"It's in February," Jules says with a shrug. Not too soon, but not terribly far off, either. She'll be able to move out of the Home before she graduates, so that's something. Back home, she hadn't felt the same anticipation to turn eighteen, or really even to move away, despite the night she ran off and Rue was supposed to come with her. For the most part, things were fine, even good, living with her dad. Here, though, it's different. She feels confined in a way she didn't before, too much freedom stripped away, and she fucking hates it.

"And no, it's not weird, I agree," she adds, letting out a slight laugh. "But some guys would act like it is." Others would take her at her word when she claimed to be substantially older, clearly not wanting to give it too much thought and consider what that might say about them. "Or be really turned off by the whole living at the stupid fucking Children's Home thing."