Some People Change (Currently Editing)

Chapter Six

It was seven according to the alarm clock on my table when I woke up the next morning. Collie was staring at me with her eyes open. She almost looked dead, and I thought she was until she blinked a few times. Then she rolled on her other side. So, I had nothing to do but lie there and wait. 

The longest thirty minutes of my life finally passed, and a woman came down the hall, yelling at everybody to get up, get dressed, and head to the bathroom to brush hair and teeth. I, not having any other clothes, stayed in the outfit I had worn for the past few days. But thankfully, Joanne and I would be able to go get our stuff from our house after we had breakfast.

I followed Collie down the hallway after she had changed in a black mini skirt and a black tank top. All the girls were around the mirrors above the sinks trying to do their hair and makeup. I just stood back, but caught a glimpse of myself in a mirror, and my reflection scared me.

My hair was a mess, and the bruises from the past few days had settled into my skin. There were black, heavy bags underneath my eyes, and my eyes looked like they had sunken into their sockets. I basically looked like a beaten-up zombie!

As I eyeballed myself in the mirror, a blond-haired girl came up to me. She didn’t say anything, but simply handed me a brush and smiled.

“Thanks,” I answered, beginning to brush the knots out of my hair.

We headed back to our rooms, and I caught up with the girl who had loaned me the brush. She took it back from me, and then disappeared into her room. 

Collie pulled out a suitcasefrom underneath her bed, and then put away her hairbrush and makeup. She put her suitcase back where it belonged, and then looked at me. I didn’t quite know what to do, so I gave her a brief smile, and then I headed over to the cafeteria.

It was a buffet style. You just grabbed whatever you wanted.

I wasn’t hungry, but I knew if I didn’t have anything, my stomach would protest later. So I had a small plate of eggs and a sausage. Then after I was finished, Maryanne came for me with Joanne in her arms. 

Maryanne handed my sister to me, and then she led us outside. Another woman was waiting for us there. She had long, almost auburn hair, and looked pretty young. Maybe in her mid-twenties.

“This is Lauren. She’s your case worker.” Maryanne said.

“Hi,” Lauren greeted.

“Hi,” I replied softly for Joanne and me.  

“How are you two doing?” Lauren asked.

“All right, I guess,” I answered.

“Well, we’ll have more time to get to know each other later, but for right now, I’m here to take you two over to your house to gather up a few things.”

Maryanne told us goodbye, and then we followed Lauren over to her car. I didn’t want to go to my house; it was like a problem I never wanted to face. My house had so many memories in it. Most of them bad. But I knew I would have to go back one time or another, so probably it was better sooner than later.

Joanne settled into my lap in the backseat of Lauren’s car. I put my arms around her, and then we drove off to my old house.

“So, Kayla. How old are you?” Lauren asked.

“Sixteen.”

“And Joanne?”

“She’s two.”

“I know how hard all of this is on you both and I’m sorry.”

“Yeah,” I said, at a loss for words.