Finding Emma

Holding it Together

"This constant yelling, I don't think I can take it anymore. Yelling at me, yelling at Kelly. I would rather be anywhere but here." Emma thinks to her self. It is 7:00 Monday Morning, Emma walks downstairs to get herself some breakfast before school. She sets her backpack down by the door and walks into the kitchen. She reaches for the cereal on top of the fridge and grabs a bowl out of the cabinet and pours herself a bowl and sits down at the table. Mike and Kelly had just stopped yelling and were just staring at Emma as she ate. When she was done she put her bowl in the sink and went to go grab her backpack to walk to school, but before she could she felt someone grab her arm hard. "What the hell do you think you are doing, were you raised in a barn?! Wash out your damn bowl and put it away!" Mike yelled. "I'm sorry, I forgot," Emma said. "You have been living here for three years you should know better!" yelled Mike again. "I'm sorry." Emma said quietly trying to hold back her tears. "Now get the hell out of here!" Mike let go of Emma's arm and pushed her away. Emma did as she was told and ran into the living room, grabbed her backpack and ran out the door to go to school.

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All Emma thinks when she is at school is how much she hates it. She doesn't even try to make any friends anymore because every time she comes close to some one she gets ripped away and has to go to a new foster home. As much as Emma hates being at school, she would rather be there then at home. At least at school she is fed properly and treated decently by adults. Emma does have one friend at school named Cassie. She lives four houses down from Emma's foster home. They sometimes walk together to school if Cassie's mom doesn't take her. 

Emma and Cassie are in sixth grade, their first year of junior high. School just started about two weeks ago so they are getting into the swing of things again. Emma arrives to school, eyes a little red and swollen. She goes straight to her locker and tries her best to avoid any eye contact with anyone to avoid people staring at her. "Hey Em" Cassie says cheerfully. "Hey" Emma said quietly. "What's the matter with you today?" asked Cassie. "Nothing just Mike and his stupid temper again." Emma replied. "He is such a jerk. I don't understand why you and Kelly don't just move out of there or even just call the cops on him?" said Cassie. "It's a lot more complicated than that Cass." Emma stated. The bell rang and the girls went on to their first class of the day. 

By lunch time Emma was in a much better mood. Her and Cassie met up by their locker and went to lunch together. They ate their food and talked until lunch was over. They went to the rest of their classes for the day. At the end of the day they girls met up at Emma's locker to walk home together. They always pass a park on the way home. Sometimes they hangout there so Emma can spend just a little while longer away from home. 

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It was 5:30 and the girls decide that it is time to go home. Usually around 5:30 Mike heads out to the bar and gets completely wasted, so Emma usually just waits around until he is gone. Emma walks in the house and heads straight to her room. Her room consists of white walls, a crappy twin bed, and some ratty old blankets. Emma has learned to not ask for anything because Mike will yell and tell her that she doesn't deserve that because she is a snot nosed brat that is only good for a pay check from the state at the end of the month. 

Kelly walks up to Emma's room and knocks on the door. "Come in" Emma said quietly, sitting on her bed. "I was just wondering if you wanted to come downstairs for a snack since Mike is gone" Kelly said. " Um sure" replied Emma. They both went downstairs Emma sat at the counter while Kelly cut up some fruit for her. "I snuck away to the store today and picked up a few things for us to eat before Mike gets home." said Kelly. Emma smiled. Mike likes to not spend money so he can go and spend it on drinks at the bar down the road. Emma and Kelly had a quiet night before Mike came home. He usually comes home at 10:00 and Emma tries to make sure she is in bed with the lights off when that time comes. It was about 9:30 and Emma was just finishing up her homework at the table while Kelly was doing some laundry. Emma said goodnight to Kelly and headed upstairs to get ready for bed before Mike came home. 

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