Thanks to Justice237 for reviewing.

Guys, guys, guys, guys. I finished another story. I finished the one called "The little girl". So that one is officially finished. And there's only one single chapter left of "Dancing in the rain" which I should start writing any day now. But as I just put up the full playlist on that one I wanted to update some other story too and here we are.

"Oh dear…"

Trenton grimaced right after we had heard the front door to Ashdene Ridge slam after Michael running away. I just felt like I should run, and quickly tell Mike before Michael had had the time to get anywhere. But running wasn't the easiest for me in my state and both I and Trenton were frozen for a few seconds until we heard Mike in the office and then we both hurried into the hallway.

"Who was that running outside?" Mike asked. "It's past seven and it's getting dark outside. I know you guys aren't babies and many of you are perfectly old enough to go outside at night but then I'm not saying I appreciate it and especially not if you don't let me know first."

"It wasn't one of the younger ones." Trenton said and grimaced in distress. "But it was Michael and I accidentally kind of talked about him and I didn't know he was listening and now he's really hurt. And… I think we need to find him again as soon as possible."

"Hu- hurt?"

"Yes. Hurt. He's been bullied. But it's a long story and I don't want to explain it now. Michael's run away. And I don't know where or how far away." He pushed Mike away and then headed for the door. "MICHAEL?" He shouted right out into the early evening. "MICHAEL? I'm sorry for what I said. But please just… just come back."

For just a moment this whole world seemed all quiet and still, then I saw the devastated look on Trenton's face when he turned, walked back into the house closing the door after him several doors on the second floor started opening when several of the dumping ground's residents made their way downstairs into the hallway.

"I'll check through the garden." Trenton grabbed his jacket. "Did any of you see Michael through your windows when he ran outside?" Children were starting to gather in the stairs and Trenton looked hopeful when he glanced over them- the look then disappeared when he was only met by shakes of the head's and no's. "Well…" He looked to his side and suddenly noticed something. "His jacket is still here." He grabbed it. "In case he's here, I'll talk to him."

Holding onto Michael's blue jacket and with his own black Trenton left the hallway in what felt like pitch silence. In the stairs were standing several of the others, more joining them as we heard Trenton shouting for our blonde friend. And May- Li coming out of the office right before Trenton came back through the doorway.

"He's not in the garden. And I went down the driveway too and looked in every direction and he's not there neither." He sighed and I could almost hear the way his mind told him this was all his fault.

"It's not your fault." I tried, Trenton shrugged and I gave him a quick hug. "It could have happened to me or to anyone in here too. And you didn't know he was listening…" All of a sudden I could feel a moving inside of me. "…And look. Boo agrees with me too."

Trenton gave a small smile but it didn't reach his eyes. Meanwhile Mike decided what to do and let us others know at last.

"Okay, Trenton. You come with me. Kenny, you go with May- Li. And… Tee?" The blonde girl stood in the stairs and nodded. "And… Carmen… Can you two keep an eye on everyone and everything until we get back."

Mike didn't wait for an answer before he took his jacket and I and May- Li took ours. One second later I and the others sat in our car and Mike and May- Li drove in opposite directions as soon as we were out of the driveway. May- Li had to keep her eyes on the street but I was looking around and around and wishing that I had at least ten more pairs of eyes so I could look in all directions at once.

"He has blonde hair…" When we were back at the dumping ground Mike called the police after not finding a single track of our friend. "…He has a round face and he's dressed in blue jeans, a blue hoodie and blue sneakers. His name is Michael J. Caboose. I'm at Ashdene Ridge… thank you."

Mike hung up and threw his cellphone on the kitchen counter. Around in the kitchen everyone were gathered and everyone worried about our blonde, round- cheeked friend. Sure Michael was childish and naïve- I did recognize his ways comparing them to my mum's and her friends'.

But I couldn't have imagined what they all- including Michael felt like every time someone refused to just give them a chance.

You guys should all go to bed." Mike said. "Michael won't be found any more just because you've stayed up."

Nobody moved and Mike didn't force us to. He just put the kettle on to make coffee and then leaned against the counter in waiting for a police officer or two to arrive.

"It's okay." Trenton sat facing the table and all of his ten fingers wrapped in his hair and I patted his shoulder. "This isn't your fault."

Trenton didn't answer. But the first one to be left with the police and Mike to talk about what he knew about Michael and try and find any clue about where Michael might run away as of now.

"The thing is…" Once back in our room neither I nor Minnie could sleep and Mike had told us he'd call to all of our respective schools and tell them we wouldn't come to school on Monday after staying up all night. "…Trenton's my best friend you know…" Minnie nodded. "…I don't think this is his fault… I don't. But I do hate seeing him so hurt and upset and I was thinking someone hates seeing Michael like that… But Michael doesn't have anyone like that does he? He doesn't have anyone as I have Trenton? Or you and me? He just doesn't have… Well maybe he does at school. What do I know about Michael's life? What do we know? None of us have ever taken the time to really get to know him. He's around and most of us love him. He's friends with Floss and Harry and Jody and so many others but… none of us at the dumping has really taken the time to get to know him…"

"I will if he come back."

"Yeah…" I nodded. "…Now, lay down and sleep Minnie. I'm sure that when you and I and everybody else wake up in the morning Michael will be back."

"You think?"

"I think."

Michael wasn't back when we woke up in the morning.

And he wasn't back soon enough for social services to say yes about missing people to go up on Facebook and put up a picture of him.

While all of this happened Trenton didn't move much from his spot by the kitchen table sitting with head in his hands and all ten fingers wrapped in his hair.

"Did they put it on Facebook yet?" He asked when I sat down on Tuesday morning when the others had left for school. Trenton hadn't moved much, hadn't slept- probably had a temperature and hadn't gone. "About Michael? That missing people group?

"Yes…" I showed him but he just turned away. "Do you want me to read it to you? All of these kind of say the same but I guess it's something else if it's someone you know…" Trenton nodded. I looked down on my phone again, and suppressed a sigh.

I had just always thought when I saw these posts on Facebook- real missing or just abusive partners that wanted to get their partners back…

The photo was one of Michael, as usual with a bright smile on his face and eating one of his Snickers ice cream- cones.

Description

Michael J. Caboose, 12 years old. Ran away from his home at Ashdene Ridge care home, Newcastle on the evening of February the fourteenth. Michael is of average height, has blonde hair, a round face and blue eyes. At the moment of disappearing he was most likely dressed in blue jeans, a blue hoodie and blue sneakers.

If anyone has heard anything about Michael please inform the police…

"…And then it's just the phone number." I finished for Trenton. "My Gosh. We just have to find him. Or someone else or anything.. I can't stand the thought of not knowing where he is."

I couldn't stand the thought of knowing where he was. The last few weeks I had stayed in my room or other parts of Ashdene Ridge but after Michael disappeared and we sent out a description on Internet and on Facebook- everyone had a Facebook profile, someone would have to see it. Someone who knew something at all.

Every time I went out I expected to see him around the next corner, every time I came out the door, every time someone knocked on the door I went to take it before anyone else had the time and I haven't moved so fast in months. By Sunday the 22th, when Michael had been gone for almost ten days we had all just kind of lost hope, and when I went to take it, I closed my eyes and hoped that this would be it.

It wasn't Michael. It was a woman I had never seen before.

"Yes?" I asked a bit insecurely because only social workers and police or people we knew at least. But something about this woman was making me uncomfortable. And when she didn't answer it didn't exactly make that feeling any better. "Can I do something for you?"

Still, the woman didn't saw anything. Then at last she took a deep, heavy breath and spoke…

"Hello. Is there a care worker or a social worker around here?" I nodded. "May I talk to them? My name is Allison."

"Come in." I asked her and stepped away from the door, she- just as well as everyone else by now glanced to my large belly hoping that I wouldn't notice it and wondering why someone of my age was pregnant. "I'll go get Mike."

"Here." I flinched when suddenly Mike was right behind me all of a sudden. "Sorry… I didn't mean to make you jump. I'm sorry if I'm being rude but usually people have to be approved by the social services to… Never mind. What did you say your name was?"

Allison fingered more with her cap and nervously looked in another direction. She was sort of crouched as if she was afraid one of us would hit her or something.

It sent shivers down my spine but Mike must know that look after all of the years he'd spent working with kinds in care from all kinds of backgrounds.

"My name is Allison. I saw on the Internet that you're looking for Michael…." She swallowed hard. "And I'm Michael's mum."

Mike's eyes grew wide and the pencil he was holding onto fell to the floor.

I couldn't say that I was any less surprised than what he had looked. But of course from our files Mike knew them more detailed…

"It's been a long time." Allison said nervously while she pulled her hat off and started fingering with it. "I've… I've been looking for an excuse to come and find him. To meet him again. To at least find out what he's like these days. But I didn't know what the ones from the social services would think about that so I never did… Have you found him?"

Just as she asked that Trenton walked by and heard, and while I and Mike was still choosing our words he had continued to go back into the kitchen. I and Mike sent a quick look to each other before I continued after Trenton and sat down next to him by the table.

Once again Trenton sat with his fingers wrapped in his hair and seemed to have all of the world's problem on his shoulders.

Then for a while, what felt like hours I and him only sat there in silence. For a while we could hear Mike and Allison talking. But with their voices muffled by sounding through the walls we couldn't hear what they were saying.

"So if she never gets to meet her son…" Trenton started, but never got any further before Mike came in and interrupted him.

"Then it will not be your fault… Anyway, I want to talk to you for another reason. Right before Allison came here we had a phone call. Matt called us." A smile grew on Mike's lips. "And he's very willing to meet you again- and now only you."

For just a second a shadow of a smile was seen on Trenton's lips. Then he looked down and stared into his teacup again.

"Trent…" Mike sat down next to Trenton and patted his shoulder. "This isn't your fault. Loads of people have been saying bad stuff about Michael. Bullied him and hurt him. Something you said could never have caused all that and you're a very good person… If anyone deserves the future in a family of his own it's you. Of course you can still say no if you don't want any of this, but it did sound like Matthew Dunn wanted to meet you again and it did look like it too when he was here."

Trenton didn't answer, he hadn't to a lot these past few days. He had smiled even less and he didn't now either. Mike's smile had died out and the moment with us all ended with us three all sitting silent around the table.

We must have been thinking about the same two things though…

…Of course it was a good thing if Trenton was to get fostered…

But where was Michael?

"real missing or just abusive partners that wanted to get their partners back…" Well, over here is this company called missing people. And they put on Facebook when someone actually is missing. Then, on Facebook. I can share those (mostly if it's someone coming from the part of Sweden I'm from) or the police. I do never EVER share anything else because there are abused wives/ children/ partners and so and people living under a secret identity who have been found that way so I just wanted to spread it… Yeah, do not ever spread that if you don't know where it comes from- end! Class dismissed.

Random fact

While writing this chapter I suddenly saw that Michael's story might seem alike Bailey's with an Allison suddenly turning up. But Allison was her name in Michael's form when it was sent to me and I think that was before Bailey's episode when his "mum" turned up. So you'll just have to trust me that it won't be the same.

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