Better Off Alone (Adopted by Brendon and Sarah Urie)

23. Callie

The Merton School was the nicer of the two I thought. They had a lot of space and light. I liked it. I mean, for a school and for as long as I'd wind up being there. If I was even still with Mom and Dad in September.

After lunch we went to the mall where they bought me more clothes and then Dad suggested a bookstore. From there we went to a library, which Dad said was close to the house. We decided Mom and I would walk home and Dad would meet us with the dogs.

I picked a few books and Mon got me a library card.

Halfway home we met up with Dad and the dogs and we walked together, Mom and Dad practicing their sign language. They were doing pretty well. When we got home, I grabbed one of my new books and settled into the chair by the pool. Mom and Dad had another class with their friends and they all came out and said hi to me and to practice what they'd learned.

After their lesson, we practiced some more with Pete and Josh. They had to go home, so when they did, Dad put on a movie and we watched together before Mom threw together spaghetti and meat sauce and a salad.

We relaxed a bit after dinner. Dad had some work to do and Mom wanted to do laundry, so I went to my room to read.

I must have fallen asleep because I felt someone take my book and cover me with a blanket and kiss my head.

My alarm went off at 8 am again and I got up, showered and got dressed.

Mom and Dad were both downstairs and Dad signed that he was making waffles. I was impressed. Then Mom showed me the box of Eggos and pointed at the toaster. I laughed.

We sat down to Eggo waffles and Mom and Dad slowly told me what they'd learned the day before. They were really picking it up fast and I saw them signing to each other sometimes. It was kinda cool.

As we were cleaning up from breakfast the doorbell rang. Because the light in the kitchen doorway flashed then sequence we set for the doorbell.

"Want to go get that?" Mom asked. I nodded. Dad poked his head out as I went to the door.

My jaw dropped and my heart rate sped up as soon as I saw Sheri at the door. With another person. Tears threatened behind my eyes, and I looked at Dad. I felt so betrayed. I ran upstairs and slammed my door. I threw myself on the bed and started crying. I really thought I was here to stay.

I pulled out the garbage bags I still hadn't gotten rid of and started throwing clothes into them. I stuck to the stuff I'd come here with.  There was a knock at the door (because the sensor light went on) but I didn't answer it. I sat on the floor against the bed, crying into my arms.

I felt a hand on my shoulder and looked up. It was Brendon.

"Why are you crying?" He asked, sitting down beside me. "Why are you packed? Again?"

"Sheri's here. You're sending me away," I signed. I didn't care if he didn't understand. Let him figure it out.

"Callie, no," he said, making me look at him. "No. You're staying. We asked Sheri to come tell us more about your past."

I shook my head. They couldn't hear about what I'd done. They'd send me back for sure!

I just started crying harder.

"Do you want to come down and talk with Sheri with us? She brought an interpreter," Brendon signed and spelled.

I shook my head. I'd just keep packing my things. Maybe I could slip out while they were "talking".

I saw Brendon sigh as he ruffled my hair.

"We'll be right downstairs in the dining room if you want to join us. It's okay, Callie. You're not going anywhere."

I didn't believe him and as soon as he left my room, I looked around. I put a few more things into the garbage bag, and then quietly made my way downstairs. I looked carefully as I got downstairs, hoping they couldn't see me. I couldn't see them from the stairs. So I figured they couldn't see me.

I went to the front door, pulled on my old sneakers, and left. I ran down the driveway and down towards the library. I could figure out where to go from there.

I ran as fast as I could, holding the garbage bag to me as I ran. I wasn't going back to the home. Miss Jones would make my life horrible.  I'd stay on the streets I guessed. I'd just have to be really careful.

I went into the library and found a corner where I could stow my bag and no one would think to look for it. I went to look for books about places to go. City maps and atlases and even survival books. I'd have to figure out how to get food and shelter.

I stayed hidden in the library as late as I could. I hid in the washrooms for a while, then looked to make sure no one was looking for me, and went and hid in the children's section and then went into the research area and hid in a study room.

I tried hiding when the lights started to get turned out. A staff member saw me and was talking to me. I shook my head and covered my ears.  I showed him the front page of my old notebook. He nodded, motioned for me to hand him my book.

'The library is closed. You have to go home,' he wrote.

I shook my head. I don't have a home to go to.

He looked at me with sympathy.

'Is there someone I can call for you?' He wrote. I shook my head again.

'It's okay,' I wrote. 'I'll be fine.'

I picked up my bag, took my notebook back and went outside. Where would I go?

It was dark now. I'd been here all day. I remembered there was a park behind the library. I could check the structures and see if there was somewhere to hide.

I slipped into the darkness beside the library and stayed close to the building so that if anyone was around, they hopefully wouldn't see me. 

There was a series of concrete tunnels around the play structure. I looked around to see if I could see anyone, or a familiar car looking for me.  The street was empty so I ran to the park before anyone could come around maybe. I dove into the concrete structure and hoped I could stay there for a while. I crawled in as deep as I could, then curled up as small as I could and wept.