Forgotten: Seventeen and Homeless Read Online Free PDF

the biggest thing occupying my mind is the fact that I am going on my first real date tonight!

've finally decided on the perfect outfit when my mom enters the condo. It's close to seven now, and I was getting a little worried that she wouldn't get home before I left. I'd tried her cell phone, but it went straight to voice mail. And although there's not much I can do about anything, I am concerned. First my mom acts like we're short on money, and then she doesn't come home at a normal time. It's like a warning, a flag telling me something's not right.
    "Why are you so late tonight?" I ask as I come out of my room.
    "It's not late." She looks at me like I don't have good sense.
    "Well, you obviously went somewhere after work." I study her more closely, realizing she's wearing a grubby pair of jeans and a stained hooded sweatshirt. "You didn't go to work looking like that, did you?"
    She rolls her eyes, then goes into the kitchen and opens the fridge. As I follow her, that old familiar fear rushes through me. "Did you even go to work today, Mom?" The pitch in my voice gets higher.
    "Why isn't there anything to eat in here?" she growls.
    "Mom? Did you go to work today?"
    She turns and scowls at me. "Where are you going tonight? Off to play with your new friends again?"
    I'm not fooled by her stall tactic. "You didn't go to work, did you?"
    "Who died and made you my mother?"
    "Mom. . ." I'm trying to keep my voice calm now. "What's going on? Do you still have your job?"
    She laughs, but I can tell by her cynical tone what the answer is. She has blown it. My mom has lost her job. We are going down.
    Just then the doorbell rings. "That's Jayden." I hurry to grab my coat and bag. "We're going to the movies. I left a message on your cell." I rush out the door, nearly running Jayden down.
    "Whoa, what's your hurry?"
    "I'm sorry." I pause and take in a deep breath.
    "Are you okay?"
    I force a smile. "Sure. I'm fine."
    "I was hoping I could meet your mom."
    "That's not possible." I struggle to come up with a believable excuse. "That's just the problem. You see, my mom's got the flu, and I was trying to get out quickly so you don't get exposed."
    "Oh ... is she okay?"
    "She just needs to rest. She'll appreciate having a quiet evening to herself." And, yes, I'm lying, but what else can I do? As we get into his car, which is not as flashy or new as our other friends' cars but still nice, I dig deeper into my lie. I ramble on about how bad it was when my mom and I both got the swine flu and nearly died and how we take the flu very seriously now.
    Finally sick of my lies, I change the subject and make small talk with Jayden as he drives us to the theater. But underneath my nervous chatter, I can't help but be impressed by two things. First of all, he actually wanted to meet my mom. And second, he seemed to genuinely care about her health. Unfortunately, I don't think he'd understand that my mom's health problems are mental not physical.
    We meet up with the others inside the foyer of the theater, where Jayden gets sodas and a big bucket of popcorn-my second meal of the day. All the while I try to keep a cheerful expression and act normal, burying all my fears and worries deep inside ... wishing I were someone else. Why wasn't I born into a family like one of my new friends? Their biggest worries seem to be whether they'll get into the most elite college, not whether there'll be anything to eat for breakfast tomorrow.
    While the movie plays, I'm totally distracted. All I can think about is that I need to figure out an escape plan-for when my mom's ship goes down. Somehow, as impossible as it seems, I have to preserve this nice little life I've been building for myself. Finally, as the credits are rolling, I realize I missed the entire movie. One of my friends will be eager to discuss this intellectual film afterward, and I will be sitting there like a dummy. But I also know what I've got to do to rescue myself and my mom. Tomorrow I will get