_THE END OF IT ALL_
•••
JADA'S POV
•••
Everyone was sat in the kitchen and talking about the interview with the new temporary care workers we were going to have while Mike was gone.
"Right, we need to know if they like sprouts." Floss told us all, loudly.
"Why?" Jody asked.
"Because, no-one nice likes sprouts." Floss explained, briefly.
Bailey shook his head, "Yeah, well, I like sprouts, " Ew, I never new that. Weirdo. "Anyways, Carmen should interview them. She has been here the longest."
"Why does Mike need luck?" Tyler suddenly from where he was leaning over Harry's shoulder at the card he was making.
"It's his hearing today," Harry explained, "May-Li's going. I heard her organising cover."
As if on cue, May-Li enters the kitchen. "You told me Shona was covering for a meeting!" Tee immediately said to the care worker.
"Well, it is kind of a meeting." May-Li says.
"Is Mike going to lose his job?" Billie asked.
"Nothings been decided yet, Billie," May-Li told us, "I mean, that's why there's a hearing." Carmen got up and seemed to storm away from the table, leaving the magazine she was reading behind.
The doorbell rang. "Is that the new Mike?" Toni questioned.
"It's just a temp job, Toni." May-Li told her, sighing, before leaving the kitchen.
"Until Mike gets sacked." Kaz said.
Then May-Li returned with the three temp care-workers. We looked up and saw that they all had different vibes. One light-skinned woman had sort of a hippie/fairy look going on, another was old and blonde but seemed lovely and the third was a man who was the sporty type.
"Is it always this quiet?" The black woman asked and immediately looked confused when we all shushed her.
"Saving Mike, eh?" The sporty type asked, "He must be a special guy."
"Mike's the best." Finn replied.
"Yeah, but Kerr, Mary and Phoebe are nice people, too, Finn," May-Li said.
"Finn's right." Sasha said, pretty rudely,"No offence, but, Mike is the best."
The room was washed with awkwardness and uncomfortableness. "Why don't we wait outside?" The blonde woman, who I'm guessing is Mary, asked, "Give you a second?"
May-Li thanked them and then turned to us, once the three temps went into the lobby. "Right, I know you're all upset, but there's no need to be rude," She snapped at us. She's usually sweet all the time so I could tell this whole Mike situation was getting under her skin too.
Everyone who had made them, began to pile their 'save Mike' or 'Good luck Mike' posters into May-Li's hands. She scanned over them, "They're amazing, guys," She says, "Look, I'll make sure he gets them, I promise."
"Thought you were showing them to the panel, not Mike?" Ryan questioned, speaking up from where he was stood with Tee.
"Yeah, you have to show the judge," Harry added, hopefully.
"It's not a criminal trial, Harry, it's people from Human Resources," May-Li told him, sighing. He looked upset.
"So show them?" Harry said.
I've been feeling really sorry for Harry lately. I mean, Mike has been his only father figure his whole life and the two really are like dad and son. Harry really loves Mike and he'd be in pieces if Mike actually got sacked.
"I can't," May-Li admits, "I'm not allowed in."
"Right, well, we'll take them in, then," I suggested, hopefully.
"You wouldn't even get in the room," May-Li told me, filling me with disappointment, "They just wouldn't allow it." She sighed, "Just concentrate on the questions, ok, guys?"
•••
A little while later, we were still sat in the kitchen when Carmen came in. A tear was rolling down her face and Sasha was behind her, nearly shouting and Ryan was tagging along too.
"So, what was that all about with Ryan?" Sasha asked, instantly, quickening her pace.
"Might have known," I sighed and exchanged looks with Tee, "What's he done?"
"Oh, shut up," Ryan said, "It's got nothing to do with me."
"Sounded like it was to me," Sasha said, out of breath.
"It's not!" Ryan defended and then turned to Carmen, "Tell them, will you?"
Carmen turned around from where she was facing the sink, her face was tear stained, angry but also hesitant.
"Are you ok?" I asked her, my eyebrows creased together in concern.
"No, he's right. It's not him," She says and we all look at her expectantly.
Sasha spoke first, "Carmen, what did he mean, then?" She asked, "How can you save Mike?"
"Carmen?" Tee questioned when she didn't reply, "Carmen, what is it?"
Carmen just shook her head, she glanced at Ryan, then back at Tee and then she walked off out of the kitchen. We all looked between us with confusion, but Ryan just had a smug expression. Tee and Sasha left the kitchen and followed her into the living room.
Meanwhile, Bailey, Jody, Tyler, Floss and I were ushered into the quiet room where we sat down with the black temp, Phoebe I reckon.
"So what makes you think you can replace Mike?" Jody immediately interrogated her.
May-Li immediately shut her up with a subtle cough and Jody sat back on the sofa. "Look, I like happy." She told us, "I don't exist well with conflict."
"So..." Tyler began, "If you get the job, does happy mean we can do what we want?"
Phoebe hesitated, "Well, if we all talk it through, then, yeah." She said, "Give young people respect, you get it back."
Floss sat forward, "Do you like sprouts?"
The four of us groaned, "Oh, here we go, Floss." Bailey uttered, circling his head back.
"No, it's all right," Phoebe said, "If you don't like sprouts, they're gone." She held up her fist, "Power to the kids.
Then, we heard shouting in the lobby. May-Li excused herself to find out what was going on and we all decided to follow. "But they're all gonna hate me!" Carmen yelled.
We found Sasha and Carmen in a shouting match right outside the office.
"But they have to know!" Sasha retorted, raising her voice even louder.
"You don't understand! Just listen!" Carmen shouted, and Sasha pushed her little, "Get away from me! Sasha!"
"Tell them or I will!" She shouted.
May-Li came running over, "Sasha, now's not the time." She scolded her.
"What? You know about this, as well?" Sasha asked, angrily.
"None of this is Carmen's fault!"
"Leave Carmen alone!" Finn butted in.
"No, Sasha's right." Tee finally said, her voice breaking a little, "You have to hear this."
"Tee, what?" Carmen nearly shouted, look at her friend with betrayal, "You're just going to upset them!" But Tee didn't make eye contact, instead she just stared straight at us.
"What is it?" Kaz asked, intrigued, "What did you do?"
"Can we just not do this now, yeah?" May-Li asked, trying to stop the situation from evolving.
"Carmen's the reason why Mike's going to lose his job," Tee told everyone and we all immediately glared at Carmen with anger yet confusion. She turned to face us, still sniffling.
I felt myself getting angry, too. As much as I would be devastated if it was me, I was still pissed at Carmen. Mike has been the only father figure my whole life after my dad's death who hasn't tried to touch me. The only one who's treated me like a daughter. After all that shit with my uncle and after my parents death, he looked after me and always had been. And now he could be leaving and it's all Carmen's fault.
"Guys, it was my file," She admitted with a small voice.
"She blabbed to the police," Sasha said, aggressively, "That's why it's so massive for Mike!"
"Carmen?" Jody said, "You didn't seriously tell on Mike?"
"Jody, please, don't," Carmen said.
"Why would you do that?" Mo interrogated her.
"Guys, Guys," Phoebe butted in. "This is your friend!"
"Yeah, well, I'm not so sure about that," Jody said, shouting.
"Jody, you don't know the whole story," May-Li scolded.
"For every conflict, there's a resolution!" Phoebe said, interrupting.
"Yeah, her out of here!" Sasha shouted at Carmen.
"You can't say things like that." Mo said.
"If she's lost Mike his job, do you seriously want her living here?" Sasha reasoned.
The sporty type temp, Kerr, came out of the office, "Right, everyone out to the garden, now." He ordered as if he was the boss. May-Li looked at us all expectantly and we listened, Tee went upstairs after Carmen.
Kerr rounded us all up and declared a treasure hunt with prizes, this excited the younger ones.
"Now, there are five hidden cards, all right?" He began to explain, "And on each of those cards is written an animal's name in code. The first team
back here with all those animal names will be the winners."
"Do I look ten?" Bailey asked, and I snorted.
"You can work with Billie and Toni," Kerr told him and held out a clipboard, "Your team leader, you can write all the answers."
Bailey didn't fight it and reluctantly took the clipboard, "Come on," He said to the twins and they ran after him, excitedly.
I smiled and watched as Bailey worked with the twins. I saw him pick Billie up and help her get the clue. I smiled more, it was sweet. I went to sat at the picnic table with Sasha, Floss, Harry and Jody, Mary, the old, blonde woman, was pouring drinks for us.
"Aren't you a bit... well... old?" Jody questioned.
She laughed, "I'm only in my 50s, pet." She told her, not taking any offence. Sasha smiled and took a drink.
"Yeah, but there's loads of us here and it gets really mad." Jody continued, "And I do mean mad."
"I've looked after 40 foster kids," Mary said, "My house was at least as mad as here."
"And you like that?" Sasha asked.
"Absolutely loved it, but my husband died last year and, well, it's hard by yourself." Mary told us and I smiled sadly at her. "There's nothing you can throw at me that my lot haven't. Happy days."
Floss quickly changed the subject, "Do you like sprouts?" I groaned and rubbed my forehead.
" I prefer these," Mary said, digging in her pocket, "Think you might, too." She pulled out a bag of sweets and held it out, we all took one.
"Sweets?" Kerr asked from where he was stood, watching nearby.
"Oh, one or two won't harm." Mary dismissed, "Would you like one?" She offered him.
"No. Not for me, thank you." He declined.
"I'll have his," Jody said and dug into the bag, taking another sweet.
I laughed a little and popped the sweet in my mouth, then I continued gazing at Bailey. He seemed to get excited as Toni got another clue, this made me smile more.
A small while later, Billie went up to Kerr with the clipboard and I sat down with Bailey. "We've finished." She announced.
"Let's have a look," Kerr said, taking the board from her.
"Dog. Lion. Zebra. Chicken." Billie read out.
"Oh, and giraffe!" Mo called, coming out from the bushes with Finn and his clipboard, "That's the last one."
"We got that, too." Toni beamed.
"Do we get the treasure?" Billie asked, hopefully.
Kerr shook his head, "No. And you can blame your captain for that." He said and looked over at Bailey, who was confused.
"Yeah, what for?" He asked as everybody else looked at him too.
"G-I-R-A-F." Kerr read, "It's not how you spell giraffe, is it?" Bailey looked slightly hurt and folded his arms across his stomach. "So that makes Mo and Finn the winners."
"No," I say, "Bailey's dyslexic, spelling and writing's hard for him." I explain.
"I think Bailey's probably just a little bit lazy," Kerr said, taking another shot at Bailey.
"That's well out of order," I nearly snap.
"Nah, just... just forget it." Bailey says and began to walk off, away from the garden.
"No, we don't want the prize. Bailey's team won." Mo says.
Billie and Toni took this as a win and went towards where the prize was covered by a red cloth. Kerr was quick to stop them from digging in, "Whoa, whoa, whoa. Sorry, girls." He stopped them, "You only had to copy it out, Bailey. Giraffe."
"That's so unfair!" Floss shouts.
"That's not right." I defended him, shouting too, "It's not his fault!" And the others started shouting in protest, too.
I huffed and went after Bailey, who looked very upset. I went to his room to comfort him with a hug.
•••
A little while later, Harry, Bailey, Ryan, Sasha and I found ourselves in the front garden where May-Li, Carmen and Tee had returned.
"Where's Mike?" Harry immediately asked.
"She backed out, didn't she?" Sasha said, aggressively.
"Back off, Sasha." I told her, pulling her back by the shoulder but she shrugged me off.
"Mike wouldn't let Carmen speak," May-Li sighed, "I mean, she really did want to, though."
"So Mike's lost his job?" Harry asked.
"We don't know that yet, Harry." May-Li said, "I mean, he's in there now."
"Proud of yourself, are you?" Sasha asked, stepping towards Carmen.
"Sasha," May-Li scolded, "Just for a minute, think if it had been your file."
"May-Li's right," Tee spoke up, "You don't know what you would have done."
The twins came running out. "Lunch is ready!" Toni grinned.
"Mary made it."
We went inside and followed the twins into the kitchen. Everyone was sat down at the table, we all had plates of spag bol in front of us but nobody was touching it nor talking. We were all upset.
"It's not that bad, is it?" Mary asked, looking worried and this made me feel bad for her.
"I want Mike back." Harry said, entering the kitchen with Ryan.
"So do I." Ryan said and the two sat down at the table.
"Right, how is not eating gonna help Mike?" May-Li asked, softly, approaching the table but none of us answered.
"I really hope you get Mike back and it's been very lovely meeting you all," Mary told us, enthusiastically before making to leave. I quite liked her, she was sweet.
May-Li instantly apologised, "Oh, don't be sorry!" Mary dismissed, "I've had the best of days, and I can't compete with a Mike and, well, this lot deserve more than I can give."
"You're pulling out?" May-Li asked and then Mary turned to us lot, she waved goodbye and then left. "So that leaves Kerr."
We all looked at her in shock, "No way! We're not having him." Tyler said, instantly.
"He was all right, wasn't he?"
"No, he'd a great psycho." Bailey said and May-Li frowned at him.
"He's a bully." I tell her, "He made fun of Bailey's writing."
"Well, why didn't you tell him you were dyslexic?" May-Li asked him.
"Because he wouldn't listen." Bailey told her.
"He must have understood what you mean." Bailey scoffed at him.
"We did tell him but Kerr said he was just being lazy." I said.
"I'll have a word with him." May-Li says. "I mean, either way, he's the only one left on the shortlist."
"Well, then, check the long-list?" I suggested, sarcastically and May-Li gave me a 'really?' look.
Harry then stood up, "Wait. Wait. Harry, at least try and eat something." She tried top stop him, but he got up and left the table. Ryan went after him.
•••
I must say, I was on the brink of tears now too. I wanted Mike back. I mean, everyone did. I couldn't cry, though. I wanted to stay strong for the younger ones.
"It's all her fault!" Tyler shouted at Carmen.
"Yeah, but it's not, though, is it?" Tee said, "If Mike can forgive her, then that's enough for me."
"And me, too." Kaz chimed in, "Carmen's suffered enough."
"Same here," I said, "You would have all done the same if it was you. And it was just spur of the moment, wasn't it? She was angry and did what she thought was right in that moment."
Ryan came back into the kitchen, "Guys, I've just heard May-Li speaking to Mike." He told us, "His verdicts at 2:30."
"45 minutes until it's certain." I murmur and check the time.
"Or 45 minutes to stop it?" Ryan suggested.
"Oh, here we go," Tee sighed.
"Well, do you want Mike back or not?" Ryan asked and we didn't reply. "Look, Mike was stressed, yeah? Especially on that day when his car was robbed. So if we can prove that, we'll get them for pushing him too hard. He was at burnout."
"That'll make it not his fault?" Sasha asked.
"Exactly." Ryan confirmed. "So if we can get his time sheets, we'll nail him that way. Mike's always working masses over anyway."
"No, he's right." Carmen agreed, "Come on, guys, let's go."
We all went into the office and ransacked it for Mike's time sheets. May-Li came in, enraged, while I was searching the recycling with Tee. My eyes went wide when I saw Carmen's purple file lying in the middle, "Carmen, look at this!"
She came running over and took it from me, "That's my file!" She exclaimed, removing the elastic, "What's it doing over here?"
"But- Mike was sure it was in the car?" May-Li said, her face and the rest of ours all expressing utter confusion.
"So if it was here all along, then Mike's done nothing wrong." Kaz said.
"No, it is here, everything!" Carmen exclaimed again, looking through the pages.
"May-Li, you have to call the hearing." Tee tells her.
"They're going to need to see the file," May-Li said, "We're going to have to take it down there."
"What?"
Everyone froze and exchanged looks, "Well, come on, then, let's go!" I say, leading the way out of the office and onto the bus.
May-Li drove us to the courts and it was nearly half past when we got there, she parked the van, instructing us to wait, but we all hurried inside instead.
We rushed passed security and immediately located the court room. We burst in and everyone inside had a face of shock.
"Guys? Guys, what are you doing?" Mike asked, swivelling around in his chair to see us.
"You've got to see this!" Ryan said, taking Carmen's file out of her hands and placed it onto the table. "It's the file we thought was stolen from Mike's car. It's been at the office at the care home and we've only just found it."
"Where did you find it?" Mike asked, his mouth open in shock.
"It was in the recycling bin," I tell him, "We were trying to find your time sheets to argue a burnout, and then we found it."
"Please, you've got to listen, right. Mike's done nothing wrong." Carmen said, firmly. "That's the missing file. It was mine. But I've checked it, it's all there. It's been there the whole time."
"I left it in the car, I know I did!" Mike said.
"No, you couldn't have, could you?" Ryan says, "You're always overdoing it, that's the amount of work he puts in."
"Ryan's right, ok?" Carmen said, "Mike didn't take the file. He didn't lose the file. It's right there." She told them. "Please? Please, I'm begging you."
The board exchanged looks and the woman with a short haircut and pearl necklace spoke, "Well, apart from the colossal waste of time..."
"Wait... you mean I can keep my job?" Mike asked, excitedly.
She nodded and we all erupted in cheers and shouts of joy. I hugged Mike tightly around the neck and pecked his bald head. I let go so the others could hug him and felt a happy tear roll down my face. Bailey pulled me into a hug and kissed my cheek with his smiling lips.
We all started hugging each other now, cheering more. Bailey got Harry up on his back and Mike and Carmen shared a hug.
•••
Sorry this chapter took so long to come out😭😭I was being very lazy.
Anyways, I found this edit of Amandla Stenberg (my fc of Evie in Halfway There) as Starr Carter on tiktok and it just reminded me of Evie sm.
eee it won't let me upload it here so I'ma put the link.
https://vm.tiktok.com/ZGJCRkck4/
Idk if it will work😭😭but still lmaoao
not proof read but I hope y'all enjoyed!
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