Throwaway Girl Read Online Free PDF Page B

iron fence surrounds the property. Flowers line the walkway; a welcome sign is perfectly centred on the front of the doorway.
    â€œThis is where you’ll be staying,” the social worker says. It’s the first time she’s spoken to me directly since we started driving. She puts the vehicle in park and unbuckles her seatbelt. I stare at the house, and my knees start to tremble. I can feel my breathing getting all ragged and weird, like I’m about to pass out. The ladies hold open the door and wait for me to step out. I feel a sense of impending doom.
    How else am I supposed to feel? What will these people be like? Are they nice? Do other children live here? How long do I have to stay? Will I be here forever? The questions tumble through my mind one after the other. I’m confused and scared.
    â€œCome on, Bernice … it’ll be fine,” she says, but it sounds more like she’s trying to get me out of the van so she can move on with her day than anything else. I step out onto the pavement. The trembling has spread from my knees to my entire body but I feel comfort in the warmth of the sun. I shuffle to the door, cowering behind the two ladies. The chime of the doorbell brings approaching footsteps.
    â€œHello! Please come in!” a woman greets us, full of cheer. She’s breathtakingly beautiful with long blonde hair that falls in bouncy waves from her shoulders. She’s wearing soft makeup and has thick eyelashes that outline her enormous blue eyes. She reminds me of Mrs. Duggleman.
    â€œAnd who are you, my dear?” she asks me gently. I must look like I’ve seen a ghost, standing there trembling, my eyes wide open in fear.
    â€œB-b-b ... Bernice,” I manage.
    â€œI’m pleased to meet you, Bernice! I’m Shelley.” She looks to the ladies who are all watching me, smiling.
    We all enter into the living room and I look around at the surroundings. There are leather couches and marble tables. The carpet is so plush that my toes almost get lost from view, and it’s white, of all colours. It’s such a beautiful, clean home. A big-screen TV takes up a corner of the room. I’ve never seen anything like it. The images dance upon the screen in perfect clarity, and I’m mesmerized by the colours and size. Pictures in fancy silver frames line the walls. Most of the pictures are of adults, but there are a couple of frames with photos of two young children. I wonder who they are, if they live here too. I’ve never had brothers or sisters before.
    â€œWhy don’t I show you Bernice’s room?” Shelley offers. We all follow her down the hallway. She turns the handle of the door and the door swings wide open. “This is your room, my dear,” she says to me. I try not to show any emotion, but inside I’m flabbergasted.
    It’s a room fit for a princess. There is pale pink wallpaper with tiny pink and green flowers on the walls. The same plush carpet in the living room is in this room too. A huge canopy bed is thick with layers of bedding, all in pink and soft green to match the wallpaper. A white lamp with a pretty patterned shade adorns the white bedside table. There is a dresser against the longest wall and a bookcase in the corner that are both painted white. The bookcase is filled with books of all sizes. Frilly curtains in the same shade of soft green cover the window. It’s almost magical in here. The thought that is where I will sleep is almost too much for me to handle. I glance around in wonder, trying to keep my jaw from hanging open.
    â€œWill this be okay?” Shelley kneels down and asks me. I nod, biting my lip. It’s a beautiful room, far more beautiful than I could ever imagine. But the bigger question on my mind is whether or not living here will be okay.
    â€œWhy don’t you get settled while the rest of us talk?” the social worker says. She hands me my backpack and motions for the other