Page 9 of Adore Me
Mr. Thomas wrapped his hand around my elbow to stop me from putting on my winter jacket. I fought against him until he wrapped me in a hug. "Listen to what they have to say."
Begrudgingly, I turned and waited. "Your parents died upon impact. I am so sorry," the female officer said.
My knees gave out and before I landed or regained my balance, everything went black.
Someone is shaking my arm and it’s getting annoying. Why can't they just let me sleep? I feel so tired and my eyes burned and stung when I managed to pry them open. I blinked twice to clear the haze that covered my eyes and looked around. Why are all of these people staring at me?
"Savannah, honey, are you all right?" Mrs. Thomas said, and I looked around to notice that I was laying on the couch.
"My head hurts." My eyes focused and I noticed two people wearing a police uniform. "Who are they?" I pointed to the officers and Mr. Thomas pushed my index finger down. He is always after us about manners.
"They are police officers, Vans," Anne said and rubbed my hand.
Wait... the hole in my heart is starting to become bigger and bigger until my chest cavity becomes tighter. "It really happened?"
The female officer nodded and squatted down next to me. "Your parents have a lawyer on retainer, and he will be meeting us down at the station. We need you to come with us so we can review arrangements."
"Your friend and Mrs. Thomas are going to come down with you, so you won't be alone. Do you want to change out of your pajamas?"
I shook my head and a few hands helped me off the couch. I never knew that horrific pain like this existed. Am I even feeling pain? I can't even describe the amount of... something that is flooding through my body... is feeling.
Mrs. Thomas drove both Anne and me to the police station and we were immediately directed to a sterile room without any windows. The plastic chairs we sat in were so hard that I am sure the floor would be more comfortable.
A man who looked older than a grandfather came into the room carrying a nice-looking briefcase. I didn't know what time it was, but I am surprised he is wearing a suit. "Hello, Savannah. I am Joe Long, your parents' estate attorney. I am sorry that we are meeting like this."
I just nodded and adjusted myself in the plastic chair. Comfort was obviously not going to happen, so I just stood up and paced the room. An imaginary circle formed in the floor as I paced it. My eyes have dried but my cheeks feel crunchy from the tears that passed down them.
The lawyer looked through some files and adjusted some papers out on the table. After he had everything arranged, he gestured for me to sit down. "Unfortunately, we never got to the part of custody. As you know, both of your parents were only children and their parents are dead... so where you will be staying is up in the air. Today, we will get you set up in a foster home until we can set up other arrangements with the court."
What is he saying? Did he just tell me that I don't have any place to live? What happened to my house that we all lived in? Would my tree house that Dad and I built still be there? What about my growth chart and the playroom where Mom and I would dress up and play Princess? Are they going to take my room away too?
As I was thinking about how my world has ended in a matter of hours and how it is going to feel when I no longer will have breakfast with Mom and Dad or hear them tell jokes about their day; the people in the room were still talking.
"Mr. Long," Mrs. Thomas stated and rubbed Anne's arm, "she just found out about this and now you want to put her through the foster system? This girl is my daughter's best friend and she will come live with us."
Before anyone can interject, Maddie, my housekeeper, shows up with bags full of my things and looked at me with blotchy cheeks. "I am so sorry, sweet girl." She turned away and I looked down at the bags.
These bags are my life now. Everything that I own is in them and now I am being directed back to Anne's car. I carried a bag off to the car as well and the weight of what happened sinks in more and more.
"Vans, I am so sorry," she whispers as she hugs me. "We will be your family."
Nothing seems to be sinking in and I don't know if I wanted it to. The one thing that has sunk in: My life will never be the same.
For four months, I was allowed to mope around the guest room which has now been changed into my room. I wanted to smash all of my dolls and rip the Barbie's heads off, but none of that will bring my parents back. Court proceedings have granted the Thomas' as my legal guardians and they get a stipend from the state for taking care of me.
I was allowed to take the rest of the school year off and then I had to go back. Everyone in my grade were talking about me and giving me sad looks of pity. I hated all of them. Anne and I shared the same classes and became more like sisters than just best friends. A new normalcy has taken over and I hated it.
The more time that passed, meant that they really are gone, and they are never coming back. I haven't been allowed into my old house and the lawyer said that I never will be allowed back in there. I want to go back to see if they are just there and are living a vacation. Maybe all of this is a dream.
The nightmare continued and never stopped.
Chapter 10
Alone. So lonely. I felt it when it was quiet, and I was in my room. Alone. The get together must have ended because I didn't hear anything outside of the door to my room.
I haven't dreamed of what that year was like in a few years. Every time I dream it, I think the ending will be different. The ending never changes, and I remember the For-Sale sign in front of my house and everything being sold at auctions to be put aside for my schooling.
I needed Vincent to hold me. I opened the door and crept across the hall to Vincent's room. He had the fireplace on, so I knew he was in there. I walked over to his bed, and jumped in. He was sleeping on his side towards the door, so I spooned him from the other side and fell asleep.
