Grace laid down on Evan's bed. She was tired, and worried for her mom. Is she alive? Is she hurt? Or is she right around the corner, avoiding responsibility, avoiding life, avoiding...her. Grace started silently crying. She didn't know what do to. She can't live on her own like this, even if she is with Evan and Jose. Their mom is still bad, no matter what she does. The police will eventually find out that her mom was gone and that Grace and Hannah are living with the Guillens.
She thought of her dad. How could he leave her and Hannah like this? When they need him most? She was sad, angry, and worried, mainly for Hannah, but also for Evan and Jose. They are living a hard life too, possibly worse than her and Hannah. And there they are, Jose and Hannah, having fun, playing a PS2. No worries. No responsibility. No problems. And then there's Grace and Evan, with crappy mothers and no fathers. They do have worries, they do have responsibility, they do have problems. But they also have each other. They will be strong, they will fight the problems, they will take care of each other and their siblings. Whether they get help from the police or not.
"Why does it matter if I'm sitting down?! Tell me about my mother!" Evan said, loudly, but not to loudly so his mom wouldn't hear.
"Son, your mom has been, well, involved in drugs for years." The police officer said. But Evan already knows this. What could be so bad that he needed to sit down for, when his life was already bad? And why did the police officer keep calling him 'son' like he was child?
"Your mother has been illegally sneaking weapons, marijuana, cocaine, and a number of other illegal drugs into the state. This, and the fact that she has insulted a police officer to such a degree, means that we are forced to remove you and your brother from her custody."
The police officer paused and waited for Evan's reaction. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. What did he and his brother do to deserve this? Doesn't she care about them? And what about Grace and Hannah? What is gonna happen to them? Evan was taking all this in and trying to understand what the officer had just told him. He felt like he was hyperventilating, but not. He got sort of dizzy, but the ground and the wall weren't moving. He could just feel it. He felt a lump in his throat. Then the officer spoke again.
"You and your brother will be moved to an orphanage for young boys and girls. A married couple and their 3 children run the place. It is called St. Cuttlebone's Academy. You will receive a letter stating what time court will take place and when you will be placed under their care." He said.
Evan still couldn't find his voice. He felt like he failed Jose. Even Hannah and Grace. They would have to go back to their home, without their mother, and will probably have to be sent the St. Cuttlebone's Academy too. Then Evan had a thought. He had to find his voice so he could mention it to the officer. He cleared his throat. "Uh, officer?" Evan said. "Yes?" the officer said. "I also have, um, 2 sisters who are under my mom's care, sir." He said.
"Oh really? Is that so? I didn't see that in the record." He said. Uh-oh. He didn't want to put any more charges against his mom but, for Hannah and Grace's sake, he had to.
"My mom would never let them go out of the house and she gave birth to them outside of the country, sir." He said, wincing.
"Thank you for telling us that Mr. Wallace. I will add that to the list of charges for your mother and give them to the judge. What are your sister's names?" He asked.
"Uh, Grace and Hannah." Said Evan. "And their ages?" the officer asked. "Grace is 12 and Hannah is 8." He said.
"Alright, thank you." He said. The officer paused for a minute and then said, "Son? I am very sorry about your mother and the life that you will have to live without her."
"Thank you officer." Evan said, feeling sick. Evan said good bye to the officer and came out of the bathroom. He handed his mother the phone.
"What was that all about?" she asked. "Oh, I was just trying to help my friend figure out how to beat his new X-Box game." Evan said, saying what first came to mind. He walked into the bedroom and saw Grace fast asleep. Hannah and Jose were still playing their game. Evan decided to let them play and have fun, it might be their last day of real fun in their lives for awhile. Evan laid down on the floor with some blankets and told Jose and Hannah that they can share top bunk. Then Evan fell into an uneasy sleep, worrying about everything, still trying to except the fact that his mom had failed him and his brother, worrying about what would happen to the girls, worried about what this St. Cuttlebone's Academy would be like, and wondering what his mom would say when the letter arrived.
She thought of her dad. How could he leave her and Hannah like this? When they need him most? She was sad, angry, and worried, mainly for Hannah, but also for Evan and Jose. They are living a hard life too, possibly worse than her and Hannah. And there they are, Jose and Hannah, having fun, playing a PS2. No worries. No responsibility. No problems. And then there's Grace and Evan, with crappy mothers and no fathers. They do have worries, they do have responsibility, they do have problems. But they also have each other. They will be strong, they will fight the problems, they will take care of each other and their siblings. Whether they get help from the police or not.
"Why does it matter if I'm sitting down?! Tell me about my mother!" Evan said, loudly, but not to loudly so his mom wouldn't hear.
"Son, your mom has been, well, involved in drugs for years." The police officer said. But Evan already knows this. What could be so bad that he needed to sit down for, when his life was already bad? And why did the police officer keep calling him 'son' like he was child?
"Your mother has been illegally sneaking weapons, marijuana, cocaine, and a number of other illegal drugs into the state. This, and the fact that she has insulted a police officer to such a degree, means that we are forced to remove you and your brother from her custody."
The police officer paused and waited for Evan's reaction. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. What did he and his brother do to deserve this? Doesn't she care about them? And what about Grace and Hannah? What is gonna happen to them? Evan was taking all this in and trying to understand what the officer had just told him. He felt like he was hyperventilating, but not. He got sort of dizzy, but the ground and the wall weren't moving. He could just feel it. He felt a lump in his throat. Then the officer spoke again.
"You and your brother will be moved to an orphanage for young boys and girls. A married couple and their 3 children run the place. It is called St. Cuttlebone's Academy. You will receive a letter stating what time court will take place and when you will be placed under their care." He said.
Evan still couldn't find his voice. He felt like he failed Jose. Even Hannah and Grace. They would have to go back to their home, without their mother, and will probably have to be sent the St. Cuttlebone's Academy too. Then Evan had a thought. He had to find his voice so he could mention it to the officer. He cleared his throat. "Uh, officer?" Evan said. "Yes?" the officer said. "I also have, um, 2 sisters who are under my mom's care, sir." He said.
"Oh really? Is that so? I didn't see that in the record." He said. Uh-oh. He didn't want to put any more charges against his mom but, for Hannah and Grace's sake, he had to.
"My mom would never let them go out of the house and she gave birth to them outside of the country, sir." He said, wincing.
"Thank you for telling us that Mr. Wallace. I will add that to the list of charges for your mother and give them to the judge. What are your sister's names?" He asked.
"Uh, Grace and Hannah." Said Evan. "And their ages?" the officer asked. "Grace is 12 and Hannah is 8." He said.
"Alright, thank you." He said. The officer paused for a minute and then said, "Son? I am very sorry about your mother and the life that you will have to live without her."
"Thank you officer." Evan said, feeling sick. Evan said good bye to the officer and came out of the bathroom. He handed his mother the phone.
"What was that all about?" she asked. "Oh, I was just trying to help my friend figure out how to beat his new X-Box game." Evan said, saying what first came to mind. He walked into the bedroom and saw Grace fast asleep. Hannah and Jose were still playing their game. Evan decided to let them play and have fun, it might be their last day of real fun in their lives for awhile. Evan laid down on the floor with some blankets and told Jose and Hannah that they can share top bunk. Then Evan fell into an uneasy sleep, worrying about everything, still trying to except the fact that his mom had failed him and his brother, worrying about what would happen to the girls, worried about what this St. Cuttlebone's Academy would be like, and wondering what his mom would say when the letter arrived.