FicWad

Far From Lonely

If this were a movie the first scene would involve a tragic car accident where my parents and older sister are killed by a teenage drunk driver. The camera zooms in on a souped up sports car filled with teenagers and as many bottles of whiskey they could handle, along with loud rowdy music to add a final touch.
Quickly the camera flips and zooms in on a truck with my dad driving, my sister sitting pretty in the middle and my mom sitting on the other side holding a heated debate with my dad about rising gas prices and the best movie to watch on a Friday night with the kids.
As the car packed with teenagers gains speed, the guys driving knocks back another gulp of vodka before throwing the empty bottle in the back and reaches for a beer to chase it with. My dad turns onto the road with the car at the other end and begins his slow ride home. The sight of high beams in front of him makes him squint and lean closer to the wheel.
Before he can get out of the way, the car swerves and heads speeding into the path of the red Chevy truck. My dad turned the wheel as hard as possible, but it was too late. The car strikes the truck dead on, airbags explode, drinks go flying, and in slow motion my sister leans herself closer to the dashboard of the truck preparing for death.
Soon smoke clears and the neighbors from the surrounding houses come out to see what all the commotion is about. A woman in her late forties covers her mouth in shock and shakes her head as she slowly dials the police and waits by the curb with her arms crossed while her husband looks for any survivors.
The flashing red lights of the police trooper drives me from my bed and out onto the street. I wrapped the black oversized hoodie tighter around my scrawny frame as I step onto the street and start walking to the group of neighbors forming a crowd around the scene of the accident. Some turn and shake their heads sadly at me; others step aside to let me see who exactly stirred me from my deep slumber. Suddenly the sight of my dad's precious fire engine red Chevy truck with a wheel the size of an extra large pizza makes me run to the barricade of the police line tape.
I quickly duck under it and run to the now empty truck ignoring the calls form my neighbors to come back. The shattered glass covered in blood almost makes me loose the simple dinner of Ramen noodles and iced tea. I spin around to the several ambulances parked at odd angles around the two cars. Several teenagers from my high school are lying on stretchers, with their eyes closed and the sheets ready to be pulled over their heads. Finally my gaze settles on my sister lying with her eyes open, pointed to the sky.
"Sam?" I sob dropping to the ground by the stretcher and grabbing her frail bloody hand. "Sammy, can you hear me?"
Her glazed over eyes turn to meet mine. A slow smile spreads across her scratched face as she reaches up and places a hand on my face. Just as her hand grazes my cheek, it falls away and her eyes shut. I watch her for a while until I feel the need to get up.
Turning again I find the stretcher containing my mom, her beautiful doe eyes closed, never to be open again. I look at her for a split second before I feel hands on each side of my shoulders.
"Miss, you aren't to be past the tape." An officer says sternly walking me back to the group of neighbors looking shocked and unable to speak.
"Wait, I haven't seen my dad!" I call out spinning around and looking at him straight in the eye.
"I'm sorry, only police and EMTs are allowed behind the tape." He says looking away.
"Please, my mom and sister are dead." I say forcing my way past him. "I want to see my dad."
Without much help I find my dad, he was lying in a stretcher. I bite my lip as I kneel down beside him and grab his hand.
"Daddy?" I choke on my words and swallow back the urge to cry the tear lurking behind my eyes.
"Harper." His voice is raspy and low. "My baby."
"Daddy, please don't leave." I can't help but let the tears fall as he lies there.
"You know we all love you." He coughs; I notice blood on his lips once he removes his hands.
I nod and watch him rest back and close his eyes. The EMT rushed past me and quickly started to treat him further.
"Please miss, you have to go behind the tape." The officer persists again guiding me back to the arms of my loving neighbor.
"Come, let's get you some tea." She said ushering me to her house.
Being too shocked to react I obey and sit with her until morning. Finally another police officer knocks on her door. She opens it in a rush and talks quietly with him while I sit on the couch starting off into space. Soon the silence fills the room and I notice my neighbor and the officer walking toward me.
"Harper?" My neighbor, Mrs. Johnston says gently touching my shoulder almost afraid of breaking me. "Officer Logan wants you to come with him."
"I don't want to leave." I say flatly looking at him with tired, bloodshot eyes.
"I'm sorry dear; you have no choice in the matter." Officer Logan says taking me by the arm and escorting me to the rest of my life.

End of Flashback
~~~

"Hooper?" The social worker said reading the clipboard that was probably given to her only minutes ago.
"It's Harper." I said turning my head slowly as I snapped awake from the flashback I kept having and lifting my duffel bag with the clothes that couldn't fit in the other suitcases.
"Oh right." She laughed nervously before sticking out her over tanned orange hand for me to shake. "Please take a seat."
I obeyed and sat down in the uncomfortable seat in front of the social workers desk. She smiled at me and placed her hand on mine.
"I know the couples of weeks have been difficultd." She said in a hushed tone. "But I want you to know that life can only get better now."
I lifted my eyes to hers, those dark swimming pools having seen so many cases worse than mine, yet she treated me like the new beaten child.
"How can you say that?" I sniffed pulling my hand away and wiping my eyes. "Have your parents and sister just died too?"
"No, I'm just saying thing can only get better." She said biting her lip.
"Mhm, I'm sure." I spat almost angrily as I pulled my knees to my chest and looked at her. "So, what exactly is gonna happen to me?"
"I was thinking we place you in a group home." She said glancing at her clipboard and nodding. "Yes a group home would fit you perfectly."
"You're going to put me in an orphanage?!" I shouted standing up and almost toppling the desk.
"What?" She said shaken. "No, a group home is where a small group of children live with two or three supervisors."
"Oh." I said calming down and taking a seat again. "Well, who is in my group home?"
"Mmmm, a group of boys and a girl." She said with a smile. "I did a background check on you and noticed you didn't have many friends, so I took the liberty to have some children from Chicago come live with you and your new supervisor."
I stared at her in shock, but she must have taken it as good shock because she got up and threw her arms around me in a tight hug. I placed my arms on her shoulders and pushed her away carefully. She blushed and took the file and clipboard from the desk and started for the door.
"Come, you need to meet your supervisor." She said casting a backward glance my way the turning and walking out the door.
I followed her and got in step with her quick stride as we walked down the blinding white hallway. We finally got to an almost identical room where a woman in her late thirties was standing with her arms crosses as she faced the wall. At the sound of the door opening she turned and gave a relieved sigh as she saw me standing there.
"Ahhh, at least you got me one I can handle this time." She said with a heavy British accent.
"Harper, this is Gabriel." The social worker said in an almost eager voice. "Gabriel, this is your supervisee Harper."
"Nice to meet you." She said holding her hand out and shaking mine gently. "I'm sorry to hear about your family."
I blinked back the tears that threatened at the back of my throat. I swallowed hard and hoisted my duffle bag higher up on my shoulder. Noticing my discomfort my social worker who I completely forget her name quickly had Gabriel sign a few forms and then she smiled at me and pulled me aside.
"If anything happens call this number and tell them who you are and where you are." She handed me a business card. "They'll come get you and take care of you for a while."
I nodded and slipped the card in my back pocket. Finally she nodded to Gabriel who gently touched my arm and walked me out to her car where my things were being loaded into the trunk.
"I hope you know I plan on taking care of you like your mother." She said glancing at me as I watched them load in my last suitcase.
"I do." I said flatly getting in the front with her and staring out the window.
"Good, now that that's over let's get to the house." She said taking her good sweet time to the house that I was about to say goodbye to.