This chapter might be a bit confusing, but it will all make sense eventually. I promise!
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Sarah was sitting in Peter's office, waiting for him to show up for her individual counseling session. She glanced around the room, and her eyes fell on the desk where her file sat. She wondered what it said. She gave one more quick look around the room, and grabbed the file. She scanned it quickly, knowing that Peter could be there at any second. What she saw made her blood boil. She threw the file back on his desk in anger. She didn't want to read anymore.
As if on cue, Peter walked in. She wasn't sure if he had seen her read the file or not, and he wasn't letting on if he knew. He shut the door behind him and sat down across from Sarah. He paid no attention to her file. She wondered if he had left it there intentionally.
He interrupted her thoughts. "Well Sarah, you've been here for two weeks now. How are you settling in?"
"What does it matter?"
"I'd like to know. Why do you think it doesn't matter?"
She was angry by what she had read and couldn't control herself. "You just don't get it do you? I'm not going to be here much longer. I'm going to be shipped off to the next school that has to put up with me!"
"Why would you think that?"
"I know that pattern, Peter. That's just how things work."
He sat back in his chair and wondered where in the world this had come from. "Well, maybe that's how things worked at your other schools, but that's not how things work around here. We don't give up that easily."
"Oh save it. You don't get it." She stood up and walked to the door. "It's not your say Peter. You have no control over it. It's their game, not yours." She slammed the door behind her and headed to the docks. She needed time to think. Time to prepare to be shipped away again. She didn't know how much more of this she could take.
It wasn't long before Peter was seated next to her. She expected it. Peter really didn't give up easily. If only he had some say in this game that they were playing with her life. He might actually be able to help.
They sat in silence for awhile, until Peter finally spoke. "I can't help you if I don't know what's going on. I'd really like to help you if you'd just let go of the anger and let me in."
She sighed. "Can I call my brother?" She didn't look at him. She knew the answer that was coming. She waited.
"I haven't been able to find out any information about your brother. Your file doesn't mention it, and –"
She continued for him. "And you called my parents, right?"
He shook his head. "No, not yet."
She hadn't expected this. She looked up at him. "You didn't?"
"Does that surprise you?"
"Why didn't you call them?"
"I was hoping you would tell me why he's not listed in your file. Actually, I was hoping you could tell me why a lot of things aren't listed in your file."
It felt as if a weight had been lifted from Sarah's chest. She couldn't believe her luck. She smiled. "Thanks Peter." Without another word, she stood up and ran back to her dorm, leaving Peter more confused than ever.