Why would I say that? I sat up in the small bed, folding my hands in my lap and pathetically staring in front of me. I barely remembered last night's words, but I knew generally what I said. Chip had already awoken, joining his family in the kitchen for breakfast. He had school, and I remembered I had work today. I heard a knock on the door.

"Come in." Brianna appeared, to my surprise. She crawled on the bed and held out her finger, a band-aid and a tube of medicine. "What?" Her hair wasn't done, her pajama bottoms and school top on.

"I cut my finger. You have a bunch of cuts on you; Chip and Addy are busy so I need you to help me." I took the supplies from her. Usually Amanda or Chip would help with my cuts, but I knew how to treat a small cut like this. I finished and she squinted at me.

"What?"

"Why do you stay here all the time? Are you an orphan?"

"Yes."

"Did they die?"

"No? I don't know, maybe."

"What happened?"

"They didn't want to take care of me, so they gave me to an orphanage."

"Then why are you here? We didn't adopt you."

"I ran away."

"Why?" Abruptly, Adriana walking into the room, a hairbrush in her hand.

"Why are you in here? Stop bothering him, he might eat you."

"He won't eat me!" She protested as her sister tried to drag her out by her hand.

"I might." She glared at me. As she was pulled away, I also got up. I kept my work clothes in a bag at Chip's so it wouldn't get rained on. I got dressed and walked out to the kitchen.

"Rowen! Tell us why you ran away!" Bri sat eating her waffles, syrup around her face.

"Brianna, don't be rude!" Chip scolded. I sat down, being handed a plate by Adriana.

"She's fine. The orphanage wasn't my thing. They forced us to have nice handwriting, proper speech, and be a huge suck-up to adults. They were especially mean to me because I didn't want to tolerate it. They'd lock me in my room for days. I never wanted to be adopted, I was convinced I didn't need anyone. One day I just up and left. I didn't know where I was going to go, but I knew I had to get out of there." I had told Chip this story, long ago, but no one else really knew. "I ended up here and..." My mind filled with unpleasant memories. "I stayed longer than I wanted; but, I met Chip after, and I actually wanted to stay."

"Were you scared?" I hesitated at the question. I thought back, I was ten at the time. Ten, alone, hungry, and scared. I couldn't trust anyone, I didn't know where my next meal would come from, I didn't know if someone would take me. Yes, I was terrified.

"No, I'm never scared."

"You never mentioned that they would hit you." Chip mumbled as we walked down the road, the girls in front of us. "And wouldn't feed you. You also never said what your mom said."

"Why would I tell that to a little girl?"

"Because you're Rowen, I never thought you had a filter." He smirked as I rolled my eyes.

"I'm not that bad." I started to daydream about my mother's final words. She was an alcoholic with a distaste for human life. I was five when she gave me up, before that I didn't know how I survived. We sat outside the orphanage, the dim street light bouncing off the bottle in her hand. Her hair was brown, like mine. Her eyes were frosty blue, like mine. Her heart was poisonous, paranoid, and furious, like mine would be. I'd like to think that we would get along now, but I think she hated me as much as she hated herself. Her eyes loomed down on me, dark circles underneath.

"This is where you're going to live now."

"Why?"

"I should have never had a kid, you're a mistake. I pray to God that you don't have any children, our blood should be cut off here." She sighed. "Look, I've been selfish. I'm sorry I put you in this situation... truly. Maybe you'll grow up to be this amazing, world-changing person; but probably not. Not with my blood. Maybe my condition isn't infecting your brain, but it probably is. I hate myself, Rowen. You will too."

"I don't want to go here." I pleaded, shivering at the sight of the building.

"I know. I can't take care of you, you need a stable place to live. Someone who will love you." She took a swig of her drink. "I hope I get to see you again, really. You wouldn't like that by then, though. You'll hate me. You'll hate others, I guarantee it. I should've aborted you, instead I subjected you to a hard, sad life. Don't do that, Rowen. Promise me you won't give anyone as much pain as I have given everyone."

"I promise." She gave me a brisk hug.

"Bye, kid." She evaporated into darkness, leaving me basking in the light. Alone.

"Bye, Ro." Chip brought me out of my own mind, waving as we split paths. I continued on my way to the diner, pondering my past. I remember first coming to the town, and getting in trouble with the police for stealing. I was desperate for food, stealing was my old option. Until he came along.

"Good morning, Rowen." Amanda chimed.

"'Morning." My shift went normal, only sometimes I would get questioning looks from older people. I went to my table for their order, greeted by a familiar face. "Can't you not go out during the day?"

"I can do whatever I want." Fox said, flipping open a menu.

"Yeah, until you get arrested and sent to a state prison."

"Well, while you're at being my mom, get me a burger."

"Okay, sweetie, you better give me a better tip than last time." I said, writing down the girl's usual order. She came in most days, I think only to bother me. "Where do you even get enough money to go out here all the time?"

"Drugs!" She said obnoxiously loud. I rolled my eyes and returned to the kitchen. After a while I handed her food. "Amazing as always, thanks Mommy." She teased.

"You're so weird."

The normal lunch rush hour had apparently depleted since the scandal, but there was still a decent amount of customers. I had been getting a decent amount of money, I was just thankful I could help Amanda. After lunch hours, no one seemed to come in. I sat down with some food with Amanda.

"Ms. Davis, can I ask you something?"

"Of course, what is it?"

"How did all of the rumors about you start?" She sucked in a breath between gritted teeth.

"Well, you know about Chip's father, right?" Chip's dad had never been around after Brianna was born. I nodded. "He's the one that started it. He got angry at me for wanting to keep Brianna... he told everyone I cheated on him and slept with other men for money. He made sure it got around all of town before leaving forever. He told me one day he wants to see Chip again." She clenched her fist on the table. "The nerve... leave your children and wife for years then expect to see your son again? Absolutely disgusting." Her nose curled up. "I am no longer mad at him for the rumors, I'm mad at him for doing this to my babies."

"You're a good mother, Amanda." I said in a sympathetic tone. She smiled sadly.

"I wish I could provide for them better... They must hate me; they're shunned at school, have to worry about this investigation thing..." I heard her sniff, a small tear rolling off her nose.

"They adore you, all they want is for you to be happy. I would know." I paused, wondering if she wanted a physical form of comfort. "I would kill for a mother like you. My mom couldn't care less about me, the last words she gave me were how I can't be a good person because I have her blood." Amanda looked up.

"I'm so sorry." She put her hand on top of mine. "You're a good person, Rowen. Don't let others convince you otherwise."

"Thank you..."