She's So Gone

~Chapter 1~

Past

I sit in the passenger seat, knees pulled up to my chest, as I pick at the skin underneath my fingernails. The sound of the rain pounding down on the car roof and the windshield wipers isn't loud enough to block out the sound of the yelling. I glance up when I hear my name, only to realize my mistake. She's angry, straining against the cops who are pulling her away, absent mindedly I run my tongue over my busted lip and wince at the pain. The memory of how I got the busted lip coming back, and I burry my head in my knees, and try not to let the tears out. The sound of the car door quickly opening and shutting leads me to pick my head back up. When I see Walker, I fail at the task I was trying to do and the tears just come out.

"Walker I tried," I cry.

"I know-"

"I really did this time," I continue.

"I know-"

"I cleaned and cooked" I don't let him get much further than those two words.

"I know-"

"I did everything they asked," I barley even hear him.

"I know-"

"What did I do? Why wasn't I enough this time?" I finally stop and just look at him, waiting for an answer.

He looks at me, nothing but sympathy, "it's not your fault, you didn't deserve what they did to you, it’s my fault, I shouldn't have let you go back to her, I thought she was better, I made the mistake." He's telling the truth, or at least he feels that he is. He truly believes that this is all on him.

I wipe away the tears, I've allowed myself to be sad for too long. I smile at him, "I get to go meet new people now, I like meeting new people."

He Laughs, a sad laugh, "yeah, you get to meet new people." I can tell he’s only smiling for my benefit, but I’m only smiling for his, so I guess we’re even.

I let go of my legs and put my feet down in the floor board, "where am I going this time?" I buckle my seat belt, trying to put the memory of this day behind me, with all the rest.

"A children's home, a nice one, you'll like it there, lots of people to meet." He tells me as he pulls away and I watch the red and blue lights in the side mirror, fading away.

Present

"I hate you!" I wake to the sound of screaming; I think it's Eloise.

"Well, I hate you more!" Andrea yells, they both just moved in last month, they were in the same children's home together and it got shut down for neglect. Apparently, they weren't too happy about having to room together. Supposedly Eloise and Andrea are dating the same guy, and both refuse to break up with him, wanting him to pick between them.

With the twins moving out, they had to shift the younger kids’ rooms, and that led to shifting the older girls’ rooms too. Which means the room I ended up in, was the one with the two new girls. I honestly thought all the morning yelling would stop when Scarlett moved out. I roll over, "hey Ellie, I like your outfit today, and I love your shoes Andi," they both stop arguing for a moment.

"Thanks" they both say in union. Then I hear Andi speak up next, "we should take our conversation outside."

"Yeah, so Dani can sleep." Ellie agrees, followed by the sound of them both leaving. I smile to myself as I try to get a few more minutes of sleep, but then April comes running into the room.

"They're here! They're here!" She shouts excited that her mother and new baby brother are here to see her. April is nine and has been here for not quite a year, but it was getting close. Her mother dropped her off at the DHS office because she didn't have anywhere to go. She was pregnant with April's little brother at the time and about four months ago he was born. April has been bouncing off the walls about getting to meet him. Since he was almost two months early, he spent a good amount of time in the hospital. Her mother did get a job though, and she now has an apartment. It's just a matter of time before April gets to move back in with them.