12;

"Good morning children! I know there are a handful of your friends still sleeping in the other room, so if you'd let them know what I say here I would appreciate it."

David stood motionless, his feet planted to the ground and body stiff. He managed to convey his movements through his arms and facial expressions only.

"I know it may be hard to believe, but it's been a little over a month and a half now since I've taken over as caretaker. Time flies doesn't it?" His chuckle could wake those even in a deep sleep. "I'm pleased to say there are some new faces here as well as some older ones absent. This is due to effort on my half to increase the fostering and adoption rates. Though they're better, they're still not where they could be, and I will continue to improve them as best I can. I'd also like to announce the second of, hopefully, many more changes."

He gestured over toward the dining room. "When the time strikes, I'm sure you'll notice the different options you're presented with for breakfast." He glanced over at Tino who was watching intently. "Based on a suggestion the day I arrived I managed to work the budget to allow some new items for breakfast. It won't be like this every day, but do expect it at least once a week." His grin reappeared. "I hope this is pleasing to most of you. I'll keep doing what I can to improve this place, so expect more changes soon!" He spun in place and disappeared through the door and back into his office.

Tino was mostly boastful at this point while staring straight at Riley. "See, what'd I tell ya? I suggested something and he did it. He's cool."

"It took him a month to get us breakfast. So what?"

"Just admit you're wrong."

Riley ignored him and thought out loud. "Why couldn't Edgar do that the entire time he was here?"

"I don't know, maybe he just wasn't good with money. Why does that matter?"

Riley stood up and heading to the kitchen door, ignoring Tino's question once again.

He threw his hands out in disbelief. "What are you doing?"

"Relax. I'm just going to ask Evette what she's serving."

"What does that matter?"

"I want to know what food your superhero got for us."

"I swear…"

"Come on, Ellie."

Without hesitation Ellie jumped up from her seat and jogged over to Riley as she was walking to the kitchen door, the two of them leaving Tino behind in frustration at the table. They made their way through the eating area and into the small adjacent hallway, opening the door on their left into the kitchen.

It was still half an hour until breakfast was to be served and most of the food was still in their skillets and pots, one of which was being stirred by the hand of Evette's assistant and another by a man they didn't recognize. He wasn't much taller than the girls and he had a hairnet on that was transparent enough to see through to his short brown hair.

Riley quickly glanced around the kitchen and then straight at the new man. "Who the hell are you?"

He spun around, surprised by the sudden question from nowhere. "My name is James. Who are you?"

"Riley. Where's Evette?"

"I've been assigned as her replacement."

"...replacement?"

"Also children aren't allowed in here. Please leave."

The girls stood there for a moment in confusion before Ellie tugged at Riley prompting them both to leave the kitchen.

Ellie exited first and started her way back toward the great room. "What the hell, where's Evette? She was just here yesterday."

The lack of a response forced her to turn around and to spot Riley walking the other direction towards the basement door. She watched as she twisted the knob and tugged on it.

Riley turned around and scoffed. "It's locked. Of course it is. We need to go talk to David."

"Why?"

"I guarantee he did this. I want to know why."

"What about Tino?"

"Leave him. He'd just take his side."

Ellie sighed as she figured it'd be impossible to persuade Riley otherwise and followed her into David's office.

Riley's voice was forceful and full of blatant accusation. "What happened to Evette?"

The sudden noise caused David to recoil in his chair and grab hold of his desk. "Jesus girls, you can't come barging in like that. You'll give a man a heart attack." He closed a notebook he was scribbling in and pushed it to the side with the pencil laid atop.

"Evette."

He grinned again though with less enthusiasm. "Hello Riley, Ellie. I'm happy to speak with you, but please lose the attitude. It won't do you any favors."

Riley stayed quiet and kept staring down the man. Ellie nervously alternated her focus back and forth between the two of them.

"Yes, about Evette. The thing about working with finances is that sometimes decisions have to be made that aren't quite… popular in order to ensure that we can stay within the budget. Unfortunately, Evette was an expense that we could no longer afford. She refused a pay cut so I let her go and hired on James to take over her position. He'll also be working around the building doing whatever tasks are required."

"And how'd you manage the new breakfast if money is tight?"

"Because, Riley, I've known James for some time now. He's worked for me before and he happily does his job for less. He's quite good as well. With the money I saved with his hiring I was able to add a couple of things to breakfast and still come out ahead. Understand?"

"He kicked us out of the kitchen."

"I'm not surprised." David let out a small chuckle. "James is a peculiar man."

"He's an asshole."

"He may be lacking in his social capabilities, and is quite strict for rules, but I'd appreciate it if you didn't insult him, he's a good man. If he kicked you out, don't take it personally. It's just how he is."

Ellie spoke up from the side, breaking off from her observational position. "What about the basement door? Why is it locked?"

David took a deep breath and leaned forward from his chair, arms resting on his desk. "The basement is the cook's responsibility. Since it is James's now, if he wants to keep it locked, that's his prerogative. Besides, there should be no reason you're going down there. Anything else I can answer for you?"

Ellie thought for a moment and shook her head. Riley chose to be more vocal and direct. "No."

He leaned back against his chair. "Good!" He grabbed his pencil and slid his notebook back in front of him. "Now get along. Breakfast will be served soon."

They were verbally forced out of the office and took a spot near the opening to the great area.

Riley crossed her arms at the situation. "Bullshit. Everything he says is bullshit." She hastily moved her way over to Tino who was still sitting on the couch. "Hey Tino, your buddy in there fired Evette because of you."

Tino quickly leaned up in annoyance from the sudden accusation. "What are you talking about?"

"Because of your stupid suggestion about breakfast he fired Evette and hired some freak to take over. Happy?"

"Jesus Riley, calm down. No I'm not happy, but if David replaced Evette I'm sure he has a good reason, alright? I liked Evette too, but it's not like you two were friends. I've been here longer than you and, if anything, she and I were closer than you two were. Why are you taking this so personally?"

Riley paused and bit her lip while she thought. "Fuck, I don't know. All I know is that there's something messed up about him and you're not seeing it."

A pair of hands rested themselves on both of Riley's shoulders. She turned around and looked up to see the face they belonged to.

"Riley, please come with me." David heard the commotion between the two of them and came to investigate. He led her with one hand against her back toward, not his office, but the basement door.

"Don't touch me." Riley shrugged her shoulders causing his hand to fall away. "Where the hell are we going?"

"We need to discuss your actions."

Ellie cut in, her voice nervous yet serious. "Where are you taking her?"

"Ellie, I know you two are friends, but you need to stay here. We're just going to talk."

"In the basement?"

"Ellie, please."

He turned his back to her and continued leading Riley down the small hallway. He unlocked the basement door with a key that he produced from his pocket and led her through.

The old water damaged basement was cleaner than before. A majority of the debris had been removed and the pile of chairs that once lain in the center of the room were upright and side by side. David forwent flipping the light switch on the way in, choosing instead to let the scattered rays from the windows be the room's only source of visibility.

He sat her at one of the chairs in the middle of the room and stood in front of her, his usual outgoing enthusiasm clearly missing. His posture was straight and his presence imposing.

"Riley, we clearly have an issue between us." Riley scoffed at the understatement. "Yes, well, since I first arrived I don't I've ever done anything to warrant that. Have I?"

"Why are we down here?" She glared at him from her seat.

He ignored her. "I thought not. I am a very understanding person, Riley. I've let your less than positive comments and general dislike for me slide for the past month, but I've noticed it getting worse. So if we're going to have an issue then I'm afraid that I will resort to… disciplinary methods. Do you understand?"

"Fuck you." David inhaled sharply and exhaled slowly. "You got rid of Evette. You gonna get rid of me too? Is that why we're down here?"

"I didn't get rid of Evette, Riley, she was replaced. I told you this. Surely you must be able to comprehend this most simple of concepts."

"You're so full of shit."

He paused for a moment and carefully selected his next words. "It's not surprising no one wants you."

Those few simple words managed to suck the air out of her lungs. She sat there motionless with a pressure growing in her forehead.

"I looked through your record the other day, Riley, and apparently you've been fostered out seven times in nine years. That's impressive. And yet every single one of them returned you right back to the orphanage. Like a faulty object to a store."

He paced back and forth then returned his focus on the girl. "Look Riley, I've tried to be nice to you, I have, but it's clear you're not going to reciprocate that effort. So here's what going to happen. You're going to stay in that chair. You're not going to get up, you're not going to walk around. If you do, you'll extend your stay down here. Understand?"

Her glare was full of hate but she slowly nodded her head.

"Good. I'm going to continue about my day, and you're going sit here until your attitude improves." He stood there unmoving for a few seconds longer to let his words sink in. He turned and headed up the wooden stairs, locking the door behind him and leaving Riley in the dim room.

Ellie watched from the great room as David reappeared from the basement without Riley. She ran over and stopped him before he could round the corner to his office.

"Where is she? What did you do to her?"

He stopped and turned to face the girl who confronted him. A slight smile spread across his face. "Ellie." He put a hand on her shoulder to calm her but she shook it off immediately. "I'm sure you've noticed that Riley has been a little confrontational lately, and that's perfectly normal for some to go through occasionally."

He looked back toward the door and then back to Ellie. "I simply put her in a… well let's call it a timeout. Your friend's fine. Once she's able to control her emotions a little better she's free to come out. Don't worry about it!" He shuffled off before she could get any retort in.

She stood dumbfounded for a few seconds before glaring over at Tino. "He put a teenage girl in a timeout. You don't think that's completely screwed up?"

Tino seemed apprehensive but pushed through with an exhale. "It seems weird, yeah, but she really went overboard after finding out about Evette. She yelled at me over nothing."

"She's locked in the damn basement, Tino!"

"He has a good reason!" He took a slow breath and stopped himself from continuing the argument. "Yelling at each other isn't going to get her out of there any faster. We're just gonna have to wait."

"This is ridiculous."

"It might be a while. But for now I'm going to get breakfast, it should be out in a minute. You coming with?"

"No."

"Come on. There's no point in not eating right now. You could use it."

She moved her focus away from the locked door and back onto Tino. She sighed and nodded and followed Tino over to one of the middle tables.

"Where's Sam anyway?"

"No idea."

The loud sounds of two trays being dropped onto the counter emanated from the side of the room. The man with the hairnet and Evette's assistant laid out the standard fare, one with eggs and the other toast. The new third tray was lined with simple quarter dollar pancakes. Not much, but it was something different. The two of them lined up and grabbed all three items as well as the milk that was available for every breakfast.

Ellie left the food untouched and only drank the small carton of milk. She ceaselessly rolled her fingers against the table as she kept watch on the corner of the wall that blocked her view from the basement exit.

Tino was eating his way through the contents of his plate and occasionally watched her in between bites. "Thought you were gonna eat."

"I'm saving it. She might be hungry when she gets out."