When Bella entered the room, her parents stopped to look at her.
"What do you want, Bella?" her mom asked.
Taking a deep breath, she said, "Mom, Dad, Ivy and Heather heard what you guys were saying. They told me, and now I'm telling you that we don't want to go to foster care... so..."
Without giving Ms. Tommas a change to say anything, her father replied firmly, "No matter how you protest, you guys are still going. In fact, I've already called the place, and someone is coming here to pick you up."
And before Bella could say anything, he added, "And you aren't going to be taking anything with you."
She made the stupid decision to ask, "Why?"
"Because I said so."
Bella whipped around, and ran down the stairs to tell her sisters and Zaylie the news.
When she came back into the living room, Heather, Ivy, and Zaylie were waiting nervously for the news.
"My dad said that we are going, but on the way down here, I made a plan."
"What's the plan then?" Ivy inquired.
"We could pack our things in our backpacks, and leave before the person comes to pick us up." Bella answered.
"Okay." Heather and Ivy agreed.
With Zaylie staying downstairs, the three sisters went upstairs to pack up their things, and it wasn't much.
When they came back downstairs, Bella asked, "Zaylie, do you want to come with us for part of the way?"
Her friend agreed, and the group walked to the front door.
But they were too late. She dropped her backpack on the ground in shock.