Grandma's House

 Grandma took her from the foster home and brought her to her home in Ohio. 

The girl didn't show much emotion on the outside but she was so happy to be there. She didn't want to ever leave. Not ever. 

Her grandmother tried to talk to her about what was troubling her but she just laid her head in grandma's lap and sobbed uncontrollably. Grandma soothed the girls hair with her hand. Affection. She soaked it up. She felt loved. The girl thought to herself that she would be the girl her grandmother wanted her to be. She would make her happy. She wouldn't get into any trouble of any kind.

Unfortunately, unknown to the girl, the boy who had asked her to the prom was sending letters. She never saw any of them. Her grandmother was opening them and reading them. And apparently, they were vulgar. 

Also unfortunately, she had been seen walking to her aunts house smoking. 

So, one of the aunts took her bowling and gently let her know that grandma was aware of the cigarettes and that she was afraid that the girl would get pregnant under her watch. That couldn't happen. So, she would be returning to Illinois via a Greyhound bus. 

The girls heart was shattered. You couldn't tell it by looking at her face though. No emotion.  She was just dying inside. 

She was quickly put on a Greyhound. An older girl sat beside her and started up a conversation. Would you like to see a picture of my boyfriend she asked?  Ok, said the teen. The girl pulls out a Polaroid of her boyfriend laying on his back in a bed. Completely naked. She had actually never seen a naked man before.  She didn't know what to say. So, she didn't say anything. She just went back to scribbling in her notebook.  Her seat mate asked her, what are you waiting?  The teen flipped the notebook toward her where she could see it and proudly showed her that she was making little arrows to write her name. You know, cute little girly stuff like other girls her age probably did too.  The girl in the next seat suddenly asked, how old are you?  Fifteen, said the teen. Her new friend stayed mostly quiet for the rest of the trip.