9:32 PM

Morgan:  So you're living with your Auntie now?

Me:  Yes :) I'm glad they let me stay with her, I really didn't think they would.

Morgan:  :)

Me:  thanks for texting me and telling me to stop running. I needed that.

Morgan:  Mr. Gregory told me to text you, he didn't have your number.

Me: Oh

Morgan: Well I offered to text you

I stare at the blinking cursor in the reply box, unsure of what to say. I had so completely given up on Morgan that it seems surreal to be having a conversation online with him right now, at night, in a warm, safe place, no longer running from everything and everyone. If feels like one of my daydreams, only it's happening in real life. Everything went from the worst ever, to totally okay in just a few days. I'm scared I'm going to wake up any moment and find out it was all just a dream. 

The light from the lamp in the living room casts a soft glow into the kitchen where I'm sitting in the dark, with Viros. My auntie's house is small but neat. She went to sleep at like 7pm so I had nothing to do since then but go online.

Morgan: So everything is okay now?

Me: yes :) but it is kinda weird living in a place where you're supposed to go to bed by 8pm

Morgan: lol

      There is a pause. I don't know if he's just being nice and checking in to see if everything worked out ok, or if he really does want to talk.

Morgan: I'm glad you don't have to stay with a foster home

Me: Me too. I told Mr. Gregory I had no family lol

Morgan: Why'd you tell him that?

Me: I secretly wanted him to let me live with him

Morgan: Mr. Gregory?!!!

Me: yes. But ANYWAY

Morgan: He'd get in major trouble for that. People can't just take a kid in

Me: I'm not a kid

Morgan: Mr. Gregory? really?

Me: Yes, what's wrong with Mr. Gregory?

Morgan: I didn't know you liked him

Me: I had it all planned out. He'd set up a guest bedroom for me, we'd have breakfast together and drive to school together. Then we'd watch TV before going to bed, and go groceries shopping together on the weekends

Morgan: Lol, I can hear the wedding bells

Me: :P you're a different person online than in real life you know

Morgan: Yeah. I am.

Me: wait... this is Morgan right?

Morgan: yes :)

We pause for a moment. I feel tired after all that's happened in the last few days, but Im also very awake too, because I'm chatting with Morgan.

Morgan: I'm sorry I was too scared to let you stay at my place, and then I made you stay in the closet

Me: It's okay. I wouldn't want to upset my mom either by bringing someone home like that. She'd flip out.

Morgan: My parents wouldn't flip out, they'd just be disappointed in me, as usual

Me: Why would they be disappointed in you? You're not the one that ran away

Morgan: I don't know, my dad's always disappointed with me. He wants me to be perfect

Me: Why?

Morgan: Because my brother didn't turn out the way they wanted and I think they're trying to make up for that by raising me to be what they wanted

Me: But you are the perfect kid, you get good grades and never get into trouble

Morgan: But I don't want to be

I smile to myself. It feels special to have someone open up and share.

Morgan: I admire you

I look at the words on the screen, unsure of how to respond. It almost feels like I'm being made fun of or something. 

Me: What do you admire? My alcoholic mom or me being homeless for a few weeks?

Morgan: You

Me: Me?

Morgan: Yes. You. Just you. You don't care what people think.

Me: I"m not a robot. I do care what people think. But I don't let that control what I do

Morgan: I'm not planning to run away or anything, but I'm tired of doing everything my parents want

Me: Sounds like you're ready to rebel :P

Morgan: I think I am

Me: Are you being serious?

Morgan: Yes

Me: What do you have in mind?

Morgan doesn't reply and a thought comes to me..

Me: Is that why you want to talk to me now all of a sudden? So I can help you rebel? I don't have any drugs

Morgan: LOL

Me: >:(

Morgan: NO, it's not that. 

I frown, wondering if he thinks that dating me would be a great way to rebel. The negative voice in my head tells me I should have know his showing interest in me was too good to be true.

Me: Are you angry?

Morgan: At you?

Me: No, at society, at your parents, at the rules that keep you from being how you want to be

Morgan: Maybe...?

Me: I don't think you're ready to rebel until you're angry about something.

Morgan doesn't reply and I take Viros to the couch and lie down...

1:12 AM

Morgan: I'm angry

Me: What?... I was sleeping and your msg woke me

Morgan: Sorry 

Me: What are you angry about

Morgan: I'm angry with myself

Me: Do you want to tell me about it in the morning? :P

Morgan: I'm outside your window

Me: What?

Morgan: You don't have to come outside

Me: I can't, my Auntie has an alarm system and I don't know how to work it yet

Morgan: Wow, thanks for the warning

Me: Which window are you outside of? You don't even know which room I'm in!

Morgan: The only room with a light on(?)

I set viros down on the couch and go to the small bedroom that's been set up for me. I see that I did leave the light on. I turn it out to see better outside the window. I walk over to look. Out in the back yard I see Morgan, his cell phone lighting up his face. My heart races.

I slide the window open. Cold air blows over my face and I shiver. There is a screen on the window that I can't detach. Morgan walks up to the window. He grabs a lawn chair and stands on it so we are eye level with each other.

"Sorry, my sneaking out days are over," I say, my stomach butterflies going crazy. Morgan's hair is hanging in his eyes, which are lit up in excitement. 

"Mine are just starting," he says. Even with the screen separating us it's still like he's right in front of me, his voice so close. There's something different about him tonight. Very different from the boy that was too scared to let me stay at his place last week.

"How did you get here?" I ask.

"It's only two blocks from my place." Morgan sets his hand against the window screen and I automatically reach up and set my palm against his before thinking. 

"You're so warm," he says. My stomach does a little flip.

"You could change your look," I say. It's the first thing that I can think of to say to distract me from what's really happening, from the feelings raging inside of me. It's all too intense, having Morgan so close, his palm pressing against mine through the mesh, warming up quickly.

"Change my look to rebel?" Morgan asks. I move closer to the screen to hear him, putting my face against the cold strands of thin metal. "I tried that already remember?" He continues. "My parents didn't get too upset. I didn't do it for them... I did it for you." He stops, pulling back into the shadows. I reach for him with my other hand, setting it onto the screen too. I don't want him to leave yet.

"Then do something for you this time..." I say.

"Okay." Morgan moves closer as though to get a better look at me in the dark. I push my face against the screen to be silly and then he leans forward and kisses the screen, touching his lips to mine through the mesh, soft and warm against the cold metal strands. My eyes close at the unexpected heat that rushes through my body. When I open them again, Morgan is gone.