Part 5: Madison's POV

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When I wake up a few hours later I can smell the distinct scent of pizza from downstairs.

I make my way down off the bed and head towards the door. I sneak out of the room and as quietly as I can I go towards the smell that has taken over the house. When I make it to the bottom of the steps I notice that Tobin and Christain are on the couch watching a movie.

I recognize it as The Lion King, a movie that I have only seen bits and pieces of over the last fifteen years. It is one of those movies that is always playing at the group home but no one actually watches. I much prefer listening to the soundtrack of a movie to watching the actual thing.

When I make it to the doorway to the living room I just stand there, 'They never said I had to stay in the room, but they also never said that I was allowed to come out.' Before I know it I'm sitting in the doorway watching the movie.

'This movie is a lot more interesting than I thought it was. Though there was no reason for the dad to die so violently. How many kids has this movie traumatized?'

Just after the love song ends Christain pauses the movie and as quickly as I can I race back up the stairs. 'Please don't come upstairs. Please don't have heard me. Stay downstairs, stay downstairs, please, please, please stay downstairs. Please.' I beg in my mind.

When I make it up to the room they gave me I shut the door as quietly as I can. I climb up onto the bed listening for anyone coming up the stairs. 'Silence, silence... I don't think they're coming up. Thank Go...'

I hear the stairs creak and drop down off the bed. I dart into the closet forcing myself into the far corner and rock my body back and forth.

There is a soft knock on the door and I hold my breath, 'Don't come in. Please just go away.' I wish to whichever woman is on the other side of the door.

"Madison, you in there? I've got food." It's Tobin. I don't move. She calls again, "Madison I'm coming in." I shut my eyes and curl in on myself even more.

She opens the door and walks inside. I hear her set the plate down and walk around the room a little. Her footsteps come closer to the closet.

"Madison? You in here?" Tobin exits the room for a moment before coming back and closing the main door behind her. She walks over to the closet once again.

'Please don't open the door! Please! Please!'

*Knock Knock*

"Madison? Can I open the door?"

I shake my head, 'She can't see you, you idiot.'

"I brought you food. Tap the wall once for yes and twice for no."

'Food?' I rock myself back and forth a little longer before knocking once on the wall.

"Alright, I'm going to open the door now." The door opens slowly letting the light from the room in. I move my hands up to cover my head as Tobin enters the closet. She sits down on the opposite wall then I am and leans over towards me.

I flinch back waiting for her to hit or yell at me for a number of different things, or drag me out, but instead, she just asks, "You hungry?"

Tobin's POV

Once Christain and I get settled on the couch with our pizza and movie picked out it isn't long before we hear quiet footsteps on the stairs. Christain and I exchange a confused look when we realize that Madison hasn't left the bottom step.

When Chris pauses the movie to go get some more pizza I hear the scurrying of footsteps go back up the stairs.

I follow Chris into the kitchen grabbing a new plate and toss a couple slices of pizza on it, "I'm going to bring this up to Madison."

"Alright, I'll wait to play the movie."

"Thanks."

When I get up to her room and knock on the closed door. I get a little worried when I don't get a response. I slowly open the door, 'Where is she?' I look around the room trying to find where she might be. I walk around the room a little before going to check the bathroom.

I see that the door is open and the light is off, "Is she in her closet? I mean with the way she ran up the stairs.'

I go back to her room and knock on the closet door, "Madison? Can I open the door?" I wait for a response, "I brought you food. Tap the wall once for yes and twice for no."

It takes her a second but she knocks once on the wall so I tell her again what I am going to do next, "Alright, I'm going to open the door now." When I get the door open I see Madison against the wall curled into a ball. I sit down on the opposite wall to try to make myself less threatening.

She flinches back when I lean over to hand her the plate of food, "You hungry?"

She looks up at me with tears in her eyes but otherwise doesn't give any indication that she heard me.

"Well, I'll leave the pizza here for you, ok? And feel free to come down if you want. Otherwise, you can stay up here and try to get some sleep." With that, I get up and go back downstairs hoping that she'll want to come down. 'She won't feel any more comfortable if we overwhelm her.'

Madison's POV

After Tobin leaves I lean over and pull the plate of pizza into my lap. Crinkling my nose in semi disgust at the pepperonis. After peeling them off I still only got through one of the pieces before feeling full.

The taste of the meat juice in my mouth makes me want to throw up. Having the aversions to food that I do has always made growing up in the foster system even harder.

'Did Christen and Tobin even read my file before agreeing to take me in? Have they read it all? Probably not otherwise I wouldn't be here right now.'

'I should go bring my plate downstairs, but what if they think I'm ungrateful? Or they hurt me?' I sigh.

I curl up once again against the wall and fall asleep before making any decisions.

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