“Now hit it with all you've got!” Mika yelled. I threw a precise punch at the punching bag. Ever since I started to live here Mika has been teaching me how to box as an anger outlet.
Sparring at first, but since the incident we switched to the punching bag. I feel a painful hit on my head. “You call that a punch?! Put all your anger into it!” Mika shouted loudly. I refrained from the urge to yell at her and put all my emotions into the punch.
“Now that is a good one!” She exclaimed. “Let's take a break, you're making my basement smell like teenager.” I took off the boxing gloves and sat down at the table, expecting a tirade about my coordination, footwork or litterly anything that I didn't to perfectly. Instead, Mika looked concerned. “Leonard, we need to talk about something.” She only called me by my full name if something serious was going on. She usually went for something like Len or Lenny. “What is it? Did I do that bad?” I said. Mika sighed. “No, you did well. It is something bigger then that. It's about your tag. You just had your birthday and you are now on working age. You need to get registered, which means-” “I can't stay here.” I interrupted her.
Avoiding my gaze she nodded. “You don't look like you're related to us and you're too young to be someone's spouse. I can't think of a way to have you stay.” I felt myself choke up and my eyes fill with tears. “You-You're not throwing me on the street, are you?”
I desperately tried to sound normal, but you could clearly tell I was on the verge of crying. Mika looked up, shocked. Her own eyes glistening with tears too. “Oh Lenny no! I would never. I have some friends in the neighborhood that would love to meet you. A married couple without children. The woman has blonde hair and brown eyes, just like you. The man also has brown eyes, but his hair is black with streaks of gray. Victor and Lily can't have children and have always wanted them. I thought maybe you could stay with them for a while. You know, until you're eighteen.” I didn't reply. Processing the information and suppressing an angry outlash. After a minute of silence I spoke. “I would rather stay here, but I will meet them. If I like them and their home, I will stay there. If I don't, I am staying right where I am.” Mika smiled. “I love you like you were my own Len. I want you to know that. I am so glad you showed up on my doorstep that night." I smiled back. “I'm glad I chose your doorstep to sleep in front of.”