Chapter three

"Caty? Is that you?"

I ushered Pierre up the stairs and into my room, leaning over the banisters and shouting "Uh, yeah mom, it's just me, I'm just going up to my room okay?"

"Okay, just don't go exploring again, I'm going to clear out the garage today."

"Okay." Running into my room I sighed with relief. "See? My mom is clearing out the garage and if you hadn't come with me you…" I stopped abruptly. "Hey, don't touch that. Pierre was prodding and poking a glass dolphin on the shelves. I snatched his hands away and he withdrew it quickly, looking at me cautiously.

"Hey, it's okay, I'm sorry. Here" I handed him the glass figure "It's a dolphin, see?" I reached inside my bag and pulled out a chocolate bar. It was a wonka bar, the kind that really fizzes in your mouth and makes you tingle, my favourite. Resentfully, I handed it to Pierre. She stuffed it in his mouth in one go, sticking out his tongue and licking the melted parts from around his sticky face, slurping it off his fingers and smiling, pleased. He rubbed his stomach.

"Good food, brown thing good for Pierre." He had a small block on his shirt, he picked it up and shoved it at teddy's sewn on mouth. It stuck there making the material all greasy. I laughed for what seemed the first time in ages.

"Okay, now, do you want to go back to your mommy?"

"No, want to go back to garage." He shook his head furiously, his hair becoming sruffier by the second.

"Well, there are three other options, go to the orphanage."

"NO" he screamed. I put my hand over his mouth, worried that mom might hear.

"Live on the street."

Again, he shook his head. I took my hand away and he asked.

"What is the other one?"

"The other one is go back to your home."

He sat for a moment in thought, bouncing slightly on my new, springy mattress. Finally, after a few minutes he said

"Home. Pierre and teddy will go home."

I smiled success at long last, I thought. "Come on then, let's go to the police station then."