Bullet Point

Chapter 9: Sneaking Around

"How are you, Diane?" Mr. Walker shakes her hand and kisses her cheek casually. 

"I'm fine." Mrs. James smiles. 

"Hi, Mr. Walker." Ninette calls from in the living room, curled up on the couch.

"Nice to see you, Ninette." He agrees.

Mrs. James steps further into the living room. "Honey, can you go get everyone from upstairs so we can get started?"

Ninette nods and smiles back of both of them. 

She mounts the stairs and goes to knock on Madison's door when she hears another bang coming from the bathroom. 

What the hell? she thinks to herself.

She approaches the bathroom door and knocks.

"I'm in here." She hears Tre say breathlessly. 

Breathlessly?

Oh god, hundreds of terrible thoughts flash through Ninette's mind and she takes a tentative step backward. 

"Well, hurry up! Walker's here and we're starting in 5 minutes." Ninette shouts before moving on across the hall to the other rooms.

She knocks one on Madison, Hailey, and Naya's room. 

The door swings open and Madison looks at his quizically. 

Glancing in, she sees Hailey taping a poster of some teen celebrity to the wall next to her bed. 

"Where's Naya?" Ninette asks sternly. 

"Bathroom." Hailey says. 

"No, Tre's in the bathroom." Ninette states slowly.

"Oh." Madison says. "I guess she used Mom's." 

"Yeah, I guess." Ninette plays along. "Either way, once she comes back, get everyone downstairs."

Ninette moves onto the next room, summoning Darien and Eamon to the kitchen.

"Christal? Cya?" She calls, rapping on the girls' door.

"Coming!" Christal says and Ninette can hear the sound of drawers being closed and articles of clothing being thrown on the floor.

Once Ninette has fininshed getting Adrian and Chad up she notices that Tre hasn't come out of the bathroom yet. 

She bangs forcefully on the door and hears the banging again.

"Tre, get out of there!" 

When she doesn't get an answer, Ninette starts giggling the doorknob.

"Shit." Tre mutters under his breath. 

"I'll hide in the shower, just go. I'll find my way downstairs." Naya says, hopping off the counter and stepping behind the floral printed shower curtain. 

"Fine. Just don't get caught!" Tre says letting go of her hand and slipping out the door to face his sister.

"What the hell were you doing in there?" Ninette seethes.

"Do you really want all the details?" He grins and Ninette just walks away. 

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***

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After everyone sits down at the elongated dining room table, Naya finally makes it to the kitchen and slips into her seat next to Tre.

"Look who finally decided to show up." Hailey snickers.

Mr. Walker straightens his papers and looks around at the kids. "Okay, let's get started with any big changes. What's happened recently?"

"Cya spoke." Mrs. James says excitedly.

Mr. Walker looks to Cya but directs his question more to Christal. "Is this true?" 

Cya just stares at him. 

"She did." Christal says. "And not just to me. To Diane."

"That's great!" Mr. Walker beams. 

"Anything interesting happening at school for you guys?" Mrs. James tries to move the session along. When no one speaks up she sighs a little bit. "Naya, how is the play going?"

"It's fine." Naya retorts.

"Uh, Madison. Your orchestra concert was wonderful."

"I'm not a foster kid." she says flatly. "I don't have to be a part of this. 

"Alright, well does anyone have anything they want to talk about? Anything they want to lay on the table?" Mr. Walker attempts to get some answers. 

A buzz sounds and Ninette picks up her cell phone.

"Ninette, we're in the middle of something. No phones." Mrs. James scolds her

Ninette ignores her mother and stands, reading further into the email on her screen.

"I have to go." She crosses to the front door and starts to put her jacket on. 

"Ninette!" Mrs. James stands up as well. "You can't just leave like this!"

"Watch me." Ninette says and slams the large oak door behind her.