Three

Chapter 4

     The next morning I woke up a bit earlier than Jack and took a quick shower and brushed my teeth in the boy's shower room located on the same floor. The weather outside wasn't as harsh as yesterday. There were still dark heavy clouds outside and wind. No harsh thunderstorms or rain. It was a cold shower every time at the Winchester, which was no surprise as they had barely any warm water. It was always a mission to take a shower quickly. Most of the foster kids were up and running around this morning as usual on a Saturday morning. Some already in the shower room rinsing off and others starting their daily chores for the day mopping the floors, vacuuming rooms, and taking out the trash. I got to my room and dressed in some clean clothes. Jack walked out of the room and headed to the shower room. Before he left he told me he'll be downstairs in the waiting area outside of Chester's office so we can head towards the storage unit. Once I was ready I headed out the door and walked down the stairs of the sixth floor all the way down to the main floor towards the offices. I quickly glanced inside the Game Room to see if it was full and surprisingly it was. The TV, foosball, and Air hockey were being hogged and fought for like usual.

 I reached the first floor. Walking down the steps I noticed a few adults having conversations with some of the younger foster kids in the sitting lounge area, potentially trying to adopt. I rolled my eyes knowing they would be adopted everyone wanted younger kids. I walked the opposite way to the lounge area and towards the front desk counter where Karen the receptionist was sitting behind of. Hearing her type away on her desktop computer listening to calm music with the volume set very low. She looked up as I reached the counter and smiled seeing her eyes barely from her thick glasses. Karen was in her forties and had grey hairs showing from her strand of hair. She had clear skin, only noticing a few marks and the only thing standing out from her face was her red lips. 

"Good morning sweetie! Meeting with Chester at 11:00 PM right?" she questioned.

 "Good morning Karen. Yeah."

"Perfect you're all set. Just through those doors, you know the way. He'll call you in shortly. Don't let him get to you I know he can be a dick." 

I smirked and thanked her and walked through the right side brown wooden doors beside the counter and entered the small hallway leading towards the waiting area passing by office doors and the kitchen doors smelling the canned fruits and frozen pizza ready to be served today by the fat old white lunch ladies. 

The waiting area consisted of a large square room of forty-year-old people sitting in their mini office rooms all around the walls answering phone calls, emails, and typing away on their Dell computers. One of the offices belonged to the counselor Mr. Devon who helps children with post-traumatic stress and anxiety and other related symptoms of being in a foster home. The only person I know that actually likes his job and has no problem being around children. Across the room from his office was the opposite Chester Winchester. I see about ten kids a day coming out of his office crying to their rooms. In the center of the waiting room was a lounging area for kids to be called into the offices. There were only three young kids waiting and a girl that I never ever seen before or recognized in the hallways. I sat down on one of the lounge chairs paying attention to the new girl. She had long braided hair and piercings in her ears. She had small lips and brown greenish eyes, her skin was light brown. She was wearing black pants and a white shirt with a black collar with the words "Ghost!" written on the front. For a while, I noticed I was studying her for a long time that I felt like Charlie Sheen's character Garth Volbeck in "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" starring Jean Bueller. I must have been starring for a while as I notice she is looking at me from the corner of her eye. I definitely must have since the girl turned to look at me and asked: "Can I help you with something."

Dumbfounded and frozen, I didn't say anything and looked down at my feet. She went back to facing forward with relief. I felt like an idiot and a creep I didn't want her to think I was weirdo what if she was new. I turned back to face her and apologized. " I'm sorry about that. I just never seen you around here before. I always see familiar faces when I walk around the foster home but I didn't know if I recognize you or not."