INNOCENT MINDS

Chapter 1

"Just a minute." Jenika calls out as she wipes her hands and heads to the front door. She was in the process of fixing lunch when the doorbell sounded. "Who is it?" She asks into the intercom.

"Hi. I'm Dena Foust. We talked earlier this week." An elderly lady's voice came through the intercom.

"Oh, sure, Mrs. Foust. Hang on." Jenika says as she begins to unlock the fifty locks that were on the door.

She opens the door to see a small older lady with glasses. The smile that was on her face couldn't cover the sadness in her eyes.

Behind her stood a very nice looking tall man, probably in his mid-thirties. His long dark hair hung to his shoulders. His handsome face covered by a light beard. He was wearing jeans, a tee shirt with a black leather jacket. He stared sadly at the ground.

"Please come in." Jenika smiles. "I'm Jenika."

"I'm Dena and this is my son, Tim. The one I told you about." Dena says as she lovingly rubs him on the arm.

"Hi, Tim." Jenika says sweetly as if she were talking to a small child.

Tim moved shyly behind his mother.

"He's not very happy." Dena says with a forced smile.

"Aww, Honey." Jenika says as she brushes back Tim's hair. "It's going to be alright."

"I wanna tay wid my mommy." Tim hubs as his eyes fill with tears.

"Sweetie, we've already been through this. Your mommy is getting old. I can't take care of you like I used to." Dena says as she quickly wipes a tear.

"I be good, Mommy. I pwomise. I make my bed. I'll twy not to pee pee in my pants." Tim says as he rubs his eye.

"Honey, you are good. You're an angel." Dena says as she rubs his cheek.

Jenika's heart breaks as she watches. It's never easy to see these guys separated from the ones they love and trust.

"Timmy, there are more boys here just like you. You wanna meet them?" Jenika asks.

Tim sobs and shakes his head.

"I wanna go home." He sobs. "Peez, Mommy. Don't weeve me."

"Come here, Honey." Jenika says as she takes him by the hand. She leads him into an adjoining room. Dena follows as she takes in the place where her son would be living.

There were four men sitting on the floor. One was playing with Legos, Two were coloring and one was playing with a truck. There was a man sitting in a recliner watching a ball game. And a young lady sitting on the couch reading.

"Hey, guys?" Jenika says as they enter the room. "This is Tim. He's going to be living with us."

"Hi, Tim." The young lady smiles as she puts down her book. She stands up and walks to where they were standing. "I'm Olena. I'll be helping to take of you."

"And I'm Chris." The guy in the recliner says as he turns down the tv. "I'll be helping too."

"Boys? Yall want to introduce yourselves to Tim?" Jenika asks.

"Hi." A man with long dark curly hair and a beard stands up, leaving his Legos. He was wearing jeans, a plaid shirt and a snap back turned backward on his head. "Me Abi." He smiles and waves.

"His name is actually Avi. He's the happy one. Always a ray of sunshine." Jenika whispers to Dena.

One of the guys that were coloring, looks up and waves. He had long honey-blond hair that was tied back into a pony tail and was wearing a bandana, jeans and a tee shirt.

"I Adam." He smiles shyly.

"Adam is my little brother. He's pretty shy." Chris smiles. "You won't hear a lot out of him."

The other guy that was coloring never looked up. He had long curly reddish-brown hair and whiskers.

"Aussin." He says as he continues to color.

"Austin is Mr. Attitude. He can be a handful at times." Olena smiles and shakes her head.

The guy that was playing with the truck, stands up and walks shyly over to them. He had short hair that was cover with a ball cap. A full beard covered his round face.

"I .. I .. Chance." Chance says quietly.

"Chance is our little helper." Jenika smiles as she rubs Chance gently on the back.

"You .. You wanna pay wid my twuck?" Chance asks as he holds the truck up to Tim.

"No." Tim whispers and shakes his head, tears rolling down his cheeks as he tugs at the bottom of the tee shirt he was wearing. "I wanna go home."

"Don't cwy. It be okay." Chance nods. "We .. we hab pun hea."

"We hab ouse cweam." Avi grins as he puts his arms behind his back in a child-like manner. (ice cream)

"Not before dinner, Mr. Avi." Olena laughs as she tugs lightly on Avi's beard.

Avi frowns and stomps his foot.

"Tim, are you hungry?" Jenika asks.

"I hungwy." Tim answers quietly as he hangs his head but nods slightly.

"Do you like soup?" Jenika smiles.

"Chickchick noodle." He answers, tugging once again at the end of his shirt.

"Chicken noodle? Well, you're in luck, Mr. Tim. Cause I make the best chicken noodle soup in town. Don't I guys?" Jenika smiles around at the others.

"It good." Chance nods.

"YUMMY!" Avi shouts out rubbing his belly.

Adam smiles and nods. No comment from Austin as he continues to color.

"Jenika, why don't you carry the boys in the kitchen to eat. I need to ask Mrs. Foust some questions for Tim's file." Olena says.

"YAY!" Avi shouts as he skips to the dining room.

"Moan, Tim. You .. You can thit by me." Chance says as he takes Tim by the hand and leads him to the kitchen.

"Come on, Austin. You can finish coloring after you eat." Chris says.

"Nobody betta meth it up." Austin huffs as he closes his coloring book.

"Oh, hush." Chris chuckles as he drapes an arm over the smaller man's shoulder. "Come on, Adam." Chris reaches for his brother's hand.

"Yall need to let it cool just a little bit, Okay?" Jenika says as she begins setting the bowls of soup in front of them.

"You in my theat." Austin says as he crosses his arms across his chest.

"Uh, I .. I sowy." Tim says softly as he starts to stand up but is pulled back into the seat by Chance.

"Don't got you name on it." Chance says with a bit of sass.

"I always thit thea." Austin argues.

"Nuh uh." Avi says shaking his head. "You sit dare." He points to another seat beside Adam.

"I wanna thit hea." Austin says pointing to the chair Tim was in.

"Tough tuckey. Tim sitting dare." Chance says. (turkey)

"Dats .. Dats otay. I moob." Tim says before Chance grabs him by the arm pulling him back into the seat once again.

"Austin, stop being mean and sit over there by Adam." Jenika says sternly.

"Yeah, top being a buwy." Avi says before blowing loudly on his soup. "PFFFFF!" He blows, causing everyone to laugh. (bully)

Jenika smiles as she sees Tim hang his head with a small smile on his lips.

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Hoping you like the first chapter. PLEASE COMMENT and let me know what you think. And don't forget to VOTE! And Add to your LIBRARY!!