It's been a few days since we had a meeting with Katherine to discuss the plans for the near future. I'm allowed to go and live with my dad, but first I 'have to prove to him how much I want this'. I have to stop smoking, drinking, taking drugs. I have to be in by eight I clock every night and I have to attend the school at the home for at least two days during Monday-Friday. I've been managing so far. A week and a half and I could be living with my dad and his wife. But the school part is horrible. I hate it, if there's one rule I will struggle with it's that one and the drugs. I like drugs, I'm not addicted.
I'm sitting watching TV and my phone vibrates. I look at it, it's Hayley
Come meet me at the park, I miss you x
I text her saying I'll be there soon and head out to the office. I ask Ben if I can go out and he nods.
I decide to run to the park so I can exercise, I'm not allowed to over exercise and I have people constantly watching me eat. Including Hayley. I reach the park in ten minutes and see her lying on the grass. I walk up to her, trying not to make it obviously I was running and sit myself down beside her. She sees me and climbs on to my lap, putting her head against me chest.
"You've been running." She caught me.
"No I haven't." I lie.
"Don't lie to me." She checks her phone and announces the time. 12:32.
"Let's go get some lunch. Burger King?" I let out a sigh of defeat and lie back. I've put on three pounds. Too much. She climbs off of me and stands up, holding out her hand. With her help I stand up and keep a hold of her hand. We make a slow walk to Burger King, making no attempt to talk to each other. I catch her out the corner of my eye, looking at me.
"Just think, in a couple of weeks, I can come and visit you in your house." I smile. The thought of that brightens my mood. We make more small chitchat as we reach Burger King. I just get a cheeseburger and fries, with coke. I was trying to avoid fast food but Hayley gets quite nippy. So I eat it to keep her happy. I finally finish and sit back drinking my coke. I slip my hand about Hayley and she sits back to put her head on my shoulder. I realise how nice this moment is. I look out the window to the trees and the sun across the road. I think I might be happy.
We make our way back to the care home, holding hands. I didn't like to take Hayley back there, but she insisted because her parents had friends over. We came to the car park and I notice my dads car sitting there. What is he doing here?
"Who's car is that" Hayley points to the black Audi A7.
"Um...my Dads." I whisper. She looks at me with wide eyes.
"Aw great, can I meet him?" I look at her.
"Maybe, if he has time. He's busy." I say walking briskly to the front door. I press the buzzer and Nicole answers.
"Hey buddy, your dads here. He's through in the office." Kinda guessed he'd be there. We walk through the hall way and just as we got there he was walking out with Lauren. He spots me and walks over, forgetting his conversation with Lauren.
"Hey, mate. Who's this?" He looks at Hayley. I look at them both.
"This is Hayley. Hayley, this is my Dad." Hayley gives him her friendliest smile and says hi.
"You alright, Hayley?" My dad smiles. "Michael, I was speaking with Lauren and Katherine about you coming to see the house and meet Amelia again? Whenever you want."
"Yeah, sure. Sounds great. When?"
"Friday?" I nod and he smiles. If Someone had said to me this time last year, that I would be going to live with my father, I would have told them to shut the fuck up.