Free Traffick by Ellen Hopkins Page B

her that.
    I assume you’ll need to be
    in touch with them. But
    do you really have to?
    I’m so scared that if you
    send me back to Boise,
    they’ll make me return
    to Tears of Zion. Mama
    says I’m possessed, claimed
    by Satan, and she really,
    truly believes that. Please,
    please, find a way to keep
    me at Walk Straight. I’ll do
    anything—work here for free,
    or go to work somewhere else
    and pay you to let me stay.
    Whatever it takes. I can’t go
    home!” But now, she’s shaking
    her head, no. I wish I could
    tell you okay, Eden, but the law
    is very clear that I must report
    your whereabouts to your legal
    guardians, who happen to be
    your parents in this case.
    They have a right to know
    you’re alive and safe. Besides,
    what about your young man?
    She’s completely missed the point.
    Still, I knew this was not
    only possible, but probable.
    I’ll find a way to make it work.
    And she’s right about Andrew,
    if nothing else. “I understand.
    Do whatever you have to do.
    But is there a way for me to
    maybe talk to a judge about
    emancipation?” The word swims
    out of my subconscious.
    That is a possibility. As long as
    you’re at least sixteen, as per
    Nevada law, you can petition
    the court. You’re seventeen, yes?
    And when will you be eighteen?
    â€œI just turned seventeen
    last month. Right before I
    came here, in fact.” A birthday
    to remember, alone on the street,
    sleeping behind a Dumpster.

I Learn
    The requirements
    of emancipation,
    which are pretty
    much the same in
    Idaho as in Nevada:
    Must be at least sixteen.
    Check.
    Must be living away
    from your parents.
    Check.
    Must have the financial
    security to be independent.
    Almost check.
    Walk Straight can
    help me find a job.
    Must stay in school
    until you’re eighteen.
    Check.
    And this is where
    things get tricky.
    Both mother and father
    must agree to let the child
    emancipate.
    Guess there’s only one
    way to find out.

I Also Learn
    The pros and cons
    of emancipation.
    Pro: You can enter
    into contracts without
    a parent’s signature.
    Con: You can be sued
    if you violate said contracts.
    Pro: You can also sue
    someone, if that’s a priority.
    Yeah, me? Sue who?
    Con: Cannot drop out
    of school without written
    permission from
    the school board. No problem.
    I want to be educated.
    Pro: Can go to the doctor
    of your choice and parent
    doesn’t have to okay
    treatment. Wonder if that
    includes mental health.
    And just FYI: Still can’t vote
    until age of majority; can’t drink
    till twenty-one. And worst
    of all, can’t marry without
    parental consent until eighteen.

Which Brings Me Back
    To Andrew. Everything seems
    to. Six months ago, I believed
    we would marry as soon as I
    turned eighteen. Yes, I knew
    that was young to make such
    a momentous decision, but
    the overwhelming love we felt
    for each other trumped common
    sense. Now, I don’t know if
    even the deepest affection
    can overcome the reality
    of who I am, what I’ve become.
    This isn’t a romance novel,
    not that I’ve ever read one.
    Mama would have gone off
    the deep end had she ever
    found me in possession
    of a steamy confessional.
    Wonder what she’ll say when
    she finds out what’s become of me.
    If she suspected Satan’s handiwork
    in my relationship with Andrew,
    she’ll have no doubt at all that
    he’s holding court inside me
    once she’s privy to why I’m here.

I Look at Sarah
    Who stares back at me, and I see
    something in her eyes. Something
    dark. Hidden. Something like
    a secret. Suddenly I know. “You
    were in the life once, weren’t you?”
    No hesitation. Yes, Eden, I was,
    although the circumstances were
    somewhat different from those
    of most of the girls here. Once
    upon a time, I was a world-class
    gymnast, used to having all eyes
    on me. After a horrible fall,
    I could no longer compete or
    perform, but I