Brighter Then The Stars

Chapter Three: If Elza Goes So Do I

Peyton's POV

My thoughts are interrupted by the door bell ringing. When I get down stairs the foster care people are sitting in the living room talking with my parents.

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I walk into the room and say politely, "Hello."

"Hey. Sweetheart how's life treating you?" They say.

"It's great." I say, hoping they can't hear the falseness in my voice. I go sit on the couch and let them ask me questions about my school life.

"What grades are you getting?" they say with weird enthusiasm.

"I'm getting straight A's so far. I actually love math and language arts and science." I'm playing with my nails during this conversation because I'm so nervous that something will go wrong.

We're still talking about school when Elza says, "Mommy? Dada? I'm thirsty!"

We all look at her and my mother says, "Well go get your sippy cup its on the table." She goes into the kitchen and we resume our conversation. A few minutes later we hear something fall in the kitchen and go check it out. When we get in there the foster care people gasp in horror while me and my parents try to stifle our laughter.

Elza is sliding around in cracked eggs and dish soap all over the floor. I go over and pick her up trying not to get a lot of egg on me. I'm laughing the whole time. She's laughing like the rest of us but, she's laughing because she is having fun.

I take her to our room so I can take off the sticky clothes and put her in the tub. I walk into the bathroom with Elza in hand and start setting up her bath.

I turn the water on and wait for it to get warm. After its warm enough, but not too hot for a two year old, I set Elza in the tub. While she splashes around I get on Facebook and get Izzy to talk to me.

"Hey."

"Hey. What's up?"

"The people from the foster home are here."

"Why aren't you with them?"

"Elza made a mess and I'm giving her a bath."

"Drake is having a party on Friday."

"Great, I'll be there."

"Ok. Well text me when they leave."

"Okay bye"

"Bye"

I exit out of the chat and and start to wash Elza's hair.

When she's clean I take her out of the tub, dry her off, and put new clothes on her. I brush her black curly hair and it lays damp on her back. We walk down stairs and back to the torturous conversations of people who pretend to care about me.

While walking down the hallway I over hear some of what my parents and the foster care people are saying. So I stop right outside the doorway to the living room and listen.

"Cant we put her in the foster home?" I hear my father ask.

"There's no reason she needs to go." I hear the lady from the foster home say. "She is fine here, she is well fed,she looks happy. You two are doing great at raising these children. Why send just one away?"

Who can they be talking about? Me? Elza? Who are they trying to send away?

"We can't afford two children anymore." My father says. I find it weird only my father is talking. I peek in the room and see my mother is sitting on the couch too, but is crying silently with her face in her hands.

"She is only two and she is adorable. Someone will want her." Father says.

Knowing who he is talking about now I walk into the living room but they don't notice me until I speak.

"If Elza goes, so do I." I say sounding a lot more sure than I actually am.

Then as fate may have it Elza runs into the room with one of my parents empty beer bottles in her hand.

"Where did she get that?" the foster lady says, her voice sharp and questioning.

"Crap," Father mutters. "Um... we had a party the other day and there was drinking but Peyton took Elza to daycare and she stayed at a friends. Right Peyton?"

"Yah," I mutter knowing I should tell them the truth about how my parents are drug addicts, but can't bring my self to do it.

"See," my father says, " No harm done."

"Peyton. Is that what really happened?" the foster lady asks me.

I look at my father who is giving me a warning look saying "don't say anything or you'll get it" and then I look at my mother who is still crying silently on the couch, then to Elza who is now playing with her toys with the beer bottle sitting next to her not knowing what was going on, then to the people from the foster home, who look like they actually want to help me.

Then a thought hits me. I can't keep protecting them. If my parents wanted to be drug addicts fine, but I was getting out of here with Elza and we would go to a new home with parents who cared about us.

I look into my fathers eyes and see something I see every day. Hatred. Like if he had the chance he would get rid of me in a heartbeat.

I turn away and decide what I'm gonna say.

"No. That's not what happened."

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A/N

Hi it's me CHLOE I know the chapters are kinda short but I'm doing this on an iPod and I type slow so ya. but I would love it if you would vote. in the comments it would be nice if you tell me what you think about this chapter

~Chloe