Chapter Four: Dogs in a Pound

Friday was when everything changed.

School ended early that day, everyone let out at noon. Sky got a call from Sparky, telling her Chug had some work things come up and they'd be late picking her up. Not only that, Sparky had to pick up some medical supplies while he was in Sterling. Sky understood and told the boys to meet her at the orphanage instead of the school. Sparky promised to be there by two-thirty, when he usually picked up Sky from school.

But about an hour after Sky returned to the orphanage, a human couple suddenly arrived. Sky's eyes widened when she heard Rosa talking to the couple, revealing they were looking for a little girl. Sky looked to the clock. Surely Sparky can wait a little longer. She decided, jumping off her bed and running to the door. She checked herself out in the mirror, dusting off her overalls and combing her stray wisps of hair down with her fingers. Smoothing out her braids, she sprinted out of the room and stampeded down the stairs. She carefully snuck past the kitchen, where Rosa talked with the couple. The raven-haired girl slipped outside to the backyard, where the rest of the children played, and found a soccer ball nearby. She picked it up and moved a short distance from the door. Looking back, Sky saw Rosa escorting the human couple out to the backyard.

Licking her lips, Sky began juggling the soccer ball. She skillfully bounced the ball on her knees, feet, and head, keeping it up in the air. She looked out of the corner of her eye to see the human couple looking around at all the children in the backyard. Most of the children didn't pay much attention; usually, last-minute adopters turned out to be false alarms. But Sky kept up with her juggling until she noticed the human woman looking towards her. She nudged her husband and gestured towards Sky. The young girl tried to not notice, keeping her eyes on the soccer ball she juggled.

WHAM!

Sky cried out in pain as something collided with her back, sending her to the dirt and grass. She groaned as she sat up, a second soccer ball at her feet. The human couple looked somewhere else, giving no indication they saw what happened to Sky. The raven-haired girl stared as Rosa called over a little redheaded girl, no older than four. The two of them joined the human couple inside. Sky sighed heavily.

"Gee, we're sorry, Skylar!" a Range Rover child said as he and several other children came over.

"Yeah, I kicked it too hard." A blonde human boy said sheepishly.

"It's okay." Sky shrugged, standing and lightly kicking the ball to them.

The children stared. "You're….not gonna pound us?" A brunette girl asked warily.

Sky blinked in surprise. A week ago, she would've threatened to put them in the hospital for hitting her like that. But, for some reason, the thought didn't seem appealing. She shrugged. "No. It was an accident. It's okay."

The children stared, shocked. This was the same Skylar who tackled another boy for making fun of her birthmark and put tacks in the tires of a vehicle child for running into her on the playground. Everyone in the orphanage knew Skylar went to visit her friend every day all week, but nobody knew what she did while she was gone. Several guessed hypnosis or mind control. A few began to wonder if this was really Skylar Amelia Doe standing before them. But soon, the kids found they couldn't complain. Nice Skylar was much better than Threaten-to-put-you-in-the-hospital Skylar.

"Hey, you wanna play with us?" the blonde boy offered.

Sky perked up. "Really?" When was the last time one of the children actually invited her to play?

"Sure!" the Range Rover said happily. "You are a pretty awesome soccer player. Come on!" The kids took off with the ball. Sky felt a smile pull at her lips, and she laughed as she joined in the game. The orphanage children laughed and whooped as they played, very much enjoying this new side to Skylar they never saw before. Sky soon forgot all about the human couple that came by.

Then, Rosa began calling for her. Sky looked over to see the human couple staring at her with kind smiles, and her eyes widened a bit.

"Come here a minute, Skylar!" Rosa called. "These people would like to talk to you!"

The orphans Sky played with gasped and urged her on excitedly. Sky laughed and ran over towards Rosa, her braids flying in the wind and her smile a mile wide.

This day couldn't get any better.

Sparky groaned for what felt like the thousandth time. "Oh man, she's gonna kill us!"

"She's actually a lot more understanding than you think." Chug assured as he drove down the road to the orphanage.

"Yeah, I guess I just feel guilty." Sparky sighed. Chug's work put them only a few minutes behind schedule, but what really killed them was the wait at the supply store for the medical supplies Sparky needed. It was already three-thirty. Chug went as fast as the speed limit would allow, finally reaching the orphanage and allowing Sparky to hurry out. He knocked quickly on the door, praying Sky wouldn't be too angry with him.

Rosa answered, looking a little forlorn. But she smiled softly when she saw Sparky. "Hola, Sparky. Here for Skylar?"

"Yes! I'm so sorry for being late!" Sparky said hurriedly. He noticed Sky coming to the door. "Sky! Hey! I'm so sorry! The stupid med supplies shop had to call their larger store about a part I needed and then they realized they had it all along and then the register decided to break and—" He jumped a bit when Sky shoved past him, stomping up to Chug and roughly throwing her backpack in the trailer. She plopped down in the corner, curling up in a ball. Sparky blinked in confusion, looking to Rosa for an explanation. But the Hispanic woman already disappeared back into the orphanage. Sparky and Chug shared a concerned look before Sparky climbed aboard and Chug drove off to Propwash. Sky wouldn't speak the entire way there, glowering at nothing in particular.

Arriving at Skipper's hanger, the glare never left Sky's eyes and she wouldn't even look at the Corsair. Skipper was a bit surprised, but kept his firm tone he usually had when speaking to Sky. "Today is a relatively simple job if you can get it done right the first time. There are three empty fuel jugs over there; take them to Chug to get filled. When you're done, you'll go around to the back shed and bring ten cans of hydraulic fluid to the hanger for Sparky to put away." Sky threw her backpack to one side, albeit violently, and marched over to the three fuel containers sitting by the hanger door. She tried picking up all three, but Skipper reminded her they would get a lot heavier when the fuel went in. Sky kicked one of the containers aside before grabbing one in each hand and walking…..no, sprinting towards the Fill N' Fly to find Chug. Skipper looked to Sparky.

"I dunno." Sparky shrugged his forks. "She's been in a bad mood ever since we picked her up." Skipper stared after Sky for a moment before returning to the hanger.

Chug wordlessly filled the two fuel containers Sky brought by, watching in amazement as she grabbed the now-full containers by the handles and dragged them across the ground on her way back to the hanger. The girl ran at full speed, but the weight of the containers forced her to slow down considerably. Chug was just glad those containers were so thick-skinned, otherwise the friction of them running along the ground would tear them right open. Sky finally made it back to the hanger, shoving the fuel jugs onto a wooden rack so Sparky could lift them up and carry them into the hanger. She grabbed the last fuel container and sprinted back to Chug, repeating the process. By the time she returned with the third container filled, sweat already dripped from her face. But she refused to acknowledge Sparky when he asked if she was okay. She wiped her face dry on her sleeves before sprinting to the back shed, leaving Sparky in the dust. Sparky stared worriedly, carrying the fuel into the hanger to put them away. Sky found the back shed and practically ripped open the door, scanning the shelves and floor for the hydraulic fluid. Finally spying several cans of it, she lifted as many as she could fit in her arms. Unfortunately, the cans were as tall as her torso and almost twice as big around, and her small arms could only grab two. Barely keeping her grip, she ran as fast as she could while holding the large cans and right into the hanger. She plopped them down at the doorway to the more private part of the hanger, sprinting off to get more cans. She didn't seem to notice Skipper resting in the main room of the hanger, watching her sprint around like a hyperactive cheetah. His eyes narrowed in distaste at Sky's hurried pace, but he also felt a twinge of concern.

Suddenly, Skipper noticed Sky running towards the hanger with not just two cans in her arms, but a third stacked on top and completely obscuring her vision. Because of this, she ended up crashing into the door of the hanger and hitting the ground. One of the canisters broke open, dumping hydraulic fluid all over the girl. She either didn't know what hydraulic fluid was to a plane or didn't care, because Sky just started shouting in frustration as she shoved the fluid can upright and stop the flow of fluid on her.

"Damn it!" She shouted in frustration, pushing the fluid cans upright. "Damn it to freaking hell!"

"Hey, watch your language!" Skipper snapped as he rolled out to check on the girl. Hydraulic fluid soaked her shirt and overalls, some of it dripping from her hair.

"Why should I?" Sky snapped, grabbing one of the fluid cans and dragging it into the hanger. Sparky stood next to the cans already at the doorway, staring in shock. But he didn't dare speak, sensing an incoming storm.

"Because no young lady of your age should speak that way." Skipper said, glaring.

"Yeah whatever." Sky grumbled, marching out to retrieve the other cans.

"What's going on with you?" Skipper demanded.

"I'm trying to get this job done quickly so I can get out of here!" Sky snapped, pushing another can over to Sparky.

"What?" Sparky asked. "What do you mean?"

"I know you don't want me around, so I'm getting it done fast and then you don't have to look at me anymore!" Sky practically yelled, her attention still directed at Skipper.

"I meant what's going on in your head?" Skipper snapped. "You're acting like someone just punched you in the heart."

"Oh shut up." Sky growled, shoving the half-empty can of fluid with the others and turning to head back to the shed.

Skipper glared hard, and Sparky shrunk back. Uh oh. This isn't gonna be good.

Skipper suddenly shot forward, going right over Sky and stopping in her path. "Start talking. Now. What the heck is going on?"

"You don't care, so why are you asking?" Sky snapped.

"I wouldn't be asking if I didn't care!" Skipper's voice began to rise in volume. "You are acting ridiculous!"

"Oh, sure, I'm the ridiculous one!" Sky threw up her hands in exasperation. "Everything's my fault! Thanks for pointing that out!"

"I never said that." Skipper growled.

"Look, I know you don't want me around, so just let me do my job and I'll leave you alone!" Sky tried to move around Skipper, but the Corsair suddenly dipped a wing and gave Sky a soft shove. Not enough to hurt her, but with plenty enough strength to push her back into the hanger and onto the ground.

"You listen here, young lady." Skipper practically snarled now. "I will not stand here and let a mere child speak to me in such a tone."

"I don't see how you can stop me." Sky sassed as she jumped to her feet, glaring at Skipper.

Skipper became livid. "Skylar Amelia Doe—"

Sky snapped. "Don't call me that!" Her resounding scream made Sparky jump and hide behind the corner while Skipper just continued to glare. Sky's eyes went wild with anger. "Don't ever call me Doe! All right, that's not my last name! Nobody knows my last name because my parents didn't want me to have it! I'm not wanted by anyone and you know what? I've accepted that! So stop rubbing it in!"

Skipper's glare lessened ever so slightly, staring at the raven-haired girl before him. Her blue-green eyes blazed with fury, but there was something else: hurt. Sparky slowly rolled out, staring at his friend with concern in his eyes. Skipper rolled a little closer to Sky, his eyes never leaving hers.

"Skylar Amelia." Skipper spoke only the name, but his tone gave a clear message: talk.

Sky glared at Skipper for a long moment, then her eyes traveled to the ground. "A human couple came into the orphanage today. They were looking for a little girl. They pulled me aside and talked to me for over an hour. I didn't yell; I minded my manners; I treated them with the initial respect they deserved." Her fists clenched. "They didn't choose me. They chose another little girl who acted just like I did. You know why she was chosen? She was younger. She was four, and I'm ten." She gave a small laugh, the sound coming out bitter. "You know what orphans are? We're all dogs. We're dogs in a pound, waiting for someone to give us a pathetic, pitiful smile and take us home. And just like in the pound, it's always the puppies who get adopted. It's the little kids who are always getting taken to new homes. The kids who are toddler aged and don't have anything wrong with them. No family wants to adopt a girl like me because, age aside, I'm a complete and total freak!" She caught Skipper's change in look. "Why am I a freak? How in Ford's name do you think I ended up in that orphanage?"

Sparky and Skipper tensed. The former rolled just a little closer. In the three years he knew Sky, they never once discussed how she ended up in the orphanage in the first place. Sparky always assumed her parents were dead, but now he had a sinking feeling that wasn't the case.

Sky kept glaring at the ground. "I look like my mother, you know. But I have my dad's hair and my grandpa's eyes. At least that's what my dad told me. My parents were just average, everyday humans. They always wanted a daughter." Her shoulders trembled now, with rage or sorrow Skipper wasn't sure. "They got me: a psych-man. My parents were horrified. They spent days trying to determine if there was some sort of genetic defect in the family, because they weren't psych-mans and neither were my grandparents. A genetic defect; I was shocked when I found out what that meant. They thought my powers were some sort of disease. When they discovered they couldn't just get rid of them, they tried to teach me how to hold back my powers. They tried to teach me to not be what I am. The scolding I got when I even mentioned my powers….the punishments for trying to use them….I couldn't help it…..I still can't help it! This is what I am; I am a psyche human. It's not something I asked for, I was just born with it!" Tears began forming in her eyes. But she blinked furiously to keep them back. "My parents….." She spit out the word as though it were an insult. "…..they didn't care. I wasn't the daughter they wanted. They didn't want me. So what else do you do with something you don't want?" She looked up to glare furiously at Skipper. "I went to kindergarten one day, and Rosa picked me up instead of my parents." Her shaking became that of anger now. "They didn't even leave their names, just mine! They didn't want anything to do with me anymore! They gave me up! And I have spent the last six years at that damned orphanage waiting for someone to take me in! But nobody, not when I was five and certainly not now, wants to have me! They don't want to deal with a little girl who's a psych-man! All the other kids get a chance to go to a good home, why not me? Why don't I get a chance?! What am I doing wrong?!"

Sky breathed heavily, staring at Skipper with wild eyes. Her question hung out in the air, as though she expected an answer. Skipper stared back at her, his glare melted. Sparky stared in shock, finally realizing what Rosa meant when he talked to her a week earlier. He could only feel pity for Sky. She was clearly at the age where she could understand the feeling of abandonment, and no doubt it ate her alive to this day. Skipper wasn't sure what to feel. But for some reason, he felt a longing to say something, anything, to comfort the girl.

Suddenly, Sky darted under Skipper's wing and took off towards town. She didn't stop sprinting until she found a secluded corner behind the Fill N' Fly, leaning against the wall of the building and sliding to the ground. She immediately burst into tears, curling into a ball and burying her face into her knees. The hydraulic fluid still on her clothes reeked, but she hardly cared as she cried. She couldn't remember the last time she lost control of her emotions like that. Worst of all, she did it in front of Sparky, her only friend. What would he think of her now?

Sky didn't know how long she sat there crying, but she jumped a bit when a soft voice said, "Hey. You all right?" Her head shot up to stare at the teenaged, orange and white crop duster standing before her. His ocean blue eyes stared at her worriedly, but with kindness.

Sky wiped her eyes dry. "I'm fine."

"You sure?" the crop duster asked.

"Yes." Sky muttered bitterly. She stared at the ground. "Do you know Chug?"

"It's a small town. Everyone knows everyone." The crop duster chuckled. "Hold on, let me go find him." He rolled off, only going a few feet before finding the fuel truck. "Hey Chug!" He rolled up to the fuel truck and lowered his voice. "There's this little human girl there behind the Fill N' Fly. She's asking for you."

Chug knew at once who that could be. "Thanks, Dusty." He and crop duster parted ways, Chug moving behind the Fill N' Fly. "Hey there, Skylar. What's up?" His face fell at the sight of Skylar's tears and the dark stains on her overalls. "Skylar?"

"Chug." Sky sniffled. "I wanna go back to the orphanage now."

Chug nodded. "Okay. Let me go get Sparky and—"

"No, I don't want to go with Sparky." Sky said hurriedly. "I just want you to take me. Right now. Please."

Chug stared at Sky, seriously thinking about his options. But he finally nodded again. "All right. Let me just get the trailer hooked up."

Sparky decided Sky needed some time alone before she would be ready to talk. But he also knew she would need a serious hose down to get that hydraulic fluid off. So after giving Sky adequate time to calm down, he went out looking for her. "Hey Dusty! You seen a little girl with black hair around here?"

"She just left with Chug." Dusty said, motioning to the main road.

Sparky's eyes widened and he rocketed down to the main road. He managed to reach the edge of town just after Chug pulled away and began picking up speed. "Sky! Sky, wait!" He stopped as Chug pulled farther and farther away, leaving the poor forklift in the dust. He stared after the truck and trailer, sighing heavily. I won't give up on you, Sky. Don't you know I'm always there for you?

Don't you know how much I love you?