|6|

"Where-.... where do I go from here?" I asked, almost dreading the answer. "Well, as you are still underage, you will now be under the care of the State, and we will find you a foster home as soon as possible. You will also be able to retrieve you belongings from your own home." I gulped loudly, desperately not wanting to be a foster kid. Ther was a knock at the door, it was an unfamiliar woman and Ms Ortiz, who seemed to be glaring at her.

"Miss Alexander, I am your social worker, you can call me Penny." I hesitantly nodded, not liking this woman. "We have found you a foster placement with Mrs Alvarez here." She gestured to Ms Ortiz. She gave me a look to say that she'd explain it later. I nodded at the woman- Penny. "Can I go and get some stuff from my house please?" Ms Ortiz nodded at me, gesturing for me to come with her, away from the hospital.

Ms Ortiz brought me back to her house, where Mr Alvarez was waiting in the living room, with a sleepy looking Juana draped across his lap. "Hey, what are you doing up so late?" Ms Ortiz cooed at Juana, who had somewhat awoken at her mother's sudden appearance. Mr Alvarez lifted Juana into his arms and took her upstairs, out of sight. "I'll show you up to your room." I nodded at Ms Ortiz and followed her up the stairs. "Ms Ortiz-" She cut me off with a chuckle.

"When we're not at school you can call me by my first name, Azalea." I gently smiled at her. "Azalea, why didn't you have all the students at school know you as Mrs Alvarez?" I asked, genuinely curious. "Well, as Santiago and I are both told we look a lot younger than we are, lots of teenage girls fawn over him. I choose not to expose our relationship as it is very amusing to see most of the girls fling themselves at my husband, who has zero interest in them." She laughed and I quietly joined in.

She finally got to my new room and pushed open the door. The room was very nice, with a large bed against a wall, a hanging chair, desk, window seat, a closet, and some Spanish words here and there. I gave Azalea a small grin and put down my suitcase of things by the closet door. "There's also a bathroom, it's the other door." I looked around, and I was there, further along the same wall I was standing next to.

Azalea came into the room and shut the door behind her. She sat on the window seat and gesture for me to sit on the bed. "I assume you have a lot of questions, but it's really late, even if it's the weekend tomorrow, I think it's best if we talk then when we have rested. Have a goodnight, Alice." I nodded at her and got ready for bed in my...

New home?