A DEMON AT ELM TREE HOUSE
by BizarrePineapple15
Chapter 13: Killing Johnny Taylor
I leapt out of my bed quickly, and got dressed as fast as I could, into some black and brown trousers, a navy polo shirt and black jumper. I walked to the door. It was amazing that I was walking again, but I didn't have time to rejoice. Nevertheless, I did spare a few seconds thinking about what it was like to feel anything in my legs again.
I flung open my bedroom door and charged downstairs. Johnny would be hiding somewhere, like a coward – underneath the pool table, or in the toy cupboard. I knocked past Gus on my way down, sending his notebook flying. He scuttled off to retrieve it as I passed Carmen.
"What are you-" she started, but I pushed past her, walking past the rickety piano, and turning into the crowded living room. I spotted a few kids there, lounging on the sofas and playing pool – Rick, Tee, Harry, Frank and Sapphire. As I understood, she, like Liam, didn't live in the Dumping Ground anymore, but they liked to visit. A lot. Sapphire lived on her own, and Liam lived with his brother Jack. I didn't notice Johnny. But then... I heard some heavy breathing. I knew where he was.
I walked through the doors and pulled them shut behind me. Hiding behind where the door was, was Johnny Taylor. I ran towards him, grabbing his shirt.
"You idiot!" I yelled, raking him with my fingers.
"What have I done?" he shouted, pulling my hair until my head burned.
"You know what you've done!" I screamed. Then... I went in for the kill, punching him in the face with all my might. Blood trickled down his face and he tried to punch me, but I ducked and twisted out of the way as he fell onto the floor. I tried to kick him but he rolled out of the way and stood up, punching me in the face. I slammed my fist into his face until they almost became conjoined.
"I hate you!" I screeched, punching him again. Mike and Tracy ran in. Mike grabbed me round my waist, wrenching me off Johnny and pulling me back as I frantically tried to punch him. I kicked as hard as I could, my hair flying wild, but Mike wouldn't let go. Then, I had a genius idea. I butted my head back into his stomach and he let go of me, wincing in pain. I took this opportunity to escape, picking up a chair from the corner of the room. I knew what to do next.
I threw the chair with all my might, and it flew into Johnny's face, knocking him unconscious, right into the sofa. The other kids were speechless and white with shock, as Tracy grabbed me, pulling me out of the room.
"Demon, this has happened too many times," said Mike sternly, after he had cleaned up the blood. He was pointing his finger at me in the manner of a strict school headmaster.
"Rude to point," I murmured.
"You have been here for less than two weeks, and in that time you have run away, threw orange juice over somebody and messed up somebody's bedroom-"
"I didn't do that," I protested.
"Now, you have knocked a child into unconscious using, of all things, a chair".
"I've also been hit by a speeding car, pushed down some stairs and been paralysed from the waist down," I pointed out.
"Your behaviour is not what we expected when we agreed that you could come to Elm Tree House, Demon. We don't accept this kind of behaviour from any of the other children, why should you be allowed to do this? We appreciate that on some of these occasions, your apparent rival Johnny has provoked you, but this is still unacceptable behaviour. And for that reason, we are finding a child anger issues psychiatrist".
"A what?" I asked, dumbfounded.
"A psychiatrist who can help you overcome your anger issues," Tracy explained.
"I don't need another psychiatrist," I protested.
"According to your file, you have already had over fifty psychiatrists. Fifty? That's ridiculous, Demon," said Mike.
"So why do you think that I'm going to cope with a fifty-first?"
"Demon, we want you to do this," said Gina.
"Fine," I agreed, stamping my foot for emphasis.
"However, you don't have to apologise to Johnny, because, as I see, he hurt you as much as you hurt him. It was a misunderstanding," said Mike.
Result, I thought.
"Let all your anger fill the balloon," said Jenica, the anger issue psychiatrist. It was the Saturday after I attacked Johnny (Wednesday) and I was in a group class; there were about fifteen children in there with me. It was ten minutes into the class, and I was hating every minute of it, wishing I could get out. I hated Mike for doing this. The only plus was that, before the class, I met two kids who became my best friends: Leela and Fletch. They're both pretty nice people.
Anyway, I really did let all my anger fill the balloon, and so it popped. A helper went off to get another one. It popped within a minute.
When they'd run out of balloons, most of them mine, we played some games which were designed to help us be a lot calmer in our attitude and our approach to people. They were terrible. Slightly fun, but there's no way they'd ever help make me calmer. After that, we all had to go into a little room and talk to Jenica about our anger issues. I told her about some of them, and she came up with some pretty wacky theories of why I was always angry.
By the end of the lesson, I promised to Leela and Fletch that I'd be back next week, and Tracy picked me up in her car.
"So, how'd it go?" she asked cheerily.
"I don't know. I didn't attack anybody, and I made some friends, but I don't think it's helped at all," I confessed.
"Well, on the plus side, Johnny's confessed to destroying Lily's room, so you're off the hook".
"Yes!" I said audibly.
Tracy stared.
"I mean, oh no, how sad".
"So... friends?" she enquired.
"Thalia and Fletch. Thalia's younger than me, Fletch is a bit older. They're not in care, but they have huge anger issues too," I divulged.
"Well, it's good you're making friends," she said, "oh, and also, we're all going to the seaside the weekend after next".
"Okay..." I said.
"And, also... erm".
"What?" I demanded.
"We've had a letter from your social worker Brett, who says that he's found a child called Siren who is your sister".
I gasped in shock.
"And, we've decided that she can come and stay at the Dumping Ground, since her foster family don't want her anymore. She's coming tomorrow".
"I don't have a sister".
"Exactly what we thought, but she even did a fingerprint DNA test – she is your biological sister".
Woah, I thought. This changes everything.
Next chapter
THE SISTER I NEVER KNEW I HAD