It's the fact that Thomas doesn't seem to be mocking me that has me answering his questions honestly.

"That is definitely when I start sulking," I tell him. "Mostly because that's when I realize I'm not totally ready to be an adult yet."

I'll be eighteen in a little over a month and starting classes at the community college, but I never thought I'd be doing all this without mom and my best friends there. It's a little overwhelming sometimes.