Change is slow, until it's not.

Chapter Two: Current, Vi

Vi takes another step in, cautious to see if something was hiding. She was greatly suspicious of Vander. Usually, foster parents would show her the room she would be sleeping in while Steb was there, then relocate her to somewhere smaller, usually the size of a closet.

Steb and Vander walked down stairs, not speaking a word. Vi watched them go down, Steb looked back at her and nodded before completely disappearing. Vi stayed still in the room before getting to work. She checked for camera's, hidden ones, she checked to make sure that there was nothing there that could be suspicious and harmful to her. She checked to make sure that nothing was hiding in the drawers.

When she found nothing, she sat her backpack on the corner of her room, and looked at the hallway. The door was open, she didn't know whether closing the door was an option, or if she didn't, she'd get yelled at and hurt. Some people that took her in got irritated when she closed the door, and would punish her.

She decided that she'd keep the door slightly open, so if Vander was strict, he couldn't get mad at her for completely closing the door. However, she went to go sit on the steps and listen into the conversation. She had heard it may times before, she knew it like the back of her hand, but she didn't understand why Vander didn't want her there.

She sat at the top of the stairs, her head in her hands, trying to eavesdrop, but she couldn't hear a sound. That made Vi nervous. Vi was used to sound, she could hear what they were talking about, have a general idea about where they were and what their mood was.

She stayed there for about 15 minutes, her heart pounding and her hands gettin clamy before she heard walking, a door opening. She heard a laugh and a goodbye before the door shut and the house got even more quiet.

Vi's heart was racing, she could hear it, and her breathing quickened. Her head pounded as she got up and quietly as she could went to her room. She opened the door, then she slowly closed it, but not fully. She didn't know what was going to happen, it was late in the morning. around 11, and she had not eaten. She was fine though, she could go longer without food.

She stared at the door like it was going to slam open and a raging monster would appear and hurt her. As time passed, she heard footsteps downstairs but they never came upstairs. Her heart leaped at the occasional creak, and her hands began to get shaky whenever she heard breathing, even if it was her's.

Hours went by like this, until it was around 5 o'clock. Vi hadn't moved more than an Inch, she was sitting down crisscross, looking intently at the door. She decided that she could go rest on the bed. If Vander wasn't going to come then, then he wasn't going to come now. Maybe he was neglectful as well.

That was okay, Vi decided. She could ignore him as well, and she wouldn't get hit or beat. The bed was comfortable. It was soft, but not too soft you sank down in it. It had two pillow's which was more than Vi was used too. She usually just had one that was stained, dirtied, or just flat from overuse. But these pillows were of good quality. They weren't stained and they had a pillow case over them. Maybe for show, Vi thought. Steb just left and he wanted to make sure that Steb saw the version he wanted to see.

A couple other hours passed, Vi had no clock in her room, so she assumed from the sun it was around 7pm. She kept her eyes on the door that is not fully closed. She smelled something, she didn't know where the kitchen was, or if they had one, but it smelled like food. Vi's hand goes up to her face. A bruise placed on her cheek is beginning to get more tender.

 Vi frowns and leaves it alone. The only reason she got that was because the people at the house she was in before this had thought she was being rude and disrespectful to them. Vi had put her head down and didn't respond to when they were yelling at her. If Vi talked, she'd give them more of a reason to hurt her more drastically and then tell her that it was her fault. It was a 'damned if I do, damned if I don't' situation.

She began going over the memory to see how she could have defended herself better, when a someone knocked on her door. Her eye's shot up, her hands clenched and her heart going a million miles per hour. The door moved slightly, and Vi began to panic. She was so wrapped up in her head she forgot to keep alert to where Vander was in the house.

"Vi?" Vander asked, he still didn't come in, which Vi thought was weird. Usually the people fostering her would just open the door, yell at her, give her a beating or tell her that she was punished for doing something menial.

Vi didn't know how to respond.

"Vi, are you in there?" Vander asked again, a little louder this time, but with no malice in his voice, or at least none Vi can detect.

"Yeah," She stammers, then she catches herself. "Yes, sir. Do you need something from me?" She asked politely, her hands began to get clamy and she got off from the bed to go and confront the burly man himself. Some foster parents used to hit her for not talking to their faces, but rather behind a wall or door. They called her cowardly. She opened the door, looking at Vander.

"No, I just wanted to tell you that dinner is downstairs. I made lasagna and a salad. Come down when you are ready." Vander says gently, he lowers his voice and takes the small girl in. She can tell he is surveying her. But she doesn't point it out. She rather not get hit again. She needs time to heal before getting hurt.

Vi nods and waits for Vander to take the first steps before following him. She was hungry and he had seeked her out, she might as well have food. Vander went down the stairs faster than her, but she skipped a couple of the steps. Vander turned around and told her,

"Don't hurt yourself doing that."

Vi was taken aback. Usually foster parents didn't care. They ignored her and hit her when they were angry. They didn't care if she got hurt. She nodded slowly as she followed Vander into a place with a wooden table, and 5 chairs. A chandelier above the table, lighting the room.

Vander served Vi first and then himself. Vi waited until Vander took the first bite to make sure it wasn't drugged. He took a large bite and ate it silently. Vi respected that, she didn't feel like talking. She had stopped talking since Powder got adopted.

Vi began eating and realized how hungry she was. The other house served her small portions and refused to give her food if she asked for it, even when she said she'll pay for it. When Vi was done, she didn't know what to do. She sat still, facing in front of her. 

Vander was silent when he picked up Vi's plate. Vi flinched hard when his hand came into her vision. Vander paused, but didn't mention it as he slowly took the plate away. Vi got up from her chair and gathered the last bit of lasagna. She walked into the kitchen and placed it on the counter. She didn't know where it needed to go, but she wanted to help. She felt like she owed him after him giving her food.

She didn't know what to do, so she stood there for a while, watching him clean up. Then she felt bad for not helping, so she decided to get out of his way and go to the bedroom. She closed her door fully this time. Vi sat down on her bed yet again, and stared forward. She didn't want to go to sleep, afraid that he might come in the bedroom in the middle of the night and beat her. She had a couple of houses do that to her.

They'd get really drunk, and come into her bedroom and beat her. One time they beat her so bad that the neighbors called the police. Vi was taken away from that family about 2 weeks later because Steb was on Vacation the first week, and the filled in Caseworker was new, so she didn't know what she was doing. When Steb came back, he had no idea until someone else told him because the police didn't document it.

She heard footsteps go up the stairs, and she began bracing herself. But then they got fainter, until a door opened. She was ready for whatever Vander was going to do to her. She kept her eyes on the door, but she realized the door hadn't opened.