Part Two:
That day, Joey spoke to Cybil Lawson about his first foster kid. "It's gonna
be her first foster home, too," she said. "Her mother just died, and she has
no family that wants to take her."
Joey found out that the girl was named Lorilei Reid, and she was in grade
nine, the grade under Craig. "She has good school records, and should do very
well at Degrassi," Ms. Lawson said. "Her social worker will bring the rest
of the information and her records tomorrow."
That night, Joey talked to the kids about Lorilei coming to stay with them.
"She'll stay in the guest room," Joey said, glad that they had one more
avaliable. "She'll also be going to school with you, Craig, grade nine."
"Cool," Craig said, playing with his food.
"I'm gonna have a sister?" Angela asked excitedly. Craig couldn't help but
smile. It must be tough for her to have only a dad and a brother, he thought.
Maybe this won't be so bad, after all.
The next day (Saturday), the social worker, Mrs. Benson, brought Lorilei
to her foster home. Lorilei stared up at the house. It was pretty nice: a lot
nicer then the rundown apartment she'd been living in with her mom, before
she'd died of a herion overdose.
"Come on, Lori," Mrs. Benson said. Lori rolled her eyes: she was sick of
this woman, and was glad to get away from her. Even though I'm getting handed
over to strangers, she thought.
Even though Joey knew about Lori, Lori didn't know about him. She thought
she'd be living with a family that had a Mom, Dad, two kids, and an annoying
dog. She wasn't expecting widower Joey, his cute daughter Angela, and Angela's
half-brother Craig, an orphan like her.
Well, sorta. Lori's dad was very much alive. She'd never met him before.
Lori grabbed her one suitcase, which contained her few pieces of clothing and
some toiletrees, and a couple of her favorite books: "Little Women", and
"To Kill a Mockingbird".
Mrs. Benson seemed impatient to get the kid dropped off and head back to her
perfect little home and family. Lori was glad to help. She almost dashed up
to the porch and rang the doorbell.
Joey answered the door, and saw the girl: short and pale, with wire-rim
glasses (the foster department had just gotten her a new pair), short blond
hair that was as pale as her skin, and old-looking clothing. "You must be
Lorilei," he said, holding out his hand for a shake. Lori took it. "Lori,"
she said.
"I'm Joey. Come in," he said, letting her and Mrs. Benson step inside.
Mrs. Benson practically dropped the papers and ran out: she only stayed for
a minute or two, then left them at it.
Angela was there in seconds. "Hi!" she said to the stranger. Lori smiled
at the cute kid.
"Ang, this is Lori. Lori, this is my daughter Angela."
"Hi, Angela," Lori said. "Do you like to play with Barbies?"
"Yeah! Will you play with me?"
"After I put my stuff away. Would you like to help me?"
Before Angela could answer, Craig appeared. "Lori, this is my stepson, Craig."
"Hi," Lana said. Even though Craig was apprehensive about having her stay,
he remembered his manners. He shook hands, just as Joey had, and offered to
take her suitcase upstairs.
Everyone showed her to her new room, which looked like...well, a guest room:
plain, with old bedspread and curtains and plain furniture.
"Is this all you've got?" Craig asked, looking at the one suitcase. Lori
nodded, and they couldn't help but stare as she took out her few articles of
battered clothing.
"Tell you what," Joey said, "How about we go to the mall and get you some
new things: bedspread, curtains, clothing-"
"It's okay, Mr. Jeremiah," Lori said. "I know how "the system" works. I won't
be here for long, anyway..."
"Ang, Craig, you guys go on for a second," Joey said. "We'll be out in a
second." When they were gone, Joey closed the door behind them. "Lori, you
can call me Joey."
"Um...okay..."
"Also..." Joey said. "This is your first foster home, right? And you're my
first foster kid. So let's say we forget about what we've heard about "the
system" and do things our own way, okay? Just forget all about that..."
Lori couldn't help but smile. "Thanks," she said.
"So...mall?"
"Yeah, that'll be fun."
So Lori, Joey, Angela, and even Craig went to the mall to get Lori some
new things. Joey nearly maxed out his credit card buying all new clothes for
her, but he didn't care. After wearing second-hand clothes from Goodwill or
church handouts for years, Lori was in bliss. She bought all sorts of
cute clothes, not caring about style, but buying something of everything.
Craig had a good time to talking to her, and he realized that Lori was just
a nice girl. She is lucky to have Joey, he thought as she was buying some
new clothes. This wasn't such a bad idea, after all.
Read and review. Thanks.
That day, Joey spoke to Cybil Lawson about his first foster kid. "It's gonna
be her first foster home, too," she said. "Her mother just died, and she has
no family that wants to take her."
Joey found out that the girl was named Lorilei Reid, and she was in grade
nine, the grade under Craig. "She has good school records, and should do very
well at Degrassi," Ms. Lawson said. "Her social worker will bring the rest
of the information and her records tomorrow."
That night, Joey talked to the kids about Lorilei coming to stay with them.
"She'll stay in the guest room," Joey said, glad that they had one more
avaliable. "She'll also be going to school with you, Craig, grade nine."
"Cool," Craig said, playing with his food.
"I'm gonna have a sister?" Angela asked excitedly. Craig couldn't help but
smile. It must be tough for her to have only a dad and a brother, he thought.
Maybe this won't be so bad, after all.
The next day (Saturday), the social worker, Mrs. Benson, brought Lorilei
to her foster home. Lorilei stared up at the house. It was pretty nice: a lot
nicer then the rundown apartment she'd been living in with her mom, before
she'd died of a herion overdose.
"Come on, Lori," Mrs. Benson said. Lori rolled her eyes: she was sick of
this woman, and was glad to get away from her. Even though I'm getting handed
over to strangers, she thought.
Even though Joey knew about Lori, Lori didn't know about him. She thought
she'd be living with a family that had a Mom, Dad, two kids, and an annoying
dog. She wasn't expecting widower Joey, his cute daughter Angela, and Angela's
half-brother Craig, an orphan like her.
Well, sorta. Lori's dad was very much alive. She'd never met him before.
Lori grabbed her one suitcase, which contained her few pieces of clothing and
some toiletrees, and a couple of her favorite books: "Little Women", and
"To Kill a Mockingbird".
Mrs. Benson seemed impatient to get the kid dropped off and head back to her
perfect little home and family. Lori was glad to help. She almost dashed up
to the porch and rang the doorbell.
Joey answered the door, and saw the girl: short and pale, with wire-rim
glasses (the foster department had just gotten her a new pair), short blond
hair that was as pale as her skin, and old-looking clothing. "You must be
Lorilei," he said, holding out his hand for a shake. Lori took it. "Lori,"
she said.
"I'm Joey. Come in," he said, letting her and Mrs. Benson step inside.
Mrs. Benson practically dropped the papers and ran out: she only stayed for
a minute or two, then left them at it.
Angela was there in seconds. "Hi!" she said to the stranger. Lori smiled
at the cute kid.
"Ang, this is Lori. Lori, this is my daughter Angela."
"Hi, Angela," Lori said. "Do you like to play with Barbies?"
"Yeah! Will you play with me?"
"After I put my stuff away. Would you like to help me?"
Before Angela could answer, Craig appeared. "Lori, this is my stepson, Craig."
"Hi," Lana said. Even though Craig was apprehensive about having her stay,
he remembered his manners. He shook hands, just as Joey had, and offered to
take her suitcase upstairs.
Everyone showed her to her new room, which looked like...well, a guest room:
plain, with old bedspread and curtains and plain furniture.
"Is this all you've got?" Craig asked, looking at the one suitcase. Lori
nodded, and they couldn't help but stare as she took out her few articles of
battered clothing.
"Tell you what," Joey said, "How about we go to the mall and get you some
new things: bedspread, curtains, clothing-"
"It's okay, Mr. Jeremiah," Lori said. "I know how "the system" works. I won't
be here for long, anyway..."
"Ang, Craig, you guys go on for a second," Joey said. "We'll be out in a
second." When they were gone, Joey closed the door behind them. "Lori, you
can call me Joey."
"Um...okay..."
"Also..." Joey said. "This is your first foster home, right? And you're my
first foster kid. So let's say we forget about what we've heard about "the
system" and do things our own way, okay? Just forget all about that..."
Lori couldn't help but smile. "Thanks," she said.
"So...mall?"
"Yeah, that'll be fun."
So Lori, Joey, Angela, and even Craig went to the mall to get Lori some
new things. Joey nearly maxed out his credit card buying all new clothes for
her, but he didn't care. After wearing second-hand clothes from Goodwill or
church handouts for years, Lori was in bliss. She bought all sorts of
cute clothes, not caring about style, but buying something of everything.
Craig had a good time to talking to her, and he realized that Lori was just
a nice girl. She is lucky to have Joey, he thought as she was buying some
new clothes. This wasn't such a bad idea, after all.
Read and review. Thanks.
