n/a: Dedicated to bookishbillboards for the amazing cover!!

Erika pulled her bright orange hood up over her head. It called attention. She hated attention. But the hoodie fit and was warm, and no one tried to steal it from her. So she hid her face in it. But not too much. There were many people who were looking for an unsuspecting girl to grab off the streets. No one would care if she went missing.

She came up to a crosswalk. The hand was flashing, letting her know there were only a few seconds before the lights would turn green. 

"Walker!" a voice called out. 

From the corner of her eye, she saw a small boy running into the intersection. There was a bus coming. She knew this because she was going to miss it. It was coming right towards him.

The hand was solid, no longer flashing. The kid wasn't that far away.

She did not think. She ran, collided with the kid and jumped, hoping there was enough strength to propel them both away.

There was horn and screeching noise and she felt her body collide with the pavement, sliding across the sidewalk with the kid pulled close against her chest. She looked up. Her head was pounding. People were staring at her. 

She let the kid go. He looked around, shocked.

Erika checked her watch. She was going to be late.

She jumped up. People were starting to clutter around. They were looking at her, whispering about her. She took a few steps backwards, towards the street that would take her home.

"Oh my god!" a woman was yelling, running over. 

The noise pulled her out of her stupor. She turned and dashed, crashing into a woman around her hight. There was something familiar in her face, but Erika didn't have the time. 

"Sorry," she muttered, taking the woman's arms and spinning them both around so that they were now on the sides they wanted to be on.

She felt the woman's grip on her tighten as she turned to run, but she pulled her arm free. There was no time for this. 

She kept on running until she came to the apartment complex her foster family lived in. She was late, but they wouldn't be home yet. She could make them something quick. She opened the gate, then took the elevator up to the eleventh floor. Once she got inside, she pulled off her sweater and dropped it on the couch with her backpack.

Pasta was quick. She scoured the pantry and found some tortellini and tomato sauce. Throwing on an apron, she boiled the water and started heating the sauce, her eyes fixated on the time. As the food was cooking, she set the table. She arranged her foster-sister's flowers in the center, tying them with a ribbon to match the table settings. 

When the tortellini was done, she grabbed a strainer and went to our it out.

A searing pain shot through her arm and hand. The bottom of the pan had grazed her skin. It was already turning red. 

Erika struggled to one-handedly pour the contents of the pot into the trainer. It needed to be on the table soon. They would be here any minute now. It was Friday. They came home early on Fridays so that they could go out.

She went over the medicine cabinet and gritted her teeth as she wrapped it with some bandages. She would deal with it later

She put everything on the table. The cheese, the sauce, as well as garnishes. Everything looked perfect.

Erika sighed in relief. She picked up her bag and sweater and brought them into her room. Her door didn't open all the way. Her bed was in the way. But she preferred it not opening to not closing. She squeezed between the door, but hand to take some items out of her bag and bring them in groups. Then she squished back into the hallway. 

She took went back to the small bathroom and pulled the wrap off. It was starting to blister. She found some Tylenol as she heard the keys opening the door. Everything had been out for less than five minutes it was all perfect. She swallowed the Tylenol and re-wrapped her arm after quickly smearing some disinfectant on it. 

"Good afternoon," she said with a smile, taking their coats and hanging it up.

"What happened to your arm?" her foster-mother, Ruth, asked.

"I burnt it," she replied. There was no use in lying. "Just now though, no one will see it by Monday."

"Stupid girl," Ruth's husband said. 

"Go cover it up," Ruth said, "I don't want to see it." 

Erika nodded and went to her room. She pulled on a long sleeve shirt overtop of the one she was wearing. That was when she realized she had not set aside a portion for herself. She'd put all the food on the table. She mentally kicked herself. Now she would have to try and sneak the leftovers. But if Jason noticed, he'd hit her. He hated leftovers. And he checked the garbage regularity to make sure she wasn't eating any of "their food". 

She walked back out to the kitchen."Is everything well?" she asked. 

Ruth nodded. Her daughter, Lily, turned to her.

"Erika?"

"Yes?"

"I noticed that you didn't leave something for yourself."

"I ate before you arrived," Erika replied with a smile. 

"Why can't you do that every day?"  she muttered. "I'm surprised. I heard there was a commotion with the bus you normally take."

"I made arrangements to get back earlier because I know you want to go out." The lies flew off her tongue. The family did not care. They might be mad. They wouldn't want police poking around. One of them might have some sense and take her away. 

Erika doubted it. She'd seen worse. But she did not want to risk that either. At least she had her own room. At least she could sleep the full night. There were so many at leasts. 

Erika was dismissed back to her room. She closed the door and studied until they called her to clear the table. Lily tripped her twice. She said nothing and took the slap across the face silently. When they had left, she dug through the trash and took out a dozen or so pieces of tortellini. Enough that Jason would not notice. 

Then she went to sleep before the medicine wore off and her body remembered it was actually hungry. She had to get up early tomorrow and start the chores. 

She had no idea that this very moment someone was rewatching dash-cam footage and security camera, longing to know who she was. 

Erika pulled her paper-thin sheets up over her head. She needed to sleep.

Tomorrow was going to be a big day.