I took a seat in Mike's office, he looked sympathetic, sympathy it seemed to be all I ever got nowadays.
"now Hope, I don't think we really got a chance to introduce ourselves last time we met did we?" he said leaning back in his chair, I looked back at him blankly.
"what's the point in introductions when ill be gone in a few weeks"
"Hope, we need to talk about this, its not so simple, your social worker has decided that he wants you to stay here ntil you are 16 or fostered, adopted etcetera, after the bad press riley got he fears it could have a massive effect on your life and that being here in England and living here at elm tree is the best thing for you right now" he sighed, he looked stressed, I would have been.
"why does everyone think they know what's best for me, none of them are me, none of them know riley"
"neither do you," Mike began, I knew where the convocation was going, I knew exactly where this was going, "not properly, not like Johnny knows Tee, not like Lily knows Poppy and Rosy, riley isn't your brother Hope, now I don't think I need to tell you your past, I think you know that very well but I think I need to tell you what is real and what is not."
I looked at him, I was beginning to get angry, I had a good temper, I could bottle things up but not when this came to the mix.
"I don't need telling that" I said through gritted teeth giving him maybe the evilest stare I could.
"Hope, if your going to stay here we need to sort this out now"
"I think my idea of real and yours are going to be very different mike" I stated.
"Hope, when you were very small Riley's parents adopted you, you and Riley grew up together, its understandable that your close, that's real, your mum and dad and everything about them, that was real, life in 3 rivers, that was real, life with riley, life on tour that was real, you went to around the UK, you have been in front of an audience, that part was real, what was not real was the relationship you thought you had with Riley and his friends, you weren't friends, I don't think I have to remind you of those final nights before his friend finally lost it but that was not the environment for a child to be growing up in"
"what are you trying to say?" I looked up at him, he gave me the same sympathetic look as before.
"I mean that as good a brother as Riley was he is not the man he used to be"
"you don't know that, you don't know him, you don't know me!" I yelled standing up knocking the chair over and storming out of the room, I didnt go to my room I just left, I couldn't stand the sight of this place anymore, I couldn't stand the smell, or the taste of the air on my tongue, I hated it here, I hated it and everyone in it.
The streets of London were cold that night, I sat in the doorway of an old shop that had been boarded up, I had considered breaking in but something told me someone else already had.
I was drifting off, my eyes fluttered open and closed, but something stopped me sleeping, a cold grip on my shoulder and a gruff voice in my ear.
"ive been looking for you" they said in my ear there alcohol scented breath brushing against my cheek sending shivers down my spine.
I knew this voice, I knew them way too well.
