Dealing with things is not one of my specialities.

So, when I see the words "WATCH YOUR BACK" spray-painted onto the living room walls, my mind goes into complete panic mode.

I'm trying to figure out what I should do next, when I hear a noise behind me. I spin around, but nothing is there.

I know who did this.

No one but Liz has any reason to do anything as crazy as this, and even though I don't know how she managed to pull it off, it's the only reasonable explanation I can think of.

My mind is put at ease as I know that Liz would never hurt me. Unlike Jane however, there is no reason for Liz not to hurt me. What if all of this rage has just been building up inside of her these past few days?

With my mind back in panic mode, I make my way down to the basement, checking over my shoulder every other second. No other sounds are audible except for my heavy breathing, though I swear I keep hearing footsteps behind me.

When I reach the electrical panel I open it up, revealing all of the switches which are turned off. With both hands I turn on each and every switch, lighting the entire house like a jack-o-lantern.

In a seemingly never ending cycle of insanity, my mind is calmed yet again, having the light to comfort me.

I go upstairs, and into the kitchen to grab the phone. I dial Liz's number, not even caring enough to block the caller ID. Heck, she already knows where I am, so it doesn't matter!

"Hey, who's this?" Liz says.

It sounds like she's somewhere busy.

"I think you know who it is," I reply, annoyed.

"Emerald?"

"Yes, it's Emerald. I want answers, and I want them right now."

"Okay first of all, you need to calm down," She pauses to talk to someone in the background, probably Lily now that they're best buds.

"I am calm."

"What's up?"

Her voice sounds clueless, but I know better than to believe her charades.

"Where are you?" I ask her.

"I'm at Lily's, she invited everyone over for a sleepover."

I'm not even surprised that she's with her. If she left when I was down in the basement, she could easily be at Lily's house by now.

"Do you know how hard it's going to be to get spray paint off of Amy's walls?"

"Excuse me?" She retorts.

"Don't act simple," I say, trying to catch her in a lie, "I know that it was you that was just here."

"I have no clue what you're talking about."

"Listen.. Assuming you're not going to chop my head off or anything, can we meet somewhere tomorrow for breakfast?"

"Sure, but just so you know this doesn't mean that we're BFF's or anything."

We set up a time and a place, and she say's that they're going to watch a movie, so I say goodbye and hang up the phone.

Before going to bed, I make sure to lock all of the windows and doors. The more that I think about it, the more I realize that if the intruder wasn't Liz, they could very well still be in the house, as I never heard anyone leave.

I have to stop myself before I start believing what I'm thinking.

I lie in bed, trying to sleep, but my eyes aren't even tired. I force myself into a dream state, knowing that if I don't get any sleep I'm surely going to go even crazier than I already am.

That wouldn't be good.

I wake up to the sound of the phone ringing downstairs. Who could be calling this early in the morning?

I make like an egg and scramble downstairs, tripping over my blankets.

It's Liz calling.

"Hi...hello...gimme a sec...to catch my....breath," I pant, having just ran all the way downstairs.

"Where are you?" She asks, "I've been sitting at the diner for twenty minutes!"

I glance over at the clock. I guess it's not as early as I thought it was.

"I'll be there in a jiffy, just wait...Okay?" I respond.

"Sure, but if you're not here in five minutes, I'm leaving."

Five minutes?!

I don't know if I can get dressed in five minutes, let alone get all the way to the diner downtown!

After throwing on some clothes, I grab my coat and attempt to put on my shoes, but my laces won't untie, so I just slip my feet into them and run out the door.

I don't think that I've ever ran this fast in my life, other than the time that I was chased by the cops.

When I finally get there, I'm out of breath, and I stop outside of the door before going inside to catch my breath.

Liz's face lights up when she sees me.

"Emerald!" She says.

"Hi," I reply as I sit down in the booth.

"I already ordered for you," she says, "I got you French toast."

"Thanks."

"So what are you so eager to talk about that we have to meet in person on a Saturday morning?"

"Don't act like you don't know,"

I avoid looking her in the eyes, for I know that if I do I might just fall for her lies.

"Will you at least tell me what you're accusing me of?" She demands, hitting her knife against the table.

"I know it was you that broke into Amy's house last night and left that note on the wall!"

"What?" She says, her eyes widening, "I promise you that I would never do that!"

"Mhmm" I mumble as the waitress sets down our plates.

"Thanks!" We say in unison.

The smile that Liz put on for the waitress quickly morphs into a frown.

"Who even is Amy?"

"Mrs. McKutch," I answer, "She lives at the top of my street, and that's where I'm staying."

"Oh," She says, cutting her pancakes.

"Are you sure that it wasn't you?"

"Emerald. I told you! I'm not that type of person! I don't act out like that when I'm angry!"

"I know, I know."

Something just occurs to me. If Liz wasn't in my house last night, who was?

Shivers run up my spine.

"Did you tell anyone about our fight?" I inquire.

"Only my boyfriend Isaac, but he'd never...Unless..."

"Unless?"

"Isaac might've told his friend William, but-"

"Hold up, you're dating Isaac?"

"Yeah," She pauses to swipe away some syrup from the corner of her mouth, "You'd already have known that if you didn't refuse to come to school!"

"That's not my—"

"Yeah yeah, I know"

"Can you just call Isaac and ask him?"                          

"Sure."

She pulls out her phone and dials his number. After a couple minutes of talking, she puts her phone away.

"So?"

"He said it wasn't William, but I don't know what to think right now. His story just isn't adding up."

"Well you obviously told Isaac about how I trashed your room, right?."

"Yeah... You only said not to tell my parents, I didn't know if you meant friends too, but you see I was just upset an—"

"Don't worry I'm not mad," I say taking a sip of orange juice, "Isaac doesn't seem like the revenge type though. Well not what I've seen at school anyway."

"Neither did you, and look what you were capable of doing!"

"Sorry again."

She nods and finishes up the last of her pancakes. We sit in silence for a couple of minutes, before the waitress comes over with our bill.

"I'll buy." I offer, before realizing that I have no cash.

"Are you sure?"

"No, actually. I forgot I'm a little short on money right now."

"That's okay!" She grabs her wallet from her purse and takes out her debit card.

After paying we leave the diner, and stroll down the sidewalk.

"Can I see the graffiti?" Liz asks, "I mean if Mrs. McKutch or whoever isn't too upset about it."

"Nobody's home anyway," I reassure her.

"I just want to see if I can tell if it was William's doing."

"Sure." I say, and we set our course for Easy Street.

Before going to Amy's we stop at my old house, where I tell her to keep guard as I go inside to get the box that I left behind a while ago.

I see my mother's favourite book amongst the other objects in the box. I wonder if Elizabeth has read The Eloquent Speaker? I know Liz enjoys reading, so I'll have to ask her.

When I come out, there is a cop car pulling into the driveway.

"What the-" I mutter in a state of incertitude.

"Liz?" I call out, before realizing that it was her that ratted me out.

Elizabeth's father gets out of the police car.

"Emerald, you really need to come with me." He says innocently, trying not to provoke me.

"Fine!" I shout, "Everyone's already ruined my life anyway! Why not ruin it some more? Huh officer?"

"Em," Elizabeth says, by her father's side.

"Don't 'Em' me!" I sneer at her, "In fact, I don't want to ever talk to you again! Got it?"

She nods, looking upset.

I stomp over to where they're standing.

"Ready to go?"

"Where to?" I mock in a sarcastic tone.

"A foster home. I really think you'll—"

"Yeah, I'm not going to some hell-sounding, hole-in-the-wall orphanage," I spit at them,"You can give me a ride to my new father's house, though."

"Sorry?" Officer Barnett says.

"You heard me! I already have a man that wants to adopt me!" I boast at Liz, who looks shocked.

"And who might that be?" Elizabeth interjects, trying to look smart.

"Harold McKutch!"

They stand there speechless for a moment, before Officer Barnett tells Liz to get in the car.

"You better not be playing with me, kid." He tells me when Elizabeth is out of earshot.

"I'm not!" I assure him.

"We'll have to make it official then," He says as we get into the car, "We can stop by the station to see if we can schedule for someone from Social Services to come by and make sure he's fit for adoption, and he'll have to sign the—"

"I know how adoption works."

I slam my door, and he starts the car back up.

The whole way down to the station, I'm thinking of what I can tell Harold.

Harold isn't exactly the most welcoming kind of guy. It's not that he doesn't like me or anything, but he's lived alone all of his life, and for someone to come into his life right now seems odd to me, but will be even more unreal to him.

We pull into the police station parking lot, and Officer Barnett goes inside. The only thing I can hear is the rumbling of the engine, and Elizabeth's quiet breathing in the front seat. I guess she heard my directions, as she hasn't spoken to me since we got in the car.

When he gets back, he asks me where Harold lives, and then drives me there.

I go to get out of the car hoping to just go inside alone, but Mr. Barnett gets out too.

Great! Now I can't explain to Harold what's going on.

With my head low, I walk to his front door and I knock.

He appears at the door in slippers and a robe. He nearly spills the coffee that he is holding when he sees the officer at the door.

"Hello officer! Emerald, you haven't gotten into any trouble have you?" He asks, running his fingers through his shaggy hair.

I chuckle and Mr. Barnett looks down at his shoes.

"No?" I reply, not sure if I believe myself or not.

"We're here to discuss the adoption," Mr.Barnett says as he pulls a file out of a binder by his side.

I take the chance to give Harold a look that says follow my lead. Hopefully he can read my signals.

"Yes," Harold says as Mr. Barnett hands him the file.

"Adoption can be a tedious process Mr..."

"McKutch," He answers. "I know it is, but this poor child needs to settle down in one household, and I want to make sure that it's with someone she trusts, and not a foster family."

What did you just get me into?  Harold's mouth says silently when Mr. Barnett isn't looking.

Sorry!  I respond by raising my eyebrows.

"Alright," Mr.Barnett says, stepping off of the front porch, "I'll have someone stop by tomorrow for a proper meeting. Until then, stay out of trouble Mrs.Green!"

I blush and wave at him as he returns to his depressed-looking daughter in the police car.

And thus began the shortest and most impromptu adoption ever.