Kate's not your ordinary girl in any way. Well, the Mercers were never ordinary either.
So, I've been sucked into a sister fic. Yeah, so sue me! It's kind of fun for me to write this. I sincerely enjoy writing this character's personality. Other than that, enjoy! The title is from the Evanescence song; I thought it kind of fit.
Good Enough
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Kate Turner sat, curled up in a ball, in the enclosed tunnel at the park. She didn't want to go home yet and never again. This was her sanctuary; not a very good one, but it was more of a home than hers. Slowly, Kate crawled to the end of the tunnel and peered out. It was freezing outside and the playground was empty; on the other side, there was a group of boys at the basketball court, but it didn't look like they were playing. A few were fighting and the rest were watching, some egging them on. Kate recoiled back into the tunnel, her fears taking over; she was afraid of fighting. She rocked back and forth, trying to stay warm. The boys were shouting loudly, but Kate ignored them. In a few weeks, it'd be November and it would only get colder. Then what would she do? If she went home, it would be terrible; if she stayed here, she'd freeze to death. Kate began to fall asleep again…that is, until she was rudely awakened.
"Dude, what the fuck?" a voice asked.
"Who the hell would call the cops?" another seconded.
"I dunno but let's get the fuck out of here," a third instructed.
The cops were coming? Oh no. This was the end of Kate escaping her family after only one week. What would she do? Kate crawled out of the tunnel and began to run through the play equipment attached to the tunnel. She tripped on a landing piece and rolled on it, towards the fireman's pole and fell onto the ground.
"Ow," she mumbled.
"What's that?" a fourth whispered.
"Shut up Jackie!" the third hissed.
A pair of hands pulled her into the enclosed bottom. Kate panicked as her eyes adjusted. Four boys, two white and two black, of various ages looked at her.
"What are you going to do to me?" she asked quietly.
"We're not going to do anything," the third, a white boy, told her.
"Why are the police coming?"
"We can't tell you. You need to promise us that you won't tell the police that you saw any of us here."
"Okay…why?"
"We still can't tell you…"
"But we'll make sure they don't find you," the first, a black boy, finished. "You look like a runaway who doesn't want to be found."
Kate nodded.
"All right. Let's get you back here," the third seated her between himself and another white boy. "You need to stay absolutely quiet."
"Okay."
The five sat in silence for what seemed an eternity. No one came to the park; it was far too cold to for anyone. Eventually, Kate fell asleep again. Someone gently moved her shoulder.
"Hey, wake up," one of the boys told her.
Kate rubbed her eyes. "Huh?"
"We need to get out of here now," another told her. The boys all stood, crouched a little. The oldest pulled her up. Voices began calling.
"Come on," one whispered.
Another poked his head out and looked around, and then began running. A second took off after, and a third. The oldest looked at her.
"All you gotta do is run."
He began to run, Kate's cold little hand in his large gloved one. The two were now outside their hiding place; he ran far faster than Kate could. Her hand slipped from his grip. Kate fell, face first in the cold rocks. The oldest looked back for a moment or two and kept running. Kate crawled back under the play set. The officers' voices were coming closer. They'd make her go back home, the one place she swore she'd never return to. She was only six, but she wasn't stupid; she knew that families weren't supposed to beat you. That was only her foster family; now, she'd return to social services, another place she didn't want to go to. It was so cold and dreary there, almost a place of death, deceit, and defeat. Kate placed her back on the equipment.
"I heard something over there," a voice said.
The rocks began to rustle and make noise as they came closer. Guns drawn, the police officers ducked down and looked in the little nook.
"We're clear." The officer climbed in next to her. "What's your name sweetie?"
"Kate."
"What's a little girl like you doing out here on a day like this?" Kate didn't respond. "Were you here with your brothers?" Nothing. "You need to tell us who they were."
"I don't know," Kate snapped. "I was sleeping here and I don't know what happened."
"We're going to take you with us." The officer grabbed Kate's hand and pulled her into the open. Another officer wrapped her in a blanket and put her in a police car. Kate didn't like the police officer headquarters; it reminded her of social services, especially the little room they'd put her in alone. An officer brought in a woman.
"Katherine, what in the world are you doing here?"
"We found her at the park."
"Katherine, did you runaway?"
"Yeah Miss Mary."
"Officer, she's in social services. Come on; let's go gather your things from that house."
Kate pulled herself up from the chair and followed Miss Mary out of the building. Well, her nightmare was coming true all in one day: she'd be going to that house and social services. Wonderful, just what she needed after today; first, getting caught for running away; two, she'd be going to Hell on Earth.
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Kate sat silently in the empty room. She'd been through family after family for a year now, and nothing happened, other than more families who beat her or other terrible thing. Kate had grown so quiet and shy after all of the families' abusive behavior to her. It was almost like it wasn't her anymore, but some little ghost of Kate. Miss Mary came back with an older woman following.
"Miss Evelyn, this is Katherine." Miss Mary left the room. Kate looked at the ground.
"Hello Katherine. I'm Miss Evelyn. My goodness, isn't that quite the name for someone as small as you?" Evelyn smiled kindly. "How about I call you Katie?" Kate didn't respond. "Now, what's a pretty little girl like you doing in social services? And no one can find you a home?" Evelyn flipped open the folder she had and read it. "Oh, now you just seem to have bad luck, don't you?" Kate nodded her head. "Katie, would you like it if I could find you a family?"
"Yes," Kate's voice sounded very small.
Evelyn's smile was growing larger now that Kate was opening up. "All right, why don't we take a little field trip?"
"To where?"
"To a place that might be your new home." Kate nodded up and down vigorously. "Let's go." Kate followed Evelyn outside to her car. Within ten minutes, they'd reached the new house. It seemed so warm and welcoming to Kate as they walked around. "Now, you'd have to share a room. Would you mind that?"
"No…who lives here?"
"Katie, I'm going to adopt you."
"Really?" Kate liked that idea. Miss Evelyn was so warm and sweet.
Evelyn laughed. "Yes, Katie. I am." Kate's stone face broke into a small smile. "Let's go get your things from the social services building." Kate nearly ran back to the car. Finally, she'd have a good family. How that idea excited her! "Now, tell me, what do you really go by?"
"Kate."
"By the time we get back, my sons will be home."
"Sons?"
"Kate, I've adopted four boys before. They're all older than you. It'll be wonderful! Especially since I've always wanted a little girl."
Kate snatched her things from the bunk she had occupied. Kids whispered as she and Evelyn left, saying that only the really bad kids went home with her. Kate didn't care; she'd finally have the family she'd longed for! For at least an hour, Kate sat in boredom as Evelyn filled out the paper work to send out for her adoption. Soon, they returned to where she would now live. Evelyn opened the door to her home, placed her purse on the end table, and began to hang up her coat. Kate followed her slowly with her bags in tow and stopped near the doorway.
"Boys?" Evelyn called. "Bobby, Jeremiah, Angel, Jack, come down here!"
The sound of feet pounding against the floor, the ceiling above Evelyn and Kate, came like elephants rampaging through Africa. Kate looked at the ceiling as the noise moved to the stairwell. The sound of verbal fighting came down the stairs with the footsteps.
"Why you got to be like that?" one voice asked.
"Shut up Fairy."
"What'd y'all do now?" a third questioned.
"I didn't do anything!" another replied.
The four boys shoved each other down the stairs as Evelyn said, "No one's in trouble." Each one fell into a dysfunctional line in front of Evelyn. "Boys, this is Kate. She's your new sister."
"Foster kid?" the second one inquired. Kate looked shyly at the ground.
"We're adopting her by the end of the week. Kate, this is Bobby," she gestured to the one who asked the last question. "…Jeremiah…" the one who thought they were in trouble. "…Angel…" the one who claimed he was innocent. "…and that's Jack." He was the youngest.
"Ma, where's she gonna sleep?" Angel spoke up.
"She'll share a room with Jack." Jack looked a little panicked. "Oh, no, you won't mind Jack. It's just for now. Both of you are small. When you two get older, then we'll think about getting you separate rooms. Now, show your sister to her new room."
Bobby stepped forward and took Kate's bag and went up the stairs, with Angel following. Jeremiah stepped forward.
"It's nice to have you here, Kate." He smiled and started up the stairs.
Jack nodded to her to follow Jeremiah. Quietly, she started up with Jack behind her. Jack's room was a fair size to fit both of them. Bobby leaned against a wall, Jeremiah sat on the bed with Jack, and Angel sat on the floor. Kate stood quietly and shyly barely in the doorway.
"How old are you?" Jeremiah asked.
"Seven," Kate said quietly.
"See Jackie? She's close to your age," Bobby mocked. Jack frowned; he didn't like being made fun of.
"How long have you been in social services?" Angel questioned.
"Since before I can remember," Kate whispered.
"Damn," Bobby commented. "She's really gonna fit in here."
"Why couldn't you land a family?" Jeremiah spoke up.
Kate looked shyly at the ground, not answering.
"Ah, it's all right. Jerry shouldn't be asking anyway," Angel hit him over the head.
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The wind whistled by the window. Kate hid under her blanket, quivering. The first night was always the longest and scariest, but that wasn't comforting her. Kate slowly got out of her bed and tip toed to the other bed.
"Jack?" she whispered.
Jack shot up. "What? Oh, yeah. What's up?" Jack's voice was tired.
"Can I sleep with you?"
"Huh?"
"I'm scared."
"Of what?"
Her voice grew smaller. "The wind."
"Get up here." Kate crawled into Jack's bed. "First night's always the worst, isn't it?"
"Yeah."
"I remember my first night here. It was pretty scary to hear that wind."
"What did you do?"
"Got Ma. She came and spent the night in here. Ma promised she'd get that window fixed. Sleep well Kate."
"Good night Jack."
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