Chapter four

After a while, I went downstairs again. I went to the kitchen, were Tracy and Gina stood, cutting vegetables for dinner.

"I´m sorry Tracy," I said. "I wasn´t thinking about what I was saying. I just said it."

"I know," Tracy turned around towards me. "I´m not angry." She patted my shoulder, and turned around towards the vegetables again.

"Is there something I can help with?" I asked

"No thanks, we don´t need any help." Tracy said. I turned around and walked towards the lounge. But before I came there, Mike came walking from the other direction.

"Ready to talk to me now Emma?" he asked. I shrugged.

"Oh come on, the sooner we begin, the sooner it´s over. Isn´t it?" I shrugged again.

"Let´s go to the quiet room." I nodded slowly, and followed Mike down the hall and to the quiet room. When we were there, we sat down in sofas on opposite sides of the table. Mike looked me straight in the eyes.

"So…" he began. "Will you tell me what happened at school today?" I looked down and then I took a deep breath, before saying.

"When we arrived at school, Tyler said. So the whole class could hear, that I live here at the dumping ground, I mean Elm Tree House. And during the lunch break, this girl. I think Tara´s her name, she started asking me questions about why I live here. And when I wouldn´t answer her, she just took for granted that my parents were lousy. And that made me so angry, I couldn´t even think. And no one would believe me when I told them the truth. And that made me even more upset."

"I believe you, but it´s not a reason to start beating someone up."

"Guess not."

"Emma, is there something you´re not telling me?"

"No, what would that be?"

"I don´t know but..."

"DINNER." Gina´s shout echoed through the whole house, and I could hear the sound of footsteps coming down the hall above us, and down the stairs. I looked at Mike, he nodded, and I stood up and started walking towards the kitchen.

"So…" Mike began, when we had sat down to eat. "How was school for everybody today?"

"Jeff says he don´t like school." Harry said.

"It was good to meet my friends again." Tyler said.

"Funny," I said. "I saw you in the corridor several times during the breaks, and every time, you seemed to be alone". This was my revenge for Tyler.

"Emma," Mike began and looked at me, he shook his head slowly. I understood, nut I was glad I had gotten at least some revenge.

"School sucks." Jody said.
"Jody," Gina said. "We don´t use that kind of language here."

"What do I care."

While the others were talking, I just ate, and I started thinking about the last school, I had went to. And the first day in the fifth year at Swedish school.

Flashback

"Have you got everything now," I asked my little brother, dad wasn´t home. And mum was already at work.

"Yeah, I think so." He answered.

"Apple, pencil, rucksack?" I asked.

"I forgot the apple," he ran to the kitchen and came back to the hall with an apple in his hands.

"Let´s go then." I took my brother´s hand. This was his very first day at school. Actually he was only five years old, but he started the six- year- old grade, a year earlier then he should. I sighed. Closed the door behind us and locked it.

End of flashback

"Emma, Emma, are you ok?" Mike´s voice reached my head and brought me back to reality.

"Yeah I´m fine."

"Not another seizure I hope,"

"No, no not at all, I was just… thinking."