In The Best Interest--"The Letter"
*PWease review...I'll finish TOB soon...I guess...I don't really know how to get back on it...I'll work on it over the week...*
Peter opened Riley's file. Riley and Nikki were sitting across from him, fidgeting. "How was it at your dad's, Riley?" Peter asked. "I hate him," Riley snapped. "Why?"
"He left me and mom...And took my sisters. Turned them against her. She's sick."
"Flu-sick? Cancer sick?"
"No. Sick in the head."
Peter sighed. "Riley, you should be proud of yourself." He said calmly. "Why?"
"Not many kids open up."
"I wasn't opening up, I just don't think I should be embarassed that my mom is nuts. At least not to someone I don't know.
"I love my mom, Peter. Don't think I don't...It' just, I can't handle taking care of her sometimes. And when DEFACS took me away I was relieved and angry."
"What about this letter?" Peter asked, holding up a letter from a year ago. Riley looked at Nikki who's face turned bitter. "What about it?" she asked.
'Riley, This looks pretty stupid, doesn't it? We can always talk on the phone. Right? I just want to make sure. I'm running away. I swear, I'm serious this time. I'm sick of the yelling. Being the house slave. Not having anyone to talk to except you and my uncle that is god knows where now. I wish I could talk to Mrs. P but I'm scared she'll just ignore me, even though I think I know that she won't. SHe's not like mom. She's not like the other teachers and thereapists and counselors. If you don't wanna come I understand. I love your mom, and I know that she'll get hurt or something if you're not there. The slave master just got done yelling at me. Why...I'm three minutes past my bedtime. Jordan and Taryn (his darling angels, remember that) are still up, thirty-three minutes past their bedtime. I'll talk to you later. "next time he catches me I'm gonna get my ass whooped". So I better go. Your friend Kristyn.
"That's MINE!" Nikki yelled and snatched it from Peter angrily. "How'd you get this?!" She screamed, "this is MINE, my private letter! No one was suppose to know!" she cried. "Nikki, I'm sorry, it was on your file. If I knew that it would make you upset I wouldn't have read it," he apologized.
"Peter, what's our punishment?" Riley asked. "I want you two to write in these journals. Put your feelings down. The only pages I'll read are the ones you don't mark as 'don't read', okay? Put your true feelings. There are certain pages that have questions. Fill them in as you go." Peter explained. "That's it?" Nikki asked.
"I think...I think that you two are angry. At yourselves, your parents, your home life, everything. SOme kids, shuns work. For you guys, I think getting your anger out will help, rather than punishing you. But I would like to know why you get into a fight?"
"Sam said something about charter. He doesn't know anything about it. It's not a mental institution. My mother went there. It's for depression." Riley mumbled angrily, "so when he said it like it's for crazy people I said 'take it back' and he wanted. Nikki didn't do anything she just tried to protect me." Riley explained.
"Okay. Thanks for telling the truth."
"Whatever," Riley answered and two filed out.
*PWease review...I'll finish TOB soon...I guess...I don't really know how to get back on it...I'll work on it over the week...*
Peter opened Riley's file. Riley and Nikki were sitting across from him, fidgeting. "How was it at your dad's, Riley?" Peter asked. "I hate him," Riley snapped. "Why?"
"He left me and mom...And took my sisters. Turned them against her. She's sick."
"Flu-sick? Cancer sick?"
"No. Sick in the head."
Peter sighed. "Riley, you should be proud of yourself." He said calmly. "Why?"
"Not many kids open up."
"I wasn't opening up, I just don't think I should be embarassed that my mom is nuts. At least not to someone I don't know.
"I love my mom, Peter. Don't think I don't...It' just, I can't handle taking care of her sometimes. And when DEFACS took me away I was relieved and angry."
"What about this letter?" Peter asked, holding up a letter from a year ago. Riley looked at Nikki who's face turned bitter. "What about it?" she asked.
'Riley, This looks pretty stupid, doesn't it? We can always talk on the phone. Right? I just want to make sure. I'm running away. I swear, I'm serious this time. I'm sick of the yelling. Being the house slave. Not having anyone to talk to except you and my uncle that is god knows where now. I wish I could talk to Mrs. P but I'm scared she'll just ignore me, even though I think I know that she won't. SHe's not like mom. She's not like the other teachers and thereapists and counselors. If you don't wanna come I understand. I love your mom, and I know that she'll get hurt or something if you're not there. The slave master just got done yelling at me. Why...I'm three minutes past my bedtime. Jordan and Taryn (his darling angels, remember that) are still up, thirty-three minutes past their bedtime. I'll talk to you later. "next time he catches me I'm gonna get my ass whooped". So I better go. Your friend Kristyn.
"That's MINE!" Nikki yelled and snatched it from Peter angrily. "How'd you get this?!" She screamed, "this is MINE, my private letter! No one was suppose to know!" she cried. "Nikki, I'm sorry, it was on your file. If I knew that it would make you upset I wouldn't have read it," he apologized.
"Peter, what's our punishment?" Riley asked. "I want you two to write in these journals. Put your feelings down. The only pages I'll read are the ones you don't mark as 'don't read', okay? Put your true feelings. There are certain pages that have questions. Fill them in as you go." Peter explained. "That's it?" Nikki asked.
"I think...I think that you two are angry. At yourselves, your parents, your home life, everything. SOme kids, shuns work. For you guys, I think getting your anger out will help, rather than punishing you. But I would like to know why you get into a fight?"
"Sam said something about charter. He doesn't know anything about it. It's not a mental institution. My mother went there. It's for depression." Riley mumbled angrily, "so when he said it like it's for crazy people I said 'take it back' and he wanted. Nikki didn't do anything she just tried to protect me." Riley explained.
"Okay. Thanks for telling the truth."
"Whatever," Riley answered and two filed out.