Chapter 6
Copyright: 3/03
Updated: 3/26/2008
Word Count: 1,781
Scott sat up quickly slapping at his watch. Knowing that all of the staff that stayed at the home went to bed by midnight, he'd set the alarm clock for two a.m. to give them time to fall asleep. He shook his head, trying to clear it of the odd dream he'd been having. He couldn't remember much. Just that he'd been sitting next to a small, pretty, red-haired girl. They had been talking. He tried to remember what theyd been talking about but couldnt. *Wow, that was weird.*
He pushed the dream to the back of his mind and looked around frantically. He sighed in relief as he saw that no one else had awakened. He ate until he was stuffed at dinner. Then faking a headache so no one would get suspicious, he'd gone to bed early. Once in the room he'd opened his closet then the bottom drawer and pulled out the wallet he had hidden there. He counted his money and, satisfied that it was all there, had put it in the pocket of his jeans. Then he'd climbed into bed with his clothes on and let his mind drift.
Scott was as quiet as he could be as he silently emptied all his cloths from the closet and put them into his duffle bag. He also put his 'Brief History of Flight' book and the two science fiction novels he'd gotten last Christmas into the bag. He thought about taking the models too but changed his mind. *That's probably not a good idea. The less I have to carry the better. Beside, it's not like I'll have time to work on them or anywhere to put them. They'll just get busted anyway.* He sighed and put the model jet he'd picked up back on the shelf.
He took one last longing look at the models. He then took his pillows and stuck them under his blanket. The pale moonlight offered little light, but he didn't dare to turn on his flashlight for fear of waking up one of the other boys. He put the flashlight in with his clothes.
The room itself was warm, but Scott knew it was cold outside. Winter had never been his favorite time of year. Although he loved Thanksgiving and Christmas, he hated the cold. After double-checking to make sure he hadnt forgotten anything important, he put his coat on. He slid his empty book bag on, and then picked up his duffle bag. Then he took his key and put it in the closet and closed the door.
Scott walked slowly out of the room and through the dark hallway and slipped quietly into the room at the end of the hall. He was careful as he walked towards Davids bed. Almost tiptoeing to make sure he didn't wake anyone up. Scott smiled as he pulled a black permanent marker from his back pocket. David was a very heavy sleeper, a fact that thrilled Scott. His grin widened as he quickly wrote the word 'loser' on David's forehead. His breath caught in his chest as David swatted the air, barely missing Scott's hand. The older boy grunted then rolled onto his side, mumbling incoherently. Scott held his breath as he tiptoed out of the room then sighed in relief.
He would have loved to do the same to Dean, Lance, and Frank, but they weren't heavy sleepers like David. He didn't want to risk getting caught.
He continued to smile as he headed for the kitchen. Once there he put his duffle bag on the floor and slid his book bag off his back. He knew where Mrs. Timons kept all the snacks and drinks. He loaded up his bag with sodas, juice boxes, and snacks. That done, he put the backpack back on, picked up his duffle bag and walked towards Ms. Branson's office.
There was one more thing he had to do before he left.
X X X X X X X X X X X X
When he was a few blocks away, Scott let out the breath he'd been holding. He did it. He'd left. He was finally getting away from that hell. There were a few people he'd miss, but for the most part, he was happy and relieved to be getting away. He whistled softly as he walked.
A cold breeze blew through his hair and he flipped his hood up, pulling the strings tight. He turned down another road and headed towards the old train station. It had been shutdown years ago. It was small, but completely enclosed. There was a busted window in the back so it would be easy to get into. It would be a good place to spend the night.
X X X X X X X X X X X X
"Perfect." Scott muttered. The broken window at the back of the train station had been boarded up. He looked around for something to use to pry the board off. A few feet away he saw a long piece of metal. He walked over to it, picked it up, and used it to pull the wood off.
Scott used an old crate to stand on and carefully climbed through the window. He pulled out his flashlight and looked around. There were three rows of cushioned seats in the middle of the room. He dropped his duffle bag and backpack on the floor and sat on one of the benches. It was nowhere near as comfortable as a bed, but it would do. He rubbed his sore shoulders. The duffle bag and backpack were heavy. He debated for a minute about leaving the books at the station, but dismissed the idea almost immediately. He loved to read and he knew it would probably be a long time before he would be able to buy any more books.
Yawning, Scott stretched out on the bench. He'd get a little more sleep, then go see Alex.
X X X X X X X X X X X X
Scott walked slowly towards the park. During their last phone call, Alex had said that his new sister, Marissa took him there when she got home from school and on Saturdays. He looked at his watch. It was nine o'clock. He hoped he wasn't too early. The slides were Alex's favorite so he went over and sat on a swing. From there he had a good view of the whole park.
He didn't have to wait long. Five minutes after he started swinging, he saw Alex and Marissa walking towards the slide. Alex was a few inches taller but Scott recognized him immediately. He was wearing blue jeans, sneakers, and a dark green coat. His blonde hair a little longer now, was sticking out under his green hat.
Scott stayed where he was. He watched as Marissa said something to Alex, pointed to a group of girls by a picnic bench, and then walked over to them.
Taking a deep breath, Scott stopped his swing and walked over to the slide. He stopped at the end. Alex was standing at the slide with his hands on the bar.
"Hi, Alex." Scott said.
Alex turned around. "Scotty!" Alex slid down the slide and threw his arms around his brother's waist.
Scott returned the hug.
Alex's smile changed to a confused look. "What are you doing here?"
"I ran away from the home. I just came to...."
Alex's face dropped. "Go away."
"Alex?"
"Leave me alone!"
"Why are you doing this?" Tears started to form in his eyes. He fought to keep them from falling.
"My sister is over there." Alex said as he pointed to the bench. "She won't like you bothering me."
Scott could see that Alex was on the verge of tears. "Lex, I love you. Why are you doing this?" His voice got louder as he spoke. He lowered his voice to almost a whisper. "Lex, please. I just wanted to...."
"Alex, is this boy bothering you?" Scott whirled around to face Marissa. She didn't look angry, but Scott could tell she wasn't happy either. *How the heck did she get over here so fast?*
Alex visibly relaxed.
Marissa's eyes narrowed. "I remember you. What are you doing here, Scott? You know you're not supposed to see Alex again until tomorrow, and only when Mom and Dad are around."
Scott was silent for a moment as he thought about what he would say. He was torn. Alex was his brother, the younger boy's rejection cut like a knife. All he wanted was to see him. Alex had been happy to see him at first, but was clearly upset now. Why?
"I just wanted...." Scott didn't get a chance to finish.
"I think you should go now, Scott." Marissa looks at him, her face determined, her eyes soft.
"Goodbye, Alex." Scott said sadly, as he walked past Marissa. He walked slowly, head down and shoulders slumped, from the park. Not once did he stop or look back. If he had, he might have seen that Marissa had gone back to her friends. He might have noticed that Alex had slid down the slide and was now sitting on the end of it, watching Scott leave as tears rolled freely down his face. He also might have heard Alex as he whispered.
"I'm sorry, Scotty. I love you too. I like my new home. I don't want to leave. Please don't hate me."
X X X X X X X X X X X X
Ms. Branson sighed as she walked towards her office. She had gone to check on Scott when she'd seen that he hadn't come down to breakfast. Upon finding his pillows stuffed under the blanket, she'd checked his dresser and found it empty. She immediately had Janice, one of the volunteers, call the police. Then, Ms Branson had gathered up the other volunteers and searched the extensive grounds. The family of the previous owner had donated the land and the home to the state when the man had died. Until now, she'd always been glad the grounds were big. Although it made it more difficult to keep an eye on the kids, it gave them plenty of room to run around.
She sank into her chair and ran a hand through her already mussed up hair. That's when she saw the envelope. Her name was scrawled on the outside in a child's writing. Not just any child, she knew that writing. She snatched the envelope and ripped it open. She pulled out the enclosed note and read it.
Ms. Branson,
Sorry if I worried you but I can't stay here anymore.
I'm gonna miss you. Tell Jack I said bye and thanks.
Oh yeah, one more thing. I didn't fall out of that tree.
David and his friends beat me up. He also tried to drown
me at the lake on the fourth of July.
Scott
TBC
