"Alright here she is." said a man pulling up the driveway. He got out with a woman walking down the steps of a large house smiling warmly at him as a young girl with long light honey brown hair with green eyes come out of the passenger side looking around. "Hello Mr. Tucker. Glad you two can come. Im Mary. Welcome to Burington County Home for Wayward Boys." said Mary shaking the girls hand. "Now how about i show you around." said Mary. The girl held her backpack close following her inside to the main room hearing a voice coming from the living room. "And the fearless Peter Pan fought against . . . Oh hi there." said a boy with curly hair looking up from the book. "Charles, Boys. This is Esmeray. She will be staying with us so i expect you all to behave." said Mary. "We'll treat her like one of us. Right boys." said Charls looking at the young boys sitting on the floor. "Im Eddie. Thats Ron and Taylor." said the chubby boy smiling at her. "Continue reading with the boys while i show Esmeray our home." said Mary leading her away. Esmeray followed her quietly while looking at her surroundings carefully then flinched when Mary touched her left shoulder. "Sorry. Look you are perfectly safe here until we find you a family like everyone here. I know you been through a lot and if you want to talk about anything. Im here alright." said Mary looking at her. Esmeray nodded as they walked through the first floor to the second to the bedrooms until they got to a the end of the hall. "This isnt much but we hope this comfortable enough for you." said Mary opening the door to a small storage room that is renovated into a room with the bed taking half the space with empty shelves and cabinets. "This is okay." said Esmeray. "Good. How about you make yourself at home while i show Mr. Tucker where yu'll be staying." said Mary. She smiled once Esmeray sat on the bed looking out the window passing Charles who smiled at her then headed to where Esmeray is knocking on the doorframe. "Whats your story?" said Charles. "I really dont want to talk about it." said Esmerray looking at him. "Okay. Hey how we play twenty questions that way we can get to know each other?" said Charles. "Sounds good. You want to start or should i?" said Esmeray. "Do you have a pet?" Said Charles. "No. Have you ever done a prank?" said Esmeray. "Who doesnt. What brings your here?" said Charles. "Still wanna know why im here. Drop it, Curly." said Esmeray then saw Mary coming. "Charles, have you seen Mr. Grime?" said Mary dropping off Esmeray's two bags. "No. i havent im sorry." said Charles looking at her. "Alright well i gonna et you two catch up whatever youre doing. Eddie I told you to shut the door when youre using the bathroom." she says walking away. Esmeray took out their clothes that looked worn from very few holes putting them away while Charles just stayed where he was staring at her. She then decided to go outside to know the property better and looked at the house where she'll be staying seeing Charles in a room that isnt hers watching her before turning away.
It was down to sunset as everyone sat at the dinner table eating quietly when the house phone rang. "stay where you are. l'll answer it." said Mary getting up. She walked to the house phone answering it hearing the voice on the line. "Burlington Wayward Residents, Mary speaking." said Mary. "Hello, This is Eric Valture. Im aware that im not allowed to make any contacts with you or Esmeray." said the man. "Then you are fully aware as of why, sir. Dont call us again or im reporting you." said Mary sternly. "This is getting interesting." said Eddie smiling. "You said it buddy." said Charles when Esmeray got up. He watched her to Mary who was talking to the man on the line taking the phone with her. "What art of, 'Go to hell.' did you not understand?" said Esmeray hanging the phone up. "Esmeray." said Mary seeing her go back to her seat to take her half-eaten food. She went upstairs not saying anything and shut her door locking it making the whole house dead quiet except for the footsteps belonging to Mary. "What wrong with Esmeray?" said Ron. "Yeah. She looked really upset about that caller." said Charles curiously. "Please. Dont bring it up. If Esmeray wants to talk when its her time." said Mary getting back in her seat. They all continued their dinner until it was time for everyone to get to bed for school. Charles was the only one awake thinking about Esmeray nonstop and her behavior to the man talking on the phone with Mary. He decided to sneak to Esmeray's room by picking the lock with his pocketknife and slowly peeked in seeing no sign of her but the window opened. Charles turned to leave taking the empty plate with him to put away in the sink on his way outside to find Esmeray. He looked around until he went inside the church seeing Esmeray sitting alone in the front row looking ahead at the cross and took a spot next to her. "Go away." said Esmeray. "Not happening, Girly." said Charles. "You knew who was on the phone? I wont tell." he says. "Why?" said Esmeray. "Everyone got to get something off their chest that they want to share even if they wanted to. Besides looks to me that you could sue a friend right now." said Charles looking at her. "You wouldnt believe me. I tried and tried so many times." Esmeray says with her voice want to break. "Who hurt you?" said Charles. He saw her look at him with her eyes watering having him put his arms out but stopped when she flinched. "im not going you. its just a hug." he says as Esmeray slowly leaned in letting him continue. "You ready to talk or continue like this?" said Charles. "Lets just say that i no longer have a family to lookout for me." said Esmeray. "That works too." said Charles hearing her laugh lightly. "Charles? Esmeray? Are you in here?" said Mary from outside the church. "Come on, Ray." said Charles looking at her. They were escorted to their rooms while being lectured the whole time not realizing that their lives is about get interesting.