The rest of the week went by quickly. It was Friday, the day of the school art exhibition and all the students were busy setting up their display. Katie had painted a picture of her with a suitcase and then she had painted a picture of her brother Rhydian.
Rhydian had only sketched at a picture of a boy sitting alone in a dark corridor. Katie walked over to her brother and placed her arm around him.
"It's ok Rhydian," Katie said.
"No, it's not. All the people here have their own families and we have lived with ten different ones" Rhydian said. Katie noticed that Kay, Kara, and Katrina were standing behind them, looking at Rhydian's picture.
"Let's see you drawing Rhydian," Kay asked.
"Yeah, I bet it's brilliant" Katerina added. When they saw the drawing, they looked at the two siblings with confused faces.
"Whats that got to do with family. It's spooky and weird" Kara said.
Rhydian turned the picture around a drew a stick figure family with smiley faces.
"Is that normal enough for you." Rhydian asked and the "three Ks' left.
"Rhydian, don't worry about it, people don't understand what its like to be in foster care," Katie said.
When all the parents came in to look at the Art Work, Katie and Rhydian watched from the window. Katie had always wondered what her real parents had been like and what she would say if she got the chance to meet them.
The two siblings looked at each other and then they went home.
On Monday when Katie arrived at school, she noticed that the school hall was closed.
"What happened?" Katie asked. Soon there was a crowd of people including the "three Ks"
"My Mum's jacket," Katerina said as she opened the door and walked in. The rest of the students, including Katie, followed. The room was a mess, everyone's work was destroyed.
"Nobody should be in here," Mr. Jeffries said.
"What happened, sir?" Kara asked.
"Someone came back here on Friday night after the exhibition closed," Mr. Jeffries said.
"Have you checked the cameras?" someone asked.
"All we have is a glimpse of someone running away, at that speed it could have been anyone," Mr. Jeffries said.
The bell rung and everybody went to class. Katie sat with Rhydian and she noticed that most of the people in the classroom were looking at them.
"What happened on Friday night was a serious matter, This school has a zero tolerance policy towards vandalism." Mr. Jeffries said. "If people cannot respect school property then privileges will be taken away from the whole school. The end of term disco is canceled until the vandal comes forward, so if anybody knows anything then please come and tell me."
The whole class started to complain.
"Ok, that's all, of you go now," Mr. Jeffries told us.
Most of the class grabbed the bags and left, only Maddy, Jimi, the three Ks, Liam, and Katie stayed behind.
"Hey, Rhydian. Didn't you trash the darkroom on your first day here." Jimi said.
"I might have knocked some things over. Why do you care?" Rhydian asked.
"Where were you on Friday night?" Jimi asked.
"Its none of your business," Rhydian answered.
"Rhydian was with me on Friday night," Katie said.
"I wasn't asking you, I was asking Rhydian. Anyway, I saw you two looking through the window on Friday. Do you want me to tell Sir that you were there" Jimi said.
"Rhydian didn't do it, Jimi so just drop it," Katie said and she walked away.
"Katie, wait" Maddy called. "I believe you as well. We just need to find a way to prove that Rhydian didn't do it.
"How are we going to do that, when half the school thinks that it was him. Mr. Jeffries is going to want to talk to me as well, so I can back Rhydian up" Katie said.
Later on, Katie and Rhydian were sitting in ICT when Mr. Jeffries knocked on the door.
"Can I talk to Rhydian and Katie please?" Mr. Jeffries asked. The whole class watched as they got up and walked out.
"I bet he's going to get in so much trouble," Jimi said.
"Yeah, I bet he's going to be expelled," Liam said.
"No he's not because he didn't do it," Maddy said.
Mr. Jeffries Office.
Katie and Rhydian stood in from of the desk. Mr. Jeffries sat down in his chair and looked at the siblings.
"You two were seen hanging around the school grounds on Friday night," Mr. Jeffries said.
"We came to the exhibition, but then we left," Rhydian said.
"Did Mr. and Mrs. Vaughn drop you and pick you up?" Mr. Jeffries asked.
"They dropped us but we made our own way home," Katie said.
"You walked," Mr. Jeffries said.
"Don't call me a liar" Rhydian said. Rhydian was getting angry now. Katie grabbed Rhydian's hand and pulled it away from the desk as his veins were starting to turn black
"Did you both leave at the same time?" Mr. Jeffries asked.
"Yes. We left together." Katie said. The room went silent for a few minutes and Katie could hear Maddy telling Rhydian to calm down. Katie tried to keep herself calm by closing her eyes and counting to ten.
"What happened on Friday night was a serious matter, Rhydian." Mr. Jeffries continued the conversation. "Its a criminal matter."
"I didn't to it Sir, Katie can back me up," Rhydian said.
"It's true. Rhydian and I never went into the school" Katie said. Rhydian was starting to lose control again. Maddy was still whispering to Rhydian through the door and he laughed.
"Whats so funny, Rhydian?" Mr. Jeffries asked.
"Nothing," Rhydian said.
"Ok, last chance. Where were you Friday night?" Mr. Jeffries asked.
"I told you. I didn't do it" Rhydian said. Maddy was whispering something through the door.
"We both showed up at the exhibition and then we left. On our way home Maddy's parents offered us a lift back to the Vaughn's house" Rhydian said.
"Ok. I will give them a call." Mr. Jeffries said.
(Skip phone conversation)
"It seems that you were telling the truth," Mr. Jeffries said. Katie and Rhydian left the office and went to meet Maddy. Rhydian and Maddy started talking about what happened in the office.
"Thank you for backing my brother up, Maddy," Katie said.
"That's ok, Katie. How did you manage to keep calm when Mr. Jeffries accused you of lying?" Maddy asked.
"I have my ways," Katie said.
The girls smiled at each other. Katie had found a friend in Maddy.
Next time.
Katie and Robbie have their first outing.