Hey everyone… EmMa is back from the dead!!!
Chapter 9
The Foster Home
Tessa woke up the next morning, on her couch, with no one home in the house but her. She had never ever felt so alone in her life. Her dad was gone, Cameron was in the hospital, and sure as anything, Teddy was mad at her for running away last night. She did what any other girl would do when they felt alone… she called Sophie.
"Hello?"
"Hey, Sophie, it's Tessa."
"Hey girl! How is your dad?"
"He didn't make it, Sophie."
"Oh dear God, I am so sorry."
Tessa had silent tears streaming down her face, she didn't have enough sob left in her so really cry.
"And I couldn't talk to anyone last night so I took off to the tree house and Teddy and Chris were up until 3:30 in the morning looking for me. I think that they are both really mad at me."
"I am sure that they aren't mad, I mean how could they?"
"I hope you are right. Hey do you want to come over here? I don't know if I can stay here by myself just waiting for the doctor to call."
"Yea, I'll come over in a minute."
Tessa and Sophie hung up. Tessa got changed into her clothes and made her way to the swing set on her porch. She sat on the swing and remembered when they put that in. That was the last thing that was added to their new house when they moved in. Her dad and Cameron lifted this swing up and moved it three stairs up to the porch. They called that "the solid" because dad said that they would never move that again after they move it to the porch. The night that they moved in, Tessa and her dad stayed on that porch until Tessa fell asleep. She loved her father so much and really didn't want to think about what was going to happen to her.
She looked over at the street and saw Sophie walking towards her.
"Hey Tessa." Sophie said softly
"Hi."
"Tessa, it is raining, you really should be getting inside."
Tessa was thinking so deeply, she didn't even realize that it was raining outside. She got up and her and Sophie went into the house.
"Tess, do you think that the doctor is going to get you a foster home until Cameron is of age out of Castle Rock?"
"Well I am not really sure, I mean he hasn't called back but he called one of the foster home places and they are going to try to find one here or in one of the surrounding towns, but if I am close enough then I am not changing schools."
"That's good."
"Yea, I would probably run back here if I didn't, I would live with Cameron even if I am not supposed to."
"My house is a good hideout, I mean if they look here then I will be home for you to run to." Sophie smiled.
The two girls laughed a little but then stopped because they realized what this meant. Tessa didn't know who she was going to be left with. To tell you the truth at this moment, she was hoping that one of her friends parents wanted to adopt a kid for a year, but she knew that that wasn't happening.
"Tessa, what can we do in this house that can take your mind off of things?"
"Well we can call Teddy and see if he is mad at me."
"I'll do that." Sophie smiled at the fact that what she wanted to do was an easy task. She got up and went to the phone.
She called Teddy.
"Hello?"
"Hey Teddy, this is Sophie, I am at Tessa's house and she wants to know if you are mad at her."
"Not really, I mean I was last night, but when I thought about it I really couldn't be mad at her."
"Wanna talk to her?"
"Certainly."
Sophie held the phone mouth piece, "Tessa, he's not mad… talk to him."
"Coming."
"Hello? Teddy?"
"Hey I am sorry for getting mad last night I really---"
"Don't, don't be sorry it was my fault for running away, I should have told you where I was going. I didn't mean to keep you guys up all night."
"It's ok. I am really sorry about your dad. Who is with you?"
"It's just me and Sophie."
"Cool."
"Yea, I am I have to get off the line I am waiting for a call from the doctor or the foster home. Stop by if you get a chance today."
"I may a bit later, I have to do some errands for my father first."
"I love you Teddy."
"I love you more." And with that, Teddy hung up. Tessa and Sophie went in to make themselves a bite to eat. There was a knock on the door. Tessa went into see who it was. She opened the door and Tobii had her arms around Tessa.
"Oh Tessa I am so sorry, is your dad ok? What about Cameron?"
"Tobii. Tobii, let me go for a minute." Tobii dropped her arms. "Thank you, Well my dad is gone and Cameron will be out of the hospital in 2 days but I cant stay with him until he turns 19. "
The room got silent while Tobii backed away, "What are you going to do?"
Tessa explained to her what was happening. Then Tessa, Tobii, and Sophie sat down on the couch. Tessa had turned the couch around so it faced this big window. Tessa had always loved to watch lightening and rain. For some reason, it made her happy. They sat and talked about this that and the next thing until there was another knock on the door. Tessa opened it. It was Teddy who was sopping wet.
Tessa started to laugh. Teddy's dirty blond bangs were hanging in front of his face. They were dripping wet. His glasses were fogged up and he stumbled in and sat down on one of the empty wooden chairs in the living room.
"A little wet there Teddy?" Sophie said giggling at him.
"Just a tad."
"I really didn't think that it was raining that hard out." Tessa smiled.
"It is."
Teddy got off the chair and bear hugged Tessa. She started to laugh and was now soaking wet. He kissed her.
"Hey… hey, get a room back there." Sophie shouted.
All of them had a bit of a lighter spirit since Teddy got there.
The phone rang. Tessa swallowed hard and went into the kitchen to get the phone.
"Hello?"
"Hello. Tessa Walker please."
"Speaking."
"This is Hand on Foster Home Service Company of Oregon. We have found some place for you to go, in Castle Rock, for the next year."
"I hate to interrupt but I am only staying for 5 months."
"Sorry, well I have met the people and they seem very nice, they even have a daughter around your age. You better start packing, we are sending someone to pick you up in about 2 hours."
"Thank you" They hung up. Tessa was smiling, she was really happy that she would be staying in Castle Rock.
She walked into the living room, Sophie and Tobii were on the couch, looking out the window. Teddy was still slouched down on the wooden chair.
"Guess what people?!?"
"What?" Tobii asked
"They found someone who will take me for the next five months… IN CASTLE ROCK!!" Tessa screamed.
"That's great Tess." Teddy exclaimed.
"I am supposed to start packing. You guys can leave if you want to."
Tessa turned around and went into her bedroom, she had most of her cloths packed from the night before.
Teddy said to Tobii and Sophie: "You guys go, I'll stay with Tessa."
Teddy went over to Tessa's room. He knocked on the door.
"C'mon in."
Teddy opened the door and Tessa was sitting down on the floor folding her cloths into two piles, shirts and jeans. She was crying.
"Tessa, what's the matter?"
"Teddy, I don't wanna go. Why did my dad have to die? How am I going to make it, even if they do have a girl my age."
"They have a girl you age?"
"Yea, I guess I forgot to mention that."
"Well I am sure that you will be fine there, and think about it, you will be back here, with Cameron, in only 5 months." Teddy looked back at Tessa, she was still crying. He went over to her and put his arm around her. "You will be ok."
Tessa finished packing, three hours later and went into the living room. Her and Teddy waited for the people to pick her up.
"Your right."
"What?"
"Well mean about being ok. If the people are nice, than it can't be that terrible and I still have you and all the rest of my friends to go to if it gets bad."
Teddy smiled, "You're beautiful."
A horn went off outside. It had stopped raining for the moment and they loaded all Tessa's stuff into the truck. Tessa ran back into her house for a minute, into her father's room and took a picture that was on his dresser, it was of Tessa, him and Cameron the day they moved into that house. From that day on, Tessa had that picture on her always.
In the truck there wasn't much talking. There was nothing to say. The truck pulled up in front of a house only about 6 blocks away from Tessa's house. Tessa at first saw two people standing in the front of the house. They were smiling. It was a nice house, average size.
Tessa looked over at Teddy, maybe just to see if he knew who they were. Or maybe just for his opinion. When she looked at him he was really pale. Paler than she had ever seen anyone.
"What?"
"Those are Paige's parents."
Dear diary,
I have a house now. I am sitting in the car waiting for the people to start to unpack our things. I really am not going to be writing much, but here goes. I am going to live here or only 5 months, and I don't really know how this is going to work out. The people are calling. I will write more tonight, when everything is "settled"
~Tessa333