One Out of Four

Chapter 6.

Kacey walks downstairs.

The social worker smiles and waves at Kacey. "Kacey, I need to ask you a few questions."

Kacey looks nervous. "Sure." She responds.

They both walk upstairs to the bedroom that Kacey and Kyle used to sleep at.

The social worker take-out a notebook and a pen. "So Kacey, how are you liking it here so far?" Linda asked.

Kacey pauses as she sounds stunned by the simple question. "It's great. Real great." She answered.

"That's good, how is school?" Linda goes on.

Kacey remains silent. She hears the voices from earlier today of school.

One of the students raised their hand.

Mr. Cloud acknowledged the student. "Yeah, Simon. What is it?"

Simon lowered his hand. "What happened to Kacey's parents?" he questioned curiously.

Mr. Cloud's response was concise. "They're dead," he said bluntly.

Another flashback startles Kacey at it was sounds of the class laughing at her.

The inner voice of Mr. Cloud is heard in her mind. "Dead. Dead. Dead." Repeated over and over again.

Kacey gasps loudly.

Linda looks confused. "Kacey?"

Kacey came back from reality. "Huh? What?"

Linda says, "I asked, how was school?"

Kacey blurts out. It's great, real great." At this rate Kacey's hands are shaking and sweaty.

Linda smiles. "What do you like about school?" She continues to questions Kacey.

Kacey's eyes widen. "Umm... I thought you would ask me questions that's... related to my well being." Kacey points out.

Linda starts to catch on that something isn't right. "Kacey." Linda says.

Kacey speaks nervously, "What? It's- it's great."

Linda raises her eyebrows. "Kacey." She says, seriously.

Kacey blurts out, "It's only my first day."

Linda opens her mouth. "You was supposed to enter a week ago." She says with a confused expression.

Kacey looks scared. "Oh. Yeah, yeah. I mean my first day was awful but it's great now."

Linda looks disappointed, visibly unhappy. "Mhm... What about your parents? Has mom and dad ever done something bad to you?" Linda questions, again.

Kacey remains silent.

Her face is in shocked as she hears Diana's inner voice inside her head.

In Diana's tone, "I want you both to say how great parents me and Marco are, and let them know that you feel safe."

Kacey is zoned out again.

Linda taps Kacey's knee. "Ka-"

Kacey responds, "They make me feel... like I belong here. Like I'm the best thing that has ever happened to them." Kacey holds back tears.

Linda smiles widely, and writes it down, 'Aww. That's amazing." She says with enthusiastic.

Linda looks up at Kacey, "Have they ever done something that you didn't like?" She mentions.

Kacey zones out, remembering the time that Diana locked Kacey inside her deceased daughter's room.

Kacey puts her left hand over her right hand grasping to her fingers tightly as that question triggered her. "Never." She responded, calmly but with a pinch of nervousness.