Foster
Rebecca glared at Bonnie.
"No."
"Please," Begged Bonnie, "It'll just be for a couple of months."
"The answer's still no."
"Every other family I've asked has refused."
"Then send her back to the orphanage or school or wherever she crawled from."
"They've refused as well."
"I don't see why we can't." Said Alvin, making Rebecca look at him.
"I can list three very good reasons." Snapped Rebecca, "One, this baby is due any day now, two, she stole from us and three, she's a literal psychopath!"
Alvin and Bonnie stared at Rebecca.
"Becs, please, she's just a little girl." Pleaded Alvin, as Bonnie nervously looked behind her.
"Send her back to Carver, I don't care, she's not staying here!"
"She put Bill in the hospital." Said Bonnie, after a moment of silence.
Rebecca and Alvin broke their staring match and stared at Bonnie.
"Can we ask how?" Asked Alvin, as Bonnie cleared her throat.
"She, er, tried to steal his truck."
Rebecca leaned over and looked around Alvin, the subject of the argument was sitting outside playing with a cigarette lighter. Clementine had been fostered by them before, until she stole their car. Both of them had been briefed on Clementine's life before them, how her parents abandoned her, how her first set of foster parents were murdered in front of her. The second set returned her, probably due to her behaviour, she'd routinely run away from subsequent families, which was why she stole the car. Rebecca hadn't kept up with Clementine after she left, hoping to never see her again. Clementine looked up and glared at the three adults, Rebecca glaring back at her.
Rebecca huffed, before straightening up and looking at Bonnie, "Fine, but if she puts a single toe out of line, she's out on her ass."
Bonnie smiled, before heading outside, "Clem, great news, they've agreed to take you."
"Yay." Muttered Clementine, grabbing her backpack.
"You need to be on your best behaviour, if this is going to become permanent." Said Bonnie, guiding Clementine into the house.
"It won't."
"Here we are, Clem, you remember Alvin and Rebecca, right?" Said Bonnie, trying to coax Clementine forwards.
"When's the baby due?" Asked Clementine, looking at Rebecca.
"Any day now." Answered Alvin, smiling down at Clementine.
"I'll be gone by then."
Alvin's smile faltered, glancing at Rebecca.
"You can sleep in the spare room." Said Rebecca, turning around and walking away.
"Yay."
F
"I'm just saying, she's had a rough life." Said Alvin, as he and Rebecca got into bed.
"That doesn't excuse her stealing from us or attacking other people." Argued Rebecca, sitting down.
"It was Carver."
"That's beside the point."
"I'm not advocating violence against anyone, but no one's tried to get Clem's side of the story." Defended Alvin.
"Because she keeps trying to attack them!"
Alvin huffed, "I'm going to contact Bonnie in the morning and ask for Clem's casefile."
"And what, read it to her?" Scoffed Rebecca, "She's made it perfectly clear that she doesn't want to stay or even attempt to fit in!"
"It might help provide some context to her behaviour, Bec," Said Alvin, lying down, "so we can understand her better."
Rebecca sighed, "Fine, do what you want."
Alvin winced, he didn't think Clementine was a bad girl, she just needed some love and care. Unfortunately, he couldn't seem to get Rebecca to see that.
'How difficult could getting a casefile be, anyway.'
The following morning, he found the answer to be very difficult.
"It's nothing personal, but I'm not allowed to see it." Apologised Bonnie, as Alvin pinched the bridge of his nose.
"I'm only requesting a copy, just so Becca and I know how much, or little has changed." Groused Alvin, as Bonnie apologetically looked at him.
"I can't help you, Alvin, I'm sorry," Bonnie continued apologising, "but, as I said, I'm not allowed to see it, you might get more luck from Tavia or Joan, those two are the only one's that I know have seen it."
Alvin grumbled under his breath, "Fine, can I have their phone numbers or emails or whatever the hell they use."
F
Clementine awkwardly sat across from Sarah, as Rebecca talked with some of the other parents.
Sarah tried not to move, despite Clementine's less than friendly face. She slowly pushed a book towards Clementine, making the girl slowly look down at it.
"What the hell is this?" Asked Clementine, her voice flat.
"The Guurgles, it's about trans-dimensional body snatchers." Explained Sarah, making Clementine raise an eyebrow.
"What's that mean?"
"What does what mean?" Asked Sarah, cocking her head.
"Trans-dimensial body snatchers."
"Dimensional." Corrected Sarah, getting a scowl from Clementine, "It means they come from another dimension."
"What's that?"
"It's another universe type of thing." Answered Sarah, getting a frown from Clementine.
"Sounds weird."
Rebecca glanced over at Sarah and Clementine; she wasn't sure if the two should be interacting with each other.
"Isn't that the girl that was caught up in that cannibal incident in Georgia?" Asked one parent, making Rebecca freeze.
"No, that's Sarah," Replied another, "You know, Carlos's daughter."
"No, the one with the hat."
"Oh, shit, I think it is."
"Wasn't she locked in a room with a corpse?"
"How the hell would anyone know that?"
"I've seen her file."
"She has a file?"
"Yeah, you could make a show out of it, people are saying she's bad luck. I'm inclined to agree with them."
"Should you really be telling us this?"
"Who's going to do anything? Look at her, she's practically homeless."
Rebecca chose that moment to get up and walk over to Clementine and Sarah, "Sarah, your dad asked if I could pick you up."
Sarah froze, before looking up at Rebecca, "Can Clementine come with us?"
"She has to, she's staying with Alvin and I for a few days." Replied Rebecca, getting a wide smile from Sarah, before the girl grabbed Clementine's hand and practically dragged her towards the car.
The panicked look on Clementine's face was almost funny, if the over-heard conversation wasn't rattling around Rebecca's mind.
F
"I'm sorry, but I'm afraid we can't give you access to Miss Marsh's file." Said Joan, frowning at Alvin.
"Why not?"
"She's part of a delicate situation, there are issues that can only be discussed with her parents or legal guardians." Joan looked down at Alvin.
"She's staying with my wife and I, and you're saying I'm not allowed to see her file, which I've seen before, because I'm not her 'legal guardian'?" Asked Alvin, leaning forwards.
"That's correct." Answered Joan, "So, unless you and your wife are seriously considering adopting Miss Marsh, you can't see it."
"But I've seen it before!"
"Before some concerning incidents, things have changed."
"What possibly could have changed?!" Demanded Alvin, his patience running short.
"I'm not a liberty to say."
Alvin glared at her, before getting to his feet and leaving the office. Something wasn't right about this.
F
"I just don't get it, we've seen Clem's file before, what could've changed that?" Grumbled Alvin, as Rebecca put her feet up on a chair.
"Al, I heard something while at the school." Said Rebecca, carefully adjusting herself in her seat, "Something about Clementine."
"She talked to someone?" Asked Alvin, surprised.
"No, a parent was talking about her." Rebecca took a deep breath, "Al, they said something about cannibals and Clementine being locked in a room with a corpse."
"Jesus." Muttered Alvin, "That might explain some things."
"Are you talking about Larry?" Asked Clementine, making the two adults jump.
"Sweet mother fuck." Swore Alvin, getting a raised eyebrow from Clementine.
"Is it true?" Asked Rebecca, twisting so she could see Clementine.
"Yes."
Alvin and Rebecca stared at Clementine and how casually she confirmed it.
"Do, do you want to talk about it?" Asked Alvin, starting to approach Clementine.
"No."
Alvin stopped; Clementine looked up at him.
"Sarah wants your phone number." Said Clementine, getting a frown from Alvin and Rebecca.
"Why?" Asked Rebecca, Carlos already had their phone number.
"I don't know, she just asked for the phone number." Shrugged Clementine, as the penny dropped from Alvin and Rebecca.
"No, Clem, I think Sarah wants your phone number." Sighed Alvin, getting a confused look from Clementine.
"I don't have one."
Rebecca and Alvin stared at Clementine, "You… don't have a cell phone?"
"I had a walkie-talkie." Said Clementine, cracking her neck and getting a shudder from Rebecca.
"Please don't do that." Said Rebecca, making Clementine frown.
"Do what?"
The two adults both sighed, before giving Clementine the phone number. They watched Clementine disappear into the other room, re-joining Sarah.
"We'll speak with this Joan character tomorrow." Said Rebecca, as she adjusted herself in her seat, "Clementine's going to be at school, so it might be worth both of us going."
Alvin hummed.
F
Clementine stuck close to Sarah, seeing as she didn't know anyone else. She was lucky to be in the same classes as her, although she didn't like how some of the other students acted around her. She seriously disliked Becca, a girl in the same year.
She spent most of a lesson calling Sarah 'cry-baby' and 'weirdo', Sarah just kept trying to ignore her. Until Becca called her a retard. Then Clementine had crossed the room and was busy slamming her fists into Becca's face. The fight, if it could be called that, was short, ending with a teaching assistant picking Clementine up and hauling her off of Becca, who now sported a black eye, split lip and a broken nose. The teaching assistant sported a bite mark on his hand.
The next few minutes were spent getting an explanation from Clementine and Becca, before they spoke to Sarah. Which led to the three of them sitting outside the principal's office, waiting for their parents and/or guardians to show up.
F
Alvin shifted as Rebecca stared at Joan, trying to reign in her temper, "Please, tell us why we can't see Clementine's file?"
"Miss Marsh's file has been restricted due to a series of circumstances that could lead to a situation becoming… delicate. There are some people who, if hearing about said circumstances, would turned Miss Marsh away without even meeting her." Explained Joan, "It's difficult enough finding people willing to take in an older child, if they saw the contents of her file, finding a home for her would be impossible."
"Well," Started Rebecca, "it seems someone has seen her file, because I over-heard a parent at her school say she was caught up in a cannibal 'incident' in Georgia."
Joan froze, before pinching the bridge of her nose, "I'm going to kill that man."
Rebecca and Alvin frowned, before Joan picked up the phone on her desk, "Shel, could you please tell Leland to come to my office?"
Joan was quiet for a second, before responding to Shel, "Thank you."
Joan sighed, before looking at Alvin and Rebecca, "Thank you for informing me of that security breach. However, as I told you yesterday, Mr. Brooke, you cannot see Miss Marsh's file unless you are a blood relative or are seriously considering on adopting her."
Rebecca and Alvin shared a look, before Alvin's phone started ringing. Alvin winced, "Sorry, I should've turned this off."
"It's fine." Said Joan, leaning back in her chair.
"Hello?" Alvin answered the phone, "It is? Wait, she's what? R-right, we'll be right over."
Alvin hung up and looked at Rebecca, "Clementine's gotten into a fight."
Rebecca groaned.
F
Becca did her best not shrink under Clementine's glare. Sarah was sitting next to her, nervously looking between Clementine, Becca and the Principal's office door. The school nurse had checked Becca's face and Clementine's knuckles, throwing a disapproving look at the latter.
Becca looked away from Clementine when she heard a door open. Shel and a black couple came in, followed by Sarah's dad. Shel caught sight of Sarah and sighed, before freezing at the sight of Becca.
"What the hell happened?!" Demanded Shel, making the principal come out of his office.
"There's been an incident." Said Mr. Crawford, gesturing for them all to enter his office, "As well as something we all need to discuss."
The large group followed him, Clementine lazily ambling in, looking disinterested with the whole situation. Carlos noticed this and frowned, while Alvin and Rebecca sighed through their noses. Crawford sat at his desk and looked over the group. His eyes settled on Clementine and frowned.
"Miss Marsh, for someone who in at risk of being expelled, you may want to take this seriously." Said Crawford, making everyone look at Clementine.
"It's a new record." Shrugged Clementine, crossing her arms.
Crawford frowned, before glancing at Clementine's file on his computer. Rebecca felt her temper start to rise.
"Miss Marsh, need I remind you that attacking a fellow student is assault, which will be dealt with by the police." Crawford glared at Clementine, who glared back at him.
"So?"
"So, you better have a very good excuse at hand to explain yourself!" Snapped Crawford, getting to his feet and leaning on his desk.
"She was bullying Sarah." Shrugged Clementine, her face set as neutral as possible.
Everyone looked Clementine, before looking at Becca.
"Miss Ramirez, is this true?" Asked Crawford, looking at Sarah.
Sarah nervously looked at Becca, before quickly nodding, "She, uh, she called me names."
Crawford then focused on Clementine, "Miss Marsh, that is no reason to attack someone."
"She called Sarah a retard." Snapped Clementine, getting a flinch from Sarah, "I just showed what it's like to be on the receiving end."
Everyone stared at Clementine, before Shel grabbed Becca's shoulder, "Becca, is this true?"
Becca mumbled and shrugged her shoulders. Clementine scowled and glared at her.
"She is." Muttered Becca, "She's a fucking retard."
Thinking in the spur of the moment, and not wanting Clementine to get in too much trouble, Sarah flung her arm out and punched Becca in her other eyes.
"MISS RAMIREZ!" Snapped Crawford, while Carlos looked down at her.
"Sarah!"
"Nice punch." Commented Clementine, as Becca cradled her face.
Crawford sighed, "All three of you are suspended until the end of the week, when you get back all of you will be serving detention for the rest of the term. You're all dismissed."
Everyone stared at Crawford, before Clementine shrugged.
"Okay." She got to her feet and started to walk out of the room.
"Mr and Mrs Brooke," Said Crawford, looking at them, "I seriously suggest you get that girl under control."
Alvin and Rebecca glanced at each other, before following after Clementine. The other four following behind them silently.
"Clementine." Said Rebecca, catching up with Clementine, "You can't just attack people because they were insulting a friend."
"The teachers weren't doing anything." Stated Clementine, not looking at Rebecca.
Alvin followed behind them, unlocking the car, allowing them to get into it.
"What if you get expelled? Or arrested?" Asked Rebecca, twisting in her seat to look at Clementine.
"It won't matter." Scoffed Clementine, folding her arms over her chest.
"And why's that?" Demanded Rebecca, as Alvin drove them home.
"I'm not going to be here after next week, so there's hardly any reason to try and talk it out." Shrugged Clementine, looking out the car window.
"Why won't you be here next week, Clem?" Asked Alvin, glancing at Clementine sing the rear-view mirror.
"One the baby's here, you're just going to have me sent back into care."
Alvin paused, before pulling over onto the side of the road and turning to face Clementine, "What makes you think that?"
Rebecca frowned and looked at Clementine, who was now picking at her jeans.
"It's what everyone does." Shrugged Clementine, "They say they're going to take care of you or adopt you, but as soon as they have a baby of their own, you're just thrown back into care."
Rebecca sighed, before getting out of the car and getting into the back. She sat herself next to Clementine, before carefully pulling the girls towards her. Clementine stiffened, unsure what to do.
"Clem, have you been acting out, because you think no one wants you?" Asked Alvin, as Clementine felt her throat grow tight. She focused on a patch on her jeans.
She felt her eyes burn, before she turned her face into Rebecca's shoulder. Then the dam broke.
"It's what they did, it's what everyone does." Cried Clementine, her voice cracking and her breath coming out in gasps between sobs, "They keep leaving saying they want me and then get rid of me!"
Rebecca and Alvin shared a look, as Clementine continued to sob on Rebecca's shoulder.
"It's always the same, m-mom a-and d-dad. L-lee a-a-and C-carley. C-christa a-a-and O-omid. E-e-everyo-one!" Sobbed Clementine, instinctively grasping Rebecca.
Rebecca tightened her grip on Clem, gently rubbing her back and caressing the base of her skull. She silently gestured for Alvin to start driving again. Rebecca gently comforting the broken child in their care. By the time they got home, Clementine had fallen asleep, with Alvin having to carry her into the home. He carefully placed her in the bed in the room she was staying in, put the covers over her and went to join Rebecca.
"We need to talk about Clem." Said Alvin, as soon as he sat down.
"She's staying." Said Rebecca, her tone flat, "We're not going to put her through that, not again."
Alvin and Rebecca stared at each other in silence. Alvin reached out a held Rebecca's hand.
F
Clementine's leg bounced as she sat across from Rebecca and Alvin. They'd asked to speak with her when she woke up this morning, probably about her outburst the previous day. They were probably going to say they were sending her back.
"We've talked to Bonnie about extending out fostering period with you." Said Alvin, making Clementine freeze.
"W-what?" asked Clementine, looking up at them.
"Your outburst yesterday cleared up a few things," Said Rebecca, "We felt that it'd be best if you stayed with us, even if you want to leave after a few months."
Clementine continued to stare up at them, her eyes started to burn, before she lunged at them. Alvin and Rebecca were almost knocked over by the eleven-year-old as she tried to hug them both.
"Thank you." Whispered Clementine, "Thank you."
Alvin and Rebecca slowly hugged her in return, both hoping everything would turn out alright.
F
Clementine swung her legs as she sat in the hospital waiting room. Alvin was pacing around, while Rebecca screamed.
"Is, is she supposed to make that noise?" Asked Clementine, looking up at Alvin.
"Childbirth is a very painful thing, Clem." Sighed Alvin, looking at her, "If anything goes wrong, the doctors will tell us."
Clementine looked down at the floor, Alvin frown, sitting down next to her, "How are you holding up?"
"I, I know you said you wouldn't, b-but now you and Rebecca are going to have a baby…" Clementine trailed off.
"And you'll have a brother or sister." Responded Alvin, "And they'll have a big sister to look up to."
"B-but w-what if you and Rebecca find you only want the baby-" Alvin cut Clementine off by wrapping his arm around her and pulling her into his side.
"Becs and I aren't going to get rid of you," Chided Alvin, softly, "we meant what we said, nothing's going to change that."
They were interrupted when a nurse came out to them.
"You should be able to go in, now." Said the nurse, before Alvin gently guided Clementine into the room. Rebecca was slumped against the bed, sweat shining on her forehead and overall looking exhausted.
"Hey, Bec." Murmured Alvin, pressing a kiss to her temple, "How is she?"
"He's fine, Al." Whispered Rebecca, carefully adjusting the whimpering baby, "Eight and a half pounds or fine."
"He kind of looks like Alvin." Muttered Clementine, getting the two to look at her, before she tilted her head and squinted her eyes, "But if I do this, he also looks like a potato."
Rebecca laughed, before Clementine held her little finger under the baby's nose, "What are you doing, Clem?"
"I thought babies were supposed to cry." Answered Clementine, as the adults realised, she was checking to see if the baby was still breathing.
"Not always." Reassured Rebecca, adjusting the baby, "Sometimes, they're quiet."
As soon as Rebecca said that the baby started crying and Clementine retracted her hand at an almost comical speed. Rebecca started hushing him, while Alvin looked at Clementine. The eleven-year-old looked panicked at the sound of the baby crying.
"It's fine, babies are supposed to cry." Reassured Alvin, before looking down at the baby.
"W-what if AJ's hungry?" Asked Clementine, making both Alvin and Rebecca freeze.
"What did you say?" Asked Rebecca, looking at Clementine.
"I-I mean it's j-just a suggestion, i-if you don't have one already picked out." Muttered Clementine, as Rebecca slowly turned and looked at Alvin in disbelief.
"Did you seriously suggest to our daughter that we call the baby 'AJ'?!"
"No!"
Clementine stood frozen, staring at the pair.
"What does it stand for?" Asked Rebecca, looking at Clementine.
The parents stared at the child, who looked like she was going to burst into tears. Rebecca stiffened, realising what she'd just Clementine. Just as she was about to apologise, Clementine spoke.
"It, it's short for Alvin Junior," Stuttered Clementine, hastily rubbing her eyes, "I-I had a friend who was named after his dad, but we all called him Duck."
Alvin and Rebecca looked down at the grumpy looking baby, now Clementine had explained it to them, all they feel they could name him was Alvin Junior.
"Do you want to hold him?" Asked Rebecca, looking back at Clementine.
"W-what if I drop him?" Asked Clementine, nervously inching forwards.
"Come up to the bed." Suggested Rebecca, inviting Clementine over to them.
Quickly showing Clementine how to hold a baby, Rebecca placed AJ in Clem's arms and watched the two interact. AJ waved his tiny arms up at Clementine, who started to hush him when he started to get fussy. Alvin took a picture of the pair when Clementine poked her tongue out at AJ, getting a delighted giggle from him.
Alvin and Rebecca smiled at their children, the two oblivious to their parents watching them.