A green Chevy Monte Carlo pulled up to the curb outside of the Cade home. It was a small house with a green front door. The fence surrounding it was cracked and many of the posts were missing. The gates opening hung lightly off of its hinges. A woman and man sat in the car talking. "I hate these cases," The man said. "Why's that?" The woman answered in reply.
"Because of the neighborhoods they have us go to. I mean come on, Vicky, these kids don't want help." he gestured to the house, "They want to cause trouble" He practically spat. "Maybe," Vicky shrugged, "But it's not your job to talk to the kids, now is it? No. You just go in there, and interview the parents." He scoffed. They stepped out of the car and onto the walkway leading up to the steps. The man was calm as he made his way up. His black suit went well with his blonde hair that reminded most of sunshine. The, oh so serious woman had blue eyes that were like two lagoons. Her curly, brown hair was medium-length and worn in an elegant style. She was fairly tall and had a wide-hipped build. Her skin, cream-colored, was accented with red lipstick and light eyeshadow. Her wardrobe was a dignified navy blue skirt and a white button up. She knocked lightly on the door and awaited an answer. No one came, so she knocked again, but harder. A man with dark brown hair snatched the door open. "What ya' want?" He said, eying the woman suspiciously. "Timothy Cade?" She asked. The man grunted and nodded. She smiled politely, "My name is Victoria Cooper, and this is my partner Matt White, we're with CPS. Someone made a call about the well-being of the boy staying here. I believe the department called ahead and scheduled an appointment." She pulled out a folder that said 'John Cade' on the top. "Naw, the appointment is on the third." He said in a deep and gruff voice.
"It is the third, sir." Matt spoke this time. The man thought for a second before nodding them in. The pair stepped through into the living room of the house. It was a simple room, with walls painted in hospital-like green-beige and a floor that had an intricate design of ceramic tiles. It is badly lit, though rather large. "Can I speak to him? John, I mean," Victoria said looking around. He pointed up the stairs. Victoria nodded and began climbing the narrow stairwell. She reached the top and saw a boy sitting on the edge of a bed. She slid the door open and walked in. "Hello," she said. He looked up at her through dark, almost black hair. He gave her a slight wave. "Are you John?" She asked him, tilting her head slightly. "Johnny," he corrected.
"My name is Victoria Cooper. But you can call me Vicky if you want. Is this your room?" He nodded at her. She looked around the room. It hardly seemed like it belonged to a teenage boy. There were no posters, pictures, or even magazines. The walls were bare, and other than clothes and a bed, it was like sitting in an empty area. "How old are you Johnny?" She asked looking back to him. "16." He sat, playing with his hands. Victoria watched him, noting how he acted. "Is there anything about your home life that you want to share? Anything that you want me to be aware of? You can trust me," She said eyeing him closely. His eyes stayed fixed on the floor and he didn't give an answer. "Well… We're going to be watching your family for a while, just for confirmation purposes. And, I'll get to learn about you. Is that okay?" She urged him to speak back. He shrugged. She let out a small sigh and turned to leave. She made her way down the stairs and back down to where her partner stood at the door waiting for her. They said their goodbyes to Mr. and Mrs. Cade. When they got back to the car, Matt was the first to speak.
"The mother's a total basket case," He laughed. "But nothing too bad seems to be at the house.''
"I'm not sure Matt. I mean, Johnny has that 'look' about him." She said writing on one of the papers in the file. Matt rolled his eyes and smirked. "You think every child has that 'look'." He said starting the car up. She sighed. "I know, but he wouldn't even look up at me. It's like he was afraid to even talk." Victoria looked out the window. She was determined to find out what was wrong with that boy. She was going to make it her priority.