Passage 36

Melina layed her head on the police window as her mother came home as she was thinking her terrible unruly children had done did.something stupid and the police were bringing them back home. The police in the city had gotten used to being called to this residence that they were in first name basis with all the McNally girls. Paula refused to pack her items as she was dragged to the car and was trying to kick her way out of the car and the officers spoke to their mother as they went back in the house to gather Paula's items . She screamed and yelled and all the while the neighbors stood outside as mia had taken off and was long gone. Melina looked out the window as she saw her hunter in the woods as she put her hand on the window as it was yet another she was unable to say goodbye . She had been getting used to being accepted by Ashley and amber that she knew it was too good to be true and all she could think of was how mad her mother was going to be she didn't finish all the donuts . It was nightfall before the cars left and Melina already knew she would go to a group home because of Paula . Melina just undetood. Her mother was in no position to raise three teenagers and now we were driving away she realized she couldn't do it either. Melina and Paula was placed in a police station as they went over the things in reports with our new case worker from D H R. Paula sulked and fought the process as it was a tiring night trying to figure out where they were going to put two girls . Melina watched out of the window as she pulled up to a group home in camp Hill . She saw the door open as she didn't say a word as we were introduced to our new house parents as Melina didn't say a word as Paula marched in mad.at the world. Melina was showed to her room as she didn't have a chance to meet her roommate as there was a box of supplies on her bed as she put her black trash bag down and opened the box. She saw ribbons and a box of tacks and she looked around the room and saw the cork board. When Melina first came into the system every new home had the same transitional care package for Melina. The parents gave her ribbons and thumbtacks and a corkboard then they left her alone for three days as Melina used this time to make ribbon bracelets as she braided multiple colors together as she settled down. This sort of tactic was amusing to a seven year old Melina even a nine year old Melina but she was eleven and she was back in a group home after only being home two summers.

Melina nodded understanding they must have read her file and her fondness for arts and crafts.as a coping mechanism. Then there was the awkward looks that were given when they saw her and didn't know what to say. Melina was never one for words of comfort as she never had any from anyone she ever encountered.

Melina sat on her bed and grabbed some scissors in the box and measured the length with her fingers as she made cuts of three colors and tied off the end. Then pinned it to the cork board and began to braid the ribbons. The house parents always stayed and watched her for a while and Melina would braid in silence as this was her process of adjusting to a new home. At this point in her life Melina had had eight homes so far and she wasn't even a teenager yet.

That was the life of a foster care . The lack of stability. That there was no such thing as a permanent home. No such thing as people helping with the problem but just delaying it . She braided in silence like this as he house mom watched her . She came over to inspect the bracelets that she made in a rapid skill as she had done this many times before and she knew they would watch her to make sure she was adjusting well.

The first few days she didn't really say a word as she was in the system two years ago and it wasn't that she was quiet out of shock from the situation and her adjusting to losing her little bit of freedom on the outside,but she was watching the other girls as there was some new faces around her and some old faces . It was summer time and she couldn't continue summer school because she was taken back so they decided to make her repeat the fifth grade.

Melina was watching the people in the house as these girls were new to her but there was six other houses. All sorted by age group and they all had their own names. The leach home was the home for the girls that were a year away from being released into society as they all had jobs outside of the system and some drove as most were seniors in highschool. Then there was the hunt house where they were teenagers that didn't have sibblings that were placed in a home together . Then there was the Newman house where the girls were a little bit more hectic house where the parents had to be more of a drill Sargent to keep them in line. Then there was the Bailey house where the newer kids went until they were acclimated into the system and then placed according to their situation.

Melina and Paula was in the Bailey home. The Newman house was also for system sibblings as they were kept together. Each home held tenrooms which as twenty girls at a maximum to one set of house parents. Each home has their own set of house parents and ran there own work crews and then there was the main office which was the first house when you entered the farm . Then there was a house that the resident nanny lived in when she wasn't in need as she rotated when the house parents went on a vacation.

Melina was in the Bailey home and it took no time for Paula to find an old enemy in the hunt house. Paula had fount Scarlett. The girl who tormented Melina at the previous home. The girl who put herself in constant competition of Melina. Scarlett was a couple years older but she was no less sinister since the last time she saw the girl who made her very existence a living hell. The only saving grace was they were in two seperate houses.

But Paula wasted no time reuniting with her old bad girls crew and held no regard to how Melina felt being left alone once again to fend for herself. She watched her sisters loyalties divide once again. She knew she made have been born a sister but she knew she was alone here.

Melina never understood her sister Paula loyalty to everyone except her own sister. She had a real messed up ideas what it meant to be family. When Paula showed up with Scarlett she already knew there was going to be some.tom foolery about to happen as she knew Scarlett may have been bested by Melina in the garden two years ago but that was an old set of foster kids who all aged out of the system and only a hand full of girls knew what happened between Melina and Scarlett. Melina knew she had to re-establishing her power with Scarlett as she knew she wouldn't let what happened in the old group home rest. It was like going to a new prison the old news was old and this was a new set of girls . This place was a new prison a new rules. Melina watched the other girls as she stayed to herself as she learned you can be guilty by association and if Melina wasn't associated with anyone then she wouldn't be guilty of anything. Melina knew her mother wasn't here to punish her and it was on her own to keep her nose clean because as many girls that were here the house parents had their hands full of mayhem and delinquents. We were just a head count a paycheck. If I wanted and hugs or sympathy from what I had to endure the past year and a half I wasn't going to get any of that here. So I might as well hang that one up on the line to dry. Paula and Scarlett were bad news together it meant I disappeared . Paula was a perpetually angry teenager as she got into a fight with a girl her first week here . Melina kept her head down as she watched Paula make alliances and make enemies in the process.She knew all too well that her being the younger sister to the infamous Paula was practically placing a bulls eye on Melina's back. The summer was longer than she wished as she spent time isolating herself from other girls where she often drew on the porch swing in plain sight knowing the simple confinements of her regulated room was too closed to escape if trouble came amiss. This was when she met another sister pair whom had arrive a a couple weeks after her and the older sister name larameeka was fourteen and the younger sister was name keisha who was melinas age at eleven arrived at the Bailey home. Both girls had been seperated between different homes and now we're together in the group home. Both girls mother had a substance abuse problem and like high school rumors gossip always found a way around the home quicker than a broadcast station. The house parents showed larameeka in as she was to be settled in the room with Melina and Lakisha was going to be settled in the room with Paula. Since Melina and Paula had a record of violence against each other the two sister couldnt share a room at all. keisha was left with Melina to play as they settled the room situation with her older sister larmeka . Melina was coloring with the younger sister peacefully as she shared her crayons and tore off many pieces of drawing paper as the two girls sat against the exterior wall of the front porch. Keisha suddenly ran inside as If she had forgotten something all of a sudden and larameeka stormed out and pushed Melina as she got mad at her . Melina was confused what happened and looked at the girl ready to fight her if need be even though she had no clue why she was being pushed. " Keep your hands off of my little sister. Touch her again and I will mess you up." Yelled larameeka as Melina realized kisha ran and told her sister Melina hit her to get attention. " I didn't touch her. We were just coloring and she ran inside the house. We never left the porch ." Protested Melina as she pleaded her Innocence. Larameeka turned to her mischievous little sister as she snickered at the accusations." Did she push you or not." Demanded her older sister. Melina analyzed the situation as she often remember her sister mia being the instigator even Paula at times when they lived in Woodlawn. She remembered them starting fights by aggervating some girl or boy and aggervated then to make them chase her back to her sisters then run to get Melina and Jamie saying they were going to beat them up. In family you didn't ask questions you just protected. When girls would run into four sisters instead of one sister they knew they messed up. This was often the pass time of her two middle sisters testing our loyalty to them even if they started it the McNally sisters finished it.

" She had a color I wanted and she wouldn't give it to me." Started Keisha as she began to roll her eyes and look around her older sister . " So you said she hit you to get a color you wanted ." Snipped her sister as Paula showed up as she was done playing at the hunt house with Scarlett. Keisha looked at Paula as she rolled her eyes at her. Paula looked at her as she looked at this small girl rolling her eyes at her. " Did you ask her to use it?" Asked her older sister as she had been through this with her baby sister many times with other homes and her having to defend her sister from her being spoiled. " I didn't want to ask her to use it. I wanted the color and I don't need to asked to use a color ." Cried Keisha with a little attitude. " So you lied. Told me she hit you. To start trouble. Like you did at the other home. Do you want them to seperate us like they did last time?" Reminded larameeka as she scolded her little sister. " No!" Cried he sister as she made crocodile tears as Melina looked at the great pretender and watched her manipulate the situation until she was asked questions. As long as questions weren't asked she got what she wanted. Larmeka had delt with this attitude home after home. " You can't do that Keisha you can't lie to get your way. I almost hit that little girl over one color you didn't want to ask for. You need to tell her your sorry right now." Said larameeka as her sister sat there stone faced . She rolled her eyes at Paula as she julted towards her like her little eleven year old body was going to hit her. Paula looked at this little girl she has never seen in her life act like she wanted to fight. " Who are you this ain't none of your business so move along." Snipped Keisha at Paula. Paula narrowed her eyes at this little girl with an attitude problem as she smirked at her oddacity at her thinking she could take her. " It is my business this is my little sister your messing with." Said Paula as Melina have thought Paula was going to leave her out to dry . She seriously though Paula was going to ignore her like she had always done before. She never defended her before so why would now be any different thought Melina. Keisha looked at the two sisters and gulped as she hurried up to say her apologies." Sorry !" She said with Malice in her tone as she ran away upset she had to apologize for her being a brat. Larameeka offered her apologies for her part in the misunderstanding and went after her sister.