As the night grew on, kids filtered in and out, Kat's small, usually quiet house, became more like a night club on a Saturday evening. The music thumped, the alcohol was passed around, and the teenagers hooked-up in unoccupied corners.
“Cops!”
The party came to a crashing halt. With one word the chaos ensued, completely emptying the house.
The word echoed through the house by someone in the front living room. Drinks were dropped in their places, frantic teenagers hopped to their feet and darted to the backdoor. It slammed against its hinges, as kids sprinted into the darkness of the backyard.
“Sean!” Kat screamed. She clutched Dee's arm, looking around wildly at the chaos that was ensuing, and trying to figure out what to do with herself. Thankfully, Sean appeared at her side, and began giving direction.
“Dee! Steph! Get out the back! Go! Crap! Sean shouted. He put his hand on the middle of Stephanie’s back and quickly led her to the back door, the two girls skirted out into the night. “Kat, Scott hide the cans!” He ordered.
There was a loud rap against the front door. Kat’s heart pounded as she rushed around kicking as many of the empty cans out of sight, and stashing others in obscure places.
Sean made his way slowly to the front door, stalling for the last of their friends to scramble out the back. Sean opened it to find a stern-looking police officer on the other side. Red and blue lights swirled behind the familiar face in uniform.
Kat watched anxiously, standing in center of the living room. The red and blue lights filtered through the curtains hanging in the front windows, flooding the room in spasms of alternating colors.
Her mind swirled and her stomach clenched. She didn’t want to be arrested, go to jail, have a record. She didn’t want to be a bad kid. Getting into trouble was not as fun as they made it out to be! She froze in fear in the middle of the living room.
“Hello, Sean.” Officer Holloway greeted firmly. His boots thudded as he stepped through the door resting his hand on his belt. It was a familiar face. He had arrested Sean last year. He seemed sympathetic to their father passing away. Kat hoped this would be in their favor.
She crossed her fingers behind her back and whispered a soft prayer.
“Hi, Sir.” Sean’s voice shook. Kat watched Sean rub his hands together at his waist. It was a nervous tick that she rarely saw from him. Sean was always confident. Of course when Steve finds, he’ll be lucky to be alive.
“All right Sean, Where’s your mom?” Officer Holloway asked as he peered around Sean, taking stock of the disheveled house.
“She’s not here right now, she’s with her boyfriend. Is there anything I can do for you?” Sean answered with a smile, displaying a false innocence. Luckily, Sean somehow had a way of putting on the charm with adults, convincing them that he was an angel, a trait that came in handy for her mischievous older brother.
“Do you have his number?” The officer asked flatly. Kat’s heart dropped. Oh no, they were going to tell their mom. She was going to be upset. Mad or angry was never really in their mother’s vocabulary. She had a calm demeanor that Sean and Kat had and they were going to push her over the edge. At least Kat figured she would come back home.
“Sure, hold on, I’ll get it.” Sean answered. The smile dropped from his face. He looked unsure that he could pull this off unscathed. Sean’s looks were making Kat uneasy. Did he sense something bad? Come on Sean, you better have this.
Sean sprang to the kitchen for a pen and paper and jotted down several digits on the back of an envelope stamped ‘Past Due’. Kat watched his hand shake as he handed it to the officer.
Officer Holloway tapped the paper against his palm, seemingly satisfied.
“All right, we’re going to try to contact her. I’ll be right back.” The officer stepped out the door onto the lawn, talking into the radio attached to his shoulder.
Kat smirked. Good luck trying bring her home. Steve had been trying to keep her home for two years. Last year, his senior year he finally gave up. He broke up with his girlfriend, worked at the grocery store to bringing home money and stayed home on the weekends waiting up for Sean and Scott.
“Shit,” Sean mumbled. He stared out of the door for a moment, and then dropped down onto the small sofa. He rubbed his with his palms. Now he was worrying her, it was uncharacteristic of Sean to be nervous.
“Sean, what do we do? Come on Sean! When is he leaving?” Kat asked warily. Her spine stiffened waiting for his direction.
“Kat shut up and do what he says.” Scott snapped.
“Guys, just relax, everything will be fine.” Sean put out his hands in front of him and lowered them, in an effort to calm Kat and Scott.
The officer’s cuffs clacked together as he reentered to the messy living room.
Sean hopped to his feet and clapped his hands together waiting for the results.
“Okay kids,” Officer Holloway said. “We have a problem. I can't reach your mom. I also can't leave you alone.”
Kat glanced at Sean. Not surprised the officer couldn’t reach Sherry. She just hoped Sean had something up his sleeve to get rid of the officer.
“Where's your brother?”
Kat didn't find it surprising that Officer Holloway was bringing up Steve. It seemed like everyone in town knew about their situation. This officer worked with Steve during Sean’s arrest. Officer Holloway was well aware that Steve kept the family in line, while their mother slipped in and out of their lives.
“Steve is at college right now, but he’ll be home next week.” Sean answered. It was a complete lie, Steve hadn’t been home since he left two months ago. He was immersed in his own world, enjoying college life like he was supposed to, not playing dad to them. Although, he did call almost daily to check up on them.
The officer stood for a moment in thought. Then fixed his eyes on Sean and gave a nod to the door.
“Can you step outside with me.” Officer Holloway requested. The two made their way out to the lawn. Kat stared at the front door waiting anxiously for them to return. She was hoping Sean would receive a lecture from the officer and then leave.
When the two stepped back into the house several minutes later, the color had drained from Sean's face. She felt a tightening in her throat. Kat sensed that something bad was about to happen.
The officer casually pointed in Sean's direction.
“All right. Here’s the situation,” he said. “I can leave him, but you two.” He gestured to Kat and her younger brother, Scott, who sat with arms crossed, on the couch almost waiting for the bomb to drop. “You two I can’t leave alone. I’ve already sent for someone from social services.”
Kat gasped. Panic struck her like a bolt of lightning. What the heck did he mean by not letting them stay and social services?
Sean stared down at the stained carpet and ran his slender fingers through his short brown hair. He had obviously been told outside.
“What! Sean, call Steve!” Kat cried. Her heart raced and her gut tightened. She looked to Sean, with her eyes wide.
He hastily reached out to pat her arm, in an attempt to keep her calm. What was Sean thinking, he must have been drinking too much.
He was just handing his little brother and sister over to the state without a fight? This had to be a joke. Some messed up joke that wasn’t funny.
“You need your mother or someone who we know is going to be here, permanently looking after you.” The Officer explained. It sounded as if he was doing this intentionally as a wake-up call for her absentee mother. Did he understand separating them was not going to help?
“It's okay, Kat,” Sean reassured. “It's only until Mom gets you. They just can't reach her right now.”
She studied his face. He spoke as if it he had everything under control, but the look in his eyes, and the way his forehead crinkled, told a different story.
Sean was crazy just letting her go without a fight. When she returns he was going to get more than just an earful from her, She was absolutely going to fill Steve in on this.
Within minutes the social worker arrived and told Kat and Scott to each pack a suitcase. Kat went through the motions, folding clothes, then arranging them carefully in her suitcase. Kat did as she was asked, and minutes later, she was sitting in the back of the social workers red sedan with Scott, looking at Sean through the car’s window. He stood on the lawn, waving goodbye, and gripping his short hair with the most miserable expression on his face. It had all become a blur of movements like an old silent movie.
ns 15.158.61.51da2
