I laid upstairs in my bedroom for the rest of the day while the other kids went to the pool. I felt bad that I wasn't going with Joey. Poor kid. I hate to disappoint him by getting into trouble. It wouldn't have happened if that nosy troll wasn't so adamant on bringing back my iPod. In a way I'm glad he found it. Months of music would have been lost forever. God I wish I could just leave this place. I swear when I age out of this shit hole I should be able to take Joey and just get out of Minnesota all together. The dry heat is ridiculous and the winters are too cold for my liking. Every summer I have to get my hair braided into micros just to keep it as tame as possible. Then having to take them out would be a bitch because I had to do it alone. 3 day to take out nearly 8 hours of work. The only thing I did like was my summer tan. I was as light skinned as the guy with that beautiful Telecaster. God that son of a bitch was gorgeous! The guitar not the short prick that just gave me a weeks worth of boredom and chores. I hope that fucker is happy. And I better not see him again! This was the longest Saturday of my life and the bus had just pulled off! I gotta do something with myself. The wheels in my head got to turning. Here's the thought. Dig this shit. It's just me here right? There's only one lazy ass staffer that's sleeping in the common area. How much time do I have if the trip ends at 5 and it's only 9? That's right bitches a lot of damn time. I grabbed my black JanSport book bag and out the window I went. As I dropped down to the ground from the tree just outside my window I looked up at the curtain blowing in the breeze from the inside.

  "Clock starts ticking! I have until 4:45."

I have just enough money to treat myself to lunch later. Maybe I won't have to go alone. Maybe Erin will have time to sneak away from the Avenue and spend time with me. It sucks when she had to leave with her cousin. She's the only real friend I have outside of the orphanage. Erin is 19 now and she told me about how her trips to Minnesota made her miss home sometimes but the parties she went to with her cousin were amazing. Lucky her. Her cousin Derrin works with a lot of famous people. He has a regular here in Chanhassen but they come to First Avenue to check out some of the new talent. Erin only works the kitchen as a temp job just so she can make some extra cash. The guy her cousin works for put word in with the manager. I'm glad she's here. If only she could just take me with her. I've never been to Atlanta but their hip hop is decent. Which reminds me! I need to add to my OutKast catalog! I don't have ATLiens yet! I guess The Avenue will have to wait. My watched read 9:27 so that gives me enough time to score some snacks to take back to Joey to make up for missing out on the pool trip. The candy shop was just down the street from the orphanage. That's the first stop.

Arriving at the store the owner who was another familiar face, Tim, was an older white male who loved giving sweets to me for free. I walked through the door as he was filling the jellybean jars on the counter top.

  "Well look what the wind blew it! My number one customer!" He's voice was high as he greeted me.

  "What really good?"

He would always make a face whenever I used slang.

  "Girl you and your language. You kids say the strangest things!" He said as he shook his head.

  "It's not that strange for me because it's apart of who I am." I said sitting on a stool at the counter as he continued filling his jars with sweets.

  "I get that darlin' but still. It's strange." He said with a smile.

My ethnicity always intrigued him. On the outside I was black but on the inside to him I was just another good kid in a bad situation. Tim never believed in racism. He always say that it's only around because the people who hate themselves project that on the others that are different from them. Wise middle aged man!

  "So! Anything good?" I asked him with a grin.

  "Just the usual chocolates and stuff. Nothing new this month. How's JoeBoy?"

  "He's good. Yesterday was adoption day. He wasn't adopted though."

  "Poor kid. I bet he really wants to get out of there."

  "We all do Timmy."

He pulled out a bag and filled it with everything he had in stock. This was the biggest give away he's ever done for me and Joey.

  "Here take that with you. I'm sure that will make him very happy." He said handing me the bag.

  "Dude! You are the best thing out!" I said putting the bag inside my book bag.

  "Well now! I know what that means! You take care of him now. And yourself."

  "I will! Thank you Tim!"

I got up from the stool and headed for the door.

  "Hey! You going to the fetus?" He called.

  "You know me all too well man." I said smiling back at him.

I waved to him and left. Finally the record store. The highlight of my Saturday. I liked being the only one here. I get first dibs on the merchandise. One of the girls at the store would always help me in the hip hop section for the old school stuff. The last time she was here she found a Busta Rhymes album that I didn't have. Hopefully I can find that OutKast album today. Just as I got to the door to the record store that black BMW drove past slowly and stopped at the light. He's back. I watched as the light turned green and the car drove up the block and made the left turn.

  "He's going back to The Avenue."

I'll come back for ATLiens. I want to follow this jerk. I started walking towards the direction of the club and by the time I got there the car was parked and empty. I made my way quickly across the street and through the back door like I usually would. I crept my way back to the stage and there it was. That beautiful Telecaster. It was just sitting there all alone with nobody to love it. Until now. This would be the ultimate revenge on the man who got me caught up with the warden.

  "Come on baby. I'm taking you home with me tonight!" I whispered as I unracked and bagged the guitar.

I heard a voice in the distance and slipped the guitar bag on my shoulder and slipped out the back door. I got a new toy I can take back to the orphanage.