Myaa, I'm feeling a bit sick. For one, I think my pillow set itself on fire when I put my head down. And it's hard to swallow, too. And I can't breathe through one nostril.

@_@

Maybe I'll go hang out at Mom's for awhile. Get some fresh air and hang out at the gas station with that hobo guy that everybody knows (I think his name is James; he's nice). Mom's the better one to talk to. She thinks going off on a backpacking trip is a fab idea and supports me all the way (she even bought me the hydration backpack, a nice pair of nonleather sandals, and an Eastern USA roadmap for my birthday).

And besides, the longer I hang out at Mom's, the less time I have to spend over at Karen's office. Rawk.

Mom and Jared (my stepfather) live way out in the middle of bleedin' nowhere, about a mile away from a gas station, a Dollar General, and a very small breakfast place called Hungry Jack's (they make a really good egg, cheese, and lettuce sandwich). There are sounds of nature all over the place, the air is fresher, and it's brighter in that house.

This house is so dark. I've got blue blinds that keep out the sun, the doors are always closed, and the windows are usually shaded.

But over at Mom's, the blinds are all white, the windows and doors are open for most of the summer days, and the sun rises and sets right over our house.

If you're wondering why I ever left such a nice place, it's because I couldn't stand my stepsiblings. But now, even hanging around with children is looking great compared to hanging out at Karen's office. D: Which is saying something, considering how much I dislike the chilluns.

What's even greater: Mom lets me live the pure-veggie lifestyle. She doesn't force fish and shrimp on me. She buys me veggie burgers, ramen noodles, cous-cous (which is one of my favorite foods), and recommends vegetarian recipes for me. She has a mostly-veggie lifestyle. She has meat about three times a week; other times, she just eats veggie burgers, ramen, or veggie casserole. Which is cool.

Maybe I'll move back over there. O_o