Chapter 7

5/30/2054

Ben stared at his bag, which lay open on the bed. All of his belongings covered the bed.

"I guess that this is goodbye," he thought to himself. One by one, he put everything in his bag. The last thing that was packed up was his laptop. He sat down on the bed and zipped up his bag.

"May I come in?" Kyle said, lightly knocking on the door.

"Yes," Ben said.

"Are you okay?" Kyle asked, sitting next to him.

"Our time together went by so fast," Ben said. "I'll miss you," he said.

"I'll miss you, too," Kyle said. "We can still stay in contact with each other," he said. Out of the blue, Ben hugged him.

Ben got up from the bed and followed Kyle out of the room. When they entered the living room, Nancy, the social worker, rose from the couch.

"Are you ready?" she asked.

"Wait a moment," Kyle said. He left the room and returned with the drawing supplies. "I want you to have these," he said, handing them to Ben.

"Thank you, Mr. Jenkins," Ben said. "I left a present for you in your study," he said.

"We better get going," Nancy said. "Your foster parents are waiting," she said. "I'll contact you when we get there," she added.

Ben watched as the house and the officer disappeared from sight as he and the social worker rode away.

"Can you tell me about this family?" Ben asked.

"Their names are Alec and Debera McBride," Nancy said. "They are in their fifties and have been fostering for twenty years," she said.

"Are they nice?" Ben asked.

"They are well recommended when it comes to fostering youngsters like yourself," Nancy said. "You will be treated well," she said.

"Do they know what I am?" Ben asked.

"They don't care whether you're a human or an omega werewolf," she said. That made Ben feel a little better.

A two-story, red brick house came into view when they pulled into the driveway. The front door opened, and a woman with light brown hair stepped outside. She walked down the steps when Nancy opened her door and exited the car.

"Good, you made it," the brunette said, stepping up to the car.

"The roads weren't all that busy," Nancy said.

"So, do I get to meet the young man?" Deb said.

"Come on out," Nancy said.

Ben unbuckled his seat belt, slowly opened his door, and got out. "Don't be shy," Deb said. Biting his lower lip, Ben stepped out from behind the car door.

"Miss Torres, he is a cutie," she said with a big grin. "What's your name, son?" she asked.

"Ben, Ben Johnson," he said softly.

"Oh, your name means blessed," the woman said.

"I guess," Ben said.

"Let's get you inside and show you your room," she said. Ben grabbed his bag while Nancy grabbed his art supplies. They followed the brunette into the house.

A tan-skinned man rounded the corner and met them as they all entered the house.

"I thought I heard a car pull up," he said.

"Alec, this is the young man who will be staying with us," Deb said.

"Hello, it's so nice to have you stay with us," he said. "Deb, why don't you show him his room while I finish lunch?" Alec said.

Ben and Nancy followed Deb up the stairs and down the hallway. "This is your room," she said, stopping at a closed door. "Get yourself settled in," she said, opening it.

"Thank you for taking him in," Nancy said.

"We're glad to help," Deb said.

"Ben, I'm going to tell Officer Jenkins we've arrived," Nancy said. "I'll be right back," she said. He turned his head and nodded in understanding.

"Son, the bathroom is next door," Deb said. "Lunch will be ready soon, if you're hungry," she said.

Ben took a look around his new room before beginning to unpack. A queen-sized bed was located against the far wall. There were nightstands on both sides of the bed. On his left, an oak desk sat against a wall. When he heard a soft knock, Ben turned around.

"I'm on my way back," Nancy said. "I told Kyle you got here and are unpacking," she explained. "You're in excellent hands," she added.

"Will you and Mr. Jenkins return?" Ben inquired.

"Yes, we will," Nancy confirmed. "We'll do monthly checkups," she explained.

Ben walked with Nancy while she headed down to the front door. "Now, if you need anything, tell Mr. and Mrs. McBride or one of us," she said. Ben watched out the window as Nancy got into her car and pulled out of the driveway. The last thing he saw was her waving goodbye before she disappeared down the street. It was a couple of moments before Ben heard footsteps approach from behind.

"Lunch is ready if you're hungry," Alec said. Ben was hungry, so he followed the elder into the dining room. "We fixed macaroni and cheese with hamburger mixed in, sweet peas, and a combination of fruit," he said.

"I'll take some of everything," Ben said. Deb took Ben's plate, filled it, and handed it back to him.

Ben ate his meal in silence for a few moments. "When does school start?" he asked.

"August, so we'll need to register you soon," Alec said.

"Will I be going to regular school?" Ben asked.

"Of course," Deb said. "Being different doesn't mean that you can't attend a normal school," she said.

"I'll need to tell Kadin," Ben thought to himself.

"What's on your mind?" Alec asked, noticing Ben deep in thought.

"I just need to tell my friend once I'm done eating," Ben said. "He's probably wondering where I am," he said.

"The login information is taped to your desk," Alec said.

When lunch was through, Ben helped clean up. Once done, he went back to his bedroom. He sat the laptop on the desk, plugged it in, and turned it on. After he entered the information for the Wi-Fi, Ben opened the chat room. He noticed that Kadin was already in the room.

"Hi there, stranger," Kadin said.

"Hello," Ben said. "I need to tell you something," he said.

"In here or in private?" Kadin asked.

"Here is fine," Ben said. "I got taken to a foster home today," he said.

"Oh wow," Kadin said. "Are you okay?" he asked.

"I'm sad that I had to leave Officer Jenkins, but I'll be okay," Ben said. "Plus, I'll be going to your school," he said.

"Oh, cool," Kadin said. "I'll meet you at the lockers then," he said.

"I can't wait," Ben said.

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