“What makes you say that?”
A bitter laugh falls from my lips. “They’re guilty. Let’s not talk with false hope. They’re both addicts and shit parents.” I slump down in the chair, suddenly feeling totally exhausted.
“Oh, okay. Well…” She looks to Principal Hartmann and then the two officers who are still standing exactly where they were when I walked in. “Shall we go and get Austin and Sofia? It will give us time to have a chat about what’s to come.”
What I really want to do is run. Run as fast as I can from this office, from this school, from the town and just make it all go away. But I can’t. Just like before, my priority right now needs to be those three helpless kids who’ve just had their parents ripped from them, no matter how shit they were, I wouldn’t wish that on anyone, which is why I’ve kept my mouth shut all this time.
“My car is in the parking lot. Is there anything you need to grab before we go?”
“Y-yes, I’ve got some books in my locker I need.”
“Okay.” She nods, pushing to stand and then holding her hand out for Hartmann.
“Poppy, take the time you need. We’ll be here for you when you’re ready to return.”
“Assuming I’m not shipped halfway across the state?” I mutter, the reality of what’s possibly about to happen slamming into me. This could be my last day at Rosewood High. It could be my last day with Harley and Ruby, with everything I’ve ever known.
Tears burn my eyes as Bea follows me toward my locker. I empty it out because, why shouldn’t I? I may never see it again.
With a loud sigh, I push open the main entrance doors and make my way toward the Prius I’m directed to.
After dumping my bags in the trunk, I fall into her passenger seat.
“This isn’t the end, Poppy. You could very well be back here in a few days and be able to return to some kind of normal life.”
“Really? How many kids in this situation have done that before?”
She pales.
“Exactly.”
“Before we start looking at other options. Do you have any family who might be able to help you all out temporarily?”
I think of Mom’s sister, Jake’s mom, and curl my lip up in disgust. Talk about out of the frying pan and into the fire. She fucked off sometime around Thanksgiving and we haven’t seen or heard from her since. Something that I know Jake is more than happy about.
We’ve got no grandparents, or at least not any that would be interested. Dad’s parents are both alive but they haven’t visited us before so I can’t imagine they’d jump at the chance of taking us all in.
“Dad has a sister. She lives in Maddison County. We see her a couple of times a year, she always brings us gifts. But her and Mom have never really gotten along, so it’s kind of strained at best.”
“Okay, do you think she’d help? I’d really rather not put you all into the system. This could be a very temporary thing.”
“Bea,” I sigh. “I appreciate your positivity. But please, can we cut the bullshit. This sucks. It really fucking sucks, but there is no way my parents are getting off scot-free here. They’ve been doing drugs and neglecting the four of us for years. Even if they do get out, you’d be stupid to allow us to return to them.”
“Wow. That was… honest.”
“Look,” I say, keeping my eyes on the passing scenery. “I want my family together. I do. I’d love nothing more than to be a happy unit where our parents do what they’re meant to and we all grow up with happy childhoods, but that is not the case. I’ve watched the kids miss out on so much over the years, and they deserve better.”
“You’ve got a very mature head on your shoulders, young lady.”
“Yeah, well that probably comes from basically being a mom for years. Can I just ask one thing?”
“Of course. Although I can only promise to do my best. A lot of things right now are out of our control,” she says, almost as if she’s sensing what I’m going to say.
“Please try to keep them together. They’re family, they deserve to grow up together.”
“And what about you?”
I shrug. “Do whatever, just focus on them.”
“They’re very lucky to have you, Poppy.”
“I’d rather they had decent parents,” I mutter sadly as I rest my head back and close my eyes.
Tears continue to burn my eyes, but none fall. I haven’t got any for my parents. All I feel is fear for my siblings.
It’s not until I see their school up ahead that it really starts to affect me. How are we supposed to tell two little kids that their parents are in prison and our lives are about to change forever?
“It’ll be okay. Kids are more resilient than we expect. If they can see you being brave, they’ll take strength and comfort from that.”
I nod as I climb from the car when she does.
The next thirty minutes absolutely guts me. Seeing both Austin and Sofia’s bottom lips tremble as we explain to them the best we can about what’s going on and that, other than to go and get our stuff, we’re not going to be staying at home for, well… possibly ever.
With them both huddled into my sides, we make our way out to Bea’s car to go and find Cooper.
Bea’s cell rings and she leaves us to get inside while she speaks to whoever is on the other end.
“Everything is going to be okay,” I tell Austin and Sofia as I strap myself in and turn back to look at them.
“They’re going to split us up, aren’t they?” Austin asks, understanding this situation better than I hoped he would.
“I don’t know, bud,” I answer honestly. It’s the best I can do for them right now. “They’ll do everything they can not to let it happen.”
Sofia remains deathly quiet although the sound of her shaky breaths fill the car where she’s trying not to cry. I give Austin a sad smile as he reaches over and takes her hand in his.
I turn away from them when I’m not able to be brave any longer. Watching them break, it’s too much. They can do whatever they want to our parents, but I can’t cope with watching my brother and sister fall apart because of them.
I wipe at my eyes, trying desperately hard to keep the tears inside so they don’t have to witness me fall apart as well as each other.
“Good news,” Bea says, dropping down into the driver’s seat. I look at her, she’s got a smile on her face but it doesn’t meet her eyes, she knows just how shit this all is. “My colleague has been in contact with your aunt. She’s willing to take you in.”
“Really?” I ask, disbelief laced through my voice.
“Really. She’s going to meet us at the office. Said she’ll be about an hour and a half.”
For the first time since I left Zayn’s car this morning, a small trickle of hope races through me.
Auntie Trish is wonderful. There’ve been many times over the years when I’ve wondered why we couldn’t have been her kids instead. She’s got her life together and is married to a great guy, although the two of them never had any kids of their own, which I always found odd because she’s always been fantastic with me and my siblings.