Circles | Jody & Tyler | The Dumping Ground

Homeless

Jody POV

My brother's been writing to me again, asking for money. I didn't tell anyone at first, knowing how they'd all react but Floss told everyone during a mock trial.

'Hey sis,

I know you and me haven't always seen eye to eye. But that's alright. I'm sorry for not looking after ya properly. I want us to start again. Just me and you, no one else.

You're my little monkey, and I know you still care about me. That's what family's about, in't it? I wish I could hear ya voice again, maybe smuggle me a phone sometime.

Love from your big bro, Kingsley :)'

I read the letter again and again, looking for some apology. Some sign that he'd changed his ways. Nothing. I loved Kingsley, but I wasn't an idiot. After the whole fire incident, and him locking me in my room... I knew I couldn't let him screw me over again.

Still it hurt. Rejecting your family.

But not as much as this.

"Crookman Developments. 3-storey multi-occupancy house..." Mike read out. The littluns had found a letter in the garden and Mike had gathered the house round for a meeting.

Little did we know, this meeting would change our lives.

"What's multi.. um.. occu-pansy?" Taz asked unsure.

"Flats," May-Li replied in shock, "Someone has applied to build flats here..."

Tyler scoffed, "Where? There's no room.."

Mike's face held a grave expression, "What this is saying is that they're going to knock Ashdene Ridge down..."

All of us turned to each other, worry etching onto our faces bit by bit as the situation sunk in. Our home. Destroyed. For once no one said a word; they were all speechless at the prospect of losing their home.

A part of me kind of wished it was a joke, like the one we'd used on Mike. It wasn't.

"But you can't just make a decision without letting us know!" Mike exclaimed into the phone as he paced in the office.

We had all gathered by the door watching Mike and May-Li dial up numbers frantically, trying to hide their panic and worry. They were failing.

"What written notice? We have definitely not had a visit from the Head of Building Planning..." Mike continued as his face got redder by the second.

Ryan spoke up from the stairs, "Maybe they got us mixed up? I mean, this has got to be a mistake."

"We've got to complain!" I exclaimed. This was so unfair! I mean did they even think about all the kids who lived here? I didn't get it. How could this have ever been allowed to happen in the first place? It didn't make sense.

"We could go to the council?" Tyler suggested.

Alex scoffed, "How come you're the boss?"

"Cos I'm the Children in Care council rep..?"

"Oh, I'm scared..!" Alex mocked. Seriously? Did he not care that we were about to be shut down?

"Letters? What letters?!" Mike shouted into the phone frustrated.

A few moments later, Taz returned with a wad of brown letters. She looked like she was about to cry, and I couldn't help but empathise with her. Her dad had always told her to hide the brown ones. How was she to know what was inside them?

May-Li looked up from one of the letters, "Last day to put your objections in writing... a month ago!"

Great. Now what?