The dumping ground - life as a care kid *COMPLETE*

Caught

"Fancy seeing you two. What's all that?" He asked, pointing to the big bags we had with us.

"Hi, Sir," Yes, Sir. Out of everyone possible, it had to be our headteacher. "These are just... Rick, mind explaining?" I felt bad leaving it up to him to explain but I was completely stuck for what to say.

"These? Oh, these are just camping bags. We're going camping, Sir." How was he so good at thinking of lies?!

"Oh, right? Do your care workers know about this? Silly question really, I'm sure they do, otherwise you wouldn't be going, I suppose. Unless you snuck out," He chuckled as if it was a ridiculous suggestion.

"No," I forced a fake laugh, "we didn't sneak out, Sir, I can assure you." He sort of nodded in approval, even though it wasn't really something to nod to.

"I shouldn't think so," he laughed, "I suppose I should let you get on your way. I'll see you soon in school." He smiled politely and walked off.

-----

"Rick!" After what seemed like a very long walk, we managed to reach Rick's Dad's house.

"Hi, Dad," Rick gave him a manly hug, leaving me stood in the doorway like the awkward turtle that I was. "Dad, this is Amelia."

"Ah, yes, I've heard lots about you, Amelia. Good stuff might I add. Don't worry, nothing bad has been said about you... yet," he broke out into laughter.

I giggled nervously, "Hi." That was really all I could manage to say, I really was that awkward. Wow, what a great first impression.

"Quiet one, eh? Make yourselves at home, you two, I'll just be in the kitchen. We'll have a proper catch up later, mate. Nice to meet you Amelia." He smiled, walking down the hallway to what I guessed was the kitchen. Do you ever get it when you're at someone's house and don't want to move just in case you break something or embarrass yourself? That's what I felt like.

"Come on, let's take our bags upstairs and then I want to show you the garden, you'll love it, trust me." Rick led me upstairs where we left our bags at the top of the stairs before taking me out to a massive garden filled with bushes, flowers, a pond with goldfish in and a wooded area with what looked like a teepee. "In here," we ducked through some trees into a small opening with a big cloth, the top of it hooked on a high branch making it fall down to make a tent. Inside was an old quilt with a few fairy lights.

"I used to come in here all the time, to think," he explained, turning the fairy lights on. The whole tent lit up, slightly blinding me. "I like it. When was this buil-" Before I could finish, the sound a car roared in the driveway. "Is your Dad expecting anyone? Please, please, tell me he is."

"Not as far as I know. Stay here, I'll go look." Even though he told me to stay, I followed right behind. We walked to the garden fence where if you jumped high enough, you could see the drive way and the little street out the front of the house. Rick jumped. "What?!"

"What, who is it?"

"It's Mike. Get in the tent." We ran back to the tent, turning all of the fairy lights off and hiding as well as we could. We could hear Mike and Rick's Dad talking, but they were no where near loud enough for us to understand what they were saying.

"Great.. now what?" Rick whispered, biting his nail.

"I don't know. How did Mike find out?!"

"He probably guessed seeing as we were asking to come here, weren't we? And after he says no, we suddenly dissappear, it must've been pretty obvious." He had a point.

"Amelia? Rick? Where are you?" Rick's Dad called. "You're in the tent, aren't you?" We both stayed dead silent. A few anxious seconds passed before the opening to the tent was pulled back, with an angry Mike stood waiting for us to get out.

"Hi, Mike," I smiled innocently, trying to make him calm.

"Don't 'Hi, mike' me. Out. Now!" We did as we were told. "I am very disappointed with you both, after I said no you decided to come anyway. Do you have any idea how worried we all were when we couldn't find you?! Get your stuff now, you're going back to the dumping ground."

"Mike-" I started.

"Go!" We walked up the stairs, collected our things, and said goodbye to his Dad, all the time thinking about Johnny and how he would react when he finds out I'd picked Rick.

The journey back to the dumping ground was one of the longest ever, even though it was only around about 10 minutes, It felt like 10 hours.

------

As soon as we walked in the front door, we were smothered with questions; "Where were you?" "Why did you run away?" "What happened?" and then of course there was Johnny, stood silent, glaring at me.

"Shut up! I don't need all your questions as soon as I step into this hell hole, leave me alone," I sighed, running upstairs and shutting myself in my bedroom. I started unpacking my things and putting them where they belonged, only to be interupted by a knock at my door.

"What?" I answered bluntly. The door swung open fiercely, making my head shoot up in shock.

"Are you serious Amelia?! Did you really think picking that idiot would make any of this better?!" Johnny shouted and slammed the door behind himself as he stormed over to where I was sat.

"Johnny, the question is; do you really think bullying will make any of this better? Because it won't." Pleased with what I said, I stood up so I was as tall as him, to show that I wasn't afraid. I'd had enough of being scared or pushed around by Johnny, it was going to stop. He looked surprised and started stuttering, trying to think of what to say. But what he didn't know was that as soon as he came into my room, I pressed the record button on my ipod.

Time for him to be caught.