"I want to go home," I whimpered.
"Come on Anna, lets meet the others," a strange lady pulled me into a big new house. I didn't want to leave my Mum, I know she hasn't always been the best, but she was all the family I had.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
My Dad died away from our home in Manchester, when I was little, and my Mum couldn't cope, she started drinking. Dad's family didn't like her from the start and when he died they blamed us. I hated them, I still do. I was small and I didn't understand what was going on, but they made it worse by ignoring us. They didn't tell us about the funeral and would never answer our calls or emails or texts. That's when Mum started to get worse. When she lost her job she stayed at home all day, she didn't wash, she didn't do the laundry, she didn't tidy and kept forgetting to take me to school. This went on for 3 years.
When I was old enough I started doing everything, I tidied and cooked, cleaned and I even got a paper round, although I didn't have a bike and I had to walk it. The man in the newsagents was glad for my help. I did the grocery shopping, with what little money we had. Mum didn't come to any parents consultations or concerts I was in at school and I wanted to prove to her that I could do well even without her help, I passed primary school with 'better then average' results. Secondary schools as a lot tougher. The bitchy girls in my form found out about Mums problem and started telling everyone, I got bullied for months and months. I came home from school each day really upset. Mum didn't notice, she was either wasted or had a hangover. I ran up to my room and cried. One day I logged onto my Ask.fm page and there were so many questions to do with my Mum 'is your mum a druggie as well as an alcoholic?' And 'where's your Dad, in prison?' Now that one hurt, a lot. The worst part was, they were all anonymous. "Cowards!" I shouted at my laptop, switching it off and putting my headphones in. One Direction blared out of my speakers, they were my refuge and when I felt bad it cheered me up, well, slightly.
I went into school after the weekend and immediately I was called into my Headmasters office. There were many rude remarks made but I just ignored them, although they stung. "Anna, your mother I hear is unwell. Do you know what is wrong with her?" Mr Edwards asked me.
"Yes sir." I replied giving nothing away, although I feared he already knew from hearing comments around the school.
"Is she looking after you in the way that mothers often do?" He asked purposefully. Maybe he didn't know.
"Not exactly, but-"
"Anna," he cut me off, "your mother is not fit to look after you in the state she is in. I have called social services to ask them what is best for you, at the moment we must think of you." He looked sincere when he said, "they said you need to be sent to a care home for the time being while your mother gets well." This news made me so angry and upset. "They don't know what's best for me," I screamed, "I'm coping fine, and now you decide to take my only family away from me."
Mr Edwards looks at me in a sympathetic way. "I know this is a shock Anna and that your past has been difficult with no father, but this is the best thing to happen to you currently."
"How the fuck is this a good thing?" I swore at my headmaster. "I'm being taken away from my Mum." I was so angry.
"Calm down Anna. It's only temporary until she's better." I calmed down, slightly. "Where are they taking her?"'I said quietly, ashamed and embarrassed at the disrespect I gave my Headmaster. He replied, "I'm honestly not sure Anna, but she'll be in good hands wherever she goes, and you'll get to see her. You are leaving today, meaning you will leave school now to get your things and there will be a car coming to collect you in an hour with your social worker. The home is in London." And with that he was finished. Nothing more said.
