After Rose and I made breakfast for Scarlett and mom, we excitedly run back up the stairs to surprise them. Rose is struggling to carry the plate of food up while I carry the tea which is slightly burning my hands.

But I expect it to be worth it when they see their surprise.

I open the door, letting Rose walk through first but her smile drops. When I follow her, I notice the reason her smile drops, but I grin in amusement.

A half-naked mom rapidly turns around, but she doesn't seem amused. She seems... Mad?

"Get out." She states sternly, making me confused. I turn to look at Rose who rapidly turns around and walks away, leaving me flustered.

Maybe mom is upset? I could help. I always seem to cheer her up.

I place the drinks down and take a step closer to her. Once she notices she turns around again. "What are you still doing here?" She asks frustrated.

I blink my eyes a couple of times. I'm just trying to help?

She walks towards me before crouching down. "Get. Out."

I nod rapidly, biting my lower lip to prevent my tears from falling. I knew it, I knew it was all too good to be true.

I turn around and walk to the room I stayed the night, packing a few essentials. Some clothes, a towel, my stuffed animal, my drawing supplies and of course some toys.

Rose looks at me intently, watching my every move while sitting on the bed. "Where are you going?" She asks softly.

I shrug, not knowing where to go since I don't know the neighborhood. Maybe I can go back to town? I think Dylan would let me stay at the bookstore.

After carefully carrying my suitcase down the stairs, I put on my shoes before looking at my coat, deciding it's best to leave it here.

When I turn the lock on the door, a loud bang occurs.

I fall from the bed, grunting as my face hits the floor. When I look up at the ceiling, I realise it's all just a dream. I sigh in relief, slowly standing up to do the morning routine mom taught me.

I'm glad Rose isn't in the room anymore, I'm not sure if I'm ready for her to witness my nightmares. I tried to get rid of the redness in my eyes and the tear stains on my cheek, but it is of no use.

Once I'm ready, I slowly open the door, walking to the door in front of me. I knock softly on it, not hearing a response.

When I open it, I see mom sitting with her back towards me, a phone to her ear. "Mama?" I whisper, desperately needing a hug.

I hear a deep sigh coming from the other end of the room. "Casey, please just... Not now okay?"

I nod slowly and close the door behind me, walking straight to the bathroom. I decide to sit in the tub and look at the ceiling, letting my mind run wild while my tears are drowning my shirt.

Maybe I am bothering her?

Does she regret being my mother?

Would she rather have someone else as her daughter?

I don't know how long I've been here, but I'm pulled out of my thoughts when there's a knock on the door. And another one.

I decide to ignore them, until someone knocks like they're trying to break down the door. I reluctantly get out of the tub, wiping my cheeks before walking to the bathroom door and opening it.

My eyes lock onto Lizzie's, who isn't even acknowledging me. "I'm sorry sweetie I had to do something for work, I have time now?" She says, her eyes fixated on her phone.

Her voice sounds genuine and familiar, but my grandmother warned me about this. For people who say one thing but do another. Lizzie says she is here for me, yet she doesn't even look at me.

I nod slowly before walking past her, not looking back. I walk down the stairs, wanting to join Rose, but she seems occupied. I look at her and Scarlett who are laughing out loud while watching something on the tv. I smile weakly into their direction before turning around.

They seem to enjoy their time together and I don't want to disturb them, so I sneak past them to the hallway and put on my shoes. I decide to leave the coat here, just like I did in my dream.

I don't plan on staying outside for long, I just want to explore the neighborhood a bit. I've been here for a while now but I've never been outside of grandmama's house.

I'd like to change that since I've always spent time alone outside. I didn't like being lonely, but I loved being alone. I'm good company.

I walk off the porch and take a left turn, careful to remember it so I can find my way back. It doesn't take long before a strange man with a camera walks up to me. He takes a few pictures of me as I walk past him.

I put my hands in my pockets, trying to fight the cold, but I find something better in my pocket instead. Money.

I use the money to get onto a bus. A sweet last helped me pay for it and asked if I needed help or if she needed to bring me home, but that's the last place I want to be right now.

I'm not even sure if it's still my home. There was a poster on the wall at grandma's that said "Home isn't a place, it's a feeling."

It took me a while to understand it and now that I finally did, it doesn't feel like home anymore.

I'm about to get off the bus when I feel a hand on my shoulder. I look up to see a tall man smiling down at me.

"Casey?" He asks softly, sounding very confused.

I try to figure out who it is but I can't because of his sunglasses, when he takes them off, I recognize him vaguely.

Mama said "Never go with a stranger." but he isn't a stranger. At least I don't think he is.

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