Lacia

A very unhappy birthday

I was woken up much earlier than usual. I felt suddenly excited. It was my birthday. The excitement didn't last. I sat up in my bed and looked up to see mama standing over me. As soon as I sat up she backed away with a glare. Pack a bag Lacie, you're going to live with someone else. She left the room closing the door after her. I packed my clothes into my suitcases and put some of my favourite things into my backpack and an old shoe box. I carried them downstairs struggling to carry them and almost falling about 4 times.

I stood beside the sofa feeling incredibly upset. Mama came down the stairs in a pantsuit and just stood looking at me until the doorbell rang. She opened the door to Graham who walked in.

"Mama why are you sending me away? Was I not good enough?" I asked almost crying now.

"I'm so sorry Lacie just this whole parenting thing is way too much pressure I need to give up one of you. I'm sorry, really." Mama said as she bent down to take my tiny hands nearly as if by reflex I flinched I couldn't help it. I backed away from her slightly.

"What about hen-hen?" I asked as tears started to pour down my face. My twin, my best friend, I didn't want to leave him, I wasn't given a choice. I didn't even get to say goodbye.

"He will be fine, Lacia. Sheriff took her away!" Mama said before standing up and shoving my things towards me. Sheriff Graham took one of my suitcases for me and brought me to his car. He drove me to the town line with a frown.

"There's a petrol station not far from here, your social worker will pick you up there soon. I'm really sorry Cia." He grabbed my bags from the trunk and I balanced the box on top of one of them. He gave me a quick hug before getting into his car and driving back into town. I began walking on the side of the road hauling my suitcases behind me. It took about half an hour to get to the petrol station where a woman was standing beside a black car tapping her foot impatiently. She introduced herself as my social worker Barb and packed me into her car, my bags in the trunk before beginning to drive away.

She tried to talk to me a few times but I just answered her questions without emotion and in as few words as possible so she eventually stopped asking and just put the radio on. We drove for a few hours in more or less silence until we stopped at a house.

"You'll be staying here with me tonight and then tomorrow I'll bring you to your new foster family. They are very nice people, they have several other foster children so you'll have some new siblings too. It's going to be so much fun. She brought me inside and I just brought my backpack in with me as she promised to supply pajamas for tonight and some clothes for tomorrow. She showed me to the room I would be staying in and left me to entertain myself until lunch. I sat on the bed with my backpack next to me and started reading one of the books I brought with me (the cat in the hat) until Barb called me downstairs.

"Did you have breakfast this morning?" She asked as she set a peanut butter and jelly sandwich in front of me as I sat at the table. I shook my head as I dug in. She frowned slightly but fixed it into a smile quickly.

"It's your birthday today right? You're 5 aren't you?" I nodded a little sadly she frowned again but yet again put on a smile as I looked at her. "How about we go have some fun to celebrate. We could go to the park and play." I shrugged Mama no she's not my mama anymore, Regina never really brought me to the park. She would go with Henry but usually she just left me with Ruby at Granny's so she could babysit me. "Okay then finish your Lunch and then we can go. The park is just a small walk from here." I finished eating and got up from the table bringing my plate to the sink. Barb stopped me and took them to the sink for me instead, she whipped my face with a damp cloth before holding out her hand to me. I took it.

We walked to the park in silence and as soon as we got there I smiled. I looked up at Barb as though asking permission to play, she just smiled and nodded letting go of my hand to sit on a bench. I ran off and started to play on the jungle gym happily until some kids came over to me and stood beneath where I was on the jungle gym.

"Why are you with the social worker lady? Did your parents not like you enough?" One of the kids asked. I just looked down. "Hey answer me! I'm obviously better than you because my parents love me and your parents didn't love you. Did they die, did they kill themselves rather than have to raise you? You ugly little pig!" I jumped down off the gym and walked towards the monkey bars but the kids followed me. The one who insulted me was leading them with a smirk but the others looked hesitant and stopped.

"That's not nice. You're being a bully" The oldest kid shouted after him. I started climbing on the monkey bars but the kid stood under me and grabbed my ankles pulling me down. I fell to the ground and the kid kicked me hard in the ribs.

"That's what you get for not answering me when I asked you a question. Creep!" He kicked me again before walking away. I struggled to my feet and glared after him before getting back onto the monkey bars. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger right? Oh how wrong I was...

I played in the park for a few more hours until Barb called me over and we went back to her house. I washed my hands as she made dinner. I sat down with her for a dinner of spaghetti and meatballs before getting changed into my pajamas and brushing my teeth. I was sitting on my bed reading my book again when she came in.

"Good night Lacia. Sleep well." She turned off the light as I put my book and my clothes from today into my bag. I wiggled under the covers and fell asleep with a smile on my face. Maybe this wasn't so bad.

I woke up the next morning to find Barb shaking me slightly. I got dressed in the clothes she laid out for me, put the pajamas in my bag and ran down the stairs with my bag as she set a bowl of lucky charms in front of me. I ate as she brushed and braided my hair before taking my bag in one hand and my hand in the other and we walked to her car. I got in the back seat and she handed me my bag before getting in the front and looking at me through the mirror with a smile, I grinned back and buckled my seatbelt as we drove away.

We arrived at the foster home about half an hour later. It was a fairly nice sized but it looked plain and ugly. I stared up at it as I got out of the car putting my bag on my back. I stood there as Barb got my other bags from the car. She handed me my box and she brought my suitcases as we walked up to the house and knocked on the door...