The Unhidden

Chapter 10

I wake up drenched in sweat, heart racing, and having a hard time breathing. I look around, it's morning and the sun is out. I really don't like sleeping. I look at my clock it's 11. Wow I slept that long. I decide to get up since I've been laying in my bed for a while. I walk downstairs to see Lauren and Justin in the kitchen.
"Good morning, you decided to get up" Justin looks at me.
I don't say anything because just what I want is to get in trouble for something so stupid. Oh and did I mention that today is my birthday.
Lauren turns around and says with a lot of cheer "happy birthday Caroliena!" I call her Lauren because I no longer love her.
"Thanks Lauren but you can stop with the fake love, I'm only here on a technicality so leave me alone and stop acting like you care" I leave the house at that. I call Mikey "hey can you come and get me, I'll be at the park down the street from this house?" 'Yea be there in a few.' I hang up the phone and continue walking down to the park.
Mikey drives up, gets out the car and walks to me "happy birthday Carr."
"Thanks Mikey."
"I know you don't want to be in that house, we're doing everything we can to get you out."
"Thanks, but please hurry, I can barely be there without locking my door at night, and avoiding those two."
"Hold on a little bit longer."
"I can't hold on a bit longer, I stay in my room with the door locked all day and when I do come out I have to be 'nice' and 'respectful' to both of them, I always get blamed for something I didn't do. I don't go to school because I'm scared of leaving my room if not completely sure if Justin is up."
"We'll get you out."
"Harold has been calling me but I don't answer the phone, my best friends won't check up on me because they have other things to do and don't care about my wellbeing."
"Carr do you want me to take you to school?"
"Please, I am tired of living in that house, I'm tired of being bored.'
"Ok let's go" we go to his car and he drives me to school, parks and we both get out.
We go to the office "Hi Mrs. Berkley my uncle Mikey is bringing me to school today."
She looks up from her computer "Hello Miss Williams, I thought your sister Laurie called you off; said you were sick?"
"I'm not sick and can I just go to class?"
"You can after the meeting with Mr. Henrie."
"Why do I have to talk to him?"
"You have to talk with him, the Principle, and social worker before you can go to class."
"Why?" Mr. Roque the Principle walks in.
"Caroliena hi I thought your sister called you off, can we go to my office?" We go to his office and Mr. Roque closes the door.
"Lauren is not my sister" I yell as I sit.
"Mr. Roque, I'm Mikey Qureshi, her uncle."
"Hi Mikey have you heard about the last two weeks?"
"Yes I had gotten here the day after she was in the hospital, the hospital called me, I was in Jordan at the time. Me, my wife, and two children had flown over here once we were notified."
"Ok Caroliena, we have to talk to you, Justin and Lauren."
I look at him and rush out "No! I can not be in the same room as them." I look at Mikey "Mikey please I don't."
Mikey takes one look at my scared face "is that nessesery?"
"Well Lauren and Justin are her legal guardians."
"Yes but have you seen the reports against them, from Caroliena's behave?"
"Yes I have read them."
"Then you know how uncomfortable she is with them?"
"Yes but it's just how that works."
"What if I stepped in and did the meeting?" I look up at Mikey and smile.
"That's only if they say it's ok, other than that I can't do anything about that."
"Please Mr. Roque I don't want to be in the same room with them. Did you see the reports of what Justin has done to me for my whole life? What about what Lauren has done to me for the last 10 years. My parents died in a house fire and when I'm with Lauren and Justin in the same room I want to go back to that night. And instead of getting out of the house at six, all I think about is not taking my moms orders and going outside. Because if I didn't, guess what I wouldn't be here."
"Carr..." Mikey and Mr. Roque looks at me.
It's quiet and there's a knock on the door. Mr. Roque answers and leaves the room, he talks to the person and Mrs. Berkley.
"Carr is that true?"
I don't look at Mikey "Mikey, everytime I'm in that house I wish that I died with mom and dad. I'm tired of all of this; living in that house, not being loved by my sister, having no support, and being locked in my room all the time."
Mikey doesn't say anything, Mr. Roque and Officer Wilkins walk in. "Caroliena this is..."
"I know he was with me at the hospital, we talked already."
"Yes I brought her to stay with me and my family the day she left."
"Oh, well Mikey Qureshi wants to stand in for Lauren and Justin, in the meeting. But we have to call Lauren."
"I do not want Lauren Nikole Williams and her messed up boyfriend in this meeting!"
"Caroliena."
"What?"
"Come with me ok?"
I go with Wilkins. We walk to one of the guidance counselors offices. I sit and Wilkins does too "Caroliena I know you're upset about having to go back to Laurens house on a technicality. I know that it has been hard for you and I know how you feel now. You are everything to my kids, Harold has been trying to reach you, Rebecca is worried sick about you, Constance is angry on the fact that you had to go back to that house, and me well I'm just confused on how they can do that to you. Mr. Roque told me what you said in there."
"I'm sorry I just hate being in the same room as them, even worst that I have to continue living with them."
"I know, but I'll see what I can do on getting you out of the house, but until then..."
"I know I have to put up with them."
He nods and we walk back into the Principle's office. Mikey is still in their. Mr. Roque isn't.
"Mikey I'm sorry for earlier, my attitude was un-called for."
"Carr why are you apologizing?"
"I don't know."
Mr. Roque walks back in with my guidance counselor, social worker, and my sister with her no good boyfriend. I roll my eyes.
"Why is Mikey here?"
I look at her "because since I don't like you, either of you" I look at her and Justin "and Mikey brought me to school."
"Laurie your sister, guidance counselor, social worker, and Officer Wilkins if he would like to stay, we all have to be in a meeting right now on Caroliena.
They start talking about why I was in the hospital, what happened, my uncle, my well-being. They talked on and on about something else I stopped listening minutes ago. It feels like they've been talking for hours.
I interrupt "can I leave now?"
They look at me "Caroliena."
"What!?"

"You cannot leave this meeting."

"Principle Roque I'm missing class and I just got back."

"You can't be here."

"Look I'm trying so hard to be nice and excuse myself."

"Caroliena stop!" Wilkins steps in.

"I do not like my sister and Justin, I can't stand being in the same room as them better yet same house. I'm asking if I could get out of here now before I do something I'm going to later regret." I look at each and everyone of them until I rest my eyes on Principle Roque.

"Fine go to class."

"Bye sister."

I roll my eyes at Lauren and walk out the room. I don't get but halfway down the hall before "Caroliena."

I turn around towards the social worker "yes."

"Tell me something, why did they take you back to that house with them?"

"They took me back there because Lauren didn't want me to stay with Mikey, the only reason Lauren got me was because Mikey was in Jordan, I was 6 they didn't want to send me across the ocean."