"Looks like I'm not in charge of you  little brats anymore. You're going to be taken away by child services and be adopted by a family. Your grandmother signed it all to me, I don't care what you think about this. I'm finally getting rid of you. With your luck you'll get taken away again instantly." she chuckled to herself. I needed to sit down, I don't know why I cared so much, but I was so confused. I needed to sit, but it seemed as if all chairs had been banned from that room.
'Why didn't you let them have us before? Why are they taking us anyways?' I signed to her as fast as my shaking hands could sign.
"I didn't really pay attention to why, but why didn't I give you up before? Your grandmother wouldn't let me. They also said I just wasn't taking good care of you guys, but I couldn't care less. Now you guys are finally going to be out of my life." I noticed I finally got over my shock and I was actually, happy. I was dancing on the inside with joy, I couldn't believe we could get out of this place. Even though I was bouncing with happiness, I still felt a tinge of guilt and sadness, but I couldn't figure out why. I shrugged it off and pranced off with joy once Carolina was out of my earshot.
Later that night my siblings and I had a small celebration. We celebrated the fact we were getting a new change. A new life where we could properly grow up, except Carolina's words rung in my ears over and over. With your luck. With my luck, something bad would happen very soon. Maybe our new parents would be frauds and make us get adopted again. Maybe we would have to keep living with Carolina or maybe mother would arise from the dead. What if dad adopts us as a part of his already huge family that we know nothing about, but he's nothing like we remember? I tossed and turned that night trying to figure out what the problem would be. I stayed up all night trying to figure it out and why I was so sad and guilty. At some point I must've woken up Parker, because he came and sat on my springy bed to hold my dry hands. I tried not to cry and I leaned my head on his shivering shoulder. Even though he could've stayed in his bed and stayed a little warmer under the crappy blankets, he came and comforted me. After he left, I curled up in my sad for an excuse blanket and cried myself to sleep.

The next morning, I lay in Hunter's lap in an open field and we just stared at the sky and he pointed out weird shaped clouds and described them to me. He stroked my hair and I smacked his hand as hard as I could. He made a loud dramatic sound and pushed me off his lap.
"Ever hear of askin' nicely?" I pushed him lightly
"Yeah, but hitting you is way more fun." I snickered and lay my head on his shoulder. I never wanted to leave this moment. I wished we could stay in the moment forever.
As we sat there, just letting our chests fill with air and push it all out again like the waves on a sandy beach, I started to get my guilty feeling again. My stomach twisted on itself and I felt nauseous.
"What's wrong Cieco, you good there?" Hunter lifted my chin gently and he examined my face. His sticky hands patted my cheeks and forehead.
"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm just a little sick" I mustered up a smile to hide my lie. I wanted to figure out what I was guilty about before he guessed anything about my random outburst of lies.
"We should head home, Parker and Stacy are probably worried sick about me." We both knew that was a lie, but I ended the conversation then and there. I didn't want anyone to know about our friendship because I didn't need anyone to have anything to use against me. I could sense Hunter was annoyed I wasn't sharing why I was so uneasy, but I'm trying to keep him happy. I don't need anyone to worry about me.

That evening was full of packing and saying farewell to our trashy stuff.
"I think our new home will have the best beds in the world and we will eat like royalty for years and years" Stacy danced around the room and flopped onto a bed.
"I don't care how much better or worse it is, I just want better parents. We could be homeless for all I care, just as long as our parents love us." I finished putting my clothes into my bag and threw it at Stacy.
"Wow, graceful throw. You missed though, you hit my chest." She groaned.
"Darn, I was aiming for your face" I smiled and I heard her do a dramatic gasp. Parker came and grabbed my hand and I could understand what he wanted me to say.
"FINE, I'm sorry for hitting you with my bag Stacy. Could you please help me carry it downstairs?" I must've given a very convincing fake smile because after that, Parker's grip on my hand was let go. We headed downstairs and we were getting ready to spend our last day in the house before we left.
"I'm going to say good-bye to my friends. You coming Parker?" Stacy told me. I could tell she was talking to Parker, but something in my mind sparked. My legs stiffened. I could hardly breath and my heart beat faster and faster with every passing second. I needed to sit down because I was getting dizzy, but once again it felt as if the room had been stripped of its chairs. I clenched my stomach and was sweating.
"Cieco, are you ok?!" Stacy was screaming, but I felt as if I could barely hear her. I fell to the ground slowly and everything seemed to get darker.

Cieco... Cieco... Cieco... I could hear my name being called out repeatedly in sync with an annoying beeping sound. I was trying to figure out what was happening, but I couldn't focus with such an irritatingly uncomfortable surface. I started to awake and listened to my surroundings.
"Hey, you're finally awake. It's been a while, but the doctors said they've seen worse. You never told me you got panic attacks?" A mysterious voice came from beside my bed. I jumped from the random outburst of speech.
"I'm in a hospital? And who are you? And what? I don't have panic attacks!" I tried to pin-point the exact location of the new stranger.
"Ouch, I would've thought by now that you memorized my voice. It's Hunter you dimwit. And of COURSE you don' what other reason would we be in a hospital if you have the exact symptoms of a panic attack then faint?" Hunter sounded actually wounded, but brought his sarcasm out right away .
"I-, what? I actually fainted? That's embarrassing. And sorry Hunter, maybe I have amnesia" I returned the sarcasm.
"WAIT WHAT?! YOU HAVE AMNESIA?!" I giggled while trying to tell him to calm down.
"Wait. Doctors, panic attack, you're waiti- HOLY SH*T I AM IN A HOSPITAl! AGAIN?!" I felt so embarrassed as I felt millions of eyes glare at me. My breath started to stagger and I felt more stomach cramps.
"I just told you that? Hey, it's ok. Calm down Cieco, just breath and start counting." I felt Hunter grab my hand and place his other hand on my back. I got shivers when he made contact. All I could do was nod and I started to slow my breathing.
"1,...2,...3,...4,...5,...6,...7,...8,...9,...10." I turned towards Hunter and smiled right before I felt two pairs of arms wrap around my midsection and attempt to squeeze the life out of me.
"OMG CIECO WE WERE SO WORRI- oh, sorry everyone. Cieco, we were so worried about you!" Stacy and Parker kept squeezing harder with each word Stacy cried out.
"I'm, ok, but, I, need, air" I managed to force out before I died from lack of oxygen. I wanted to cry so bad, but I couldn't. I needed to show Parker and Stacy how to be strong and that everything would be ok.
"Denn and Benn said our move would be delayed while you recover. I also begged them for an extra day when we left the hospital so you could go do one last thing. Whatever you wanted." Stacy played with my hair and I could tell she was holding back tears as well.

After I was discharged I got to do the one thing I wanted to do most. But the thing I wanted to do came with a cost. I got to walk with Hunter one last time and we sat on the beach. He watched the sunset and told me about the blues, blacks, pinks, purples, greens, oranges and more. I looked at him when he finished, with tears streaming down my face.
"It's ok. And who's Denn and Benn?" Hunter caressed my face and I sunk lower into the sand. This was it. My guilt. This is when I tell him everything. Even how I felt.
"Hunter, I have to tell you something," I whispered
"Clearly. What's on your mind?" His voice was calming. I opened my mouth and the words just spilled out.