Agnes in JackieLand

Chapter 19

The boys finally cried themselves to sleep by one in the morning. I haven't yet slept. My anger towards Graham fueled me. How could he betray me this way? He acted like he cared about what was happening to me, all the while gathering information to take to his mommy.

It turns out I don't even know Graham at all. I never would have guessed he would be so cruel. I knew he didn't like Jackie, but to do this to me/her after I spilled my feelings to him.

The boys were so scared last night. At first, I had told them that they were going on a sleepover. After helping them pack a bag, I made a game of it, telling them whoever finished first got a treat.

I gave them both one. Downstairs, I went through the house room by room, turning the lights off. The boys had grown restless as they waited with Mrs. Evans in the front foyer. They were acting up.

I scolded them, so the car ride to the faculty where they were being taken was silent and full of tension. My mind raced, trying to find a way out of this situation. My only ally was my enemy. The boys were growing agitated, and I had to prepare them before they got to their destination.

Turning in my seat to face them. "Boys, you know how mom and dad aren't home right now. It turns out that we weren't allowed to be home alone. So we have to go stay at a house for kids with no parents."

Jake's chin quivered, his spring-green eyes filling with tears. "I don't want to go time."

Matt mirrored his brother's action. It almost broke my heart. "I don't want to leave you. Jackie, don't let them take us."

Swallowing a lump in my throat, I told them that I would be there too. I wouldn't let anything happen to them, and I didn't. When they wanted to separate them for sleeping, I put my foot down and said no.

So this was where I was now: in between the sleeping boys, thinking up ways to get Graham back. I am still looking for the perfect revenge. All the ones I had thought of had included maiming him. In retrospect, his allure wasn't his looks; those were just bonuses. His allure was his personality, what was on him inside.

Angry tears spilled down my cheeks. I had been sliding back and forth between anger and betrayal. It was hard for me not to take it personally. Sure, I didn't like Jackie, but it was me, not Jackie, in here. Everything he did, he was doing to me. Sure he didn't know that I was in Jackie's body but what kind of person has he become?

I sniffed and wiped my cheeks on a bit of the rough grey blanket they had provided. Dawn was approaching, and people started to stir. We were in a large communal room to sleep. There was one for girls and one for boys. We were in the girls because the boys hadn't wanted a girl among their mix. I heard the pitter-patter of bare feet on the floor; looking up, I saw a little girl of about six at the foot of the bed watching us.

I smiled at the little brunette, and she grinned back, revealing two missing front teeth before she took off out of the room. I wondered why she was in here; she was too young not to have parents. It happened. I knew that the world was full of cruelty, but it still hurt me to see it. The little girl deserved a home, someone to love her—all these kids did.

Mrs. Evans came in and stood beside our bed. "We have contacted your grandmother. She will be here within the hour to pick you guys up."

Grandmother. I didn't know about any grandmother. My own grandparents were interesting. My father's parents were bikers, and my mother's parents were hippies who lived off the land. I saw none very often, but how bad could this one be? I was just glad to be going home.