"Hunter, Benn and Denn are child service workers. They are taking us away and I've come to say good-bye for good. I'm not excited about this, but I have to do it. I don't have a choice. I have to stick with Stacy and Parker. I'm the parent they never had and they need me." The words streamed out of me like running water in an angry stream.

"Hey, don't worry! It's ok. We will find a way to still be best friends. Don't worry, nothing can keep us apart." Hunter was the only person who could really comfort me. He was the one I was happy with and he was the one I could trust .

"I don't want to say good-bye to anyone except Carolina. She's the only person I can ever live without. And my mother, and clearly my father, but you get the point." I just relaxed on his shoulder and let the tears stream down my face. All the tears that had been held by the dam I had once built. The ones I couldn't let anyone see. Anyone except Hunter.

"There's one more thing Hunter," I paused to add suspense.

"Yeah? Come on, if you're leaving then there's no point in pausing" Hunter pushed me playfully.

"Hunter, you're the weirdest person I know, and you let me be myself. I can truly be myself. You make me laugh and cry even when I try not to. You just let me be myself. Hunter, I like you." I tried to stall as much as I could, but ended up laughing it out. Silence followed.

"Oh, that's interesting. Uh, did I mention how awesome the sunset is?" I felt my world tumble around me. The sand I sat on turned into a sinkhole and I could feel myself falling into the ground. He brushed it off as if it were nothing. Maybe it was because I laughed at the end and he thought it was a joke, but either way I was torn.

"Do you like me back?" I looked away and stood up to stop the sinking sensation.

"Yes, as a friend." Hunter took my hand in his as he stood up, but for the first time ever I pushed away from his touch.

"I should go, I have to finish packing and get a good sleep. Maybe I'll see ya around Hunter" I shook off my heartache. I didn't have time for love anyways. All my focus and attention needed to be split between the only two people I ever had to care about. Parker and Stacy.

The next morning I didn't want to get up, but I dragged myself onto the old cracking floor and stretched my aching bones. I slept terribly the night before. I had nightmares of Hunter pushing me away forever. We became battling enemies in one version or just faded away from each other completely in another. I never wanted to say goodbye to Hunter forever. I never even wanted to say goodbye for a few minutes, but this was it. This was the hour I had dreaded ever since Denn and Benn visited us. It was finally happening, one of my very few nightmares. I started to pace around the dusty room and chew my disgusting fingernails. I was getting sweaty, but I couldn't be panicking about this. I had to calm my busy mind so I could focus on the task at hand. I had to take care of Parker and Stacy.

"Are you ok Cieco? You're up early" Stacys' voice came from nowhere and made my train of thought come to an immediate stop.

"Oh, yeah I'm fine. I'm just excited to get out of this shit hole with satin and finally find out what a decent family is like.

"Yeah, sure. It has nothing to do with getting rejected by Hunter." Stacy pushed me playfully from behind.

"No it doesn't, well maybe. I don't kno- Wait, how did you know I got rejected by Hunter?" I was stricken and had no idea how she would've known about that.

"Well, let's just say my favourite pastime is watching my baby sister with her boyfriend. And you talk in your sleep. 'Oh, Hunter, how could you possibly say that. Hunter, oh Hunter love me back, oh please Hunter, carrese my lips with yours' It's hilarious really" Stacy made a whole dramatic scene and I even heard some kissy sounds.

"He's not my boyfriend and you watch us while we talk? And I don't say that, do I?" I sent daggers in her direction and I slowly creeped out of the room.

As I sat outside in my spot on the stairs, I half wanted and expected Hunter to show up, but the other half of me couldn't care less if we never spoke again. I poked more holes into the dirt and sighed. This was the last time I'd sit on this cold, boring step. This was the last time I'd poke holes into this dirt. This was the last time I'd be wishing for something more than I have, I hoped. I stood up. I couldn't think or live like this. I can't wish for anything more anymore because I'll have almost everything I've ever wanted. A loving family and my siblings, nothing more. Not until I started to fall for Hunter. I needed to get Hunter out of my head, for good.

That morning was probably the worst morning ever. It all started when I staggered inside. I was ignored by Coralina, as usual and I just went to walk up the stairs. I slowly went up the stairs and just went to our room. I sat on the empty space on the floor where my bed used to be and I started to cry for no reason. As I cried memories flooded my mind. I could visually see what I imagined our room to look like. The space was small, like attic size and could just barely fit everything we had. My bed was on one side, Stacys' was on the other and Parkers' was in the middle closer to the window. My bed would be black and my pillow was a dark maroon colour. Stacys' bed would be all white, but you could barely see the white from all the dirt in the air. Her bed would be covered in paper, pencils, pencil shavings, pencil crayons and more for all her drawings and pictures. I could imagine Parkers' bed being drawn all over with race-cars and scattered with toys. At night before bed, Stacy would make up stories based on what she'd been drawing and Parker would pretend to act it out with his toys while I sat on my bed, writing about them. Stacy and I would put Parker in his bed when he had fallen asleep clutching on to his toys for dear life. Stacy would sing him to sleep and I would just think to myself about how I loathed life. My visions came to an abrupt end when the door hurled open.

"Time to go" I heard Coralinas voice cackle and I knew she was smiling. I stood up and I shuffled to the door with nothing but misery weighing me down. I slumped past her for the last time and I stepped down the stairs. As I walked, I let my hand fondle the wall and paintings. This was the last time I would ever be here in this house. I took my hand away and jumped from the last step to my bags at the front door. I turned back and pretended as if I could see the house and not just imagine it from stories. I grabbed my light bags and walked out of the wicked monster house ready to start my new life once and for all.

My siblings and I were pushed into the backseat of a car and our bags were shoved into the trunk. While we drove, the tossing and turning from the bags and the rusty engine making its weird loud sounds, I fell asleep knowing we were finally at peace.

Authors note: Sorry this is such a short chapter. It gets better lol, and I will try to make the chapters longer.