How far out can you get before there's no turning back?

I stepped out feeling invincible. After spending twelve months in juvenile detention center, anything and everything is an improvement. Including having no where to call home, no one who cares, and no money. I walked into the office.

Mrs. Cooper, or Chick Coop as I like to call her, was still filling out papers. Chick is my newest social worker and is the person in charge of signing me out of this horrid place. I sat my Wal-Mart plastic bag beside one of the chairs and sat down. A couple of minutes later,

Chick handed the remaining papers to the receptionist and started towards the door. "C'mon, Mikayla. I have lots to do today."

I followed behind her and headed toward her car. "So, Chick, can I drive? Please?"

"I don't think so. Also, I remember telling you that Chick is not my name."

Okay, so Chick doesn't exactly approve of my nickname, but it's a lot better than what I called my last social worker. Her name was Bitch, short for, well, short for nothing. She was a complete bitch.

"Whatever," I mumbled.

Chick didn't answer me that time. She was too busy hunting for her car keys. Finally, she found them and pressed the unlock button. We got in the car and buckled our seat belts. To my dismay, she cranked the car and started to drive. This was going to be a very long ride.

The only good thing about the ride was that it gave me time to think. I thought about how I was going to get money, and how I was going to find a place to sleep. By the time we arrived at Chick's office, I had decided that I was going to ask Chick for money. I still hadn't figured out what I was going to do after that.

"Well, here we are." Chick declared.

Those were her first words since we had gotten in the car two hours ago. We went inside the building and I sat down, bag in my lap, and waited for her to retrieve my car keys. A few minutes later, she led me to my car which was parked in the parking lot.

"Here you go, Mikayla," She said, tossing me the keys.

"Thanks, Ch- I mean Mrs. Cooper." I looked down at the pavement. There was no way I could ask her for money. I may have a criminal record, but even I have problems taking other people's money.

"What's wrong?" She said, clearly concerned.

"Well, I don't have any money."

"Oh." She sat her purse on the hood of my car and started digging for something. She pulled out her wallet.

She grabbed a fifty dollar bill, her fifty dollar bill, not the company's. "Mrs. Cooper."

"Don't think about it, honey. Just say thank you and keep going." She smiled.

"Thank you," I said, leaning down to hug her. She nodded her head and walked away.

I unlocked the car and started thinking of where I could get a really juicy hamburger. The perfect place came to mind. I left the parking lot and turned left, heading to a little diner near Paige's house. Paige is the one who got me locked up.

I arrived at the diner and ordered a bacon cheeseburger. I decided there's no need to bother Paige today, I'm free. I have all the time in the world. The thought made me smile.