Oh look. I actually didn't fall off the face of the earth for like six months this time. Yaaaay. Well, here I am with the first chapter for a character that turns up in the dumping ground. And I guess right now- all we've got to have now is Faith (hahaha. I'm sooooooo funny)

Faith Davis

Fourteen year old Faith riffled with her papers and glanced at the clock for what felt like the millionth time during that class only. As soon as this French class was over and done the school day would be over. As soon as Faith Davis had stepped over the threshold at home she needed to do the dishes and pay the bills and vacuum and…

"You know, I won't be here forever." Faith's grandmother- Viola said with her eyes set on Faith's cooking skills. "And whether I'm here for two more days or two more years you will have to know sooner or later how to do these things like cooking. Because no one will ever teach them to you at school. But sure as hell you'll learn how to figure the volume of a blueberry"…

Faith couldn't help but smile at the memories of her grandmother that suddenly had popped up in her mind. While at the same time she felt a lump rising in her throat at the thought that the day Viola had spoken about there and then had come so much sooner than they had thought.

Flashback

"Well…" Viola wiped her mouth. "I think I'll have to go have a bit of a nap and rest a bit. Will you two take the dishes?"

"Sure thing grandma." Faith's brother Razz answered almost before Viola had finished her sentence. "You go rest… Faith and I will handle this." He stood up to gather his own and Viola's plates and Faith got up and filled the sink with warm water. None of them even noticed that Viola left the kitchen for her bedroom- why would they anyway.

"It's not like her to take a nap."

"It's not like you to worry." Faith answered her brother's statement. "She's old Razz. Napping isn't weird. You can go, I'll take care of this." Razz nodded and left the room, only seconds later Faith could hear him leaving the flat and the building. The words she had chosen played on and on in her head. But still, she knew her brother was right- Viola never napped. And Faith couldn't let go of the feeling that something wasn't right.

End of flashback

Returning to reality Faith stroke over her jeans pocket over her phone. She knew she wasn't meant to bring her phone to class but she had kept it in her pocket for every second since… well since… since four and a half months ago… while it was just more than five months ago since…

…"Grandma… grandma I just wanted to check if you were alright." Faith kneeled by her grandmother's bed. "Grandma I…" the younger girl froze when she realized something and quickly she reached for her grandmother's wrist to feel for a pulse that wasn't there to be found. "GRANDMA…"

Back in reality and her English classroom Faith shook her head and turned to the words on the pages in front of her. But with her thoughts spinning in her head worse than ever she couldn't even see the words in front of her and barely noticed when the bell rang for the end of the day.

There was one thing that Faith did just as she left every class, and that was to pull up her phone out of her pocket and check her messages. She knew she would have felt it vibrating if Razz had answered the text messages she kept on sending. But just in case she had missed it

Razz, where are you. Can you at least answer me?

When yet another time there weren't any new notifications on her phone Faith put it back into her pocket and left for her locker. Quickly going through all the messages she had sent to him and trying to figure if she had just had a tiny little response.

Where are you? I haven't seen you for weeks.

And with that and cleaning out her locker for the books with homework she needed to do today. Faith was hit by such a strong urge to tell anybody. And with tears rising in her eyes she just felt more alone than ever.

Can you at least answer my text messages?

"Mrs. Carole."

"Yes, dear?" Faith had barely noticed her steps led her back to the English classroom. Now it was too late to change her mind when the elderly woman looked up on her student and frowned when she saw the look on Faith's face. "Is there anything you'd like me to help you with?"

"I…" Faith stuttered, then to save some time for hesitating she pulled her backpack off, put it on a desk and then sat down on the table. "I don't really know where to start… It's probably nothing, I should just go."

Mrs. Carole's frown was deeper now while she looked over the top of her glasses to look at Faith. Not missing how Faith, despite her words about it being nothing- didn't leave and looked down as if she was almost ashamed of something.

"You know…" Mrs. Carole walked over the floor and stopped right in front of the younger girl. Taking Faith's hand in her bony, pale hand and stroke the back of Faith's with her thumb. "…You can tell me anything. Because of the confidentiality I'm not allowed to tell anyone and I won't…"

"It's a bit hard to explain… But you know I live with my brother and my grandmother…"

Flashback

"Faith." Years before the rest of this story is set. When Faith was only seven years old a group of her classmates had come over to her desk and one boy named Dillon had stepped close to Faith and started talking to her. "How come you don't have a mum or dad?"

"I do have a mum and dad" Faith said looking up from her drawing. "I just don't live with them. I live with my grandma and my brother."

"Why don't you live with your mum and dad?"

"Well… my mum died long ago." Faith sighed. "When I and Razz were both little. And my dad couldn't take care of us, so he left us with his mum- our grandma because he understood that she could take better care of us than what he could himself. And since then I haven't seen him. And mum I can't remember at all so I can't miss her at all neither." Faith turned back to her drawing but Dillon wasn't going to give up with his and his group's questions just yet.

"But don't you think it would be better to live with your dad than your dad and grandma?"

"I like my grandmother and my brother loads and loads and loads. Grandma said dad disappeared because he knew he wasn't any good for us. And I barely even remember him at all so I don't really mind."

Dillon raised an eyebrow at his dark-skinned friend. But he seemed to understand that asking more wasn't going to give more any different answers than he already had gotten. So with a seven year old's innocence he shrugged, let go of what he had been trying to ask, and walked back to his own desk to continue with his own drawing. But still not being able to quite let it go.

"I'm still happy I live with my mum and dad anyway."

End of flashback

Faith swallowed while she continued to tell Mrs. Carole about what kind of mess she was into at home right now, she always felt so broken talking about her parents, brother and grandmother. But she could not start crying in front of Mrs. Carole, she could break later, on her own. Not that she would though. It wasn't as if that was going to make anything better and she hated crying.

Flashback

A few months before this story Faith sat bored switching in between the channels on the TV. She was bored to death, all of her homework was done. The whole flat was spotless and there was seriously nothing to watch. And with that she missed her grandmother more than ever…

Faith jumped when suddenly the front door to the flat opened with a bang. And knowing the only person it could have been she jumped onto her feet and hurried out towards the kitchen where she heard her brother stomping.

"I gotta get out of here… I have to help Sully with some things." Razz almost shouted before Faith had the time to ask. He ripped his backpack off and headed for the kitchen. Well there he ripped all the cupboards, the fridge and the freezer open and started pushing down anything eatable in the bag. "Get out of my way…"

"Razz, where are you going?" Faith didn't have no other choice than to step out of Razz's way down the hallway and into his room. "I know you're sad but… we can make this work and what am I supposed to do?"

"I'm not sad okay? It's not because of you. And it's not because of grandma… I'm over that. Come here." Razz held out his arms to each side. Faith barely understood anything and stayed frozen. Razz at last took matters into his own hands and wrapped his arms around his sister. She didn't embrace him back, but Razz placed a light kiss on the top of her dark hair.

"Goodbye." Razz backed towards the door and out into the stairs. "I'll see you… some time."

End of flashback

"I haven't seen Razz since then… But, sorry. I didn't mean to spill this all on you." Without waiting for an answer Faith Davis grabbed her bag and hurried out of the room.

Then as Faith walked out of the room and down the hallway and towards the main entrance Mrs. Mary Carole stepped out into the hallway and looked after her student. The elder woman looked sadly towards the black braid down Faith's back all until the doors had closed behind her. And more and more Mrs. Carole felt tears burn in her eyes. Mrs. Mary Carole hated breaking promises.

But Mrs. Mary Carole knew that in cases like this she had a duty. In cases where there was a risk that a student would get hurt she had a duty. In cases like this when an underage person lived on her own Mary had a duty to call up the social services. And knowing about her duty two big tears dripped from her eyes to her shirt when she pulled up her phone knowing what she had to do.

Random fact

I always thought that when Faith told the others why she was in care she told them she had lived with her brother and grandfather. Then I searched for the dumping ground Wiki for everything we'd know about her and asked x snow-pony x when it said there that it was grandmother. So… I guess it was grandmother. And yes, I know there's an actress already named Viola Davis.