Hey sorry for taking a while to update. Time just flew and before i knew it, i hadnt updated in three months. :/
PJ drifts off to sleep soon after that. He doesn't know why he woke up so early when the social people were only coming at 10 am. He gets startled out of his sleep by feeling something plop down of his stomach. He lets out an uncomfortable 'umph' before reluctantly opening his eyes. When his vision clears, he can see Charlie just staring at him with a perplexed look on her face.
"Don't look at me like that Charlie. I know I won't be able to stay. Teddy knows that too." PJ sighs and begins to play with Charlie. After a while he looks at his watch. It reads 9:57. He begins to really stress out. The social service people should be here in three minutes.
"Mom! Dad! They are- oh shit." PJ groans. He really shouldn't be calling them that anymore. He has to move so he doesn't want to be completely destroyed when he leaves so his dad and mom are just Bob and Amy now.
"Coming honey!" Amy yells out from the kitchen. She is delighted that PJ called her mom. That's a sign that he might have forgiven them.
PJ's attention is called to the doorbell ringing. He nervously puts Charlie off to the side for a moment and straightens out his tie and clothes. He picks Charlie back up and goes to the door. Taking a deep breath, PJ opens the door.
"Hello, is this the Duncan residence?" A polite man asks. He is tall, good hair and not too fat but not fit either. PJ is tempted to say no but he swallows his nerves.
"Yes."
"We are the representatives from the social service agency. I am Julie Thomson and this is Phil Hart." A short, clean looking woman says. She reaches out her hand and PJ reluctantly shakes it. He also shakes the man's hand.
"Come in." PJ opens the door wider for them. He adjusts Charlie, who is on his hip, as he lets them in.
"You must be PJ." The woman known as Julie says. PJ nods.
"And who is this adorable thing?" She says. She looks at Charlie with close inspection. PJ almost thinks that she is seeing if Charlie was 'adopted' too. PJ is about to say something but then both of his. . . foster parents come in.
"Hello, I am Bob and this is my wife Amy. We are PJ's parents." Bob says with authoritativeness. Phil shakes his hand and walks deeper into the living room.
"Well that has yet to be decided…" Phil's voice dies off as he gazes around the room.
"I assure you that PJ is my boy." Bob huskily says. He stiffens up and begins to walk towards Phil but Amy stops him with her hand.
"I am Julie Thomson and this is Phil Hart. We are representatives for social services. We are here to inspect and talk about options for PJ."
Amy now tenses up and she slowly motions for them all to sit down. Bob and Amy sit on their couch while Phil and Julie sit in chairs by the table. PJ chooses to sit with Charlie in the big chair in the middle of it all. Ironic, that the spot of a chair explains it all.
Julie looks directly at PJ. He squirms in his seat. He doesn't like it when things get this serious and someone is staring at you. "Now, I would like to know what you know of your situation." She says the last word slowly and thoughtfully. Julie glances at Amy and Bob before looking right at PJ again.
"Well I know my real parents dumped me off here when I was born. They couldn't handle me so they left. Amy and Bob have raised me wonderfully ever since." PJ doesn't allow his voice to crack.
Phil clears his voice and enters the conversation. "That is correct but do you know the reason they gave you away in the first place?"
PJ shakes his head. He is unnerved by the way they just exclude Amy and Bob of the conversation.
"We have learned that Mr. and Mrs. Johnson were on the run from the police. They were one of the young couples that participated in a nation wide protest of Abortion at the time. They just happened to not want a baby but not want to kill it either." Julie says. PJ is bewildered why anyone would just not want a baby.
"Now we need to discuss what actions we are going to take." Phil says. He finally looks at Amy and Bob, who are on the edge of their seats with nerves.
"Yes, we would like to see if we can continue to raise PJ until he goes off to college in a year and a half." Amy's voice shakes. She reaches out and clasps Bob's hand.
Julie shakes her head solemnly. "I am sorry but the government will not condone you keeping PJ. You are lucky the state is not pressing charges for you not reporting it. This could be reported as kidnapping but considering the real parents were criminals and you two have raised PJ to be a seemingly well behaved boy, the state will not."
PJ sees Amy's and Bob's faces go pale. He feels his own face growing whiter too. He tries taking calming breaths but he feels like someone is sitting on his chest. He glances down and sees his hands shaking. Why is he so nervous?
"Uh… so what now?" PJ asks, trying to make it so his voice doesn't crack again. He wishes he didn't ask that because immediately everyone's attention goes on him once again.
Phil clears his voice and glances undecidedly at Julie. "Well we have no other choice but to put you in a foster home. You should be fine because the system is easier on short term kids such as yourself who are going to be leaving it since you will go to college in a year and half."
Suddenly a scary thought comes to PJ's mind. His eyes widen as he voices his concern. "What about college! I can't pay it off on my own. I don't want the foster parents to pay for it either."
Out of the corner of his eyes, he sees Bob and Amy look worriedly at each other. He keeps his attention on Phil and Julie.
Without a moment of hesitation Julie answers. "The government is willing to pay for you to go to a public college for four years. That is it. If you wish to go to a private school or extend your time in college, you will have to earn the money or take out student loans to make up the difference of the standard four year public school and the private school."
PJ visibly relaxes at the sound of that. He doesn't like school but he doesn't want to not go to college. He leans back in his chair and loosens the hold on Charlie that he didn't know he had.
"And if you want to do something more, PJ, Amy and I would be happy to pay for that extended time or if you want to go to a private college. We love you" Bob says, looking fondly at PJ. PJ just shakes his head.
"I don't want to burden you with paying for a child that isn't yours." PJ says. He looks over to Amy and sees her wince. He didn't mean to rub it in. Another reason is that maybe if he wants the freedom, he doesn't want to be too tied or obligated to whatever Amy and Bob want him to do once he leaves. He feels his heart break at the realization that he is starting to distance himself from his once parents but he can't help it.
"Anyway, PJ, we have to leave soon. Your foster parents are expecting you soon and we have a long way to travel." Julie says. She nods at Phil and they both stand up. PJ opens and closes his mouth. He is shocked and hurt that he has to leave now. He didn't even really say goodbye to Gabe or Teddy. Teddy. PJ's face pales at the thought that Teddy will come home to a house without him.
"Where is his foster home?" Amy finally speaks. She has been silent throughout the whole visit.
"I am sorry but we can't tell you. It's for security reasons and it's best for the foster child to distance themselves as soon as possible in order for them to have a better chance for success in the foster system." Julie says. She looks at PJ and nods to him. He has no idea what that means.
"Uhhhh, I guess I will go pack?" PJ reluctantly puts Charlie down and goes up to his room.
When he comes back 10 minutes later, Julie and Phil are in the exact position as he left. They are standing awkwardly by the door. He looks back at Amy and Bob. He sees Amy crying into Bob's hug. He walks down the stairs carefully and puts his stuff down at the door. He sighs and nods to Julie, who asks Phil to get PJ's stuff and bring it to the car. Phil leaves with two large suite cases and a backpack full of things in his hands. Julie looks at him and points to her watch.
"Five minutes." She whispers to him. PJ grimly nods and looks back at Amy and Bob. He hears Julie close the door after she leaves. He walks over to them.
"Hey. I guess it didn't work out." PJ says awkwardly. God, he hates this. Why does he have to be so bad at saying goodbyes and it is for forever…probably.
Amy pulls away from Bob and smiles sadly at her son. She feels like this whole day has been full of heart break and she is distraught. "Yeah, I guess so." She approaches PJ. She licks her finger and pushes down a spare strand of hair sticking out on PJ's head. He groans complacently.
"Mom…" PJ scolds himself for murmuring that. It was just a reflex. He finally breaks and gives into his emotions. "Mom." He says with more sadness and nostalgia. He sees his mom start to tear up again.
"PJ. I will miss you so much." Amy says while crying. She hugs PJ with all her might. She never knew that she would have to let go of PJ so early before college when she expected to. PJ relaxes into her embrace and sighs.
"I will miss you too."
Amy sadly lets go of her son and looks at him fondly. "I want you to treat everyone you meet with respect. Give your new foster parents a chance."
PJ nods as he feels his whole body going numb once more. His eyes grow hot and he knows that he is on the verge of crying. He walks slowly towards his dad. He doesn't say anything as he just pulls his dad in for a hug. He cries into his dad's shirt. He hasn't done that in ages.
"Dad… I don't want to leave you. Or mom, or Gabe or Charlie or Teddy." He gasps into his dad's shirt. His dad just holds him and tries to calm him.
"Don't worry. It will be alright where ever you go as long as you know that we all love you." Bob feels his own eyes tearing up at the thought of losing PJ forever. He really just wants to punch that Phil guy right in the face.
Their moment is cut short when they all hear a car horn. PJ pulls away from his dad and wretchedly makes his way over to the door. He feels his heart pounding loudly as he gazes a last time at the house. His sight seeing is stopped when he feels a tugging at his leg. He looks down and sees Charlie looks sadly up at him. He smiles with tears in his eyes and picks her up.
"Now Charlie, I don't want you to grow up thinking I abandon you. I will always love you and I don't want any texts from Teddy saying that you broke another boy's heart when you are older. I want you to take care and not get hurt." PJ hugs lightly the small one year old child. His heart shatters as he feels her try to wrap her arms around his neck.
Once again, a car horn is heard. PJ sighs and pulls Charlie off his neck. She was clinging to him like a panda. Charlie knows that he is leaving for good. He gently sets her down on the couch next to his parents. His mom is bawling her eyes out by now.
"If you are going to be a heart breaker just like your sister then good luck Charlie." And with that, PJ walks out the door.
Like it? What do you think? PLEASE REVIEW Reviews help me stay motivated to update.