Look Into My Eyes Chap. 28

We had a substitute teacher in science so we could sit where we wanted. I sat between Claire and James and they all looked surprised. I did not say anything to them though; I couldn't think of anything to say. And I was still cross with George. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw George smile slightly. He probably thought I forgave him. They all kept trying to speak to me and I gave one-word answers. They gave up in the end, but they seemed to not be cross with me either because we all walked home together. Tonight would be my last night alone in the house with my Dad. I was scared he might be angry at me, but when I got in he smiled and said hello and we watched some telly. We had chicken for tea and he even fed Samson some treats. When I went to bed, he gave me a hug and said he was very very sorry and he would come and visit me as soon has he was allowed and I didn't listen much because I was tired. He put his hand up. I waited for a minute before I put my hand to his, but I made it so our fingertips didn't touch. Then he went out of the room and turned out the light and I went to sleep.
The next day I went to school. He said goodbye. I knew this was the last time I would see him for a long time, but I refused to hug him. He clenched his fist but he didn't do anything, but I walked to school quickly anyway. The new YCW would pick Samson up and then pick me and William up from school and we would go to the Children's home. I didn't know what would happen to Dad.
When I got to school I went straight to Kaleb's office, but he wasn't there. All his pictures and pens and papers had gone. There were no clipboards on the floor next to his desk like usual. It didn't even smell like it used to. I wanted to cry, but I didn't. Then I went to my form room and sat with William who said hello. I said hello back. Then George and Claire and James said hello. I nodded to them.
The day was normal, until hometime. Then my watch beeped and I remembered Kaleb's train left at 3:20. It was 3:04. I wanted to go and say goodbye properly.
I dropped my bag and ignored Samson barking next to the new YCA; I didn't even look at her properly. I remembered she had brown hair and black high-heeled shoes. I ran as fast as I could to the train station and I could hear voices shouting behind me. There was no grown-up lady voice and no barking. So the YCW was not there. Good. She wasn't my real YCW, Kaleb was. And he was what mattered right now.
I pushed past people on the way inside, checking my watch every time I got a chance. 3:07. 3:09. 3:14. 3:18. I finally got there just as my watch turned to 3:21 and I looked around desperately. I found platorm 4, but I couldn't see the train through the crowd. I ran through them all, and stepped out to see the train setting off. I looked around and found Kaleb in the window staring down at the table and ran for him. "Kaleb!" I shouted. People were grabbing at me as I ran to keep up and I shoved them away. "Kaleb!"
"Elise!" He stared at me and mouthed something. 'Dangerous!' I kept running. There was so much I hadn't told him, but I was so out of breath I was stumbling down. I reached the end of the platform and managed to yell, "I love you!" just as the train gained speed. I saw Kaleb watching out of the back window, mouthing something again. I didn't see clearly but I was sure it was 'love you too'.
I fell to the ground, because it was so noisy and I was crying and people were crowding me and grabbing at me to pull me away and it was scary. These strangers were touching me and speaking to me and I couldn't breathe-
But then I heard James' voice and someone grabbed my hand and pulled me out of the crowd and next to the door. "Leave her alone!" Claire's voice shouted above the crowd; they were all staring but stopped bothering me and went back to whatever they were doing. I could barely take anything in. Everything that had happened was staring to become real; Kaleb was gone, my Dad was gone, my mum was gone, and I had to live in a children's home. I realized exactly how bad everything was and now I had lost the one person in the world I could tell I loved.
I began to notice Claire and James and George talking to me, and I covered my mouth because I was coughing.
"That was so dangerous, you idiot!" I could hear Claire scolding.
"What were you thinking?" James tutted at me.
"Never do that again, d'you hear me?" George was bent down so he was my height, but he looked furious. I had scared my friends and now they were cross with me. I wanted to tell them how sorry I was but I couldn't. The words wouldn't get out of my mouth. I just stared at them and they stared back.
I heard William behind us. "Elise, we have to go. Kaleb is gone and you can't do anything about it. Let's worry about getting home now."
"No."
"Elise, don't start."
"No!"
"Leave her Will, she'll be like this for a while," George sighed. He pushed me gently nearer to William. "Come on Elise, Samson will be at home."
"It is not home." I muttered.
"I know. But you have to live there now, just for a while," James replied. I noticed my legs were moving and we were outside; strangers were still staring at me.
"Ignore them," George growled.
I spotted Samson before I saw the YCW. I ran to him and hugged him close. The YCW grabbed my arm. "Right, you. How dare you go running off like that! Do you know how dangerous that was? You're a very bad girl, Elise Sanders."
"Oh, shut up Marie, she's not two. She knows what she did. You can't blame her." William glared at her. "You should know she's prone to running off; you're supposed to be her new YCW."
Marie just sniffed. "Whatever. Come on then." She grabbed my hand and I pulled away and hid behind George. Marie sighed but she didn't say anything. William took Samson's lead and we walked to the children's home, the other's going into their homes along the way so that when we arrived it was just me, William, Samson and Marie. It was very noisy outside, and that was just at the gate. The Home itself didn't look very nice. I looked at William and he looked at me and smiled. Then the gates opened and we had to go inside.