Read Online Unlikely Allies by Tiffany King - Free Book Online

until last Thursday,” I said.
    “What? Your mom never told you who your father was?” the same skeptical g irl from before asked. “What a ho-b ag,” she added.
    “She had her reasons,” I said, feeling the need to defend my mom since she wasn’t able to .
    “No excuse is a legit one,” the girl said, sinking onto one of the bunk beds with her arms crossed.
    “True, no excuse is acceptable,” I said, agreeing with her.
    “But how cool is it that Rick is your father?” one of the other girls squealed, like Rick was a movie star or something.
    I laughed. “He seems like a cool guy,” I said as the girls started chattering about how awesome it would be for a parental figure to come out and claim them.
    I turned back to my bed to help Amy sort through the clothes and my eyes skirted over to the bunk in the corner. I saw Alyssa had flipped over in her bed and was studying me critically. I smiled at her to show I cared and she answered by flipping me off before flopping back over.
    Amy giggled. “That’s Alyssa for you,” she said when I grimaced. “Parker, come get your stack of clothes,” she added.
    “Any hoodies?" the girl who had asked me about Rick asked, looking hopefully through the large stack. “Sweet,” she said, pulling one from the bottom of the stack. “And it’s pink too. Thanks , Amy,” she said, throwing her arms around Amy.
    I looked at Amy smiling.
    “Yeah, that’s Parker," she said, seeing my questioning look. "She was found abandoned in a park when she was a baby. Someone at the state thought it would be cute to call her Parker. She’s what we call a ‘lifer.’ She’s been in the system for ten ye ars. Her foster mom is a ‘user,' ” she added.
    “Like drugs?” I asked, appalled she’d been left with a druggie.
    “That would be better because at least the state would move her. No, her foster mom uses the foster care system. She takes in as many foster kids as the state allows and then refuses to spend any of the money the state pays her on the kids, which is why Parker shows up each summer without any adequate clothes.”
    “How come she never got adopted if she was a baby when she was abandoned?” I asked, feeling my heart clench as I studied the petite blond e - haired beauty laughing with her friends. How was it possible no one wanted her?
    “She was a drug baby,” Amy said, assembling the next stack of clothes.
    “So?” I said, not getting why that would matter. I knew enough from the nutrition class I took in high school that taking drugs during pregnancy could affect the fetus, but that shouldn’t have prevented a loving family from adopting her.
    “She was born with bad kidneys and urinary tract system. She needed a kidney transplant when she was three. Being in and out of hospitals half her life doesn’t bode well for adoption,” Amy said with malice in her voice.
    “That’s awful,” I said, fighting sudden tears. What the hell was wrong with people?
    “Yeah, sometimes you get a raw deal,” Amy said in a lackluster voice that made me wonder again what her story was.
    “Oh shitz, I forgot the socks. Do you mind running over to the mess hall and grabbing four or five packages?” she asked in a more normal tone as she continued to sort through the clothes.
    “Sure. Are they in the supply closet next to the kitchen or the one by Rick’s office?” I asked, heading for the door.
    “By the office. Everything's labeled so you shouldn’t have any problems. Louise runs it with an iron fist.”
    “Sounds good,” I said, heading for the door.
    I followed the short path toward the mess hall, listening to the multiple voices ringing out around the camp. There was an exceptionally loud ruckus coming from around the building as I neared the back entrance. Peering around the corner, I was taken aback by the sight before my eyes. I shouldn't have been surprised to see Mason once again with his shirt off, he was just that type. The " I'm hot and I know it "