AUTHOR'S NOTE:
This is another sad chapter but with the twist ;)
The next chapter is HUGE and very emotional in the terms of sweet stuff.
Chapter 57: Farewell Casey
When Monday morning arrived a social worker arrived at the Braxton household. Danny and Cheryl had gone out to the pub yet again, leaving Brax to answer the door.
"Hello Mr Braxton. Are your parent's home? I'm here to inform on the progress of your case."
"No. They're not here, you can tell me." Brax replied.
"We have reviewed all the information in your interview and the interview we had with your parents."
Brax thought, when had his parents gone to see social services, he made sure he didn't give their number.
"We have also considered the reports from the group home about Casey."
"Wait you've seen Casey."
"Yes." The man replied shortly.
"How is he?" Brax eagerly asked.
"I am not liable to discuss that with you."
"I'm begging you. Please tell me how he is."
The social worker sighed. "He's still settling in."
"Settling in what does that mean?" Brax asked in a worried tone.
"Mr Braxton."
"Please tell me, I need to know."
"He's been throwing violent tantrums, not co-operating, refusing to eat and worst of all kicking the staff."
Brax was shocked. "I did not raise him to be like that, please let me see him, he'll listen to me."
The social worker continued. "We feel as though Casey's behavior is the result from his home environment and your parents clearly stating they would rather Casey stay at the group home, it is in his best interest, that the decision be made that Casey stay in the group home where he will wait until he is fostered out by a family."
Brax felt shattered. "What! Casey's best interests are being here with me!"
"I'm sorry Mr Braxton the decision is final and that means no more contact from any of you here."
Brax slumped down on a nearby chair, and rubbed his head. The social worker could see tears welling up and gently slipping down Brax's face.
"What have I done, I've lost my baby brother. Casey I'm so sorry." Brax mumbled as he cried. The social worker sighed, feeling sorry for Brax.
"Look I'll see what I can do about letting you visit Casey, I can't make any promises, but I'll do my best."
Brax looked at the social worker. "Please let me see him. He's my life." He pleaded through his tears.
The social worker nodded. "We'll see. Goodbye Mr Braxton." The social worker turned and left.
Not long after, Cheryl and Danny burst through the door. "What's up with you?" Cheryl slurred out.
"Casey has to stay at the group home. I can't believe you and Dad could say to them he would be better off there!" Brax shouted, tears still rapidly slipping down his face.
"What! Don't you dare blame us Darryl! This never would have happened if you kept an eye on him like you're supposed to!"
Brax felt defeated, not in the mood to argue, he walked out, and headed down to the beach. Heath raced out after him, he had been in the kitchen listening to what social services were saying.
"I heard what happened. What do we do now Brax?" He asked concerned.
"I don't know Heath." Brax replied sadly. He'd failed as a brother and as a father figure. For once in his life he didn't know how to fix this and in honesty the one thing he cared about most was taken away and it crushed him.
Back at the group home;
The group home manager walked into Casey room and saw the young boy sulking on his bed.
"Casey, I have something to tell you."
"I don't care." Casey sulked and ignored her.
"Casey Braxton you look at me right now!" Casey turned to face the manager. "I have been informed by social services that you will no longer be living with your old family and are to be staying here until you are an adult or someone is willing to foster you."
Casey's heart sank. He felt frightened and wanted his big brother to comfort him. "No! I wanna go home! I want Brax!" Casey yelled.
"I don't care what you want, you are here to stay, and you will learn to do as we tell you!"
"I'm not staying and I won't listen to you! I hate you!" Casey screamed and started throwing things in his room.
"Casey Braxton you stop this behavior immediately!" Casey's anger started to spin out of control, and the only way he ever managed to calm down from this was when Brax held him tight and made him feel safe.
"If you do not calm down this instant Casey you will be locked in your room every day for a week." Casey however still didn't stop. "Very well, I will come back later when you have calmed down to discuss this matter." The manager slammed the door and locked Casey inside.
It took Casey several hours to settle into a quiet sob, he felt exhausted from his outburst and lack of food.
Later that night the manager came back to Casey's room and after berating him about his behavior, placed a plate of food down for him to eat. Even though Casey was starving from refusing to eat for the last few days he didn't want to let these strangers think they could replace his brother by letting them tell him what to do, but remembering how he was humiliated last time he did not feel like dealing with that again so picked up his fork and ate some of the food.
"That's not all, but it will have to do. Now get yourself organized for bed. When I come back I will be locking this door again. Just remember this Casey, it's time you forget about your old life because you are never going back and no-one will ever want you if you don't start behaving."
Casey sat defeated and started punching his fist into the desk. Casey had no idea that a 12 year old boy stood in his doorway watching him, nor that this boy had been watching him since he had arrived.
"Woah kid. Calm down, you don't want the monster masters up here so soon do ya?"
Casey turned to look at the boy and recognized him as his kinder-garden bully.
"What do you want? Please don't hurt me." Casey whispered.
"I'm not here to hurt you, beside it looks as though you're hurting enough as it is. What's up kid?" Kyle entered the room.
"I'm not allowed to go home to my brothers, Heath and Brax. I don't want to stay here, it's scary, and I hate it." Casey sat down on his bed while Kyle stood in front of him.
"Sounds like this Brax is a pretty amazing guy, you haven't stopped talking about him since you got here." Casey nodded.
"He promised he would get me home, but now they told me I'm never going home. Maybe he doesn't want me back because I'm too much trouble. Everyone here thinks I am." Casey said sadly.
"Hey kid don't say that, I'm sure this Brax guy loves you more than you know and don't listen to what the quacks here say, they said the same about me when I first came here a few years ago, because my parents didn't want me." Casey looked at Kyle.
"You want to get out of here kid?"
"How?" Casey asked.
"Runaway of course."
"You won't tell on me if I go?"
"You want my help to escape or not?" Kyle asked and Casey nodded.
"Why are you helping me?"
"Because kid, I know what it's like to be unloved, but you, you have two brothers that obviously care about you. My Dad...didn't even care about me, my Mum gave up on me, and I have no other family." Kyle shook himself out of the thought.
"Besides being here has given me a lot of time to think and I'm not please with my past actions so I want to help. Now come on, we don't have much time. I'll keep watch while you get out the front door."
Casey snuck out of his room and out the front door as Kyle stood watch. Not feeling like he could fully trust Kyle, Casey ran as fast as he could away from the grounds to avoid getting caught.
The night rose quickly and it soon became dark, Casey had no idea where he was, he remembered Brax telling him never to go wandering alone at night, but if it kept him away from the group home and a better chance of getting back to his real home then that was all that mattered.
Casey felt like he walked for hours, he was getting tired, and so he rested on a nearby park bench and fell asleep. As dawn hit, Casey was startled awake by someone shoving him. Casey looked up scared as a gruff man grabbed at his belongings. Casey squealed and backed away.
"Shut up kid!" The man shoved Casey. Casey got up and ran down the road.
Later that day Casey felt starved and worn out and had hit the highway. Brax still never let him cross a road without holding someone's hand, especially not a busy highway.
Casey walked down the street, as cars flew by. He began to panic, he was lost and scared. Casey sat down on the road and started to cry. Soon a car slowed down.
"Hey kid, you alright?" Casey got up and started to walk towards the car where a man was yelling. Casey shook his head.
"I'm lost and I'm trying to get home." The man in the car gave an evil smile. Casey was definitely an easy target.
"Where ya headed?"
"Mangrove River." Casey whispered.
"Hey what a remarkable coincidence, I'm headed there myself. Why don't you hop in and I'll take you?"
Casey just looked at the man through the window, not sure on what to do. The man was scruffy and in all honesty scared Casey, but what choice did he have. The man got out of his car and approached Casey.
"Hey kid it's alright. No need to be scared. I'll help you get home. Get in." The man gave Casey a small shove on his back and Casey climbed into his car. The man smirked to himself as he walked back around to the driver's side and got in his car.