Anna said.
Ivy changed her top to the floral one and looked in the full-length mirror in the room. "I love it, too," Ivy said with a smile.
"I think your black Chuck Taylor high-rise shoes would be the best to go with it," Anna said.
Ivy dug through a pile of shoes on the floor of her closet to find them and put them on.
"And your yellow mini backpack," Lily said.
Ivy found it as well and put the straps over one shoulder to look in the mirror at how it all looked together.
"I think that is perfect," Skye said with a smile.
"I agree. Now that my outfit is decided, what is going on with Carly?" Ivy asked, looking at Skye.
Anna and Lily looked at her too.
"Anna's the one who said she knew something," Skye said.
"Yeah, but I also might have found out things to do with Tucker. . . and you too," Anna said.
Skye sighed and ran her fingers through her hair. "What did you hear?"
"I heard that you and Tucker had been arrested. Something to do with drugs and other teens being hospitalized due to drugs they were sold by you and Tucker…" Anna said.
"Do you honestly think if that was true, I'd be here right now?" Skye asked as she sat back down on Ivy's bed.
"Well, no," Anna said, "but maybe something in that is true."
"Neither Tucker nor I sold drugs to anyone. Tucker bought weed from people we used to hang out with. Other teens bought from the same people, and the stuff was laced with a drug that has been known to kill pretty easily. Tucker had not used it yet when he was arrested, but the others had. Carly somehow knew he bought the weed and made an anonymous call to the police claiming both he and I were selling drugs. I had nothing to do with it, but Tucker was found with the weed. So yes, there was a trial. Tucker was convicted of buying the weed, but he was acquitted of selling them. I had a search warrant for my room. But I had nothing to do with it, so nothing was found. Carly was arrested soon after the court case," Skye said.
"Is Tucker in jail?" Lily asked.
"No, he was on probation for previous things, and six months was added to his probation. But he did spend a few months in jail between being arrested and the trial," Skye said.
"How long ago was this?" Anna asked.
"It's been about a month since court. And yes, I had to be on the stand as I was also accused," Skye said.
"You sure know how to keep things to yourself," Ivy said.
"I didn't know what to say. I was so angry with Tucker for buying weed from those people he had promised me he'd stay away from. And in court, I found out a major secret he has kept from me for over four years. It hurt, so I just didn't want to talk about it," Skye said in tears.
Anna wrapped Skye in a hug.
Skye hugged Anna.
"What's the secret?" Ivy asked.
Skye sighed. "You three can not tell people, okay?"
"Promise," Skye's three friends said.
"When he was twelve he got another girl in care pregnant. She had the baby and, obviously, they were in no place to take care of a kid, so they gave her up for adoption," Skye said.
Anna's eyes went wide.
Ivy gasped.
"Holy crap," Lily said.
"Yeah," Skye said. "So, this past weekend was the first time I have seen him since court, and I definitely told him off and got the full story."
"I'd have kicked his ass," Ivy said.
Skye chuckled. "I wanted to. But I think at this point it's pointless. I got him to explain himself, and I am hurt, but I am working on forgiving him."
Her friends all nodded.
"Do you know who the mother is?" Lily asked.
"No, apparently she's no one I knew. Both Tucker and she know the kid because the adopted parents are very open with it. But the girl does not talk to Tucker anymore. She completely turned her life around after that, partly because she found a family who adopted her and supported her. Tucker has had to struggle because the people who should be supporting him did not." Skye said.
Lily nodded.
"Wow, the fact that two twelve-year-olds managed to have sex in the foster care system seems. . . crazy," Lily said.
"Trust me, it's not all that crazy," Skye said.
"Did you?" Lily asked.
"No!" Skye said. "But there are far worse things that happen to kids in care than two twelve-year-olds having sex."
"Like what?" Anna asked.
"Stuff I do not want to get into," Skye said, "especially since the focus should be on Ivy and her date tonight."
"I don't mind," Ivy said sitting on the ottoman at the end of her bed and looking at Skye.
Skye let out a breath. Was she ready to share any of her trauma with her friends?
"You don't have to tell us, but I won't lie I have been curious about your past," Ivy said.
"Well, a lot of abuse, every kind of abuse you can imagine happens to kids in care. It can vary how bad from kid to kid. But kids who are in care for any significant amount of time have all dealt with some kind of abuse," Skye said.
"I thought kids were taken from home and placed in foster care to avoid abuse," Lily said.
"They are. But sometimes the abuse in care is worse than what happened before. That is not to say there aren't good foster or group homes, good people who care about the kids in their care. But based on the experience I have had and the people I was in care with, the good ones are few and far between," Skye said.
"How many homes have you been in?" Ivy asked.
"I stopped counting after a while. But I was in all the foster homes in New York, that were available when I was in care anyway. I was in some out of State, as well, and through several group homes. I was not an easy kid to place after a while," Skye admitted.
"How many good homes were you in?" Ivy asked.
"I think the first one I was in as a newborn was good. But I can not confirm that because I have no memory. The first home I have a memory of was when I was two, three years old. Between then and when I ended up with my dad there was one foster home I was in where I was not abused, and one group home. The abuse varied, but there was always something," Skye said.
"Have the people who abused you gotten what they deserve?" Lily asked.
"Most, no," Skye said. "But about four months ago, a man was arrested. It was all over the news - the Dyers"
"I remember hearing about that on the news. He was arrested for sexual abuse of kids in his care," Ivy said.
"That's the home I was in when I was two or three years old. And I was the first person who came forward about the abuse. I was too young to even know that what was happening was abuse. I was eleven before I realized it. I told my social worker a year later, and she told me that I was remembering wrong. They were a good couple, and he would never do that. She gaslit me into thinking I was wrong. After I grew the courage to report it to the police lots of others came forward, including at least two others who had the same social worker. She had told them the same thing, it hadn't happened and to not accuse the man who has taken in hundreds of foster kids," Skye said.
Lily wrapped Skye in a tight hug. "I am so sorry that happened to you."
"He is in prison. right?" Ivy asked. "Because I'm not above going and causing him great pain."
Skye smiled a little. She leaned her head on Lily's shoulder as her eyes filled with tears. "He is, and his wife, who absolutely knew what was happening, has been charged too. She is on house arrest for something like ten years. If she breaks that house arrest, she will be sent to jail. And violence isn't the answer."
"What about your social worker?" Anna asked.
"She is being charged too. I don't know the exact charges for her yet," Skye said. "But the lawyer who is representing all the victims is one of the best. He knows how to make sure we are all getting some sort of justice."
"Good," Lily said.
"You mentioned you were a hard kid to place, why?" Ivy asked.
Skye took a breath.
"You don't have to answer that," Lily said, shaking her head at Ivy.
"It's fine," Skye said. "I wasn't an easy kid. I got in trouble a lot - arguing with foster parents, sneaking out. I smoked both cigarettes and marijuana, broke into places, and vandalism too. I was arrested many times. I came very close to ending up in juvie. I was also accused of being violent with my foster parents, which isn't true, but my file said I did. And I never started it, but I was often in fights with other kids in the same homes as me."
"Wow," Anna said.
"Yeah, I know," Skye said. "I get it if you don't want to be my friend anymore."
"I didn't say that," Anna said quickly.
"We don't care about your past. You're not like that anymore," Lily said.
"Nope, because when I started the internship with the Avengers before I knew Steve was my dad, I was told I needed to stay out of trouble. And the last time I was picked up by the police for smoking pot, Steve had already spoken to the police. His number was put in my file to call if I was arrested. He was called, and he pulled strings and kept me out of juvie. But I was very much punished for it. That was only a few months after I started the internship and four months before we found out he is my dad," Skye said.
"Wow," Anna said again.
"I haven't exactly been perfectly behaved since then, but I haven't been in any legal trouble. And that is because my dad and the other adults in my life do not let me get away with anything," Skye said.
Lily chuckled. "You mean like every other good parent?"
Skye chuckled and wiped at her eyes. "Pretty much."
Ivy got up, grabbed a box of tissues, and held it out to Skye.
Skye took a tissue and thanked her before wiping her eyes with it. "Anyway, I do not want to talk about this anymore. So, let's change the subject."
"Right. Ivy, what are you going to do with your makeup tonight?" Lily asked.
"Going to keep it fairly simple," Ivy said. "You know I hate the feeling of heavy make-up."
"I agree," Skye said as she, Anna, and Ivy looked at Lily with a smirk.
"Excuse me for loving make-up," Lily said.
The other three chuckled at their friend and sister.
Soon after the four girls decided to post some videos on TikTok doing some of the popular dances.
Around five Anna and Skye were picked up by Happy.
"You girls have fun?" Happy asked as he drove towards Anna's place.
"For the most part. I had never seen the twins' closets before, and they have a lot of clothes," Skye said.
Anna chuckled. "Their parents are overcompensating for working all the time. They are spoiled, and they know it."
Skye chuckled. "I guess that explains it. And they might be spoiled, but they don't act entitled or like they are better than anyone."
Anna nodded. "Very true, they are so kind and generous with just about everyone. They have always been that way too."
Skye smiled and nodded.
Happy pulled up to Anna's place.
"I promise you nothing has changed after you told us what you did today," Anna said as she leaned over and hugged Skye.
Skye hugged her. "Thank you."
"Thanks for the ride," Anna said before she got out of the car.
"No problem," Happy said before Anna closed the door. Happy watched to make sure she got inside before he continued towards the compound.
"What happened that could have changed things today?" Happy asked.
"Oh, I um told the three of them details about my time in care and criminal record," Skye said.
Happy nodded. "Oh. Are you okay?"
"Yeah," Skye said. "How much do you know about it?"
"I know what you've told me, and I've heard other things. It comes with the job," Happy said.
Skye nodded. "I'm not proud of a lot of what I've done."
"I know that a lot of the things you have done have been what you needed to do to survive in a bad situation," Happy said. "And no one who cares about you is going to hold it against you."
Skye nodded again.
"So stop holding it against yourself," Happy said.
Skye let out a breath and looked out the window.
"The longer you continue to hold on to your past, the longer it will be until you can fully move past it," Happy said.
Skye sighed. "Okay. I'll try."
They drove the rest of the way back to the compound in silence as Skye had a lot to think about.