Thank you to a special person for editing my story.
My name is Jeff Mizer. This story begins when I was fourteen years old. There was my mom and dad and me and my sister Natalie. We weren't really that happy of a family. My dad drank way too much and he and mom were always arguing. My sister Natalie became sick and mom finally took her to the doctor. She was only twelve and somewhat fragile.
The doctor gave her a physical and sent her to the hospital. They ran a series of tests and said she had leukemia. They started Natalie on different treatments. She still went to school but was sick a lot of the time. She was getting progressively worse and over time wasn't able to go to school. I remember the last time she went to the hospital. Mom became a nervous wreck and all she did was cry. She only came home to change clothes and then went back to the hospital. My dad just drank himself to sleep.
After a couple of weeks, the hospital said there was nothing more they could do for Natalie. She only lasted a couple of days after that. Mom and dad did not handle it well. Mom had a nervous breakdown and ended up in a mental hospital. Dad left the hospital and never returned. I was lost. I missed both my mom and little sister.
My dad's parents made sure that Natalie had a nice funeral. I was never that good of a kid and got in trouble a lot but I had loved my little sister. I cried and then wondered what would happen to me. Where would I live? My grandparents told children's services that they didn't feel they could handle me. In school, I was a troublemaker and my grades were barely passable. I wasn't even sixteen years old when Natalie died.
An older couple who were our neighbors never had any kids. They asked children's services how much they would get per month if they took me in as a foster child. They talked with me and said I could have a room in the basement. All they would ask of me was to help around the house. We came to an agreement. They had me mow the grass, shovel snow, and a few household chores. I didn't have a whole lot of choices.
I was big for my age and the Millers knew they wouldn't be able to push me around. They thought about the money and let me have my way. I actually did help them out. Mr. Miller was on disability and couldn't do much. I ate breakfast and lunch at school and Mrs. Miller made us some kind of meal for dinner.
I was a loner before my sister's death and was a bigger loner afterward. I didn't join any clubs or play any sports. I spent most of my time after school doing weight lifting and other body building exercises. I tried studying a little more but it was hard for me to learn. The school kept sending me to advisors to talk to but I never got much out of it. I was now a junior and knew I only had a year and a half to go.
I had to do a book report and actually went to the library. I decided to write my report on physical training. It was something I knew. As I was writing, I heard a girl say "leave me alone, please don't touch me". The sound was coming from between the book-racks. I walked over and saw Lori. She was in my English class.
Two guys each had hold of one of her arms. They saw me and knew I wasn't a guy to mess with.
"Let her go or you'll wish you would have."
"It's none of your business, Jeff. Besides, there's two of us and only one of you."
"That makes it an even fight," I said.
I took three steps and they let Lori go. She ran away as I grabbed one guy and threw him up against the wall. The other one came toward me and I kicked him behind his knee. After he went down, they both held up their hands, said they were sorry, and that they wouldn't bother Lori again.
I went back to work on my book report. I was shaking my head when Lori came up to me and thanked me for helping her out. I told her it was nothing and that those two idiots wouldn't be bothering her again.
"Jeff, I saw you shaking your head. Can I help you out? I'm pretty smart." She was smiling at me.
"I have to write a report. I know what to say but I don't know how to go about it. I'm not the smartest cookie in the jar."
"I can help you with that."
She sat down and made an outline on how to do a report. She explained how to list things in sequence. I sat there and followed her outline. Afterward she took my paper and edited it for errors. I thanked her for her help and told her if anyone bothered her to let me know.
I turned my report in the next day and it was the first 'A' that I ever remember getting. I waited after school for Lori to thank her for her help. She told me if I ever needed help again to just ask. When I got home, I told the Millers that I got an 'A' on my report. It surprised them that I talked to them. Since I moved in our relationship wasn't the best. I didn't bother them and they didn't bother me. I mowed the yard and other things including keeping my area of the basement clean.
I don't know how much money the Millers received each month for being a foster parent but they gave me ten dollars a week. I decided to find a part-time job so I could have some money to buy things. I went to the supermarket and they hired me as a stock boy. I worked two days a week after school for four hours and eight hours on Saturday.
During the summer, I worked six days a week. I put most of my money away. Once in a while I would bring a pizza home and eat it with the Millers. I knew I was only there because of the money they received but if it wasn't for them, where else would I be?
I was still a loner when I started my senior year of school. I didn't dress or act like other students. I got into a few arguments and even a couple of fights. One day at lunch, Lori asked if she could sit with me. She was a nice looking girl. We started having lunch together a couple of days a week. Other days I saw her eating with her friends. She said she would help me with my studying since it was our senior year. I had made up my mind that I was going to try harder.
I still had my job at the supermarket but the days I didn't work Lori and I met at the library where she helped me with most of my studies. She was so smart that I figured she would make a good teacher. She made things so much easier to understand. She told me she was going to go to college for a teaching career and asked me my plans. I told her I didn't have any. My present plan was to graduate because everyone told me I'd never make it.
Over time, we talked more and she told me about her family. She had an older brother who worked in the bank and an older sister who taught at the middle school. They were both married and each had two kids. She asked me about my life and I sat silent for a few minutes.
"Lori, my life sucks. My mother is in a mental institution and my dad left when my little sister died of leukemia a couple of years ago. My neighbors took me in for the foster care money. My grandparents wanted nothing to do with me."
