THIRD PERSON POV
"episode six - anarchy in the dg"
PERHAPS THE WORSE AND MOST EXCITING NIGHT HAD JUST OCCURRED IN THE DUMPING GROUND. Maeve didn't know whether to be traumatised or wishing it would happen again and again.
She opted for the second option; although it was highly influenced by the fact she mainly spent her evening exploring outside.
Mike being poorly is how it all started. Maeve often found herself wondering thought out the night whether she could just blame the whole night on him. He was somewhat of a catalyst for all the upcoming events.
Toby and Maeve were sat at the counter top as they watched Mike try and function. Call it cruel, but Toby wouldn't let Maeve help Mike until he had diagnosed him.
The clash of a pan hitting the floor started all three of the people in the kitchen; and clearly three others in the corridor as well, as they came rushing in.
"Lack of coordination." Toby began, much to Maeve's dread, "It might be a brain tumour."
Mike was quick to dismiss this theory as he placed the pan back in the counter, "Or a migraine coming up."
Maeve, similarly to the pan, planted her face on the counter top as well, "Hanging around all these lot, surprised you don't get them more often."
Much to Toby's protest, Tracy began to help Mike with making the pizzas.
She used bananas. As toppings.
"Are you actually joking me." Maeve stares at her. "I'd literally eat my own vomit. Or worse, I'd rather be friendly to Donovan." She literally shivered at the horrific thought.
Tracy raised her eyebrow, "Uh, I think i know what kids like, I was one of you lot after all."
Maeve gave a condescending grin, "It's not 1940, there's no need for these rations anymore, Tracy."
As Tracy hit the girl with one of the banana skins, Toby began listing all the possible things Mike could have; all of which start with just a headache.
"It might be malaria, pleurisy, or even scrofula!"
"Tobes," Maeve's voice interrupted, "I'm starting to have what Mike has got, because of you." She patted his shoulder fondly before quickly leaving the room.
The house was finally quiet as she was about to make the most out of it. Well, by 'making the most of it', Maeve took a nap.
Dinner time arrived, and Maeve already knew this would be the start of whatever would happen tonight. Banana pizza; there is no need to elaborate here.
"Oh, my favourite." Liam cheers as he runs into the kitchen. If you could read Maeve's mind,
all you would hear is her prayers that Liam would fall, or at least trip. "Chicken and... Yeugh!" He gags at the sight.
The rest of the children slow down and completely diminish their excitement after getting a glimpse of the monstrosity that Tracy swore we'd like.
"It's chicken and banana." Yeah, stating what it was, was not making it anymore appealing to the children.
"Why did you put banana in it?" Tee questioned what everyone there was thinking.
"To give you an energy boost! I read about it online."
"More like a boost straight to the grave." Maeve found herself mumbling.
Reluctantly, all the children sat round the table. Maeve and Liam subconsciously managing to plop themselves into chairs as far away from each other as possible.
In typical dumping ground fashion, the house was startled by a piercing scream coming from Maeve's best friend, as well as little old Harry's. Obviously, the young girl began to stand up to go help Sapph.
"She's probably broken an nail." Liam laughs in a mocking way.
Before Maeve can get out the door, she turns to him. "Keep your gob open and you'll find yourself with a broken jaw."
"Desperate to get you hand on me, East?"
Fed up, and slightly bewildered with how to reply to the vile, and certainly untrue comment; Maeve continued running towards the noise.
Tracy and Maeve found the two residence at the bottom of the stairs along with Mike. "It's okay, Harry." Sapphire tried to calm the boy, "You shouldn't have been in there. You just gave me a fright that's all."
Harry had been hiding in Sapphire's wardrobe, desperately waiting for Toby to find him. Unbeknownst to him, Toby had give up hours ago.
A drained Mike passed the young boy toward Maeve, "Maeve, go get him some pizza, please." He muttered, his eyes already half closed.
"Trust me, after seeing it, he's going to scream louder." Mike just groaned in response to Maeve's comment as she walked Harry back to the kitchen.
However, by the time they got there, everyone had moved far away from the so-called pizzas and were making their own dinner. Rightfully so.
"We're making sandwiches." Liam states.
Maeve grits her teeth at the sound of his painful voice, "I can see that Donovan. Surprised you have enough skill to even cut some bread, let alone make a whole sandwich."
"Guys you didn't even try it!" Tracy interrupts the bickering pair; referring to the hardly touched pizza.
"Trust me, we did." Liam informs her, "That's why we're making something else."
Before anyone else can talk, Mike stumbles into the counter top knocking a pan onto the floor yet again.
As much as the kids would never admit it, they cared a lot about Mike. So seeing him in this state was actually worrying for them. Luckily, Tracy managed to convince him to go and lie down; leaving just her in charge.
If Maeve was super observant, maybe she would have noticed that this was mistake two of the night, (first being the disgusting pizzas Tracy made).
Toby, Carmen, and Tracy all followed Mike to his room, making sure he wouldn't collapse on the way.
"Know what we've got here Frank?" Liam questions his close friend, "A gold mine."
The younger boy stares at the pizzas, an idea rushing though the channels in his brain. Selling the pizza? making a fortune?
"You're kidding, right?" Maeve cant help but laugh at him. It's key to remember that she's laughing at him, never with him. "You wouldn't be able to give that stuff away for free."
Liam tuts, shaking his head lowly, "I think you forget, East, no one can say no to this face."
Liam knew he was well off when it came to looks, and grossly, Maeve had to agree. Again, not that she'd ever let him know that.
"I'm all for self love, but you've got to stop lying to yourself, Donovan. It can't be healthy." She pouts mockingly at him.
His tongue pokes into the side of his cheek, making Maeve's smirk grow more.
"You just wait and see, East."
It's a while after dinner and everyone is off doing their own thing. Luckily for Maeve. She thought if she didn't get any time alone she would go insane and run away.
There's one person she didn't mind interrupting he peacefulness.
"Help me find a lock for my door." Sapphire wandered into the living room. Not even asking, just telling.
Maeve kicked her sock covered feet off the sofa and onto the floor. "Sure thing. Maybe if we're lucky i can get one as well."
First place the two girls chose to look was the office. It was an obvious location.
Unfortunately, they weren't the only ones in the office. Frank and him.
They've been spending their time trying to print out posters for their stupid pizza selling business. Of course, exploiting the fact they're orphans at the same time. Typical move.
"Thought i could smell something rotting from in here." Maeve rolls her eyes as Sapphire follows behind her.
"You guys shouldn't be in here." Sapph tell them.
Liam leans against the printer, "Neither should you."
"I want me key, you?" She continues the conversation as Maeve uses a bobby to try and pick the lock on the safe.
However, she was interrupted by Liam and Frank providing a demonstration of how they plan to sell the rank pizza.
"Ding dong." Frank begins.
"Hello there!" Liam begins his very dramatic performance, "We're from the local orphanage and if we don't raise enough money then they're going to close us down and we'd be homeless. So please buy so pizza, it's only one pound!"
Frank and Liam high-five at their incredible acting performance. Maeve can help but chew her gum in utter disbelief. "There is no way that going to work."
"Like I said before, East, you just wait and see."
"Fine," Maeve smiles, "as you're so confident, 20% or we'll tell Tracy."
Liam throws himself onto the spiny chair. The amount of times Maeve has spun herself too fast in that chair and resulted on her on the floor is too embarrassing to even say.
"How about 0% and i'll get Tracy to agree with you two having locks on you door."
It was a deal, obviously. Maeve was just glad it wasn't one of those real where they had to shake hands. If so, she'd amputate her arm straight after. It would honestly be faster then trying to scrub all the tainted skin of her bare hand.
They had all confronted Tracy, she had officially let Carmen and Tee stay up half an hour later, which, to everyone else, seemed unfair. Although it was quickly solved when Tracy extended everyone's bed time by half an hour.
"Tracy, finish my story!"
Just as she was about to go back upstairs to finish Gus' story, she got stopped again by Sapphire and Maeve.
"Oh! Tracy! Have you seen Liam?" Sapphire asks, even though the two girls knew he was just in the corridor listening in. "It's just, he promised us something earlier and i've got the strangest feeling that he thinks he can get away without doing what he said."
"Tracy, finish my story!"
Maeve was annoyed. She could feel as if her skin was genuinely melting off her body because of Gus' annoying voice.
Tracy, ignored the two girls, began to walk up the stairs again. She didn't make it far before she was interrupted by Liam as he comes around the corner.
"Hi Tracy! I was thinking about Sapphs and Easts keys?" Liams sickly smile looks at the adult.
"Yeah, well don't! Because you know she's not allowed it!" Tracy smiled back in a mimicking way, "Since when did you want one as well Maeve?"
The girl in question shrugged, "Well, I mean, if i can get one then why wouldn't I?"
"You cant." Tracy stated, ending what the girl was saying immediately.
"Tracy, story, Tracy!"
"I know no key," Liam begins, "I was thinking about a bolt!"
"What?" Tracy looks down at him, "No, that exactly the same thing."
"Story, Tracy, story!"
"Okay, they're not allowed a key, but a bolts different."
"Tracy, story!"
"One turns, another slides!"
"Tracy! Story!"
"Oh my, can you please just read him a story." Maeve begs, leaning against the railing, "If not i'll go trash his room, and you know how much of a big deal that would be."
Tracy takes a deep breath, "Sapphire, Maeve, look, it's not my call, just wait until Mike is better."
Liam was not giving it up, he desperately wanted to make money from the gross pizza, "If they get a bolt tonight, can they keep it on until they speak to Mike?"
"Tracy!"
"I'm coming!" The stressed adult yells back at the boy, before turning to the three children in front of her. "Look, sure whatever, okay?" and she races upstairs.
"Okay," Maeve begins, "But where are we going to get a bolt? Two bolts?"
Frank reveals a tool box; Liam smirks; Sapphire goes to Toby's room to get a screwdriver. Maeve, well, Maeve didn't really know what to do so she just stood around waiting for everyone else to do the hard work.
Turns out that was not a good plan. There was only one lock, admittedly, stolen from the bathroom door. And you know, finders keepers! Sapphire found it.
"So all that and you only have one lock." Maeve complains.
"Well, I didn't really think that far, i guess." Liam complains back. "Anyway, not my problem anymore! See ya!"
Now, Liam and Frank were about to sneak out the house to start their pizza business and considering Maeve got absolutely nothing out of the deal, they were still in dept to her.
As much as she hated the idea, she had to go with them. It was the only way she would get money out of the deal!
With a deep groan and as quick procrastination about why she is doing this to herself, she also snuck out the house.
Frank was okay with her being there, Liam would rather she get kidnapped along the way so he would never have to see her again.
The three children went up to the first house, knocking loudly on the door.
"East, smile a little." Liam nudges her, "we want to make sales remember."
The girl glares at him, "I'm going to have to burn this top when i get home, you just nudged it."
The two bickering kids both rolled their eyes until the door opened revealing an older woman.
"Oh hi!," Liam passes her one of his homemade flyers, "We're trying to save the local orphanage, it's our home. Would you buy some-"
"I'm sorry," the woman interrupts, shaking her head, "I don't-"
"It's pizza, we made it." Frank smiles at her.
This seems to win the lady over as she begins almost cooing at the children before going to get her purse and give them a tenner.
"Here you are sweetheart." She hand the money to Maeve and just as Maeve is about to respond, Liam does.
"Doesn't say much this one," He takes the money out of Maeve hands as she glares at him, "She's deaf." Liam smiles down at the girl, "Oh, and mute!"
If Maeve glared any harder, Liams eyes would have been melted out their sockets. But she over came it, turned to the woman and just tilted her head before smiling.
After the interaction with the kind old woman, the children walk away until they're out of sight and head to the next victim.
Maeve makes sure to trip Liam with her foot along the way.
Last slice of pizza, and a semi dodgy looking house. But at this point, it's all about the money.
Liam raises his hand and repeated knocks on the door.
"Alright!" the kids hear a man yell from inside.
The door slams open and a large, bald, scary man appears behind it, "What?"
"Uh," Maeve begins, all of them are reluctant to talk to the scary man, "we're here to save the orphanage-"
"Why would I want to save the orphanage?" He glares at the kids, "The place is a dump and should have been knocked down years ago."
"Pizza?" Maeve tries again.
"You aren't listening to me are you girl. Are you thick or something? Get out of here!" He yells as he grabs ahold of the two nearest children; Frank and Maeve.
He aggressively pulls in their clothing dragging them down the street.
As much as Maeve tried to fight it, she was scared. Everyone in the dumping ground has their story, she felt as if she was reliving part of hers now.
She fought against the man but against someone his size and strength, it was impossible. Especially considering how much the young girl was shaking.
"Hey get off them!" Liam shouts as he chases after the man. "Frank! Maeve!"
Liams attempt to save his friend, and Maeve East, fell short as the man also got a hold of him dragging all three of the down the street. They would have been attracting a lot of attention but as it was dark out, no one was really around.
Shouting from Liam, shouting from Frank, shouting from the man, silence from Maeve.
The sound of the doorbell echos through the house, and Tracy dreads what could be in the other side of the door. However, she fights her dread and opens it anyway.
On the other side stands the man, still grasping onto the three children. "Who's in charge here?" He demands.
Tracy looks entirety stressed out, "That would be me."
"Listen darling, I want to talk to the organ grinder, not the monkey."
"Still me."
The three children get thrown through the door. Liam actually catching Maeve before her weakened legs hit the floor.
She would push him away but her rational thoughts are clouded by her silent tears.
Liams rational thoughts is another point. Even him himself doesn't know why he didn't just let her hit the ground and the proceed to laugh at her. He even goes as far as holding her behind him, covering her from the man who caused her current state.
"Right," The man starts again, "These three yobs have been causing trouble."
Tracy looks over the frightened children, "Who are you?"
"I'm one of the people they've been trying to con." He hands her one of the flyers, "Here! That one there, he attacked me!" He points at Liam.
"Listen mate, you started it!"
"Well you did me a favour really. You have me a reason for me to write to the council and get this place closed down."
"You're right," Tracy replies, "Liam, Frank, Maeve, you were completely out of order!"
Maeve, who had calmed down, sort of, notices the arms she's in. She quickly removes herself. Ignoring the awkwardness surrounding the two enemies.
"I don't think writing to the council in enough." Tracy continues, the three children look at her in utter disbelief and betrayal. "I think we should call the police."
The three cons look behind them at the crowd forming. Maeve makes sure not to make eye contact with any of them. She was supposed to be the strong one.
"Get them all locked up," Tracy continues, "That'll teach them a lesson. Make sure you tell the police everything. How about you start with how you dragged a young boy with cerebral palsy through the streets?"
The two boys smirk at the man, knowing they had won.
"Well, they woke me up!" The man tried to defend himself, "I work nights you see."
"Ah yeah, i'm sure the police will think that's a great reason for assisting three children."
Cam, who had just pulled up, gets out the car. "What is going on?" She looks between Tracy and the scary man.
He gives one final glare at the group before looking at Cam, "Nothing." and he walks away.
"Liam, Frank, Maeve, office now." Tracy demands.
Now here they all stand, Maeves face less blotchy then it was about five minutes ago but yet, Liam keeps stealing glances at it. Maeve just believes he's thinks she looks funny.
"How dare you sneak out and rip people off!" Tracy yells at the kids and Cam stands back from her now scary daughter.
Liam argues back, "We weren't ripping people off alright, we were selling your pizza!"
"They're really nice-" Frank starts.
"Oh come on, we all know it's rank." Tracy folds her arms. "How much did you make?"
The three fall silent.
"Nothing." Maeve grumbles and Tracy glares at her, "Thirty-five quid."
"Really?" Tracy somewhat smiles. "For those pizzas." She quickly snaps out of being proud, "Tomorrow you're going around and returning every penny!"
Despite the trios complaints they all swiftly leave the room to go to bed.
However, all the residents of the household decided to come together privately before the end of the night. All coming to an agreement to clear up everything and go to bed before Gina made it home.
On the way out of theirs meeting, Sapphire places her hand on Maeve shoulders, "You okay?"
"Yeah, it's whatever." Maeve nods and smiles. "I don't ask about your past, you don't ask about mine."
Sapphire nods at the rule they once made up years ago, "Yeah, okay, agreed."
And the two parted ways; Sapphire off to play the coy that everything Harry hold told Gina on the phone was a nightmare he had had; and Maeve, just off to bed, her eyes filled with sleep.
After checking on all the sleeping children, Gina apologised for doubting Tracy and all was well in the dumping ground again.
Well, until the ebola team arrived blasting through the door. Toby and his inaccurate diagnosis.
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